From mortal or immortal minds. Thus they, How such united force of gods, how such
Breathing united force, with fixed thought,

As stood like these, could ever know repulse ?
Movid on in silence to soft pipes, that charm’d For who can yet believe, though after loss,
Their painful steps o'er the burnt soil : and now That all these puissant legions, whose exile
Advanc'd in view they stand ; a horrid front Hath emptied Heaven, shall fail to re-ascend
Of dreadful length and dazzling arms, in guise Self-rais'd, and repossess their native seat ?
Of warriors old with order'd spear and shield; For me, be witness all the host of Heaven,
Awaiting what command their mighty chief If counsels different, or dangers shunnid
Had to impose: he through the armed files By me, have lost our hopes. But he who reigns
Darts his experienc'd eye, and soon traverse Monarch in Heaven, till then as one secure
The whole battalion views, their order due, Sat on his throne, upheld by old repute,
Their visages and stature as of gods;

Consent or custom ; and his regal state Their number last he sums. And now his heart Put forth at full, but still his strength conceal'd, Distends with pride, and hardening in his strength Which tempted our attempt, and wrought our fall. Glories : for never, since created man,

Henceforth his might we know and know our own: Met such imbodied force, as nam’d with these So as not either to provoke, or dread Could merit more than that small infantry

New war, provok'd; our better part remains Warr’d on by cranes : though all the giant brorud To work in close design, by fraud or guile, Of Phlegra with the heroic race were join'd What force effected not : that he no less That fought at Thebes and Iiuin, on each side At length from us may find, who overcomes Mix'd with auxiliar gods; and what resounds By force, hath overcome but half his foe. In fable or romance of Uther's son

Space may produce new worlds ; whereof so rife Begirt with British and Armoric knights;

There went a fame in Heaven that he ere long And all who since, baptiz’d or infidel,

Intended to create, and therein plant Jousted in Aspramont, or Montalban,

A generation, whom his choice regard Damasco, or Marocco, or Trebisond,

Should favour equal to the sons of Heaven : Or whom Biserta sent from Afric shore,

Thither, if but to pry, shall be perhaps When Charlemain with all his peerage fell

Our first eruption; thither or elsewhere; By Fontarabbia. Thus far these beyond

For this infernal pit shall never hold Compare of mortal prowess, yet observ’d

Celestial spirits in bondage, nor the abyss Their dread commander : he, above the rest Long under darkness cover. But these thoughts In shape and gesture proudly eminent,

Full counsel must mature: peace is despair d; Stood like a tower ; his form had yet not lost For who can think submission? War, then, war, All her original brightness ; nor appear'd

Open or understood, must be resolv’d." Less than arch-angel ruin'd, and the excess

He spake : and, to confirm his words, out-flew Of glory obscur’d: as when the Sun, new risen, Millions of flaming swords, drawn from the thighs Looks through the horizontal misty air

Of mighty cherubim; the sudden blaze Shorn of his beams; or from behind the Moon, Far round illumin'd Hell : highly they rag'd In dim eclipse, disastrous twilight sheds

Against the Highest, and fierce with grasped arms On balf the nations, and with fear of change Clash'd on their sounding shields the din of war, Perplexes monarchs. Darken'd so, yet shone Hurling defiance toward the vault of Heaven. Above them all the arch-angel : but his face

There stood a hill not far, whose grisly top Deep scars of thunder had intrench’d; and care Belch'd fire and rolling smoke; the rest entire Sat on his faded cheek, but under brows

Shone with a glossy scurf; undoubted sign Of dauntless courage, and considerate pride That in his womb was hid metallic ore, Waiting revenge; cruel his eye, but cast

The work of sulphur. Thither, wing’d with speed, Signs of remorse and passion, to behold

A numerous brigade hasten’d: as when bands The fellows of his crime, the followers ratlser, Of pioneers, with spade and pick-ax arm'd, (Far other once beheld in bliss) condemn'd

Forerun the royal camp, to trench a field, For ever now to have their lot in pain :

Or cast a rampart. Mammon led them on : Millions of spirits for his fault amerc'd

Mammon, the least erected spirit that fell Of Heaven, and from eternal splendours flung From Heaven ; for e'en in Heaven his looks and For his revolt, yet faithful how they stood,

thoughts Their glory wither'd : as when Heaven's fire. Were always downward bent, admiring more Hath scath'd the forest oaks, or mountain pines, The riches of Heaven's pavement, trodden gold, With singed top their stately growth, though bare, Than aught, divine or holy, else enjoy'd Stands on the blasted heath. He now prepar'd In vision beatific: by him first To speak; whereat their doubled ranks they bend Men also, and by his suggestion taught, From wing to wing, and half enclose him round Ransack'd the centre, and with impious hands With all his peers : attention held them mute. Rifled the bowels of their mother Earth Thrice he assay'd, and thrice, in spite of scorn, For treasures, better hid. Soon had his crew Tears, such as angels weep, burst forth : at last Open'd into the hill a spacious wound, Words, interwove with sighs, found out their way. And digg'd out ribs of gold. Let none admire

“ O myriads of immortal spirits, O powers That riches grow in Hell; that soil may best Matchless, but with the Almighty; and that strife Deserve the precious bane. And here let those, Was not inglorious, though the event was dire, Who boast in mortal things, and wondering tell As this place testifies, and this dire change, Of Babel, and the works of Memphian kings, Hateful to utter : but what power of mind, Learn how their greatest monuments of fame, Foreseeing or presaging, from the depth

And strength and art, are easily out-done Of knowledge past or present, could have fear'd By spirits reprobate, and in an hour

What in an age they with incessant toil

To mortal combat, or career with lance) And hands innumerable scarce perform.

Thick swarm’d, both on the ground and in the air Nigh on the plain, in many cells prepar’d, Brush'd with the hiss of rustling wings. As bees That underneath had veins of liquid fire

In spring time, when the Sun with Taurus rides, Sluic'd from the lake, a second multitude

Pour forth their populous youth about the hive With wonderous art founded the massy ore, In clusters; they among fresh dews and flowers Severing each kind, and scumm'd the bullion dross: Fly to and fro, or on the smoothed plank, A third as soon had form’d within the ground The suburb of their straw-built citadel, A various mould, and from the boiling cells, New rubb'd with balm, expatiate and confer By strange conveyance, fill'd each hollow nook; Their state affairs. So thick the aery croud As in an organ, from one blast of wind,

Swarm’d and were straiten'd; till, the signal given, To many a row of pipes the sound-board breathes. Behold a wonder! They but now who seem'd Anon, out of the earth a fabric huge

In bigness to surpass Earth's giant sons, Rose like an exhalation, with the sound

Now less than smallest dwarfs, in narrow room Of dulcet symphonies and voices sweet,

Throng numberless, like that pygmean race Built like a temple, where pilasters round

Beyond the Indian mount ; or faery elves, Were set, and Doric pillars overlaid

Whose midnight revels, by a forest side With golden architrave ; nor did there want Or fountain, some belated peasant sees, Cornice or frieze, with bossy sculptures graven:

Or dreams he sees while over-head the Moon The roof was fretted gold. Not Babylon,

Sits arbitress, and nearer to the Earth Nor great Alcairo, such magnificence

Wheels her pale course; they, on their mirth and Equall'd in all their glories, to enshrine

dance Belus or Serapis their gods, or seat

Intent, with jocund music charm his ear ; Their kings, when Egypt with Assyria strove At once with joy and fear his heart rebounds. In wealth and luxury. The ascending pile Thus incorporeal spirits to smallest forms Stood fir'd her stately height: and straight the Reduce their shapes immense, and were at large, doors,

Though without number still, ainidst the hall Opening their brazen folds, discover, wide

Of that infernal court. But far within, Within, her ample spaces, o'er the smooth

And in their own dimensions, like themselves, And level pavement; from the arched roof The great seraphic lords and cherubim Pendent by subtle magic many a row

In close recess and secret conclave sat ;
Of starry lamps and blazing cressets, fed

A thousand demi-gods on golden seats,
With Naphtha and Asphaltus, yielded light Frequent and full. After short silence then,
As from a sky. The hasty multitude

And summons read, the great consult began.
Admiring enter'd; and the work some praise,
And some the architect ; his hand was known
In Heaven by many a tower'd structure high,

Book II.
Where scepter'd angels held their residence,
And sat as princes; whom the supreme king

The Argument.
Exalted to such power, and gave to rule,
Each in his hierarchy, the orders bright.

The consultation begun, Satan debates whether anNor was his name unheard, or unador'd,

other battle be to be hazarded for the recovery of In ancient Greece; and in Ausonian land

Heaven : some advise it, others dissuade : a Men call'd him Mulciber; and how he fell

third proposal is preferred, mentioned before by From Heaven, they fabled, thrown by angry Jove Satan, to search the truth of that prophecy or Sheer o'er the crystal battlements : from morn tradition in Heaven concerning another world, To noon he fell, from noon to dewy eve,

and another kind of creature equal or not much A summer's day; and with the setting Sun

inferior to themselves, about this time to be Dropt from the zenith like a falling star,

created. Their doubt, who shall be sent on this On Lemnos the Ægean isle: thus they relate, difficult search; Satan their chief undertakes Erring; for be with this rebellious rout

alone the voyage, is honoured and applauded. Fell long before ; nor aught avail'd him now

The council thus ended, the rest betake them To liave built in Heaven high towers ; nor did he several ways, and to several employments, as 'scape

their inclinations lead them, to entertain the time By all his engines, but was leadlong sent

till Satan return. He passes on his journey to With his industrious crew, to build in Hell.

Hell gates ; finds them shut, and who sat there Meanwhile the winged heralds, by command to guard them; by whom at length they are Of sovran power, with awful ceremony

opened, and discover to him the great gulf beAnd trumpet's sound, throughout the host proclaim tween Hell and Heaven ; with what difficulty he A solemn council, forthwith to be held

passes through, directed by Chaos, the power of At Pandemonium; the high capital

that place, to the sight of this new world which Of Satan and his peers; their summons callid he sought. From every band and squared regiment By place or choice the worthiest ; they anon, High on a throne of royal state, which far With hundreds and with thousands, trooping came, Outshone the wealth of Ormus and of Ind, Attended : all access was throng'd : the gates Or where the gorgeous East with richest hand And porches wide, but chief the spacious hall Showers on her kings barbaric pearl and gold, (Though like a cover'd field, where champions bold Satan exalted sat, by merit rais'd Wont ride in arm’d, and at the Soldan's chair To that bad eminence : and, from despair Defied the best of Panim chivalry

Thus high uplifted beyond hope, aspires

D.

Beyond thus high, insatiate to pursue

When the fierce foe hung on our broken rear Vain war with Heaven, and, by success untaught, Insulting, and pursued us through the deep, His proud imaginations thus display'd.'

With what compulsion and laborious fight “ Powers and dominions, deities of Heaven; We sunk thus low? The ascent is easy then ; For since no deep within her gulf can hold The event is fear'd; should we again provoke Immortal vigour, though oppress'd and fall'n, Our stronger, some worse way his wrath may find I give not Heaven for lost. From this descent To our destruction; if there be in Hell Celestial virtues rising, will appear

Fear to be worse destroy'd : what can be worse
More glorious and more dread than from no fall, Than to dwell here, driven out from bliss, con-
And trust themselves to fear no second fate.

demn'd
Me though just right, and the fix'd laws of Heaven, In this abhorred deep to utter woe;
Did first create your leader ; next, free choice, Where pain of unextinguishable fire
With what besides, in counsel or in fight,

Must exercise us without hope of end,
Hath been achiev'd of merit; yet this loss, The vassals of his anger, when the scourge
Thus far at least recover'd, hath much more Inexorably, and the torturing hour,
Establish'd in a safe unenvied throne,

Calls us to penance? More destroy'd than thus,
Yielded with full consent. The happier state We should be quite abolish’d, and expire.
In Heaven, which follows dignity, might draw What fear we then ? what doubt we to incense
Envy from each inferior ; but who here

His utmost ire ? which, to the height enrag'd,
Will envy whom the highest place exposes Will either quite consume us, and reduce
Foremost to stand against the Thunderer's aim, To nothing this essential; happier far
Your bulwark, and condemns to greatest share Than miserable to have eternal being :
Of endless pain? Where there is then no good Or, if our substance be indeed divine,
For which to strive, no strife can grow up there And cannot cease to be, we are at worst
From faction ; for none sure will claim in Hell On this side nothing; and by proof we feel
Precedence, none whose portion is so small Our power sufficient to disturb his Heaven,
Of present pain, that with ambitious mind

And with perpetual inroads to aların,
Will covet inore. With this advantage then Though inaccessible, his fatal throne:
To union, and firm faith, and firm accord,

Which, if not victory, is yet revenge.' More than can be in Heaven, we now return

He ended frowning, and his look denounc'd To claim our just inheritance of old,

Desperate revenge, and battle dangerous Surer to prosper than prosperity

To less than gods. On th' other side up-rose Could have assur'd us; and, by what best way, Belial, in act more graceful and humane : Whether of open war, or covert guile,

A fairer person lost not Heaven ; he seem’d We now debate; who can advise, may speak.” For dignity compos’d, and high exploit :

He ceas'd; and next him Moloch, scepter'd king, But all was false and bollow; though his tongue Stood up, the strongest and the fiercest spirit Dropt manna, and could make the worse appear That fought in Heaven, now fiercer by despair : The better reason, to perplex and dash His trust was with the Eternal to be deem'd Maturest counsels: for his thoughts were low Equal in strength; and rather than be less

To vice industrious, but to nobler deeds
Car'd not to be at all ; with that care lost

Tim'rous and slothful: yet he pleas'd the ear,
Went all his fear: of God, or Hell, or worse, And with persuasive accent thus began.
He reck'd not; and these words thereafter spake. “ I should be much for open war, O peers,

“ My sentence is for open war : of wiles, As not behind in hate; if what was urg'd
More unexpert, I boast not : them let those Main reason to persuade immediate war,
Contrive who need, or when they need, not now. Did not dissuade me most, and seem to cast
For, while they sit contriving, shall the rest, Ominous conjecture on the whole success;
Millions that stand in arms, and longing wait When he, who most excels in fact of arms,
The signal to ascend, sit lingering here

In what he counsels, and in what excels, Heaven's fugitives, and for their dwelling-place Mistrustful, grounds his courage on despair Accept this dark opprobrious den of shame,

And utter dissolution, as the scope The prison of his tyranny who reigns

Of all his aim, after some dire revenge. By our delay? No, let us rather choose,

First, what revenge? The towers of Heaven are Arm'd with Hell flames and fury, all at once,

fill'd O’er Heaven's high towers to force resistless way, With arm’d watch, that render all access Turning our tortures into horrid arms

Impregnable : oft on the bordering deep Against the torturer ; when to meet the noise Encamp their legions; or, with obscure wing, Of his almighty engine he shall bear

Scout far and wide into the realm of night, Infernal thunder ; and, for lightning, see

Scorning surprise. Or could we break our way Black fire and horrour shot with equal rage By force, and at our heels all Hell should rise Among his angels; and his throne itself

With blackest insurrection, to confound Mix'd with Tartarean sulphur, and strange fire, Heaven's purest light : yet our great enemy His own invented torments. But perhaps

All incorruptible, would on his throne The way seems difficult and steep to scale

Sit unpolluted ; and the ethereal mould
With upright wing against a higher foe.

Incapable of stain, would soon expel
Let such bethink thein, if the sleepy drench Her mischief, and purge off the baser fire,
Of that forgetful lake benumn not still,

Victorious. Thus repuls’d, our final hope
That in our proper motion we ascend

Is flat despair : we must exasperate Up to our native seat ; descent and fall

The almighty victor to spend all his rage, To us is adverse. Who but felt of late,

And that inust end us; that must be our cure,

*To be no more. Sad cure! for who would lose, Will slacken, if his breath stir not their flames.
Though full of pain, this intellectual being, Our purer essence then will overcome
Those thoughts that wander through eternity, Their noxious vapour ; or, inur'd, not feel ;
To perish rather, swallow'd up and lost

Or, chang'd at length, and to the place conform’d In the wide womb of uncreated night,

In temper and in nature, will receive Devoid of sense and motion? And who knows, Familiar the fierce heat, and void of pain ; Let this be good, whether our angry foe

This horrour will grow mild, this darkness light; Can give it, or will ever ? how he can,

Besides what hope the never-ending flight Is doubtful; that he never will, is sure.

Of future days may bring, what chance, what Will he, so wise, let loose at once his ire,

change Belike through impotence, or unaware,

Worth waiting ; since our present lot appears To give his enemies their wish, and end

For happy though but ill, for ill not worst, Thein in his anger, whom his anger saves

If we procure not to ourselves more woe. To punish endless ? Wherefore cease we then ? Thus Belial, with words cloth'd in reason's garb, Say they who counsel war, we are decreed,

Counsell’d ignoble ease, and peaceful sloth, Reserv'd, and destin'd to eternal woe;

Not peace : and after him thus Mammon spake. Whatever doing, what can we suffer more,

“ Either to disenthrone the King of Heaven
What can we suffer worse? Is this then worst, We war, if war be best, or to regain
Thus sitting, thus consulting, thus in arms ? Our own right lost : him to unthrone we then
What, when we Aed amain, pursued, and struck May hope, when everlasting Fate shall yield
With Heaven's afflicting thunder, and besought To fickle Chance, and Chaos judge the strife :
The deep to shelter us? this Hell then seem'd The former, vain to hope, argues as vain
A refuge from those wounds; or when we lay The latter : for what place can be for us
Chain'd on the burning lake ? that sure was worse. Within Heaven's bound, unless Heaven's Lord
What if the breath, that kindled those grim fires,

supreme
Awak'd, should blow them into sevenfold rage, We overpower ? Suppose he should relent,
And plunge us in the fiames? or, from above, And publish grace to all, on promise made
Should intermitted vengeance arm again

Of new subjection ; with what eyes could we
His red right hand to plague us ? What if all Stand in his presence humble, and receive
Her stores were opened, and this firmament Strict laws impos’d, to celebrate his throne
Of Hell should spout her cataracts of fire, With warbled hymns, and to his Godhead sing
Impendent horrours, threatening hideous fall Forc'd Halleluiahs ; while he lordly sits
One day upon our heads; while we perhaps, Our envied sovran, and his altar breathes
Designing or exhorting glorious war,

Ambrosial odours and ambrosial flowers, Caught in a fiery tempest shall be hurld

Our servile offerings? This must be our task Each on his rock transfix'd, the sport and prey In Heaven, this our delight ! how wearisome Of wracking whirlwinds; or for ever sunk

Eternity so spent, in worship paid Under yon boiling ocean, wrapt in chains :

To whom we hate! Let us not then pursue
There to converse with everlasting groans, By force impossible, by leave obtain'd
Unrespited, unpitied, unrepriev'd,

Unacceptable, though in Heaven, our state
Ages of hopeless end? This would be worse. Of splendid vassalage ; but rather seek
War therefore, open or conceal’d, alike

Our own good from ourselves, and from our own
My voice dissuades ; for what can force or guile Live to ourselves, though in this vast recess,
With him, or who deceive his mind, whose eye Free, and to none accountable, preferring
Views all things at one view? He from Heaven's Hard liberty before the easy yoke
height

Of servile pomp. Our greatness will appear All these our motions vain sees, and derides; Then most conspicuous, when great things of Not more almighty to resist our might

small, Than wise to frustrate all our plots and wiles. Useful of hurtful, prosperous of adverse Shall we then live thus vile, the race of Heaven We can create; and in what place so e'er Thus trampled, thus expell’d to suffer here Thrive under evil, and work ease out of pain, Chains and these torments ? better these than Through labour and endurance. This deep world worse,

Of darkness do we dread? How oft amidst By my advice; since fate inevitable

Thick clouds and dark doth Heaven's all-ruling Subdues us, and omnipotent decree,

Sire The victor's will. To suffer, as to do,

Choose to reside, his glory unobscur’d, Our strength is equal, nor the law'unjust

And with the majesty of darkness round That so ordains : this was at first resolvid,

Covers his throne ; from whence deep thunders If we were wise, against so great a foe Contending, and so doubtful what might fall. Mustering their rage, and Heaven resembles Hell? I laugh, when those who at the spear are bold As he our darkness, cannot we his light And venturous, if that fail them, shrink and fear Imitate when we please? This desert soil What yet they know must follow, to endure Wants not her hidden lustre, gems and gold; Exile, or ignominy, or bonds, or pain,

Nor want we skill or art, from whence to raise The sentence of their conqueror : this is now Magnificence; and what can Heaven show more? Our doom ; which if we can sustain and bear, Our torments also may in length of time Our supremne foe in time may much remit

Become our elements; these piercing fires His anger; and perhaps, thus far remov’d, As soft as now severe, our temper chang'd Not mind us not offending, satisfied

Into their temper; which must needs remove With what is punish'd ; whence these raging fires The sensible of pain. All things invite

roar

To peaceful counsels, and the settled state Some easier enterprise ? There is a place,
Of order, how in safety best we may

(If ancient and prophetic fame in Heaven Compose our present evils, with regard

Err not) another world, the happy seat Of what we are, and were; dismissing quite Of some new race callid Man, about this time All thoughts of war. Ye have what I advise." To be created like to us, though less He scarce had finish'd, when such murmur In power and excellence, but favour'd more fill'd

or him who rules above; so was his will The assembly, as when hollow rocks retain

Pronounc'd among the gods, and by an oath, The sound of blustering winds, which all night That shook Heaven's whole circumference, conlong

firm'd. Had rous'd the sea, now with hoarse cadence lull Thither let us bend all our thoughts, to learn Sea-faring men o'erwatch'd, whose bark by chance What creatures there inhabit, of what mould Or pinnace anchors in a craggy bay

Or substance, how endued, and what their power, After the tempest : such applause was heard And where their weakness, how attempted best, As Mammon ended, and his sentence pleas’d, By force or subtlety. Though Heaven be shut, Advising peace : for such another field

And Heaven's high Arbitrator sit secure
They dreaded worse than Hell: so much the fear In his own strength, this place may lie expos'd,
Of thunder and the sword of Michaël

The utmost border of his kingdom, left
Wrought still within them, and no less desire To their defence who hold it: here perhaps
To found this nether empire, which might rise Some advantageous act may be achiev'd
By policy, and long process of time,

By sudden onset ; either with Hell fire
In emulation opposite to Heaven.

To waste his whole creation, or possess Which when Beelzebub perceiv'd, than whom All as our own, and drive, as we were driven, Satan except, none higher sat, with gravo

The puny habitants, or, if not drive, Aspéct he rose, and in his rising seer'd

Seduce them to our party, that their God A pillar of state ; deep on his front engraven May prove their foe, and with repenting hand Deliberation sat, and public care ;

Abolish his own works.

This would surpass And princely counsel in his face yet shone, Common revenge, and interrupt his joy Majestic, though in ruin : sage he stood

In our confusion, and our joy upraise With Atlantean shoulders fit to bear

In his disturbance; when his darling sons,
The weight of mightiest monarchies; his look Hurl'd headlong to partake with us, shall curse
Drew audience and attention still as night

Their frail original, and faded bliss,
Or summer's noon-tide air, while thus he spake. Faded so soon. Advise, if this be worth
“ Thrones and imperial powers, offspring of Attempting, or to sit in darkness here
Heaven,

Hatching vain empires.” Thus Beelzebub
Ethereal virtues: or these titles now

Pleaded his devilish counsel, first devis'd Must we renounce, and, changing style, be callid By Satan, and in part propos’d: for whence, Princes of Hell ? for so the popular vote

But from the author of all ill, could spring Inclines here to continue, and build up here So deep a malice, to confound the race A growing empire ; doubtless; while we dream, Of mankind in one root, and Earth with Hell And know not that the King of Heaven hath doom'd To mingle and involve, done all to spite This place our dungeon; not our safe retreat The great Creator ? But their spite still serves Beyond his potent arm, to live exempt

His glory to augment. The bold design From Heaven's high jurisdiction, in new league Pleas'd highly those infernal states, and joy Banded against his throne, but to remain

Sparkled in all their eyes ; with full assent In strictest bondage, though thus far remov'd They vote : whereat his speech he thus renews. Under the inevitable curb, reserv'd

“ Well have ye judg’d, well ended long debate, His captive multitude: for he, be sure,

Synod of gods, and, like to what ye are, In height or depth, still first and last will reign Great things resolv’d, which, from the lowest deep, Sole king, and of his kingdom lose no part

Will once more lift us up, in spite of fate, By our revolt; but over Hell extend

Nearer our ancient seat; perhaps in view His empire, and with iron sceptre rule

Of those bright confines, whence, with neighbourUs here, as with his golden those in Heaven.

ing arins What sit we then projecting peace and war ? And opportune excursion, we may chance War hath determin'd us, and foil'd with loss Re-enter Heaven: or else in some mild zone Irreparable: terms of peace yet none

Dwell, not unvisited of Heaven's fair light, Vouchsaf'd or sought; for what peace will be Secure; and at the brightening orient beam given

Purge off this gloom : the soft delicious air, To us enslav'd, but custody severe

To heal the scar of these corrosive fires, And stripes, and arbitrary punishment

Shall breathe her balm. But first whom shall we Inflicted ? and what peace can we return,

send But to our power hostility and hate,

In search of this new world? whom shall we find Untam'd reluctance, and revenge, though slow, Sufiicient? who shall tempt with wandering feet Yet ever plotting how the conqueror least

The dark unbottom'd infinite abyss,
May reap his conquest, and may least rejoice And through the palpable obscure find out
In doing what we most in suffering feel ?

His uncouth way, or spread his aery flight
Nor will occasion want, nor shall we need

Upborne with indefatigable wings With dangerous expedition to invade

Over the vast abrupt, ere he arrive Heaven, whose high walls fear no assault or siege, The happy isle ? What strength, what art can Or ambush from the deep. What if we find

then