And planets, planet-ftruck, real eclipfe

415

Then fuffer'd. Th' other way, SATAN went down
The caufey to hell-gate: on either fide,
Difparted CHAOS over-built exclaim'd,
And with rebounding furge the bars affail'd,
That fcorn'd his indignation. Through the gate,
Wide open, and un-guarded, SATAN pais'd;
And all about found defolate for thofe
Appointed to fit there, had left their charge,
Flown to the upper world: the reft were all
Far to th' in-land retir'd, about the walls
Of PANDEMONIUM; city, and proud feat
Of LUCIFER, fo by allufion call'd,

:

420

425

There kept their watch the legions, while the Grand

Of that bright flar to SATAN paragon'd;

In council fat, follicitous what chance

Might intercept their emperor fent: fo he

Departing gave command, and they obferv'd.

As when the TARTAR from his RUSSIAN foe,
By ASTRACAN, over the fnowy plains,
Retires; or BACTRIAN Sophy from the horns
Of TURKISH Crefcent, leaves all waste beyond
The realm of ALADULE, in his retreat
TO TAURIS, or CASBIN: fo thefe, the late
Heav'n-banifh'd hoft, left defert utmost hell
Many a dark league, reduc'd in careful watch
Round their metropolis; and now expecting

430

435

Each hour their great adventurer, from the fearch 440
Of foreign worlds. He through the midit unmark'd,
In fhew plebeian angel militant

Of loweft order, pafs'd; and from the door
Of that PLUTONIAN hall, invifible
Afcended his high throne: which, under ftate
Of richeft texture fpread, at th' upper- end
Was plac'd, in regal luftre. Down a-while

445

He

clad

450

He fat, and found about him faw, un-feen.
At laft, as from a cloud, his fulgent head,
And shape star-bright, appear'd, or brighter;
With what permiffive glory fince his fall
Was left him, or falfe glitter. All amaz'd
At that fudden blaze, the STYGIAN throng
Bent their afpect; and, whom they wish'd, beheld,
Their mighty Chief return'd: loud was th' acclaim!
Forth rufh'd in hafte the great confulting Peers, 456
Rais'd from their dark divan, and with like joy
Congratulant approach'd him; who with hand
Silence, and with thefe words, attention won.

460

Thrones, dominations, princedoms, virtues, pow'rs! For, in poffeffion fuch, not only of right I call you, and declare you now; return'd Successful beyond hope, to lead you forth Triumphant out of this infernal pit Abominable, accurs'd, the houfe of woe, And dungeon of our tyrant! Now poffefs, As lords, a fpacious world; t'our native heav'n

Little inferior, by my adventure hard

465

With peril great atchiev'd. Long were to tell
What I have done; what fuffer'd; with what pain
Voyag'd th' un-real, vaft, unbounded deep
Of horrible confufion! Over which,

By SIN, and DEATH, a broad way now is pav'd,
To expedite your glorious march: but I
Toil'd out my uncouth paffage, forc'd to ride
Th' untractable abyfs, plung'd in the womb.
Of un-original NIGHT, and CHAOS wild:
That, jealous of their fecrets, fiercely oppos'd
My journey ftrange, with clamorous uproar
Protefting fate fupreme: thence, how I found
The new created world, which fame in heav'n

47!

475

480

Long

Long had fore-told: a fabric wonderful!
Of abfolute perfection! therein Man,
Plac'd in a Paradife, by our exile

Made happy. Him by fraud I have seduc'd
From his Creator; and, the more t' increase
Your wonder, with an apple. He thereat
Offended, worth your laughter! hath giv'n up
Both his beloved Man, and all his world,

485

495

TO SIN and DEATH, a prey; and fo, to us, 490
Without our hazard, labour, or alarm,
To range in, and to dwell, and over man
To rule, as over all he fhould have rul'd.
True is, me alfo he hath judg'd, or rather
Me not, but the brute ferpent, in whose shape
Man I deceiv'd. That which to me belongs,
Is enmity, which he will put between
Me, and mankind; I am to bruise his heel;
His feed (when is not fet) fhall bruise my head.
A world who would not purchase with a bruise,
Or much more grievous pain? Ye have th' account
Of my performance: What remains, ye Gods!
But up, and enter now into full blifs?

So having faid, a-while he ftood, expecting
Their univerfal fhout, and high applause,
To fill his ear when, contrary, he hears
On all fides, from innumerable tongues,
A dismal univerfal hifs, the found
Of public fcorn! he wonder'd, but not long
Had leisure, wond'ring at himself now more :
His vifage drawn he felt to fharp, and fpare;
His arms clung to his ribs; his legs intwining
Each other, 'till fupplanted down he fell;
A monftrous ferpent on his belly prone,
Reluctant; but in vain! a greater pow'r

500

505

510

515 Now

520

525

Now rul'd him, punifh'd in the fhape he fin'd,
According to his doom. He would have spoke;
But hifs for hifs return'd, with forked tongue,
To forked tongue: for, now were all transform'd
Alike, to ferpents all, as acceffories
To his bold riot: dreadful was the din
Of hiffing through the hall! thick fwarming now
With complicated monfters, head, and tail;
Scorpion, and afp, and amphisbæna dire,
Ceraftes horn'd, hydrus, and ellops drear,
And dipfas. Not fo thick fwarm'd once the foil
Bedrop'd with blood of GORGON: or, the ille
OPHIUSA. But ftill greatest he the midft,
Now dragon grown; larger than whom the fun
Ingender'd in the PYTHIAN vale on flime,
Huge PYTHON! and his pow'r no lefs he seem'd
Above the reft ftill to retain. They all
Him follow'd, iffuing forth to th' open field;
Where all yet left of that revolted rout,
Heav'n-fall'n, in ftation ftood, or juft array;
Sublime with expectation, when to fee
In triumph iffuing forth their glorious Chief.
They faw, but other fight instead! a croud
of ugly ferpents: horror on them fell,

530

535

And horrid fympathy: for, what they faw,

540

They felt themselves, now changing: down their arms,

Down fell both spear and fhield; down they as fast:
And the dire hifs renew'd, and the dire form
Catch'd, by contagion; like in punishment,

544

As in their crime. Thus was th' applause they meant,
Turn'd to exploding hifs, triumph to fhame,

Caft on themfelves from their own mouths. There stood
A grove hard by, fprung up with this their change,
His will, who reigns above! to aggravate
Their penance, laden with fruit, like that

550

Which grew in Paradife, the bait of EVE
Us'd by the tempter: on that prospect ftrange
Their earnelt eyes they fix'd; imagining,
For one forbidden tree, a multitude

565

Now ris'n, to work them further woe, or fhame: 555
Yet, parch'd with fcalding thirst, and hunger fierce,
Though to delude them fent, could not abstain :
But, on they roll'd in heaps, and up the trees
Climbing, fat thicker than the fnaky locks
That curl'd MEGERA: greedily they pluck'd 560
The fruitage, fair to fight, like that which grew
Near that bituminous lake where SODOM flam'd :
This, more delufive, not the touch, but taste
Deceiv'd; they fondly thinking to allay
Their appetite with guft, instead of fruit
Chew'd bitter afhes, which th' offended tafte
With fpattering noife rejected; oft they affay'd,
Hunger and thirft conftraining: drug'd as oft
With hatefulleft difrelish, writh'd their jaws,
With foot, and cinders fill'd: fo, oft they fell
Into the fame illufion; not as man,
[plagu'd
Whom they triumph'd, once laps'd. Thus were they
And worn with faminc, long and ceaseless hifs,
'Till their loft fhape, permitted, they refum'd:
Yearly injoin'd, fome fay, to undergo
This annual dumbling certain number'd days,
To dafh their pride, and joy, for man feduc'd.
However, fome tradition they difpers'd
Among the heathen, of their purchase got,
And fabled how the ferpent, whom they call'd
OPHION, with EURYNOME (the wide-
Encroaching EVE perhaps) had firft the rule
Of high OLYMPUS; thence by SATURN driv'n,
And Ops, ere yet DICTEAN JOVE was born.

570

575

580

MEAN