Place of utter Darkness, fitlieft call'd Chaos: Here Satan with his Angels lying on the burning Lake, thunderftruck and aftonish'd, after a certain Space recovers, as from Confufion, calls up him who next in Order and Dignity lay by him; they confer of their miferable Fall. Satan awakens all his Legions, who lay 'till then in the fame manner confounded: They rife, their Numbers, Array of Battel, their chief · Leaders nam'd, according to the Idols known afterwards in Canaan and the Countries adjoining. To thefe Satan directs his Speech, comforts them with Hope yet of regaining Heaven, but tells them lastly of a new World and new kind of Creature to be created, according to an ancient Prophecy or Report in Heaven; for that Angels were long before this vifible Creation, was the Opinion of many ancient Fathers. To find out the Truth of this Prophecy, and what to determine thereon, he refers to a full Councel. What his Affociates thence attempt. Pandemonium the Palace of Satan rifes, fuddenly built out of the Deep: The infernal Peers there fit in Council.

F Man's Firft Difobedience, and the Fruit

Fofah's Forbidden free, whofe mortal taft

Brought Death into the World and all our woe,
With loss of Eden, 'till one greater Man
Reftore us, and regain the blissful Seat,
Sing Heav'nly Muse, that on the secret top
Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didst inspire

That Shepherd, who first taught the chofen Seed,
In the Beginning how the Heav'ns and Earth
Rofe out of Chaos: Or if Sion Hill

Delight thee more, and Siloa's Brook that flow'd
Faft by the Oracle of God; I thence
Invoke thy Aid to my adventrous Song,
That with no middle flight intends to foar
Above th' Aonian Mount, while it pursues
Things unattempted yet in Profe. or Rhime.
And chiefly Thou Spirit, that doft prefer
Before all Temples th' upright Heart and pure,
Inftruct me, for Thou know'ft; Thou from the first
Waft prefent, and with mighty Wings out-spread 20
Dove-like fat'ft brooding on the vast Abyss
And mad'ft it pregnant: What in me is dark
Illumine, what is low raife and fupport;
That to the heighth of this great Argument
I may affert Eternal Providence,

And juftifie the ways of God to Men.

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Say firft, for Heav'n hides nothing from thy view Nor the deep Tract of Hell, fay first what cause Mov'd our Grand Parents in that happy State,

30

35

Favour'd of Heav'n fo highly, to fall off
From their Creatour, and tranfgrefs his Will
For one Restraint, Lords of the World befides?
Who first feduc'd them to that foul revolt?
Th' infernal Serpent; 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 whose aid afpiring
To fet himself in Glory above his Peers,
He trusted to have cquall'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 Battel proud
With vain Attempt. Him the Almighty Power
Hurl'd headlong flaming from th' Ethereal Skie, 45
With hideous ruine and combuftion down
To bottomlefs perdition, there to dwell
In Adamantine Chains and penal Fire,
Who durft defie th'Omnipotent to Arms.
Nine times the Space that measures Day and Night
To mortal men, he with his horrid Crew
Lay vanquish'd, rowling 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 dismay
Mix'd with obdurate pride and ftedfaft hate:
At once as far as Angels ken he views

SI

55

The difmal Situation waste and wild,

A Dungeon horrible, on all fides round

As one great Furnace flam'd, yet from those flames No light, but rather darkness visible

Serv'd only to discover sights of woe,

Regions of forrow, doleful shades, 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, feď
With ever-burning Sulphur unconfum'd:
Such Place Eternal Juftice had prepar'd

For those rebellious, here their Prifon ordain'd
In utter darkness, and their Portion fet
As far remov'd from God and light of Heav'n
As from the Center 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 soon discerns, and welt'ring by his fide
One next himself in power, and next in crime,
Long after known in Palestine, and nam'd
Beelzebub. To whom th' Arch Enemy,

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And thence in Heav'n call'd Satan, 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 85 Cloath'd with tranfcendent brightnefs didft out-fhine 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
In equal ruin: Into what Pit thou feeft

90

From what heighth fall'n, fo much the ftronger prov'd
He with his Thunder: And 'till then who knew
The Force of those dire Arms? Yet not for those,
Nor what the Potent Victor in his Rage
Can else inflict, do I repent or change,

95

Though chang'd in outward luftre; that fix'd mind
And high difdain, from fenfe of injur'd merit,
That with the mightiest rais'd me to contend,
And to the fierce Contention brought along
Innumerable force of Spirits arm'd

That durft diflike his Reign, and me preferring,
His utmost power with adverfe power oppos'd
In dubious Battel on the Plains of Heav'n,

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And hook his Throne. What tho' the field be loft?

All is not loft; th' unconquerable Will,

106

And ftudy of Revenge, immortal hate,
And courage never to submit or yield:
And what is elfe not to be overcome?
That Glory never shall his wrath or might
Extort from me. To bow and fue for Grace
With fuppliant Knee, and deifie his Power,
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 Strength of Gods.
And this Empyreal Subftance cannot fail,
Since through Experience of this great Event
In Arms not worse, in Forefight much advanc'd,