Swarm'd and were straiten'd; till, the signal given, Behold a wonder! They but now who seem'd In bigness to surpass Earth's giant sons, Now less than smallest dwarfs, in narrow room Throng numberless; like that pygmean race Beyond the Indian mount: or faery elves, Whose midnight revels, by a forest-side Or fountain, some belated peasant sees, Or dreams he sees, while over-head the moon Sits arbitress, and nearer to the earth [dance Wheels her pale course: they on their mirth and Intent, with jocund music charm his ear: At once with joy and fear his heart rebounds. Thus incorporeal Spirits to smallest forms Reduced their shapes immense, and were at large, Though without number, still amidst the hall Of that infernal court. But far within, And in their own dimensions, like themselves, The great Seraphic Lords and Cherubim In close recess and secret conclave sat; A thousand Demi-gods on golden seats, Frequent and full. After short silence then, And summons read, the great consult began.
The consultation begun, Satan debates whether another battle be to be hazarded for the recovery of Heaven: some advise it, others dissuade: a third proposal is preferred, mentioned before by Satan, to search the truth of that prophecy or tradition in Heaven concerning another world, and another kind of creature equal, or not much inferior to themselves, about this time to be created: their doubt, who shall be sent on this difficult search; Satan, their chief, undertakes alone the voyage, is honoured and applauded. The council thus ended, the rest betake them several ways, and to several employments, as their inclinations lead them, to entertain the time till Satan return. He passes on his journey to Hell-gates; finds them shut, and who sat there to guard them; by whom at length they are opened, and discover to him the great gulf between Hell and Heaven; with what difficulty he passes through, directed by Chaos, the Power of that place, to the sight of this new world which he sought.
HIGH on a throne of royal state, which far Outshone the wealth of Ormus and of Ind; Or where the gorgeous East, with richest hand, Showers on her kings barbaric pearl and gold, Satan exalted sat, by merit raised To that bad eminence: and, from despair Thus high uplifted beyond hope, aspires Beyond thus high: insatiate to pursue Vain war with Heaven; and, by success untaught, His proud imaginations thus display'd:
"Powers and Dominions! Deities of Heaven! For since no deep within her gulf can hold
Immortal vigour, though oppress'd and fallen I give not Heaven for lost. From this descent Celestial virtues rising, will appear
More glorious and more dread than from no fall; And trust themselves to fear no second fate. Me though justright, and the fix'd laws of Heaven, Did first create your leader; next, free choice, With what besides, in counsel or in fight, Hath been achieved of merit; yet this loss, Thus far at least recovered, hath much more Establish'd in a safe unenvied throne, Yielded with full consent. The happier state In Heaven, which follows dignity, might draw Envy from each inferior: but who here Will envy whom the highest place exposes Foremost to stand against the Thunderer's aim, Your bulwark; and condemns to greatest share Of endless pain? Where there is then no good For which to strive, no strife can grow up there From faction: for none sure will claim in Hell Precedence; none, whose portion is so small Of present pain, that with ambitious mind Will covet more. With this advantage then To union, and firm faith, and firm accord, More than can be in Heaven, we now return To claim our just inheritance of old, Surer to prosper than prosperity Could have assured us; and, by what best way, Whether of open war, or covert guile, We now debate: who can advise, may speak." He ceased; and next him Moloch, sceptred 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 Cared 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. But perhaps The way seems difficult, and steep to scale With upright wing 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, and 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 should be quite abolish'd, and expire. What fear we then? what doubt we to incense His utmost ire? which, to the highth enraged, Will either quite consume us, and reduce To nothing this essential; happier far Than miserable to have eternal being: Or, if our substante 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; And with perpetual inroads to alarm, Though inaccessible, his fatal throne : Which, if not victory, is yet revenge."
He ended frowning, and his look denounced 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 composed, 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
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