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then

405

410

The dark unbottom'd infinite abyss,
And through the palpable obfcure find out
His uncouth way, or fpread his aery flight
Upborne with indefatigable wings
Over the vast abrupt, ere he arrive
The happy ile? what strength, what art can
Suffice, or what evafion bear him fafe
Through the ftri&t fenteries and stations thick
Of Angels watching round? Here he had need
All circumfpection, and we now no less
Choice in our fuffrage; for on whom we fend, 415 ·
The weight of all and our last hope relies.
This faid, he fat; and expectation held
His look fufpenfe, awaiting who appear'd
To fecond, or oppose, or undertake
The perilous attempt: but all fat mute,
Pond'ring the danger with deep thoughts; and each

420

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In others count'nance read his own dismay

Astonish'd: none among the choice and prime

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

425

Alone the dreadful voyage; till at last

Satan, whom now tranfcendent glory rais'd
Above his fellows, with monarchal pride
Confcious of highest worth, unmov'd thus fpake.
O Progeny of Heav'n, empyreal Thrones,
With reafon hath deep filence and demur
Seis'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

430

435

Ninefold,

when an affair of difficulty is pro- Jam nova progenies cœlo dimitti

pofed, fuch as fending a spy into the Trojan camp, or a fingle combat with Hector, Iliad. VII. 92.

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tur alto.

Hume.

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Ninefold, and gates of burning adamant
Barr'd over us prohibit all egrefs.

440

These pass'd, if any pafs, the void profound
Of uneffential Night receives him next
Wide gaping, and with utter lofs of being
Threatens him, plung'd in that abortive gulf.
If thence he scape into whatever world,
Or unknown region, what remains him less
Than unknown dangers, and as hard escape?
But I should ill become this throne, O Peers,
And this imperial fovranty, 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

muring them round ninefold, and
of the gates of burning adamant, he
alludes to what Virgil fays in the
fame book, of Styx flowing nine
times round the damn'd, and of
the gates of Hell.

novies Styx interfufa coercet.
ver. 439.

Porta adverfa ingens folidoque a-
damante columnæ. ver. 552.

434. - this huge convex of fire,] This huge vault of fire, bending down on all fides round us. Convex is fpoken properly of the exterior surface of a globe, and con

445

Me

cave of the interior surface which is hollow but the poets do not always fpeak thus exactly, but ufe them promifcuously; and hence in Virgil cæli convexa and Supera convexa in feveral places. And what is here the convex of fire is afterwards call'd the fiery concave, ver. 635.

438.-the void profound] Inane profundum, as Lucretius has it in feveral places.

fential, void of being; darknefs 439. Of uneffential Night] Unefapproaching nearest to, and being the best refemblance of non-entity. Hume. 450.-Where

Me from attempting. Wherefore do' I affume 450
Thefe royalties, and not refufe to reign,
Refufing to accept as great a fhare

Of hazard as of honor, due alike

To him who reigns, and fo much to him due
Of hazard more, as he above the rest

455
High honor'd fits? 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 prefent mifery, and render Hell
More tolerable; if there be cure or charm
To refpite, or deceive, or flack the pain
Of this ill mansion: intermit no watch

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460

Againft

Τῷ νυν χρη Λυκίοισι μετα πρωτ

τοισιν εόντας,

Εσαμεν, ηδε μαχης καυτερης αντι βολήσαι· &c.

Why boaft we, Glaucus, our exténded reign,

Where Xanthus' ftreams enrich the Lycian plain,

Our numerous herds that range the fruitful field,

And hills where vines their purple harvest yield,

Our foaming bowls with purer nectar crown'd,

Our feafts enhanc'd with mufic's fprightly found?

Why

Against a wakeful foe, while I abroad

Through all the coafts of dark deftruction feek
Deliverance for us all: this enterprise

None shall partake with me. Thus faying rose
The Monarch, and prevented all reply,

Prudent, left from his refolution rais'd

465

Others among the chief might offer now
(Certain to be refus'd) what erft they fear'd; 479
And fo refus'd might in opinion stand

His rivals, winning cheap the high repute
Which he through hazard huge muft earn. But they
Dreaded not more th' adventure than his voice
Forbidding; and at once with him they rofe; 475

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