By night, and listening where the hapless pair O Parent, these are thy magnific deeds, For I no sooner in my heart divined My heart, which by a secret harmony Still moves with thine, joined in connection sweet – That thou on earth hadst prospered, which thy looks Now also evidence, but straight I felt, Though distant from thee worlds between, yet felt That I must after thee, with this thy son; Such fatal consequence unites us three. Hell could no longer hold us in her bounds, Nor this unvoyageable gulf obscure Detain from following thy illustrious track. Thou hast achieved our liberty, confined Within Hell-gates till now; thou us empowered To fortify thus far, and overlay, With this portentous bridge, the dark abyss. Retiring, by his own doom alienated, And henceforth monarchy with thee divide Whom thus the Prince of Darkness answered glad: The infernal empire, that so near Heaven's door Triumphal with triumphal act have met, Mine, with this glorious work, and made one realm, Of easy thoroughfare. Therefore while I Descend through darkness, on your road, with ease, All yours, right down to Paradise descend; There dwell, and reign in bliss: thence on the earth Dominion exercise, and in the air, Chiefly on Man, sole lord of all declared. Him first make sure your thrall, and lastly kill. My substitutes I send ye, and create Plenipotent on earth, of matchless might So saying, he dismissed them. They with speed Their course through thickest constellations held, Spreading their bane; the blasted stars looked wan; And planets, planet-struck, real eclipse |