Who firft broke peace in heav'n, and faith, till then Unbroken; and in proud rebellious arms Drew after him the third part of heaven's fons, Conjúr'd against the High'eft; for which both thou And they, outcaft from God; are here condemn'd, To waste eternal days in woe and pain? And reckon ft thou thy felf with spi'rits of heaven, Hell doom'd, and breath'st defiance here and fcorn, Where I reign king; and, to enrage thee more, Thy king and lord? Back to thy punishment, Falfe fugitive, and to thy fpeed add wings; Left with a whip of fcorpions I purfue
Thy ling'ring, or with one ftroke of this dart
Strange horrour feize thee', and pangs unfelt before. So fpake the grifly terrour, and in shape,
So fpeaking and fo threat'ning, grew tenfold
More dreadful and deform. On th' other fide Incens'd with indignation Satan ftood Unterrify'd; and like a comet burn'd, That fires the length of Ophiuchus huge In th' arctic fky, and from his horrid hair Shakes peftilence and war. Each at the head Level'd his deadly aim; their fatal hands No fecond stroke intend; and fuch a frown Each cast at th' other, as when two black clouds, With heav'n's artillery fraught, come rattling on 715 Over the Cafpian, then ftand front to front, Hovering a space, till winds the signal blow To join their dark encounter in mid air : So frown'd the mighty combatants, that hell Grew darker at their frown; fo match'd they ftood; For never but once more was either like
To meet fo great a foe: and now great deeds Had been achiev'd, whereof all hell had rung Had not the fnaky forceress that fat
Faft by hell-gate, and kept the fatal key, Ris'n, and with hideous outcry rush'd between..
O father, what intends thy hand, she cry'd, Against thy only fon? What fury', O fon, Poffeffes thee, to bend that mortal dart Against thy father's head? and know'ft for whom For him who fits above, and laughs the while At thee, ordain'd his drudge, to execute Whate'er his wrath, which he calls juftice, bids"; His wrath, which one day will deftroy ye.both..
She fpake, and at her words the hellish pest Forbore; then thefe, to her, Satan return'd. So ftrange thy outcry, and thy words fo ftrange Thou interpofeft, that my fudden hand.. Prevented, spares to tell thee yet by deeds What it intends; till firft I know of thee,
What thing thou art, thus double-form'd; and why, In this infernal vale firft met, thou call'ft Me father, and that phantafin call'ft my fon I know thee not, nor ever faw till now Sight more deteftable than him and thee. T'whom thus the portress of hell-gate reply'd.. Haft thou forgot me then, and do I feem Now in thine eye fo foul? once deem'd fo fair In heav'n, when at th' affembly, and in fight Of all the Seraphim with thee combin'd In bold confpiracy against heavin's King, All on a fudden miferable pain
Surpris'd thee, dim thine eyes, and dizzy swum : In darkness, while thy head flames thick and faft Threw forth; till on the left fide op'ning wide, 755 Likeft to thee in fhape and count'nance bright, Then fhining heav'nly fair, a goddess arm'd, Out of thy head I fprung: amazement feiz'd All th' hoft of heav'n; back they recoil'd, afraid
At first, and call'd me Sin, and for a fign Portentous held me; but familiar grown, I pleas'd, and with attractive graces won The most averfe, thee chiefly, who full oft Thyself in me thy perfect image viewing, Becam'ft enamour'd, and fuch joy thou took'st With me in fecret, that my womb conceiv'd A growing burden. Mean while war arofe, And fields were fought in heav'n; wherein remain'd (For what could elfe?) to our almighty foe Clear victory; to our part loss and rout, Through all the empyréan: down they fell
Driv'n headlong from the pitch of heaven, down Into this deep; and in the general fall
I alfo; at which time this pow'rful key
Into my hand was giv'n, with charge to keep These gates for ever shut, which none can pass Without my opening. Penfive here I fat
Alone; but long I fat not, till my womb Pregnant by thee, and now exceffive grown, Prodigious motion felt, and rueful throes. At last this odious offspring whom thou feeft, Thine own begotten, breaking-violent way Tore through my intrails, that with fear and pain Distorted, all my nether fhape thus grew Transform'd: but he my inbred enemy Forth iffu'd, brandishing his fatal dart
Made to deftroy: I fled, and cry'd out, Death; Hell trembled at the hideous name, and figh'd From all her caves, and back refounded, Death. I fled; but he purfu'd, (tho' more, it seems, Inflam'd with luft than rage), and, fwifter far, Me overtook his mother, all difmay'd, And in embraces forcible and foul Ingend'ring with me, of that rape begot
Thefe yelling monfters, that with ceaseless cry Surround me, as thou faw'ft, hourly conceiv'd And hourly born, with forrow infinite
Το me; for when they lift, into the womb That bred them they return, and howl, and gnaw My bowels, their repaft; then bursting forth Afresh with confcious terrours vex me round, That reft or intermiffion none I find:
Before mine eyes in oppofition fits.
Grim Death, ny fon and foe; who fets them on, And me his parent would full foon devour
For want of other prey, but that he knows His end with mine involv'd; and knows that I Should prove a bitter morfel, and his bane, Whenever that fhall be; fo Fate
pronounc'd. But thou, O father, I forewarn thee, shun His deadly arrow; neither vainly hope To be invulnerable in thofe bright arms, Though temper'd heav'nly; for that mortal dint, Save he who reigns above, none can refift.
She finifh'd; and the fubtle fiend his lore Soon learn'd, now milder, and thus anfwer'd fmooth. Dear daughter, fince thou claim'ft me for thy fire, And my fair fon here show'ft me, the dear pledge Of dalliance had with thee in heav'n, and joys 'Then fweet, now fad to mention, thro' dire change Befall'n us, unforeseen, unthought of; know.
I come no enemy, but to fet free
From out this dark and dismal house of pain Both him and thee, and all the heav'nly hoft Of spirits, that, in our just pretences arm'd, Fell with us from on high: from them I go This uncouth errand fole; and one for all Myfclf expofe, with lonely steps to tread Th' unfounded deep, and thro' the void immenfe)
To fearch with wand'ring queft a place foretold Should be, and, by concurring figns, ere now Created, vaft and round; a place of blifs In the pourlieus of heav'n, and therein plac'd A race of upftart creatures, to fupply Perhaps our vacant room; tho' more remov'd, Left heav'n furcharg'd with potent multitude Might hap to move new broils. Be this, or aught Than this more fecret, now defign'd, I haste To know; and this once known, fhall foon return, And bring ye to the place where thou and Death Shall dwell at ease, and up and down unfeen Wing filently the buxom air, imbalm'd With odours; there ye fhall be fed and fill'd, Immeafurably, all things fhall be your prey.
He ceas'd, for both feem'd highly pleas'd, and Death
Grinn'd horrible a ghaftly fmile, to hear
His famine fhould be fill'd; and bless'd his maw
Deftin'd to that good hour: no less rejoic'd
His mother bad, and thus befpake her fire. The key of this infernal pit by due,
And by command of Heaven's all-pow'rful King,
I keep, by him forbidden to unlock Thefe adamantine gates; against all force Death ready stands to interpose his dart, Fearless to be o'ermatch'd by living might. But what I owe to his commands above. Who hates me, and hath hither thrust me down
Into this gloom of Tartarus profound,
To fit in hateful office here confin'd,
Inhabitant of heav'n, and heav'nly born,
Here in perpetual agony and pain,
With terrours and with clamours compafs'd round, Of mine own brood, that on my bowels feed? Thou art my father, thou my author, thou
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