405 The dark, unbottom'd, infinite abyss, And through the palpable obscure find out Over the vast abrupt, ere he arrive The happy isle? What strength, what art can then 410 Suffice, or what evasion bear him safe 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, 415 The weight of all and our last hope relics.' This said, he sat; and expectation held His look suspense, awaiting who appear'd Pond'ring the danger with deep thoughts; and each Astonish'd: : none among the choice and prime 420 Of those heav'n-warring champions could be found 425 Alone the dreadful 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, 430 With reason hath deep silence and demur And hard, that out of hell leads up to light; Our prison strong; this huge convex of fire, 435 Outrageous to devour, immures us round 440 445 With splendour, arm'd with pow'r, if aught propos'd 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 455 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 case More tolerable; if there be cure or charm 460 To respite, or deceive, or slack the pain Through all the coasts of dark destruction seck 465 None shall partake with me.' Thus saying rose 470 But they Of thunder heard remote. Towards him they bend 475 Nor fail'd they to express how much they prais'd, 480 That for the general safety he despis'd 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. 485 Thus they their doubtful consultations dark Ended, rejoicing in their matchless chief: As when from mountain-tops the dusky clouds Ascending, while the north wind sleeps, o'erspread 490 Scowls o'er the darken'd landskip snow, or shower; The birds their notes renew and bleating herds Attest their joy, that hill and valley rings. 495 Firm concord holds, men only disagree Of heav'nly grace; and, God proclaiming peace, 500 That, day and night, for his destruction wait. 505 The Stygian council thus dissolv'd; and forth In order came the grand infernal peers: Midst came their mighty paramount, and seem'd Than hell's dread emperor, with pomp supreme, 510 And God-like imitated state: him round B With trumpets' regal sound the great result: 515 520 Thence more at ease their minds, and somewhat rais'd By false presumptuous hope, the ranged powers Leads him, perplex'd where he may likeliest find 525 530 535 Prick forth the aery knights, and couch their spears, 540 Through pain up by the roots Thessalian pines, And Lichas from the top of Oeta threw 545 Into th' Euboic sea. Others more mild, With notes angelical to many a harp Their own heroic deeds, and hapless fall By doom of battle; and complain that fate 550 Free virtue should enthrall to force or chance. The thronging audience. In discourse more sweet 555 (For eloquence the soul, song charms the sense), Others apart sat on a hill retir'd, In thoughts more elevate, and reason'd high Passion and apathy, and glory and shame, 560 565 Another part, in squadrons and gross bands, 570 On bold adventure to discover wide That dismal world, if any clime perhaps Might yield them easier habitation, bend Four ways their flying march, along the banks 575 Into the burning lake their baleful streams: Heard on the rueful stream; fierce Phlegethon, 580 Her wat'ry labyrinth, whereof who drinks, Lies dark and wild, beat with perpetual storms 585 590 A gulf profound as that Serbonian bog Betwixt Damiata and mount Casius old, Where armies whole have sunk: the parching air Burns frore, and cold performs th' effect of fire. 595 At certain revolutions, all the damn'd Are brought; and feel by turns the bitter change Of fierce extremes, extremes by change more fierce, From beds of raging fire, to starve in ice 600 Their soft ethereal warmth, and there to pine Immoveable, infix'd, and frozen round, Periods of time, thence hurried back to fire. They ferry over this Lethean sound Both to and fro, their sorrow to augment, 605 And wish and struggle, as they pass, to reach The tempting stream, with one small drop to lose In sweet forgetfulness all pain and woe, All in one moment, and so near the brink; But fate withstands, and to oppose th' attempt 610 Medusa with Gorgonian terror guards The ford, and of itself the water flies All taste of living wight, as once it fled The lip of Tantalus. Thus roving on In cónfus'd march forlorn, th' advent'rous bands 615 With shudd'ring horror pale, and eyes aghast, View'd first their lamentable lot, and found No rest: through many a dark and dreary vale They pass'd, and many a region dolorous, O'er many a frozen, many a fiery Alp, 620 Rocks, caves, lakes, fens, bogs, dens, and shades of death, A universe of death, which God by curse Created evil, for evil only good; Where all life dies, death lives, and nature breeds, Perverse, all monstrous, all prodigious things, 625 Meanwhile, the adversary of God and man, Satan, with thoughts inflam'd of highest design, Puts on swift wings, and towards the gates of hell Explores his solitary flight: sometimes 630 He scours the right hand coast, sometimes the left; 635 Now shaves with level wing the deep, then soars Of Ternate and Tidore, whence merchants bring Their spicy drugs; they, on the trading flood, 640 Ply stemming nightly toward the pole: so seem'd Hell-bounds, high reaching to the horrid roof, And thrice threefold the gates: three folds were brass, 645 Three iron, three of adamantine rock Impenetrable, impal'd with circling fire, and fair; Yet unconsum'd. Before the gates there sat Vex'd Scylla, bathing in the sea that parts 650 655 660 665 Or substance might be call'd that shadow seem'd, 670 And shook a dreadful dart; what seem'd his head, The likeness of a kingly crown had on. Satan was now at hand, and from his seat The monster moving onward came as fast 675 With horrid strides; hell trembled as he strode. Th' undaunted fiend what this might be admir'd, Admir'd, not fear'd; God and his Son except, |