In ancient Greece; and, in Ausonian land, Mean while the winged heralds, by command Of Satan and his peers. Their summons call'd By place or choice the worthiest. They anon, 770 With hundreds and with thousands trooping, came Attended all access was throng'd. The gates And porches wide, but chief the spacious hall, Though like a cover'd field. where champions bold Wont ride in arm'd, and at the Soidan's chair, Defied the best of Panim chivalry To mortal combat, or career with lance, Thick swarm'd, both on the ground and in the air, Brush'd with the hiss of rustling wings. As bees In spring-time, when the sun with Taurus rides, 780 Pour forth their populous youth about the hive In clusters they among fresh dews and flowers Fly to and fro, or, on the smoothed plank, The suburb of their straw-built citadel, New rubbed with balm, expatiate, and confer Their state affairs. So thick the airy crowd. 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 79 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, Wheels her pale course: they, on their mirth and Intent, with jocund music, charm his ear: [dance At once with joy and fear his heart rebounds. Thus incorporeal Spirits to smallest forms 800 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 Cherubini 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 END OF BOOK I. THE ARGUMENT. 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 Hellgates; 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. PARADISE LOST. BOOK II. HIGH on a throne of royal state, which far To that bad eminence; and, from despair, "Powers and Dominions! Deities of Heaven! More glorious, and more dread, than from no fall, |