Could have assur'd us; and by what best way, Whether of open war, or covert guile,
We now debate: who can advise, may speak.
He ceas'd; and next him Moloch, scepter'd king, Stood up the strongest and 'the fiercest spirit That fought in Heaven, now fiercer by despair: His trust was with the Eternal to be deem'd Equal in strength; and rather than be less Car'd not to be at all; with that care lost Went all his fear: of God, or Hell, or worse, He reck'd not, and these words thereafter spake. My sentence is for open war: of wiles, More unexpert, I boast not: them let those Contrive who need, or when they need, not now. For, while they sit contriving, shall the rest, Millions that stand in arms, and longing wait The signal to ascend, sit lingering here, Heaven's fugitives, and for their dwelling-place Accept this dark opprobrious den of shame, The prison of his tyranny who reigns
By our delay? No, let us rather choose, Arm'd with Hell-flames and fury, all at once,
O'er Heaven's high towers to force resistless way,
Turning our tortures into horrid arms
Against the torturer; when to meet the noise
Of his almighty engine he shall hear
Infernal thunder; and, for lightning, see
Black fire and horror shot with equal rage
Among his angels; and his throne itself
Mix'd with Tartarean sulphur, and strange fire, His own invented torments.
Ne sicurasse; ma qual via migliore Seguir, se guerra aperta o chiuso inganno, Ora trattiam; chi consiglio ha, favelli.
Tacque; e appo lui Molocco re scettrato S'alzò, il più forte spirto e il più feroce Che in ciel pugnò, or più fier dal disperare: L'onor ambia d'inceder coll' Eterno
Pari in poter; e pria che star minore Volea perir: per voglia tal perdèo Ogni timor di Dio, d'inferno, o peggio, Nulla curò, e in tal dir parlò secondo.
Aperta guerra è mio parer: le frodi Io non vanto, le ignoro: quei le trami
Che d'uopo n'ha, quand' uopo n'ha, non ora. Dunque, mentre ei tramando vanno, gli altri Che stan sull' armi innumeri e alto chieggono D'ascendere il segnal, qui fian languenti Dal ciel fuggiaschi, e a loro asil quest' atra Accettin d'onta obbrobriosa chiostra Prigion di quel tiranno che sol regna Pel tardar nostro? No, di fiamme inferne Armati e d'ira, tutti insiem sull' alte Torri del ciel sforziamo invitto varco; Tornin, le nostre pene in orride armi Contro il carnefice, e mugghiare incontro L'onnipossente suo stromento ascolti L'infernal tuono, e quai baleni miri
Fiamme atre e orror scoppiare tra suoi spirti Con furia egual; ed il suo trono istesso
Di solfo inferno avvolto e straño foco
Da lui inventati a tormentar.
The way seems difficult, and steep to scale With upright wings against a higher foe. Let such bethink them, if the sleepy drench Of that forgetful lake benumb not still, That in our proper motion we ascend Up to our native seat: descent and fall To us is adverse. Who but felt of late, When the fierce foe hung on our broken rear Insulting, aud pursued us through the deep, With what compulsion and laborious flight We sunk thus low? The ascent is easy then. The event is fear'd, should we again provoke Our stronger, some worse way his wrath may find To our destruction; if there be in Hell
Fear to be worse destroy'd. What can be worse Than to dwell here, driven out from bliss, condemn'd In this abhorred deep to utter woe;
Where pain of unextinguishable fire
Must exercise us, without hope of end, The vassals of his anger, when the scourge Inexorably, and the torturing hour
Calls us to penance? More destroy'd than thus, We shall be quite abolish'd, and expire.
What fear we then? what doubt we to incense His utmost ire? which, to the height enrag'd, Will either quite consume us, and reduce To nothing this essential, happier far Than miserable to have eternal being: Or, if our substance be indeed divine, And cannot cease to be, we are at worst On this side nothing; and by proof we feel Our power sufficient to disturb his Heaven,
La via par forte ed a scalar repente Con ali erette ed oste soprastante. Tal pensin quei cui l'assonnante beva Del lago dell'oblio dissenna ancora, Chè in nostra propria mozïón al seggio Natio saliam, discendere e cadere
È avverso a noi. Chi nol sentì poc' anzi Quando il nemico fier su noi sconfitti Pendea insultando e ne premca all' abisso, Con qual violenza e volo affaticato Cademmo giù? Salir è facil dunque. L'evento è trepido, se osiam quel Forte Provocare, può via peggior suo sdegno Trovar a nostri danni, se in inferno Tema è di mal peggiore. E qual fia stanza Peggior di quì, spogli del ciel, dannati In quest' orrendo abisso a piéta estrema; U' strazio di non mai restinto foco Senza sperarne un fin daranne affanni, Mancipi d'ira sua, quando il flagello Inesorato, e l'ora tormentosa Appellaci a penar? Per mal più grave Ci aspetterem distruggimento e morte.
Che temer dunque ? O d' inasprir qual dubbio Suo sdegno estremo? Od ei nell' alta rabbia Consumeranne affatto e questa essenza
Nel nulla perderà, e ben più felice La fia che eterno viva e miseranda: O se sostanza nostra invero è diva, Nè d'esser può cessar, non sorte abbiamo Peggior però; sappiam a prova il nostro Poter bastante a perturbar suo cielo
And with perpetual inroads to alarm, Though inaccessible, his fatal throne Which, if not victory, is yet revenge. »
He ended frowning, and his look denounc'd Desperate revenge, and battle dangerous To less than gods. On the other side up-rose Belial, in act more graceful and humane: A fairer person lost not Heaven; he seem'd For dignity compos'd, and high exploit: But all was false and hollow; though his tongue Dropt manna, and could make the worse appear The better reason, to perplex and dash Maturest counsels: for his thoughts were low; To vice industrious, but to nobler deeds Tim'rous and slothful: yet he pleas'd the ear, And with persuasive accent thus began:
« I should be much for open war, O, peers! As not behind in hate; if what was urg'd Main reason to persuade immediate war, Did not dissuade me most, and seem to cast Ominous conjecture on the whole success; When he, who most excels in fact of arms, In what he counsels, and in what excels, Mistrustful, grounds his courage on despair And utter dissolution, as the scope
Of all his aim, after some dire revenge.
First, what revenge? The towers of Heaven are fill'd With armed watch, that render all access
Impregnable: oft on the bordering deep
Incamp their legions; or, with obscure wing, Scout far and wide into the realm of night.
Scorning surprise. Or could we break our vay
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