Since she has now been us'd

To gaze on spirits tender and benign,

Not such as I, of semblance rough and fierce,
For battles born to subjugate the sky.

In human form I would not

Defy her to a great important conflict,

The world she knows contains one only man.

Nor would I of the tiger

Or the imperious lion

Or other animal assume the shape,

For well she knows they could not reason with her,

Who are of reason void.

To make her knowledge vain,

That I exist to the eternal maker,

A source of endless fear,

Wrapt in the painted serpent's scaly folds,
Part of myself I hide; giving the rest
A human semblance, and a damsel's face.
Great things I tell thee, and behold I see
My adversary prompt to parley with me.
Of novelty to hear

How

eager woman is!

Now, now I loose my tongue,

And shall entangle her in many a snare.

Satan. But what discordant sound

Rises from hell, where all was lately concord,

Why do hoarse trumpets bellow thro' the deep?

SCENE THE FOURTH.

VOLAN, the SERPENT, SPIRITS, SATAN,

Great Lord ordain'd to found infernal realms,
And look with scorn upon the pomp of heav'n,
Behold thy Volan fly

To pay his homage at thy, scaly feet!
The chieftains of Avernus

The prime infernal powers

To rise in rivalship

Of heav'n in all, as in that lofty seat,

(The Word to us reveal'd,

The source of such great strife,))

They wish, that on the Earth

A goddess should prepare a throne for man,

And lead him to contemn

His own Almighty Maker,

Yet more th' inhabitants of fire now wish

That having conquer'd Man,

And with such triumph gay,

To the great realms of deep and endless flames Ye both with exultation may descend:

'Then shall I see around

Hell dart its rays, and hold the sun in scorn.
But if this man resist,

Then losing ev'ry hope

Of farther victory,

They wish that on the throne

Of triumph he may as a victor sit,
Who teaches it to move,

And thou perform the office

With an afflicted partner,

With him, who labours to conduct the car,

That cloth'd in horrid pomp

The region of Avernus

May speak itself the seat of endless pain,
And at the sound of inauspicious trumpets

The heav'ns may shake, the universe re-echo.

SCENE THE FIFTH.

VAIN GLORY drawn by a Giant, VOLAN, the SERPENT, SATAN and SPIRITS.

King of Avernus, at this harp's glad sound
I weave a starry garland for thy locks,
For well I see thy lovely scales portend
Honour to me, ruin and shame to man.
I am Vain Glory, and I sit on high,
Exulting Victress of the mighty Giant:
He has his front in heav'n, on earth his feet,
A faithful image of mans mighty worth :

But shake not thou with fear! strong as he is
So brittle is the crown of glass he wears

That at my breath, which drives him fiercely on,
Man loses power, and falls a prey to death.

Serpent. Angel, or Goddess, from thy lofty triumph Descend with me at the desire of hell, Haste to a human conflict;

You all so light, and quick,

That by your movement not a leaf is shaken
In all these woods around,

Your mighty triumphs now together hide,
Now that in silence we may pass unseen,
Quick let us enter neighbouring paradise.
Vain Glory. Wherefore delay? Point out the
path we go,

Since prompt to follow thee,

Full as I am of haughtiness and pride,

With expeditious foot

I will advance

Among these herbs, and flow'rs,

And let infernal laurels

Circle thy towering crest, and circle mine!

Serpent, What tribes of beauteous flow'rs,

And plants how new, and vivid !

How desolate shall I

Soon make these verdant scenes of plant, and flow'r! Behold! how with my foot

I now as much depress them,

As they shoot forth with pride to rear their heads : Behold! their humid life

I wither with my step of blasting fire.

How I enjoy, as I advance thro' these
Fair bow'rs of rapid growth,

To poison with my breath the leaf, and flow'r
Embittering all these sweet, and blooming fruits.
We are arriv'd, behold the lovely tree
Prohibited by heav'n,

There mount, and be embower'd

In the thick foliage of a wood so fair!

Vain Glory. See I prepare to climb:

I am already high,

And in the leaves conceal'd.

Climb thou, great chief, and rapidly encircle,
And with thy scaly serpent train ascend
The tree, be quick since now arising higher
I can discern where lonely Eve advances.
Serpent. Behold, enrag'd I twine around the
trunk

With these my painted and empoison'd folds;
Behold, I breathe towards this woman, love,

Behold, me now; more beautiful than ever,
Tho' now of each pestiferous cruel monster
In poison, and in rage, I am the model;
Now I behold her, now