This faid, they both betook them several ways, 610 Both to destroy, or unimmortal make
All kinds, and for deftruction to mature
Sooner or later; which th' Almighty feeing,
From his transcendent seat the Saints among,
To those bright Orders utter'd thus his voice.
See with what heat these dogs of Hell advance
To waste and havoc yonder world, which I
So fair and good created; and had still
Kept in that state, had not the folly of Man
Let in these wasteful furies, who impute
Folly to me, so doth the prince of Hell
And his adherents, that with so much ease
I suffer them to enter and poffefs
A place fo heav'nly, and conniving seem
To gratify my scornful enemies;
That laugh, as if transported with some fit
Of paffion, I to them had quitted all,
At random yielded up to their misrule;
And know not that I call'd and drew them thither,
My Hell-hounds, to lick up the draff and filth 630
Which Man's polluting fin with taint hath shed
On what was pure; till cramm'd and gorg'd, nigh burst
With fuck'd and glutted offal, at one fling
Of thy victorious arm, well-pleasing Son,
Both Sin, and Death, and yawning Grave at last,635
Through Chaos hurl'd, obftruct the mouth of Hell
For ever, and feal up his ravenous jaws.
My heart, which by a secret harmony
Still moves with thine, join'd in connexion fweet, That thou on earth hadft profper'd, which thy looks Now alfo evidence, but ftrait I felt.
Though distant from thee worlds between, yet felt That I must after thee, with this thy fon,
Such fatal consequence unites us three:
Hell could no longer hold us in her bounds;
Nor this unvoyageable gulf obscure
Detain from following thy illustrious track.
Thou haft achiev'd our liberty, confin'd
Within Hell gates till now; thou us impower'd
To fortify 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 foil in Heav'n; here thou shalt monarch reign,
There didst 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,
His quadrature, from thy orbicular world,
Or try thee now more dange 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
Th' infernal empire, that so near Heav'n's 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 eafy thorough-fare. Therefore while I
Descend through darkness, on your road with ease,
To my associate Pow'rs, them to acquaint
With these fucceffes, and with them rejoice,
You two this way, among these numerous orbs,
All yours, right down to Paradise descend;
There dwell and reign in bliss; thence on the earth
Dominion exercise, and in the air,
Chiefly on Man, fole lord of all declar'd,
Him first make sure your thrall, and lastly kill.
My substitutes I send ye, and create
Plenipotent on earth, of matchless might
Iffuing from me: on your joint vigor now
My hold of this new kingdom all depends,
Through Sin to Death expos'd by my exploit.
If your joint pow'r prevail, th' affairs of Hell
No detriment need fear; go,and be ftrong.
So faying he dismiss'd them; they with speed 410 Their course through thickest constellations held, Spreading their bane; the blasted stars look'd wan; And planets, planet-struck, real eclipse
Then fuffer'd. Th' other way Satan went down
The caufey to Hell gate; on either side
Difparted Chaos over built, exclam'd,
And with rebounding furge the bars affail'd,
That scorn'd his indignation: through the gate,
Wide open and unguarded, Satan pass'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 Pandemonium, city and proud seat
Of Lucifer, fo by allusion call'd,
Of that bright ftar to Satan paragon'd.
There kept their watch the legions, while the Grand
In council fat, folicitous what chance
Might intercept their empe ror fent; so he
Departing gave command, and they obferv'd.
As when the Tartar,from his Russian foe,
By Aftracan,over the snowy plains
Retires, or Bactrian Sophi, from the horns.
Of Turkish crefcent, leaves all waste beyond
The realm of Aladule, in his retreat
To Tauris or Casbeen: So these, the late
Heav'n-banish'd host, 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 search 440
Of foreign worlds: he,through the midst, unmark'd,
The glory of that glory, who,now become
Accurs'd of blessed, hide me from the face
Of God, whom to behold was then
my highth
Of happiness! yet well, if here would end
The misery; I deferv'd it, and would bear
My own defervings; but this will not ferve;
All that I eat or drink, or shall beget,
Is propagated curfe. O voice once heard
Delightfully, Increase and multiply,
Now death to hear! for what can I increase
Or multiply, but curfes on my head?
Who, of all ages to fucceed, but feeling
The evil on him brought by me, will curse
My head? Ill fare our ancestor impure,
For this we may thank Adam; but his thanks
Shall be the execration; so befides
Mine own that bide upon me, all from me,
Shall with a fierce reflux on me redound;
On me, as on their natural center light,
Heavy, though in their place. O fleeting joys
Of Paradise, dear bought with lafting woes!
Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay
To mold me Man, did I folicit thee
From darkness to promote me, or here place
In this delicious garden? as my will
Concurr'd not to my being, it were but right
And equal to reduce me to my duft,
Defirous to resign and render back
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