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New rubb'd with balm, expatiate and confer Their state affairs. So thick the aery croud 775 Swarm'd and were straiten'd; till, the fignal giv❜n,

Behold a wonder! they but now who feem'd
In bigness to surpass earth's giant sons,

Now lefs than smallest dwarfs, in narrow room
'Throng numberless, like that pygmean race 780
Beyond the Indian mount, or fairy elves, i
Whose midnight revels by a forest side
Or fountain, fome belated peafant, fees,

Or dreams he fees, while over-head the moon
Sits arbitrefs, and nearer to the earth. 785
Wheels her pale course; they on their mirth
and dance

Intent, with jocund mufic charm his ear;
At once with joy and fear his heart rebounds.
Thus incorporeal spirits to fmalleft forms
Reduc'd their shapes immenfe, and were at

large,

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790 Though without number still amidst the hall Of that infernal court. But far within, And in their own dimenfions like themselves, The great Seraphic Lords and Cherubim, In close recess and secret conclave fat; A thousand Demi-gods on golden feats, Frequent and full: after fhort filence then And fummons read, the great consult began. The End of Firft Book.

795

BOOK

BOOK II.

High on a throne of royal state, which far

Oultfhone the wealth of Ormus and of Ind,'
Or where the gorgeous east with richest hand
Show'rs on her kings barbaric pearl and gold,
Satan exalted fat, by merit rais'd

To that bad eminence; and from despair
Thus high uplifted beyond hope, afpires
Beyond thus high, infatiate to pursue

5

Vain war with Heav'n, and by fuccefs untaught

His proud imaginations thus difplay'd.

10

Powers and Dominions, Deities of Heav'n! For fince no deep within her gulph can hold Immortal vigor, though opprefs'd and fall'n, I give not Heav'n for loft. From this descent Celestial virtues rifing, will appear More glorious and more dread than from no

fall,

15

And trust themselves to fear no fecond fate. Me though just right, and the fix'd laws of Heav'n

Did first create your leader, next free choice, With what besides, in council or in fight, 20

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Hath been achiev'd of merit, yet this lofs Thus far at least recover'd, hath much more Establish'd in a fafe unenvied throne,

Yielded with full confent. The happier state In Heav'n, which follows, dignity, might

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Envy from each inferior; but who here
Will envy whom the highest place expofes
Foremost to stand against the Thunderer's aim
Your bulwark, and condemns to greatest share
Of endless pain? Where there is then no
good

30

For which to ftrive, no ftrife can grow up there
From faction; for none fure will claim in Hell
Precedence; none, whole portion is so small
Of present pain, that with ambitious mind
Will covet more! With this advantage then 35
To union, and firm faith, and firm accord,
More than can be in Heav'n, we now return
To claim our just inheritance of old, t
Surer to profper than prosperity. ››

Could have allur'd us; and by what best way, 40
Whether of open war or covert guile,
We now debate; who can advise may speak.
He ceas'd, and next him Moloch, fceptred
king,

Stood up, the strongest and the fierceft fpirit That fought in Heav'n, now fiercer by 3145

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> despair:

His trust was with th' Eternal to be deem'd Equal in ftrength, and rather than be lefs Car'd not to be at all; with that care loft Went all his fear: of God, or Hell, or worse, He reck'd not; and these words thereafter

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My fentence is for open war: of wiles, More unexpert, I boaft not: them let those Contrive who need, or when they need, not

now:

For while they fit contriving, fhall the reft, Millions that stand in arms, and longing wait 55 The fignal to afcend, fit ling'ring here Heav'n's fugitives, and for their dwelling-place Accept this dark opprobrious den of flame, The prifon of his tyranny who reigns

65

By our delay? No! let us rather choose, 60
Arm'd with hell flames and fury, all at once
O'er Heav'n's high tow'rs to force refiftlefs way,
Turning our tortures into horrid arms ›
Against the torturer; when to meet the noife
Of his Almighty engin he fhall hear
Infernal thunder, and for lightning fee
Black fire and horrot fhot with equal rage
Among his Angels; and his throne itself
Mix'd with Tartarean fulphur, and ftrange fire,
His own invented torments. But perhaps 70
The way feems difficult and fteep to fcale
With upright wing against a higher foe,

75

1

Let fuch bethink them, if the fleepy drench
Of that forgetful lake benumb not still, ́
That in our proper motion we afcend
Up to our native feat: defcent and fall
To us is adverfe. Who but felt of late
When the fierce foe hung on our broken rear
Infulting, and perfued us through the deep, .
With what compulfion and laborious flight 80
We funk thus low? th' afcent is easy then;
Th' event is fear'd; fhould we again provoke
Our stronger, fome worfe way his wrath may
find

To our deftruction: if there be in Hell

Fear to be worse destroy'd: what can be

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Than to dwell here, driv'n out from blifs, condemn'd

In this abhorred deep to utter woe;
Where pain of inextinguishable fire
Muft exercife us without hope of end,
The vallals of his anger, when the fcourge 90
Inexorably and the torturing hour,

Calls us to penance? More destroy'd than thus
We fhould be quite abolifhd and expire.
What fear then? what doubt we.to incenfe
His utmost ire? which to the height enrag'd, 95.
Will either quite confume us, and reduce
To nothing this effential; happier far
Than miferable to have eternal being':

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