Hard liberty before the eafy yoke

Of fervile pomp. Our greatness will appear
Then moft confpicuous, when great things of fmall,
Useful of hurtful, profp'rous of adverfe

We can create, and in what place fo e'er
Thrive under evil, and work ease out of pain

Through labor and indurance. This deep world
Of darknefs do we dread? How oft amidst
Thick clouds and dark doth Heav'n's all-ruling Sire
Choose to refide, his glory unobscur'd,

And with the majesty of darkness round
Covers his throne; from whence deep thunders roar
Muft'ring their rage, and heav'n resembles hell;
As he our darkness, cannot we his light
Imitate when we pleafe? This defart foil
Wants not her hidden luftre, gems and gold;
Nor want we skill or art, from whence to raise
Magnificence; and what can heav'n fhow more?
Our torments alfo may in length of time
Become our elements, these piercing fires
As foft as now fevere, our temper chang'd
Into their temper; which must needs remove
The fenfible of pain. All things invite
To peaceful counfels, and the fettled ftate
Of order, how in fafety best we may
Compose our prefent evils, with regard
Of what we are and where, difmiffing quite
All thoughts of war: ye have what I advise.

He scarce had finish'd, when such murmur fill'd Th' affembly, as when hollow rocks retain

The found of bluft'ring winds, which all night long Had rous'd the fea, now with hoarfe cadence lull Sea-faring men o'erwatch'd, whofe bark by chance Or pinnace anchors in a craggy bay

After the tempeft: Such applause was heard

As Mammon ended, and his fentence pleas'd,
Advifing peace: for fuch another field

They dreaded worfe than hell: fo much the fear
Of thunder and the fword of Michael

Wrought ftill within them; and no lefs defire
To found this nether empire, which might rife
By policy, and long process of time,
In emulation oppofite to heaven,

Which when Beelzebub perceiv'd, than whom,
Satan except, none higher fat, with grave
Afpect he rofe, and in his rifing feem'd
A pillar of state; deep on his front ingraven
Deliberation fat and public care;

And princely counsel in his face yet fhone,
Majestic though in ruin: fage he stood
With Atlantean fhoulders fit to bear

The weight of mightiest monarchies; his look
Drew audience and attention still as night
Or fummer's noon-tide air, while thus he fpake.
Thrones and Imperial Pow'rs, Offspring of Heaven,
Ethereal Virtues; or these titles now

Muft we renounce, and changing ftile be call'd
Princes of Hell; for fo the popular vote

Inclines, here to continue, and build up here

A growing empire; doubtless; while we dream,
And know not that the king of heav'n hath doom'd
This place our dungeon, not our fafe retreat
Beyond his potent arm, to live exempt
From heav'n's high jurisdiction, in new league
Banded against his throne, but to remain
In ftrictest bondage, though this far remov'd,
Under th' inevitable curb, referv'd

His captive multitude: for he, be sure,
In highth or depth, still first and last will reign
Sole king, and of his kingdom lose no part

By

By our revolt, but over hell extend

His empire, and with iron fcepter rule

Us here, as with his golden thofe in heaven.
What fit we then projecting peace and war?
War hath determin'd us, and foil'd with lofs
Irreparable; terms of peace yet none

Vouchfaf'd or fought; for what peace will be givens
To us inflav'd, but cuftody fevere,

And stripes, and arbitrary punishment
Inflicted? and what peace can we return,
But to our pow'r hoftility and hate,

Untam'd reluctance, and revenge though flow,
Yet ever plotting how the conqu❜ror leaft

May reap his conquest, and may least rejoice

In doing what we moft in fuffering feel?
Nor will occafion want, nor fhall we need
With dang'rous expedition to invade

Heav'n, whofe high walls fear no affault or fiege,.
Or ambush from the deep. What if we find
Some easier enterprize? There is a place,
(If ancient and prophetic fame in heaven
Err not) another world, the happy feat

Of some new race call'd Man, about this time
To be created like to us, though less

In pow'r and excellence, but favor'd more
Of him who rules above; fo was his will
Pronounc'd among the Gods, and by an oath,
That shook heav'n's whole circumference, confirm'd.
Thither let us bend all our thoughts, to learn
What creatures there inhabit, of what mold
Or fubftance, how indued, and what their power,
And where their weakness, how attempted beft,
By force or fubtlety. Though heav'n be shut,
And heav'n's high arbitrator fit fecure

In his own ftrength, this place may lie expos'd,
B 6

The

The utmost border of his kingdom, left
To their defence who hold it: here perhaps
Some advantageous act may be atchiev'd
By fudden onfet, either with hell fire
To wafte his whole creation, or poffefs

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
May prove their foe, and with repenting hand
Abolish his own works. This would furpafs
Common revenge, and interrupt his joy
In our confufion, and our joy upraise
In his disturbance; when his darling fons,
Hurl'd headlong to partake with us, shall curfe
Their frail original, and faded bliss,

Faded fo foon.

Advise if this be worth

Attempting, or to fit in darkness here
Hatching vain empires. Thus Beelzebub
Pleaded his devilish counfel, first devis'd
By Satan, and in part propos'd: from 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 fpite
The great Creator? But their fpite ftill ferves
His glory to augment. The bold defign
Pleas'd highly those infernal States, and joy
Sparkled in all their eyes; with full affent
They vote whereat his fpeech he thus renews.
Well have ye judg'd, well ended long debate,
Synod of Gods, and like to what ye are,
Great things refolv'd, which from the loweft deep
Will once more lift us up, in spite of fate,
Nearer our ancient feat; perhaps in view

Of those bright confines, whence with neighb'ring arms

And

And opportune excurfion we may chance
Re-enter heav'n; or else in fome mild zone
Dwell not unvifited of heav'n's fair light
Secure, and at the bright'ning orient beam
Purge off this gloom; the foft delicious air,
To heal the fear of these corrofive fires,

Shall breathe her balm. But first whom fhall we fend
In fearch of this new world? whom shall we find
Sufficient? who shall tempt with wand'ring feet
The dark unbottom'd infinite abyfs,

And through the palpable obfcure find out
His uncouth way, or spread his airy flight
Upborne with indefatigable wings
Over the vast abrupt, ere he arrive

The happy ifle? what ftrength, what art can then
Suffice, or what evafion bear him fafe
Through the ftrict cent'ries and stations thick
Of angels watching round? Here he had need
All circumfpection, and we now no less
Choice in our fuffrage; for on whom we send,
The weight of all and our last hope relies.
This faid, he fat; and expectation held
His look fufpenfe, awaiting who appear'd
To fecond, or oppofe, or undertake
The perilous attempt: but all fat mute,
Pondering the danger with deep thought; and each
In others count'nance read his own difmay
Astonish'd: none among the choice and prime
Of thofe heav'n-warring champions could be found
So hardy as to proffer or accept

Alone the dreadful voyage; till at last
Satan, whom now tranfcendent glory 'rais'd
Above his fellows, with monarchal pride
Conscious of higheft worth, unmov'd thus fpake.
O Progeny of heav'n, empyreal Thrones,