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Over this main from Hell to that new world,
Where Satan now prevails, a monument
Of merit high to all th' infernal hoft;

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Eafing their passage hence, for intercourse, 260
Or tranfmigration, as their lot shall lead.
Nor can I miss the way, fo ftrongly drawn
By this new felt attraction and instinct.
Whom thus the meager Shadow answer'd
foon.

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Go whither fate and inclination ftrong
Leads thee; I fhall not lag behind, nor err
The way, thou leading, fuch a fcent I draw
Of carnage, prey innumerable, and tafte
The favour of Death from all things there that
live.

Nor fhall I to the work thou enterprifeft 270
Be wanting, but afford thee equal aid.

So faying, with delight he fnuff'd the smell Of mortal change on earth. As when a flock Of ravenous fowl, though many a league re

mote,

Against the day of battel, to a field,

275 Where armies lie incamp'd, come flying, lur'd With fcent of living carcaffes, defign'd For death the following day, in bloody fight: So fcented the grim Feature, and upturn'd His noftrils wide into the murky air,

Sagacious of his quarry from fso far.

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Then both from out Hell-gates; into the waste

Wide anarchy of Chaos, damp and dark, Flew diverfe, and with pow'r: their pow'r was great.

Hovering upon the waters, what they met 285 Solid or flimy, as in raging fea

Toft up and down, together crowded drove From each side shoaling towards the mouth of

Hell:

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As when two polar winds, blowing adverse
Upon the Cronian fea, together drive
Mountains of ice, that ftop th' imagin'd way
Beyond Perfora eaftward, to the rich..
Cathaian coaft. The aggregated foil
Death with his mace petrific, cold、and dry,
As with a trident fmote; and fix'd as firm 295
As Delos floating once: the rest his look
Bound with Gorgonian, rigor not to move:.
And with Alphaltic flime, broad as the gate,
Deep to the roots of Hell the gather'd beach
They fasten'd; and the mole immense wrought

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Over the foaming deep high arch'd: a bridge,

Of length prodigious, joining to the wall

Immoveable of this now fencelefs world, Forfeit to Death. From hence a pallage broad,

Smooth, eafy, inoffenfive, down to Hell. 305 So, if great things to small may be compar'd, Xerxes, the Liberty of Grece to yoke.

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From Sufa, his Memnonian palace high,
Came to the fea; and over Hellefpont...
Bridging his way, Europe with Afia join'd; 310
And scourg'd with many a stroke th' indignant

waves.

Now had they brought the work, by wondrous art

Pontifical, a ridge of pendent rock

Over the vex'd Abyss, following the track A Of Satan, to the self-fame place, where he 315 Firft lighted from his wing, and landed fafe!! From out of Chaos to the outfide bare

Of this round world: with pins of adamant

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And chains they made all faft; too falt they made,

And durable: And now in little space.

The confines met of empyréan Heav'n

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And of this world, and on the left hand hell.
With long reach interpos'd: three fev'ral ways
In fight, to each of these three places led, wal
And now their way to earth they had defcry'd 325
To Paradife firft tending; when, behold!
Satan, in likeness of an Angel bright,

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Betwixt the Centaur and the Scorpion fteering His zenith, while the Sun in Aries rose: Difguis'd he came; but thofe his childern

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Their parent foon difcern'd, though in disguife. He, after Eve feduc'd, unminded flunk,

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Into the wood faft by; and changing shape
T'observe the sequel, faw his guileful act
By Eve, though all unweeting, feconded 335
Upon her husband; faw their fhame, that
fought

Vain covertures: but when he faw defcend
The Son of God to judge them, terrify'd
He fled; not hoping to escape, but shunn'd
The prefent; fearing guilty, what his wrath 340
Might fuddenly inflict: that past, return'd
By night, and liftening, where the hapless pair
Sat in their fad difcourfe, and various plaint,
Thence gather'd his own doom: which un-
derstood

Not inftant, but of future time, with joy 345
And tidings fraught, to Hell be now return'd:
And at the brink of Chaos, near the foot
Of this new wondrous pontifice, unhop'd
Met, who to meet him came, his offspring

dear.

Great joy was at their meeting, and at fight 350 Of that stupendous bridge his joy increas'd. Long he admiring ftood, till Sin, his fair Inchanting daugther, thus the filence broke.

O parent! these are thy magnific deeds, Thy trophies, which thou view'ft as not thine

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Thou art their author, and prime architect," For I no fooner in my heart divin'd,

My heart, which by a fecret harmony

Still moves with thine, join'd in connexion

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That I muft after thee with this thy fon:
Such fatal confequence unites us three!
Hell could no longer hold us in her
bounds;

Nor this unvoyageable gulf obscure,

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Detain from following thy illuftrious track. Thou haft atchiev'd our liberty, confin'd Within Hell gates till now: Thou us impower'd To fortify thus far, and ever-lay

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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 foil in Heav'n: here thou shalt Monarch

reign,

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There didft not: there let him still victor

fway,

As battel hath adjudg'd, from this new world' Retiring, by his own doom alienated:

And

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