How overcome this dire calamity;
What reinforcement we may gain from hope;
If not, what refolution from defpair.
THUS SATAN talking to his nearest mate,
With head up-lift above the wave, and eyes
That sparkling blaz'd; his other parts befides
Prone on the flood, extended long and large,
Lay floating many a rood: in bulk as huge
As whom the fables name, of monstrous fize,
TITANIAN, or EARTH-born, that warr'd on Jove,
BRIAREUS, or TYPHON, whom the den
By ancient TARSUS held; or that fea-beast
LEVIATHAN, which GoD of all his works
Created hugeft that fwim th' ocean stream :'
(Him, haply flumb'ring on the NORWAY foam,
The pilot of fome fmall night-founder'd skiff,
Deeming fome ifland, oft, as fea-men tell,
With fixed anchor in his fcaly rind,
Moors by his fide under the Lee, while night
Invests the fea, and wished morn delays.)
So stretch'd out huge in length the Arch-fiend lay,
Chain'd on the burning lake: nor ever thence
Had ris'n, or heav'd his head, but that the will
And high permiffion of all-ruling heaven,
Left him at large to his own dark designs:
That with reiterated crimes he might
Heap on himself damnation, while he fought
Evil to others; and enrag'd might fee,
How all his malice ferv'd but to bring forth
Infinite goodness, grace, and mercy fhewn
On man by him seduc'd: but on himself
Treble confufion, wrath, and vengeance pour'd.
Forthwith upright he rears from off the pool
His mighty ftature; on each hand the flames
Driv'n backward flope their pointing fpires, and rowl'd
In billows, leave i' th' midft a horrid vale.
Then with expanded wings he steers his flight
Aloft, incumbent on the dusky air,
That felt unufual weight; 'till on dry land
He lights, if it were land that ever burn'd
With folid, as the lake with liquid fire :
And fuch appear'd in hue, as when the force
Of fubterranean wind tranfports a hill
Torn from PELOR US, or the fhatter'd fide
Of thund'ring ETNA, whofe combustible
And fuel'd entrails thence conceiving fire,
Sublim'd with mineral fury, aid the winds,
And leave a finged bottom all involv'd
With stench and fmoke: fuch refting found the fole
Of unblefs'd feet! Him follow'd his next mate,
Both glorying to have 'fcap'd the STYGIAN food,
As Gods, and by their own recover'd strength;
Not by the fuff'rance of fupernal pow'r.
Is this the region, this the foil, the clime,
(Said then the loft Arch-Angel) this the feat,
That we must change for heav'n? this mournful gloom
For that cœleftial light? be it fo! fince he
Who now is Sov'reign can dispose, and bid
What fhall be right: fartheft from him is beft,
Whom reafon hath equall'd, force hath made fupreme
Above his equals. Farewel happy fields,
Where joy for ever dwells! hail horrors! hail
Infernal world! and thou, profoundest hell,
Receive thy new poffeffor! One, who brings
A mind not to be chang'd by place or time.
The mind is its own place, and in it felf
Can make a heav'n of hell, a hell of heav'n.
What matter where, if I be ftill the fame,
And what I fhould be, all but less than he
Whom thunder hath made greater? Here at least
We shall be free; th' Almighty hath not built
Here for his envy; will not drive us hence:
Here we may reign fecure; and, in my choice,
To reign is worth ambition, tho' in hell:
Better to reign in hell, than ferve in heav'n.
But wherefore let we then our faithful friends,
Th' associates and copartners of our lofs,
Lye thus aftonish'd on th' oblivious pool,
And call them not to fhare with us their part
In this unhappy manfion: or once more
With rallied arms to try, what may be yet
Regain'd in heav'n, or what more loft in hell?
So SATAN fpake, and him BEELZEBUB
Thus anfwer'd: Leader of thofe armies bright,
Which but th' Omnipotent none could have foil'd!
If once they hear that voice, their livelieft pledge
Of hope in fears and dangers, heard so oft
In worst extremes, and on the perilous edge
Of battle when it rag'd, in all affaults
Their fureft fignal, they will foon resume
New courage, and revive, tho' now they lye
Grov'ling and proftrate on yon lake of fire,
As we erewhile, aftounded and amaz'd;
No wonder, fall'n fuch a pernicious height!
HE fcarce had ceas'd, when the fuperior fiend
Was moving tow'rd the fhore: his pond'rous fhield,
Ethereal temper, maffie, large and round,
Behind him caft; the broad circumference
Hung on his fhoulders like the Moon, whofe orb
Thro' optick glafs the TUSCAN artist views
At ev'ning, from the top of FESOLE,
Or in VALDARNO, to defcry new lands,
Rivers, or mountains, in her spotty globe.
His fpear (to equal which the tallest pine
Hewn on NORWEGIAN hills, to be the mast
Of fome great Ammiral, were but a wand)
He walk'd with, to fupport uncalie steps
Over the burning marle; not like those steps
On heaven's azure! and the torrid clime
Smote on him fore befides, vaulted with fire.
Nathlefs he fo indur'd, 'till on the beach
Of that inflamed fea he flood, and call'd
His legions, Angel-forms, who lay intrans'd,
Thick as autumnal leaves that ftrow the brooks
In VALLOMBROSA, where th' ETRURIAN fhades
High over-arch'd imbow'r; or fcatter'd fedge
Afloat, when with fierce winds ORION arm'd
Hath vex'd the Red-Sea coaft, whofe waves o'erthrew
BUSIRIS, and his MEMPHIAN chivalry,
While with perfidious hatred they purfu'd
The fojourners of GOSHEN, who beheld
From the fafe fhoar their floating carcafes,
And broken chariot wheels; fo thick beftrown,
Abject and loft lay thefe, covering the flood,
Under amazement of their hideous change.
He call'd fo loud, that all the hollow Deep
Of hell refounded: Princes, Potentates,
Warriors, the flow'r of heav'n ! once yours, now loft,
If fuch astonishment as this can feize
Eternal fpirits or have ye chos'n this place
After the toil of battle to repofe
Your wearied virtue, for the ease you
To flumber here, as in the vales of heav'n?
Or in this abject pofture have ye fworn
T'adore the conqueror? who now beholds
Cherub and Seraph rowling in the flood,
With fcatter'd arms and enfigns; till anon
His fwift pursuers from heav'n-gates difcern
Th' advantage, and defcending tread us down
Thus drooping or with linked thunderbolts
Transfix us to the bottom of this gulph.
Awake, arife, or be for ever fall'n!
THEY heard, and were abafh'd, and up they sprung Upon the wing; as when men, wont to watch On duty, fleeping found by whom they dread, Rouze and beftir themselves ere well awake. Nor did they not perceive the evil plight In which they were, or the fierce pains not feel; Yet to their General's voice they foon obey'd, Innumerable! As when the potent Rod
Of AMRAM's fon, in ÆGYPT's evil day,
Way'd round the coaft, up call'd a pitchy cloud 340
Of locufts, warping on the eastern wind,
That o'er the realm of impious PHARAOH hung
Like night, and darken'd all the land of NILE:
So numberless were those bad Angels, feen
Hov'ring on wing under the cope of hell,
'Twixt upper, nether, and furrounding fires :
"Till, as a fignal giv'n, th' uplifted fpear
Of their great Sultan waving to direct
Their courfe, in even ballance down they light
On the firm brimftone, and fill all the plain:
A multitude! like which the populous north
Pour'd never from her frozen loins, to pafs
RHENE or the DANAW, when her barbarous fons
Came like a deluge on the fouth, and spread
Beneath GIBRALTER to the LYBIAN fands.
Forthwith from ev'ry fquadron, and each band,
The Heads and Leaders thither hafte where stood
Their great Commander; God-like shapes and forms
Excel-
|