Alone the antagonist of Heaven, nor less Than Hell's dread Emperor, with
And god-like imitated state: him round A globe of fiery Seraphim enclosed With bright emblazonry, and horrent arms. Then of their session ended they bid cry With trumpet's regal sound the great result: Toward the four winds four speedy Cherubim Put to their mouths the sounding alchymy, By harald's voice explained; the hollow Abyss Heard far and wide, and all the host of Hell With deafening shout returned them loud ac- claim.
Thence more at ease their minds, and somewhat raised
By false presumptuous hope, the rangèd Powers Disband; and, wandering, each his several way Pursues, as inclination or sad choice
Leads him perplexed, where he may likeliest find Truce to his restless thoughts, and entertain The irksome hours, till his great Chief return. Part on the plain, or in the air sublime, Upon the wing or in swift race contend, As at the Olympian games or Pythian fields; 530 Part curb their fiery steeds, or shun the goal With rapid wheels, or fronted brigads form: As when, to warn proud cities, war appears Waged in the troubled sky, and armies rush To battle in the clouds; before each van Prick forth the aery knights, and couch their
Till thickest legions close; with feats of arms From either end of heaven the welkin burns.
He dis- What if the breath that kindled those grim fires, suades Awaked, should blow them into sevenfold rage, war And plunge us in the flames; or from above Should intermitted vengeance arm again His red right hand to plague us? What if all Her stores were opened, and this firmament Of Hell should spout her cataracts of fire, Impendent horrors, threatening hideous fall One day upon our heads; while we perhaps, Designing or exhorting glorious war, Caught in a fiery tempest, shall be hurled, Each on his rock transfixed, the sport and Of racking whirlwinds, or for ever sunk Under yon boiling ocean, wrapt in chains, There to converse with everlasting groans, Unrespited, unpitied, unreprieved,
Ages of hopeless end? This would be worse. War, therefore, open or concealed, alike My voice dissuades; for what can force or guile With him, or who deceive his mind, whose eye Views all things at one view?
All these our motions vain sees and derides, Not more almighty to resist our might
Than wise to frustrate all our plots and wiles. Shall we, then, live thus vile-the race of Heaven
Thus trampled, thus expelled, to suffer here Chains and these torments? Better these than
By my advice; since fate inevitable
Subdues us, and omnipotent decree,
The Victor's will. To suffer, as to do,
Our strength is equal; nor the law unjust 200
That so ordains. This was at first resolved, If we were wise, against so great a foe Contending, and so doubtful what might fall. I laugh when those who at the spear are bold And venturous, if that fail them, shrink, and fear What yet they know must follow-to endure Exile, or ignominy, or bonds, or pain, The sentence of their conqueror.
Our doom; which if we can sustain and bear, Our Supreme Foe in time may much remit 210 His anger, and perhaps, thus far removed, Not mind us not offending, satisfied
With what is punished; whence these raging fires Will slacken, if his breath stir not their flames. Our purer essence then will overcome
Their noxious vapour; or, inured, not feel; Or, changed at length, and to the place con- formed
In temper and in nature, will receive
Familiar the fierce heat; and, void of pain, This horror will grow mild, this darkness light; Besides what hope the never-ending flight 221 Of future days may bring, what chance, what change
Worth waiting-since our present lot appears For happy though but ill, for ill not worst, If we procure not to ourselves more woe.'
Thus Belial, with words clothed in reason's garb,
Counselled ignoble ease and peaceful sloth, Not peace; and after him thus Mammon spake :- Either to disenthrone the King of Heaven if war be best, or to regain
We war, -Our own right lost.
'Let us May hope, when everlasting Fate shall yield by en- To fickle Chance, and Chaos judge the strife. The former, vain to hope, argues as vain out of The latter; for what place can be for us pain' Within Heaven's bound, unless Heaven's Lord Supreme
We overpower? Suppose he should relent, And publish grace to all, on promise made Of new subjection; with what eyes could we Stand in his presence humble, and receive Strict laws imposed, to celebrate his throne With warbled hymns, and to his Godhead sing Forced Halleluiahs, while he lordly sits Our envied sovran, and his altar breathes Ambrosial odours and ambrosial flowers, Our servile offerings? This must be our task In Heaven, this our delight. How wearisome Eternity so spent in worship paid
To whom we hate! Let us not then pursue, By force impossible, by leave obtained Unacceptable, though in Heaven, our state Of splendid vassalage; but rather seek
Our own good from ourselves, and from our own Live to ourselves, though in this vast recess, Free and to none accountable, preferring Hard liberty before the easy yoke
Of servile pomp. Our greatness will appear Then most conspicuous when great things of small,
Useful of hurtful, prosperous of adverse, We can create, and in what place soe'er Thrive under evil, and work ease out of pain Through labour and endurance. This deep world Of darkness do we dread? How oft amidst
Thick clouds and dark doth Heaven's all-ruling The
Choose to reside, his glory unobscured, And with the majesty of darkness round Covers his throne, from whence deep thunders
Mustering their rage, and Heaven resembles Hell!
As he our darkness, cannot we his light
Imitate when we please? This desert soil 270 Wants not her hidden lustre, gems and gold; Nor want we skill or art from whence to raise Magnificence; and what can Heaven show more? Our torments also may, in length of time, Become our elements, these piercing fires As soft as now severe, our temper changed Into their temper; which must needs remove The sensible of pain. All things invite To peaceful counsels, and the settled state Of order, how in safety best we may Compose our present evils, with regard Of what we are and where, dismissing quite All thoughts of war. Ye have what I advise.' He scarce had finished, when such murmur filled
The assembly as when hollow rocks retain The sound of blustering winds, which all night
Had roused the sea, now with hoarse cadence lull Seafaring men o'erwatched, whose bark by chance,
Or pinnace, anchors in a craggy bay
After the tempest. Such applause was heard 290 As Mammon ended, and his sentence pleased,
throng applauds his sentence
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