The utmost border of his kingdom, left

To their defence who hold it: here perhaps
Some advantageous act may be achiev'd

By sudden onset, either with Hell fire

To waste his whole creation, or possess

All as our own, and drive, as we were driven,
The puny habitants; or, if not drive,
Seduce them to our party, that their God

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May prove their foe, and with repenting hand
Abolish his own works. This would surpass
Common revenge; and interrupt his joy
In our confusion, and our joy upraise
In his disturbance; when his darling sons,

Hurl'd headlong to partake with us, shall curse
Their frail original, and faded bliss,
Faded so soon. Advise if this be worth
Attempting, or to sit in darkness here
Hatching vain empires." Thus Beelzebub
Pleaded his devilish counsel, first devis'd
By Satan, and in part propos'd : for whence,
But from the author of all ill, could spring
So deep a malice, to confound the race

Of mankind in one root, and Earth. with Hell
To mingle and involve, done all to spite
The great Creator? But their spite still serves
His glory to augment. The bold design
Pleas'd highly those infernal States, and joy
Sparkled in all their eyes: with full assent
They vote whereat his speech he thus renews.
"Well have ye judg'd, well ended long debate,

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Synod of Gods, and like to what ye are,

Great things resolv'd, which from the lowest deep

Will once more lift us up, in spite of fate,
Nearer our ancient seat; perhaps in view

Of those bright confines, whence with neighb'ring arms 395 And opportune excursion we may chance

Re-enter Heav'n; or else in some mild zone

Dwell, not unvisited of Heav'n's fair light,
Secure, and at the bright'ning orient beam

Purge off this gloom; the soft delicious air,

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To heal the scar of these corrosive fires,

Shall breathe her balm. But, first, whom shall we send

In search of this new world? whom shall we find

Sufficient? who shall tempt with wand'ring feet

The dark unbottom'd infinite abyss,

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And through the palpable obscure find out

His uncouth way, or spread his airy flight,

Upborne with indefatigable wings,

Over the vast abrupt, ere he arrive

The happy isle? what strength, what art, can then

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Suffice, or what evasion bear him safe

Through the strict senteries and stations thick

Of Angels watching round? Here he had need
All circumspection, and we now no less
Choice in our suffrage; for on whom we send

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The weight of all, and our last hope, relics."

This said, he sat ; and expectation held

His look suspence, awaiting who appear'd

Of those Heav'n-warring champions could be found
So hardy as to proffer or accept

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Alone the dreadful voyage; till at last

Satan, whom now transcendent glory rais'd

Above his fellows, with monarchal pride

Conscious of highest worth, unmov'd, thus spake. "O Progeny of Heav'n, empyreal Thrones!/

430

With reason hath deep silence and demur

Seiz'd us, though undismay'd: long is the way,
And hard, that out of Hell leads up to light;
Our prison strong; this huge convex of fire,

Outrageous to devour, immures us round

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Ninefold, and gates of burning adamant,
Barr'd over us, prohibits all egress.

These pass'd, if any pass, the void profound

Of unessential Night receives him next,

Wide gaping, and with utter loss of being quali

Threatens him, plunged in that abortive gulf.
If thence he 'scape into whatever world,
Or unknown region, what remains him less
Than unknown dangers, and as hard escape?
But I should ill become this throne, O Peers,

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And this imperial sov'reignty, adorn'd

With splendor, arm'd with pow'r, if ought propos'd

To him who reigns, and so much to him due
Of hazard more, as he above the rest

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High honour'd sits? Go, therefore, mighty Powers,
Terror of Heav'n, though fall'n; intend at home,

While here shall be our home, what best may ease
The present misery, and render Hell

More tolerable; if there be cure or charm

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To respite, or deceive, or slack the pain,
Of this ill mansion: intermit no watch

Against a wakeful foe, while I abroad,

Through all the coasts of dark destruction, seek
Deliverance for us all. This enterprise

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None shall partake with me." Thus saying, rose
The Monarch, and prevented all reply;

ستان

Prudent, lest, from his resolution rais'd,
Others among the chief might offer now
(Certain to be refus'd) what erst they fear'd;
And, so refus'd, might in opinion stand

His rivals, winning cheap the high repute
Which he through hazard huge must earn.
Dreaded not more th' adventure than his voice
Forbidding; and at once with him they rose.

But they

Their rising all at once was as the sound

Of thunder heard remote. Towards him they bend,
With awful reverence prone; and as a God

Extol him equal to the High'est in Heaven.

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Nor fail'd they to express how much they prais'd
That for the general safety he despis'd

480

His own for neither do the Spirits damn'd

Lose all their virtue; lest bad men should boast
Their specious deeds on earth, which glory' excites,
Or close ambition tarnish'd o'er with zeal.
Thus they their doubtful consultations dark
Ended, rejoicing in their matchless chief:
As when from mountain tops the dusky clouds
Ascending, while the north wind sleeps, o'erspread
Heav'n's cheerful face, the low'ring element
Scowls o'er the darken'd landskip snow, or shower;
If chance the radiant sun with farewell sweet
Extend his evening beam, the fields revive,
The birds their notes renew, and bleating herds
Attest their joy, that hill and valley rings.
O shame to men! Devil with Devil damn'd
Firm concord holds; men only disagree
Of creatures rational, though under hope

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Of heavenly grace; and, God proclaiming peace,
Yet live in hatred, enmity, and strife,
Among themselves, and levy cruel wars,.
Wasting the earth, each other to destroy!
As if (which might induce us to accord)
Man had not hellish foes enow besides,
That day and night for his destruction wait.

The Stygian council thus dissolv'd, and forth
In order came the grand infernal peers:
Mid'st came their Paramount, and seem'd

Alone the antagonist of Heav'n, nor less

Than Hell's dread emperor, with pomp supreme,

And God-like imitated state; him round

A globe of fiery Seraphim enclos'd

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With bright emblazonry, and horrent arms.
Then, of their session ended, they bid cry,

With trumpets' regal sound, the great result.

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Tow'ards the four winds four speedy Cherubim

Put to their mouths the sounding alchemy, mata

By heralds' voice explain'd; the hollow' abyss

Heard far and wide, and all the host of Hell

With deaf'ning shout return'd them loud acclaim.

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Thence more at ease their minds, and somewhat rais'd

By false presumptuous hope, the ranged Powers

Disband, and, wand'ring each his several way
Pursues, as inclination or sad choice

Leads him, perplex'd where he may likeliest find
Truce to his restless thoughts, and entertain
The irksome hours till his great Chief return.
Part on the plain, or in the air sublime,
Upon the wing or in swift race contend,
As at th' Olympian games or Pythian fields;
Part curb their fiery steeds, or shun the goal
With rapid wheels, or fronted brigades form.
As when to warn proud cities war appears
Wag'd in the troubled sky, and armies rush
To battle in the clouds, before each van

Prick forth the airy knights, and couch their spears
Till thickest legions close; with feats of arms
From either end of Heav'n the welkin burns.

Others, with vast Typhoean rage, more fell,

Rend up both rocks and hills, and ride the air avahe 2540 I In whirlwind; Hell scarce holds the wild uproar.

As when Alcides, from Oechalia crown'd

With conquest, felt th' envenom'd robe, and tore
Through pain up by the roots Thessalian pines,
And Lichas from the top of Oeta threw

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