Inftruct me, for thou know'st; thou from the first Waft prefent, and with mighty wings out-fpread, 20 Dove-like, fat'ft brooding on the vast Abyss, And mad'st it pregnant: what in me is dark, Illumine! what is low, raife and fupport! That to the height of this great argument I may affert eternal Providence,
And juftifie the ways of GOD to men.
SAY first, for heav'n hides nothing from thy view, Nor the deep tract of hell, fay firft, what cause Mov'd our grand Parents in that happy state, Favour'd of heav'n fo highly, to fall off From their Creator, and tranfgrefs his will For one restraint, lords of the world befides? Who first feduc'd them to that foul revolt? Th' infernal ferpent! he it was, whofe guile, Stirr'd up with envy and revenge, deceiv'd The mother of mankind, what time his pride Had caft him out from heav'n, with all his hoft Of rebel Angels: by whofe aid afpiring To fet himself in glory above his Peers, He trusted to have equall'd the most High, If he oppos'd and with ambitious aim, Against the throne, and monarchy of GOD, Rais'd impious war in heav'n, and battle proud, With vain attempt. Him the Almighty Pow'r Hurl'd headlong flaming from th' ethereal sky, With hideous ruin and combuftion, down To bottomlefs perdition; there to dwell In adamantine chains and penal fire, Who durft defy th' Omnipotent to arms.
Nine times the space that measures day and night To mortal men, he, with his horrid crew, Lay vanquish'd, rolling in the fiery gulf,
Confounded though immortal! But his doom Referv'd him to more wrath: for now the thought Both of loft happiness, and lafting pain,
Torments him. Round he throws his baleful eyes, That witness'd huge affliction and difmay, Mix'd with obdurate pride, and stedfast hate. At once, as far as angels ken, he views The difmal fituation wafte and wild: A dungeon horrible! on all fides round,
As one great furnace, flam'd: yet from those flames No light, but rather darkness vifible, Serv'd only to discover fights of woe:
Regions of forrow! doleful fhades! where peace 65 And reft can never dwell! hope never comes,
That comes to all but torture without end Still urges, and a fiery deluge, fed
With ever-burning fulphur unconfum'd! Such place eternal juftice had prepar'd
For thofe rebellious; here their prison ordain'd, In utter darkness; and their portion fet
As far remov'd from GOD, and light of heav'n, As from the centre thrice to th' utmoft Pole. O how unlike the place from whence they fell! There the companions of his fall, o'erwhelm'd With floods and whirlwinds of tempeftuous fire, He foon difcerns; and welt'ring by his fide One next himself in pow'r, and next in crime, Long after known in PALESTINE, and nam'd BEELZEBUB: To whom th' arch-enemy, And thence in heav'n call'd SATA N, with bold words, Breaking the horrid filence, thus began.
IF thou beeft he- But O how fall'n! how chang'd From him! who in the happy realms of light Cloath'd with tranfcendent brightnefs, didft outfhine
Myriads tho' bright! If he, whom mutual league, United thoughts and counfels, equal hope, And hazard in the glorious enterprize,
Join'd with me once, now mifery hath join'd 90 In equal ruin! Into what pit thou feest,
From what height fall'n; fo much the stronger prov'd He with his thunder! and till then who knew The force of thofe dire arms? Yet not for thofe, Nor what the potent victor in his rage Can elfe inflict, do I repent, or change, Though chang'd in outward luftre, that fix'd mind And high difdain, from fenfe of injur'd merit, That with the Mightieft rais'd me to contend: And to the fierce contention brought along Innumerable force of fpirits arm'd,
That durft diflike his reign and me preferring, His utmost pow'r with adverfe pow'r oppos'd, In dubious battle on the plains of heav'n,
And fhook his throne. What tho' the field be loft? All is not loft; th' unconquerable will, And study of revenge, immortal hate, And courage never to fubmit or yield; And what is elfe not to be overcome? That glory never fhall his wrath or might Extort from me, to bow and fue for grace With fuppliant knee, and deify his pow'r, Who from the terror of this arm fo late Doubted his empire: That were low indeed! That were an ignominy and shame beneath This downfal! fince, by fate, the firength of Gods, And this empyreal fubftance cannot fail; Since through experience of this great event, In arms not worse, in forefight much advanc'd, We may, with more fuccessful hope, refolve To wage, by force or guile, eternal war,
Irreconcileable to our grand foe;
Who now triumphs, and in th' excefs of joy Sole reigning, holds the tyranny of heav'n.
So fpake th' apoftate Angel, though in pain; 125 Vaunting aloud, but rack'd with deep defpair: And him thus anfwer'd foon his bold compeer.
O PRINCE! O chief of many throned Powers, That led th' imbattell'd Seraphim to war Under thy conduct! and in dreadful deeds Fearlefs, indanger'd heav'n's perpetual King, And put to proof his high fupremacy, Whether upheld by ftrength, or chance, or fate; Too well I fee and rue the dire event,
That with fad overthrow and foul defeat
Hath loft us heav'n: and all this mighty hoft In horrible destruction laid thus low,
As far as Gods, and heav'nly effences,
Can perifh for the mind and fpirit remains Invincible, and vigour foon returns,
Though all our glory extinct, and happy state,
Here fwallow'd up in endless mifery!
But what if he our conqu'ror (whom I now
Of force believe Almighty, fince no lefs
Than fuch could have o'er-power'd fuch force as ours) Have left us this our fpirit and ftrength entire, Strongly to fuffer and fupport our pains; That we may fo fuffice his vengeful ire, Or do him mightier fervice, as his thralls By right of war, whate'er his bufinefs be, Here in the heart of hell to work in fire, Or do his errands in the gloomy Deep? What can it then avail, though yet we feel Strength undiminish'd, or eternal Being,
To undergo eternal punishment?
Whereto with speedy words th' Arch-fiend reply'd."
FALL'N Cherub! to be weak is miserable, Doing or fuffering: but of this be sure, To do ought good never will be our task; But ever to do ill our fole delight; As being the contrary to his high will Whom we refift. If then his Providence Out of our evil feek to bring forth good, Our labour must be to pervert that end, And out of good ftill to find means of evil : Which oft-times may fucceed, so as perhaps Shall grieve him, if I fail not, and disturb His inmoft counfels from their deftin'd aim. But fee! the angry victor hath recall'd His minifters of vengeance and purfuit,
Back to the gates of heav'n: the fulph'rous hail Shot after us in ftorm, o'er-blown, hath laid The fiery furge, that from the precipice
Of heav'n receiv'd us falling: and the thunder,
Wing'd with red lightning and impetuous rage, 175 Perhaps hath spent his fhafts, and ceafes now To bellow through the vaft and boundless Deep. Let us not flip th' occafion, whether fcorn, Or fatiate fury, yield it from our foe.
Seeft thou yon dreary plain, forlorn and wild, The feat of defolation, void of light, Save what the glimmering of these livid flames Cafts pale and dreadful? thither let us tend From off the toffing of these fiery waves; There reft, if any reft can harbour there: And re-affembling our afflicted pow'rs, Confult how we may henceforth most offend Our enemy; our own lofs how repair ;
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