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And henceforth Monarchy with thee divide
Of all things, parted by th' empyreal

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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

Of Satan, for I glory in the name,

Antagonist of Heav'n's Almighty King,

Amply have merited of me, of all

385

Th' infernal empire, that, fo near Heav'n's door

Triumphal with triumphal act have met, 390 Mine with this glorious work; and made one realm

Hell and this world, our realm, one continent Of eafy thorough-fare. Therefore while I Defcent through darkness, on your road with

eafe,

To my affociate Pow'rs, them to acquaint 395 With thefe fucceffes, and with them rejoice, You two this way, among these numerous Orbs, All yours! right down to Paradife descend: There dwell and reign in blifs; thence on the

earth

B

1

Dominion exercise, and in the air,

400

Chiefly on Man, fole Lord of all declar'd:
Him firft make fure your thrall, and laftly kill.
My fubftitutes I fend you, and create
Plenipotent on earth, of matchless might
Ifluing from me; on your joint vigor now 405
My hold of this new kingdom all depends;
Through fin to death expos'd by my exploit.
If your joint pow'r prevail, th' affairs of hell
No detriment need fear; go and be strong.
So faying he difmifs'd them; they with
speed

410

Their courfe through thickeft conftellations

held,

Spreading their bane; the blasted stars look'd

wan,

And Planets, planet-firuck, real Eclipse
Then fuffer'd. Th' other way, Satan went
down

The caufey to Hell gate: on either fide, 415
Difparted Chaos over built exclaim'd,

And with rebounding furge the bars affail'd,
That fcorn'd his indignation.

gate,

Through the

420

Wide open and unguarded, Satan pals'd,
And all about found defolate: for thofe
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 Pandaemonium, city and proud seat✩*
Of Lucifer, fo by allufion call'd,

425

Of that bright fiar to Satan paragon'd.

There kept their watch the legions, while the
Grand

In council fat, follicitous what chance
Might intercept their Emperor sent: fo he
Departing gave command, and they ob-

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As when the Tartar from his Ruffian foe
By Aftracan over the fnowy plains,
Retires or Bactrian Sophy from the horns
Of Turkifh crefcent, leaves all waste beyond
The realm of Aladule, in his retreat

435 To Taurus, or Calbeen: so these, the late Heav'n-banifh'd,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 unmark'd,

In fhew plebeian Angel militant

Of lowest order, paft; and from the door
Of that Plutonian hall, invifible

Afcended his high throne; which under

ftate

Of richest texture fpread, at th' upper end
Was plac'd in regal luftre. Down a while

445

He fat, and round about him faw unseen.
At laft as from a cloud, his fulgent head
And shape star-bright appear'd, or brighter,

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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 afpect, and whom they wifh'd be-
held,

Their mighty Chief return'd: loud was th' ac

clame!

455

Forth rufh'd in hafte the great confulting

Peers,

Rais'd from their dark Divan, and with like

joy

Congratulant approach'd him, who with hand Silence, and with thefe words attention won. Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Vir

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tues, Pow'rs!

For in poffeffion fuch, not only of right,
I call you and declare you now; return'd
Successful beyond hope, to lead you forth.
Triumphant out of this infernal pit

460

Abominable, accurs'd, the house of woe, 465
And dungeon of our tyrant! now pollefs,'
As Lords, a fpacious world, t' our native
Heav'n

Little inferior, by my adventure hard

With peril great achiev'd. Long were to tell

What I have done, what fuffer'd, with what

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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 pallage, forc'd to

ride

475 Th' untractable abyfs, plung`d in he womb Of unoriginal Night and Chaos wild: That jealous of their fecrets fiercely oppos'd My journey ftrange, with clamorous uproar Protesting fate fupreme: thence, how 1

found

480

The new created world, which fame in

Heav'n

Long had foretold, a fabric wonderful

Of abfolute perfection: therein Man,
Plac'd in a Paradife, by our exile

Made happy: him by fraud I have seduc'd 485
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 so to us, 490
Without our hazard, labor, or alarm:
To range in, and to dwell, and over man
To rule, as over all he should have rul'd.
True is, me alfo he hath judg'd, or rather

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