Hath emptied Heav'n, shall fail to re-ascend Self-rais'd, and re-poffefs their native Seat! For me be witnefs all the Hoft of Heav'n, If counfels different, or danger fhun'd By me, have loft our hopes. But he who reigns Monarch in Heav'n, 'till then as one fecure Sate on his Throne, upheld by old repute, Confent or custom, and his Regal State Put forth at full, but ftill his ftrength conceal'd, Which tempted our attempt, and wrought our fall. Henceforth his might we know, and know our own, So as not either to provoke, or dread
New war, provok❜t; our better part remains To work in close design, by fraud or guile, What force effected not: that he no leís
At length from us may find, who overcomes
By force, hath overcome but half his foe.
Space may produce new Worlds; whereof so rife
There went a fame in Heav'n that he e'er long Intended to create; and therein plant A generation, whom his choice regard Should favour equal to the Sons of Heaven: Thither, if but to pry, shall be perhaps Our firft Eruption; thither or elsewhere: For this Infernal Pit fhall never hold Celestial Spirits in Bondage, nor th' Abyss Long under darkness cover. But these thoughts Full Counsel must mature: Peace is despair'd, For who can think fubmiffion? Warthen, War Open or understood must be refolv'd.
He fpake: and to confirm his words out-flew Millions of flaming fwords, drawn from the thighs Of mighty Cherubim; the fudden blaze Far round illumin'd Hell: highly they rag'd Against the Higheft, and fierce with grafped arms Clash'd on their founding fhields the din of war, Hurling defiance toward the Vault of Heav'n.
There stood a Hill not far, whofe grisly Top Belch'd fire and rowling fmoak; the reft entire Shone with a gloffy fcurf, undoubted fign That in his Womb was hid metallick Ore, The Work of fulphur. Thither wing'd with speed A numerous Brigad haften'd; as when Bands Of Pioneers with spade and pickax arm'd Fore-run the Royal Camp, to trench a Field, Or caft a Rampart. Mammon led them on, Mammon, the least erected Spirit that fell
From Heav'n, for ev'n in Heav'n his looks and thoughts Were always downward bent, admiring more
The riches of Heav'ns pavement, trodden Gold, Than aught divine or holy else enjoy'd
In vifion beatifick: by him first
Men alfo, and by his suggestion taught,
Ranfack'd the Center, and with impious hands Rifled the Bowels of their mother Earth For Treasures better hid. Soon had his crew Open'd into the Hill a fpacious wound, And dig'd out ribs of Gold. Let none admire That riches grow in Hell; that foyle may best Deferve the precious bane. And here let those Who boaft in mortal things, and wond'ring tell Of Babel, and the works of Memphian Kings, Learn how their greatest Monuments of Fame, And Strength and Art are easily out-done By Spirits reprobate, and in an hour
What in an Age they with inceffant toyle And hands innumerable scarce perform.
Nigh on the Plain in many Cells prepar'd,
That underneath had veins of liquid fire
Sluc'd from the Lake, a fecond multitude
With wondrous Art found out the massy Ore,
Severing each kind, and fcum'd the Bullion drofs:
A third as foon had form'd within the ground
A various mould, and from the boiling Cells
By ftrange conveyance fill'd each hollow nook,
As in an Organ from one blast of wind
To many a row of Pipes the found-board breath's. Anon out of the earth a Fabrick huge Rofe like an Exhalation, with the found Of dulcet fymphonies and voices sweet, Built like a Temple, where Pilafters round Were fet, and Doric Pillars overlaid
With golden Architrave; nor did there want Cornice or Freeze, with boffy Sculptures grav'n;
The Roof was fretted Gold. Not Babylon,
Nor great Alcairo fuch magnificence Equal'd in all their glories, to infhrine Belus or Serapis their Gods, or feat
Their Kings, when Ægypt with Affyria ftrove In wealth and luxury. Th' afcending pile Stood fixt her ftately height, and ftrait the doors Op'ning their brazen folds discover wide Within her ample spaces o'er the smooth And level pavement: from the arched roof, Pendent by fubtle Magic, many a row Of starry Lamps and blazing Creffets, fed With Naphtha and Afphaltus, yielded light As from a Sky. The hafty multitude Admiring enter'd, and the work some praise, And fome the Architect: his hand was known In Heav'n by many a Towred ftructure high, Where Sceptred Angels held their residence, And fate as Princes, whom the fupreme King Exalted to fuch power, and gave to rule, Each in his Hierarchy, the Orders bright. Nor was his name unheard or unador'd In ancient Greece; and in Aufonian Land Men call'd him Mulciber; and how he fell
From Heav'n, they fabl'd, thrown by angry Jove Sheer o'er the Chrystal Battlements; from Morn To Noon he fell, from Noon to dewy Eve,
A Summer's day; and with the setting Sun Dropt from the Zenith like a falling Star, On Lemnos th' Agean Ille: Thus they relate, Erring; for he with this rebellious rout
Fell long before; nor aught avail'd him now T' have built in Heav'n high Tow'rs; nor did he scape By all his Engins, but was headlong sent
With his induftrious crew to build in Hell.
Mean while the winged Heralds by command Of Sov'reign pow'r, with awful ceremony
And Trumpets found, throughout the hoft proclaim A folemn Council forthwith to be held
At Pandamonium, the high Capital
Of Satan and his Peers: Their fummons call'd From every Band and squared Regiment By place or choice the worthieft; they anon With hundreds and with thousands trooping came Attended: all accefs was throng'd: the gates And porches wide, but chief the spacious hall (Though like a cover'd field, where Champions bold Wont ride in arm'd, and at the Soldan's Chair Defi'd the beft of Paynim Chivalry
To mortal Combat, or carriere with Lance) Thick fwarm'd, both on the ground and in the air, Brush'd with the hifs of rufling wings. As Bees In fpring time, when the Sun with Taurus rides, Pour forth their populous youth about the hive In clusters; they among fresh Dews and Flow'rs Fly to and fro, or on the smoothed Plank, The Suburb of their Straw-built Cittadel, New rubb'd with Baum, expatiate and confer Their State affairs. So thick the aery crowd Swarm'd and were straiten'd; till the signal giv'n, Behold a Wonder! they but now who seem'd In Bigness to surpass Earth's Giant Sons, Now less than smallest Dwarfs, in narrow room Throng numberless, like that Pygmean Race
Beyond the Indian Mount, or Faery Elves, Whofe midnight Revels by a Foreft fide Or Fountain fome belated Peafant fees,
Or dreams he fees, while over-head the Moon
Sits Arbitrefs, and nearer to the Earth
Wheels her pale courfe; 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 smallest forms
Reduc'd their Shapes immense, and were at large, 790 Though without number, still amidst the Hall
Of that infernal Court. But far within,
And in their own dimensions like themselves, The great Seraphick Lords and Cherubim In close recefs and fecret conclave fate A thousand Demi-Gods on golden feats, Frequent and full. After fhort filence then And fummons read, the great Confult began.
! The End of the First Book.
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