Aspéct he rose, and in his rising seem'd

A pillar of state; deep on his front engraven,
Deliberation sat and public care;

And princely counsel in his face yet shone
Majestic, though in ruin: sage he stood,
With Atlantean shoulders fit to bear

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The weight of mightiest monarchies; his look

Drew audience and attention, still as night

Or summer's noontide air, while thus he spake.

"Thrones and Imperial Pow'rs, Offspring of Heaven, Etheria: Virtues! or these titles now

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Must we renounce, and changing style be call'd

Princes of Hell? for so the popular vote

Inclines, here to continue', and build up here

A growing empire; doubtless; while we dream,

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And know not that the King of Heav'n hath doom'd

This place our dungeon, not our safe retreat

Beyond his potent arm, to live exempt

From Heav'n's high jurisdiction, in new league

Banded against his throne, but to remain

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In strictest bondage, though thus far remov'd,
Under th' inevitable curb, reserv'd

His captive multitude: for he, be sure,

In height or depth, still first and last will reign

Sole king, and of his kingdom lose no part
By our revolt: but over Hell extend

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His empire, and with iron sceptre rule
Us here, as with his golden those in Heaven,
What sit we then projecting peace and war?
War hath determin'd us, and foil'd with loss
Irreparable; terms of peace yet none

Vouchsaf'd or sought; for what peace will be given
To us enslav'd; but custody severe,
And stripes, and arbitrary punishment,
Inflicted? and what peace can we return,

But to our pow'r hostility and hate,

Untam'd reluctance, and revenge, though slow,
Yet ever plotting how the Conqu❜ror least
May reap his conquest, and may least rejoice

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In doing what we most in suffering feel?

Nor will occasion want, nor shall we need,
With dang'rous expedition to invade

Heav'n whose high walls fear no assault or siege,
Or ambush from the deep. What if we find

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Some easier enterprise? There is a place,

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(If ancient and prophetic fame in Heaven

Err not) another world the happy seat

Of some new race call'd Man, about this time-
To be created like to us, though less

In pow'r and excellence, but favour'd more

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Of him who rules above; so was his will

Pronounc'd among the Gods, and by an oath,

That shook Heav'n's whole circumference, confirm'd.
Thither let us bend all our thoughts, to learn
What creatures there inhabit, of what mould
Or substance, how endued, and what their pow'r,
And where their weakness, how attempted best,
By force or subtlety. Though Heav'n be shut,
And Heav'n's high Arbitrator sit secure

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In his own strength, this place may lie expos'd,
The utmost border of his kingdom, left

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To their defence who hold it: here perhaps
Some advantageous act may be achiev'd
By sudden onset, either with Hell fire
To waste his whole creation, or possess

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All as our own, and drive, as we were driven,
The puny habitants; or, if not drive,
Seduce them to our party, that their God

May prove their foe, and with repenting hand
Abolish his own works. This would surpass
Common revenge, and interrupt his joy

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In our confusion, and our joy upraise

In his disturbance; when his darling sons,

Hurl'd headlong to partake with us, shall curse

Their frail original, and faded bliss,

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Faded so soon. Advise if this be worth

Attempting, or to sit in darkness here
Hatching vain empires." Thus Beelzebub

Pleaded his devilish counsel, first devis'd
By Satan, and in part propos'd; for whence,
But from the author of all ill could spring
So deep a malice, to confound the race
Of mankind in one root, and Earth with Hell
To mingle and involve, done all to spite
The great Creator? but their spite still serves
His glory to augment. The bold design
Pleas'd highly those infernal States, and joy
Sparkled in all their eyes; with full assent
They vote whereat his speech he thus renews.
"Well have ye judg'd, well ended long debate,
Synod of Gods, and like to what ye are,

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Great things resolv'd, which from the lowest deep

Will once more lift us up, in spite of fate,

Nearer our ancient seat: perhaps in view

Of those bright confines, whence with neighb'ring arms
And opportune excursion we may chance
Re-enter Heav'n; or else in some mild zone

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Dwell, not unvisited of Heav'n's fair light,

Secure, and at the bright'ning orient beam
Purge off this gloom; the soft delicious air,
To heal the scar of these corrosive fires,

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Shall breath her balm. But, first, whom shall we send

In search of this new world? whom shall we find

Sufficient? who shall tempt with wand'ring feet

The dark unbottom'd infinite abyss,

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And through the palpable obscure find out

His uncouth way, or spread his airy flight,

Upborne with indefatigable wings,

Over the vast abrupt, ere he arrive

The happy isle? what strength, what art, can then

Suffice, or what evasion bear him safe

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Through the strict senteries and stations thick

Of Angels watching round? Here he had need
All circumspection, and we now no less

Choice in our suffrage; for on whom we send
The weight of all, and our last hope, relies."

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This said, he sat ; and expectation held

His looks suspense, awaiting who appear'd

To second, or oppose, or undertake,

The perilous attempt: but all sat mute,

Pond'ring the danger with deep thoughts; and each
In others' count'nance read his own dismay,

Astonish'd: none among the choice and prime

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Of those Heav'n-warring champions could be found
So hardy as to proffer or accept

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Alone the dreadfu: voyage; till at last

Satan, whom now transcendent glory rais'd
Above his fellows, with monarchal pride

Conscious of highest worth, unmov'd, thus spake.
"O Progeny of Heav'n, empyreal Thrones!
With reason hath deep silence and demur
Seiz'd us, though undismay'd: long is the way,
And hard, that out of Hell leads up to light;
Our prison strong; this huge convex of fire,
Outrageous to devour, immures us round
Ninefold, and gates of burning adamant,
Barr'd over us, prohibit all egress.

These pass'd, if any pass, the void profound
Of unessential Night receives him next,
Wide gaping, and with utter loss of being
Threatens him, plung'd in that abortive gulf.
If thence he 'scape into whatever world,
Or unknown region, what remains him less

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Than unknown dangers, and as hard escape ?

But I should ill become this throne, O Peers,

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And this imperial sov'reignty, adorn'd

With splendor, arm'd with pow'r, if ought propos'd

And judg'd of public moment, in the shape

Of difficulty or danger, could deter

Me from attempting. Wherefore do I assume

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These royalties, and not refuse to reign,

Refusing to accept as great a share

Of hazard as of honour, due alike

To him who reigns, and so much to him due

Of hazard more, as he above the rest

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High honour'd sits? Go, therefore, mighty Powers

Terror of Heav'n though fall'n; intend at home,
While here shall be our home, what best may ease
The present misery, and render Hell

More tolerable; if there be cure or charm

To respite, or deceive, or slack the pain,
Of this ill mansion: intermit no watch
Against a wakeful foe, while I abroad,
Through all the coasts of dark destruction, seek
Deliverance for us all. This enterprise
None shall partake with me." Thus saying, rose
The Monarch, and prevented all reply;
Prudent, lest, from his resolution rais'd,
Others among the chief might offer now
(Certain to be refus'd) what erst they fear'd;
And, so refus'd, might in opinion stand
His rivals, winning cheap the high repute
Which he through hazard huge must earn.
Dreaded not more th' adventure than his voice
Forbidding; and at once with him they rose.
Their rising all at once was as the sound

But they

Of thunder heard remote. Tow'ards him they bend,
With awful reverence prone; and as a God
Extol him equal to the High'st in Heaven.

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Nor fail'd they to express how much they prais'd
That for the general safety he despis'd

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His own: for neither do the Spirits damn'd

Lose all their virtue; lest bad men should boast

Their specious deeds on earth, which glory' excites,
Or close ambition varnish'd o'er with zeal.

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Thus they their doubtful consultations dark

Ended, rejoicing in their matchless chief:
As when from mountain tops their dusky clouds
Ascending, while the north wind sleeps, o'erspread
Heav'n's cheerful face, the low'ring element

Scowls o'er the darken'd landskip snow, or shower;
If chance the radiant sun with farewell sweet
Extend his evening beam, the fields revive,
The birds their notes renew, and bleating herds
Attest their joy, that hill and valley rings.

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