That thou on Earth hadft profper'd, which thy looks Now alfo evidence, but ftraight I felt
Though distant from thee Worlds between, yet felt That I muft after thee with this thy Son,
Such fatal confequence unites us three:
Hell could no longer hold us in her bounds,
Nor this unvoyageable Gulf obfcure
Detain from following thy illustrious track.
Thou haft atchiev'd our liberty, confin'd
Within Hell Gates till now, thou us impower'd
To fortifie thus far, and overlay
With this portentous Bridge the dark Abyss.
Thine now is all this World, thy virtue hath won
What thy hands builded not, thy Wisdom gain'd
With odds what War hath loft, and fully aveng'd
Our foile in Heav'n; here thou shalt Monarch reign,
There didft not; there let him ftill Victor fway, 376
As Battel hath adjudg'd, from this new World-
Retiring, by his own doom alienated,
And henceforth Monarchy with thee divide
Of all things parted by th' Empyreal bounds, 380
His Quadrature, from thy Orbicular World,
Or try thee now more dang'rous to his Throne.
Whom thus the Prince of Darkness answer'd glad.
Fair Daughter, and thou Son and Grandchild both,
High proof ye now have giv'n to be the Race 385
Of Satan (for I glory in the name,
Antagonist of Heav'ns Almighty King)
Amply have merited of me, of all
Th' infernal Empire, that fo near Heav'ns door
Triumphal with triumphal act have met,
Mine with this glorious Work, and made one Realm
Hell and this World, one Realm, one Continent
Of eafie thorough-fare. Therefore while I
Defcend through, Darkness, on your Rode with ease
To my affociate Powers, them to acquaint
With thefe fucceffes, and with them rejoyce,
You two this way, among these numerous Orbs
All yours, right down to Paradife defcend;
There dwell and Reign in blifs, thence on the Earth
Dominion exercife, and in the Aire,
Chiefly on Man, fole Lord of all declar'd,
Him firft make fure your thrall, and laftly kill.
My Subftitutes I fend ye, and Create
Plenipotent on Earth, of matchless might
Iffuing from me: on your joynt vigor now
My hold of this new Kingdom all depends,
Through Sin to Death expos'd by my exploit..
If your joynt power prevailes, th' affairs of Hell
No detriment need fear, go and be ftrong.
So faying he difmifs'd them, they with speed 410 Their courfe through thickeft Conftellations held Spreading their bane; the blasted Stars lookt wan, And Planets, Planet-ftrook, real Eclips
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 unguarded, Satan pafs'd,
And all about found defolate; for those
Appointed to fit there, had left their charge,
Flown to the upper World; the rest were all
Far to th' inland retir'd, about the walls
Of Pandamonium, City and proud feat
of Lucifer, fo by allufion call'd,
Of that bright Star to Satan paragond.
There kept their watch the Legions, while the Grand In Council fate, follicitous what chance
Might intercept their Emperor fent, so he
Departing gave command, and they obferv'd. 430
As when the Tartar from his Ruffian Foe
By Afracan over the Snowy Plains
Retires, or Bactrian Sophy from the horns
Of Turkish Crefcent, leaves all waste beyond
The Realm of Aladule, in his retreat
To Taurus or Casbeen. So these the late
Heav'n-banifht Hoft, left defert utmost Hell
Many a dark League, reduc'd in careful Watch
Round their Metropolis, and now expecting
Each hour their great adventurer from the fearch 440
Of Foreign Worlds: he through the midst unmarkt,
In fhew Plebeian Angel militant
Of lowest order, paft; and from the door
Of that Plutonian Hall, invisible
Ascended his high Throne, which under state 445
Of richest texture fpread, at th' upper end
Was plac'd in regal luftre. Down a while
He fate, and round about him faw unfeen
At laft as from a Cloud his fulgent head
And shape Star bright appear'd, or brighter, clad
With what permiffive glory fince his fall
Was left him, or falfe glitter: All amaz'd
At that fo fudden blaze the Stygian throng
Bent their afpe&t, and whom they wish'd beheld.
Their mighty Chief return'd: loud was th'acclaim:
Forth rush'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 these words attention won.
Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Virtues, Powers,
For in poffeffion fuch, not only of right,
I call ye and declare ye now, return'd
Successful beyond hope, to lead ye forth`
Triumphant out of this infernal Pit
Abominable, accurs'd, the house of woe,
And Dungeon of our Tyrant: Now poffefs,
As Lords, a fpacious World, to our native Heaven
Little inferiour, by my adventure hard
With peril great atchiev'd. Long were to tell What I have done, what fuffer'd, with what pain Voyag'd th' unreal, 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 475
Th' untractable Abyss, plung'd in the womb
Of unoriginal Night and Chaos wild,
That jealous of their fecrers, fiercely oppos'd
My journey ftrange, with clamorous uproar
Protesting Fate fupream; thence how I found 480
The new created World, which fume in Heaven
Long had foretold, a Fabrick 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,
To Sin and Death a prey, and fo to us,
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 Serpent in whose shape 495 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 Seed, when is not fet, fhall bruise my head:
A World who would not purchase with a bruife, soo
Or much more grievous pain? Ye have th' account
Of my performance: What remains, ye Gods,
But up and enter now into full bliss.
So having faid, a while he ftood, expecting
Their universal shout and high applause
To fill his ear, when contrary he hears
On all fides, from innumerable tongues
A difmal univerfal hifs, the found
Of public fcorn; he wonder'd, but not long
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