His proud imaginations thus displayed :
Powers and Dominions, Deities of Heaven! For, since no deep within her gulf can hold Immortal vigour, though oppressed and fallen, I give not Heaven for lost: from this descent Celestial Virtues rising will appear
More glorious and more dread than from no fall, And trust themselves to fear no second fate!- Me though just right, and the fixed laws of Heaven,
Did first create your leader-next, free choice, With what besides in council or in fight Hath been achieved of merit-yet this loss, Thus far at least recovered, hath much more Established in a safe, unenvied throne, Yielded with full consent. The happier state In Heaven, which follows dignity, might draw Envy from each inferior; but who here Will envy whom the highest place exposes Foremost to stand against the Thunderer's aim Your bulwark, and condemns to greatest share Of endless pain? Where there is, then, no good For which to strive, no strife can grow up there From faction: for none sure will claim in Hell Precedence; none whose portion is so small Of present pain that with ambitious mind Will covet more! With this advantage, then, To union, and firm faith, and firm accord, More than can be in Heaven, we now return To claim our just inheritance of old, Surer to prosper than prosperity
Could have assured us; and by what best way, 40 Whether of open war or covert guile,
'Let us May hope, when everlasting Fate shall yield by en- To fickle Chance, and Chaos judge the strife. The former, vain to hope, argues as vain work ease out of The latter; for what place can be for us pain' Within Heaven's bound, unless Heaven's Lord Supreme
We overpower? Suppose he should relent, And publish grace to all, on promise made Of new subjection; with what eyes could we Stand in his presence humble, and receive Strict laws imposed, to celebrate his throne With warbled hymns, and to his Godhead sing Forced Halleluiahs, while he lordly sits Our envied sovran, and his altar breathes Ambrosial odours and ambrosial flowers, Our servile offerings? This must be our task In Heaven, this our delight. How wearisome Eternity so spent in worship paid
To whom we hate! Let us not then pursue, By force impossible, by leave obtained Unacceptable, though in Heaven, our state Of splendid vassalage; but rather seek
Our own good from ourselves, and from our own Live to ourselves, though in this vast recess, Free and to none accountable, preferring Hard liberty before the easy yoke
Of servile pomp. Our greatness will appear Then most conspicuous when great things of small,
Useful of hurtful, prosperous of adverse, We can create, and in what place soe'er Thrive under evil, and work ease out of pain Through labour and endurance. This deep world Of darkness do we dread? How oft amidst
Thick clouds and dark doth Heaven's all-ruling The
Choose to reside, his glory unobscured,
And with the majesty of darkness round Covers his throne, from whence deep thunders
Mustering their rage, and Heaven resembles Hell!
As he our darkness, cannot we his light Imitate when we please? This desert soil Wants not her hidden lustre, gems and gold; Nor want we skill or art from whence to raise Magnificence; and what can Heaven show more? Our torments also may, in length of time, Become our elements, these piercing fires As soft as now severe, our temper changed Into their temper; which must needs remove The sensible of pain. All things invite To peaceful counsels, and the settled state Of order, how in safety best we may Compose our present evils, with regard Of what we are and where, dismissing quite All thoughts of war. Ye have what I advise.' He scarce had finished, when such murmur filled
The assembly as when hollow rocks retain The sound of blustering winds, which all night long
Had roused the sea, now with hoarse cadence lull Seafaring men o'erwatched, whose bark by chance,
Or pinnace, anchors in a craggy bay
After the tempest. Such applause was heard 290 As Mammon ended, and his sentence pleased,
throng applauds his sentence
Beel- Advising peace: for such another field zebub They dreaded worse than Hell; so much the
Of thunder and the sword of Michaël
Wrought still within them; and no less desire To found this nether empire, which might rise, By policy and long process of time,
In emulation opposite to Heaven.
Which when Beelzebub perceived—than whom, Satan except, none higher sat-with grave 300 Aspect he rose, and in his rising seemed A pillar of state. Deep on his front engraven Deliberation sat, and public care;
And princely counsel in his face yet shone, Majestic, though in ruin. Sage he stood, With Atlantean shoulders, fit to bear
The weight of mightiest monarchies; his look Drew audience and attention still as night Or summer's noontide air, while thus he spake :- "Thrones and Imperial Powers, Offspring of Heaven,
Ethereal Virtues! or these titles now Must we renounce, and, changing style, be called Princes of Hell? for so the popular vote Inclines-here to continue, and build here up A growing empire; doubtless! while we dream, And know not that the King of Heaven hath doomed
This place our dungeon-not our safe retreat Beyond his potent arm, to live exempt From Heaven's high jurisdiction, in new league Banded against his throne, but to remain In strictest bondage, though thus far removed, Under the inevitable curb, reserved
His captive multitude. For He, be sure,
In highth or depth, still first and last will reign are in Sole king, and of his kingdom lose no part By our revolt, but over Hell extend His empire, and with iron sceptre rule Us here, as with his golden those in Heaven. What sit we then projecting peace and war? War hath determined us and foiled with loss 330 Irreparable; terms of peace yet none Voutsafed or sought; for what peace will be given
To us enslaved, but custody severe,
And stripes and arbitrary punishment Inflicted? and what peace can we return, But, to our power, hostility and hate, Untamed reluctance, and revenge, though slow, Yet ever plotting how the Conqueror least May reap his conquest, and may least rejoice In doing what we most in suffering feel? Nor will occasion want, nor shall we need With dangerous expedition to invade Heaven, whose high walls fear no assault or siege,
Or ambush from the Deep. What if we find Some easier enterprise? There is a place (If ancient and prophetic fame in Heaven Err not)-another World, the happy seat Of some new race, called Man, about this time To be created like to us, though less
In power and excellence, but favoured more 350 Of him who rules above; so was his will Pronounced among the gods, and by an oath That shook Heaven's whole circumference con- firmed.
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