And chiefly Thou, O Spirit, that doft prefer Before all temples th' upright heart and pure, Instruct me, for Thou know'ft; Thou from the firft

Waft prefent, and with mighty wings outfpread

Dove-like fat'st brooding on the vast Abyss,
And mad'ft it pregnant: what in me is dark
Illumine, what is low, raife and fupport;
That to the height of this great argument
I may affert eternal Providence,

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And juftify the ways of God to Men. Say firft, for Heav'n hides nothing from thy view,

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Nor the deep tract of Hell, fay firft what caufe
Mov'd our grand parents, in that happy state,
Favor'd of Heav'n so highly, to fall off
From their creator, and tranfgrefs his will
For one restraint, lords of the world befides?
Who first seduc'd them to that foul revolt?
Th' infernal Serpent! he it was, whose guile
Stirr'd up with envy and revenge, deceiv'd 35
The mother of mankind, what time his pride
Had caft him out from Heav'n, with all his host
Of rebel Angels, by whofe aid aspiring,
To fet himfelf in glory above his peers,
He trusted to have equal'd the most High, 40
If he oppos'd; and with ambitious aim
Against the throne and monarchy of God

· Rais'd impious war in Heav'n and battel proud
With vain attempt. Him the almighty Power
Hurl'd headlong flaming from th' ethereal fky, 45
With hideous ruin and combuftion, down
To bottomless perdition, there to dwell
In adamantine chains and penal fire,
Who durft defie th' Omnipotent to arms. ›
Nine times the space that measures day and

Lay vanquish'd, rolling in the fiery gulf, Confounded though immortal: But his doom Referv'd him to more wrath; for now the

thought

Both of loft happiness and lafting pain

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Torments him; round he throws his baleful

eyes,

That witness'd huge affliction and dismay,
Mix'd with obdurate pride and stedfaft hate
At once, as far as angels ken, he views
The dismal fituation waste and wild;
A dungeon horrible, on all fides round

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As one great furnace, flam'd, yed from thofe

flames

No light, but rather darkness visible

Serv'd only to difcover fights of woe;

Regions of forrow, doleful fhades, where

peace

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And rest can never dwell; hope never comes

That comes to all; but torture without end
Still urges, and a fiery deluge, fed
With ever-burning,fulphur unconfum'd:
Such place eternal Juftice had prepar'd
For those rebellious; here their prison ordain'd,
In utter darkness, and their portion set

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As far remov'd from God and light of Heav'n, As from the centre thrice to th' utmost pole. O how unlike the place from whence they fell!

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There the companions of his fall, o'erwhelm'd With floods and whirlwinds of tempeftuous

fire,

He foon discerns; and welt'ring by his fide
One next himself in pow'r, and next in crime,
Long after known in Palestine, and nam'd 80
Beelzebub. To whom th' Arch-enemy.
And thence in Heav'n call'd Satan, with bold
words

Breaking the horrid filence thus began.

If thou beeft He; But O how fall'n! how

chang'd

From him, who in the happy realms of light 85 Cloth'd with tranfcendent brightness didft

out-fhine

Myriads tho' bright! If he whom mutual league,
United thoughts and counsels, equal hope
And hazard in the glorious enterprise,

Join'd with me once, now mifery hath jóind go

In equal ruin! Into what pit thou feest

From what height fall'n, so much the stronger prov'd

He with his thunder: and till then who knew
The force of those dire arms? Yet not for those, yo
Nor what the potent victor in his rage
Can else inflict, do I repent or change,
Though chang'd in outward luftre, that fix'd

mind

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And high difdain from fenfe of injur'd merit, That with the Mightieft rais'd me to contend, And to the fierce contention brought along 100` Innumerable force of spirits arm'd,

That durft diflike his reign, and me preferring. His utmost pow'r with adverse pow'r oppos'd In dubious battel on the plains of Heav'n,

And shook his throne. What tho' the field be

loft?

All is not loft; th' unconquerable will,
And study of revenge, immortal hate,
And courage never to submit or yield,
And what is elfe not to be overcome;

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That glory never shall his wrath or might 110 Extort from me. To bow and fue for grace With fuppliant knee, and deify his pow'r, Who from the terror of this arm fo late Doubted his empire; that were low indeed, That were an ignominy and shame beneath 115 This downfall; fince by fate the strength of Gods

And this empyreal substance cannot fail,
Since through experience of this great event
In arms not worse, in forefight much advanc'd,
We may with more fuccessful hope refolve, 120
To wage by force or guile eternal war,
Irreconcileable to our grand foe,

Who now triumphs, and in th' excess of joy
Sole reigning holds the tyranny of heaven.
So fpake th' apostate Angel, though in

Vaunting aloud, but rack'd with deep despair:
And him thus anfwer'd foon his bold compeer.

O Prince, O chief of many throned Powers,
That led th' imbattel'd Seraphim to war
Under thy conduct, and in dreadful deeds 130
Fearless, endanger'd Heav'ns perpetual king,
And put to proof his high supremacy,
Whether upheld by ftrength, or chance, or fate;
Too well I fee and rue the dire event, 78, ur,61
That with fad overthrow and foul defeat 135
Hath loft us Heav'n, and all this mighty host
In horrible destruction laid thus low,
As far as Gods and heav'nly effences
Can perifh: for the mind and spirit remains
Invincible, and vigor foon returns,

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Though all our glory extinct, and happy state
Here swallow'd up in endless misery.
But what if he our conqu'ror, whom I now
Of force believe almighty, fince no lefs

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