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I know thee not, nor ever faw till now

Sight more deteftable than him and thee.
T'whom thus the portrefs of Hell gate reply'd.
Haft thou forgot me then, and do I seem
Now in thine eye fo foul? once deem'd so fair

In Heav'n, when at th' affembly, and in fight
Of all the Seraphim with thee combin'd
In bold confpiracy against Heav'n's king,
All on a fudden miserable pain

Surpris'd thee, dim thine eyes, and dizzy swum
In darkness, while thy head flames thick and fast
Threw forth, till on the left fide opening wide,
Likeft to thee in fhape and count'nance bright,
Then fhining heav'nly fair, a Goddess arm'd
Out of thy head I sprung: amazement seis'd
All th' hoft of Heav'n; back they recoil'd afraid
At first, and call'd me Sin, and for a fign
Portentous held me; but familiar grown,
I pleas'd, and with attractive graces won
The most averfe, thee chiefly, who full oft
Thyself in me thy perfect image viewing
Becam'ft enamour'd, and such joy thou took'st
With me in fecret, that my womb conceiv'd

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A growing burden. Mean while war arose, And fields were fought in Heav'n; wherein remain'd (For what could elfe?) to our almighty foe

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Clear victory, to our part loss and rout
Through all the empyréan: down they fell
Driv'n headlong from the pitch of Heaven, down
Into this deep, and in the general fall

I alfo ;

I alfo; at which time this pow'rful key
Into my hand was giv'n, with charge to keep
These gates for ever shut, which none can pass
Without my opening. Penfive here I fat
Alone, but long I fat not, till my womb
Pregnant by thee, and now exceffive grown,
Prodigious motion felt and rueful throes.
At last this odious offspring whom thou feest
Thine own begotten, breaking violent way

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Tore through my entrails, that with fear and pain
Distorted, all my nether shape thus grew
Transform'd: but he my inbred enemy

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Forth iffued, brandishing his fatal dart

Made to deftroy: I fled, and cry'd out Death;
Hell trembled at the hideous name, and figh'd
From all her caves, and back refounded Death.
I fled, but he purfued, (though more, it seems,
Inflam'd with luft than rage) and swifter far,
Me overtook his mother all dismay'd,
And in embraces forcible and foul
Ingendring with me, of that rape begot
These yelling monsters, that with ceaseless cry
Surround me, as thou faw'ft, hourly conceiv'd
And hourly born, with forrow infinite

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To me; for when they lift, into the womb

That bred them they return, and howl and gnaw

My bowels, their repaft; then bursting forth
Afresh with confcious terrors vex me round,

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That reft or intermiffion none I find.
Before mine eyes in oppofition fits

Grim Death my fon and foe, who fets them on,
And me his parent would full foon devour
For want of other prey, but that he knows
His end with mine involv'd; and knows that I
Should prove a bitter morfel, and his bane,
Whenever that shall be; fo fate pronounc’à.
But thou, O Father, I forewarn thee, fhun
His deadly arrow; neither vainly hope
To be invulnerable in those bright arms,
Though temper'd heav'nly, for that mortal dint,
Save he who reigns above, none can refist.

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She finifh'd, and the subtle Fiend his lore Soon learn'd, now milder, and thus answer'd fmooth. Dear Daughter, fince thou clam'st me for thy fire, And my fair fon here fhow'ft me, the dear pledge Of dalliance had with thee in Heav'n, and joys Then sweet, now fad to mention, through dire change Befall'n us unforeseen, unthought of; know

I come no enemy, but to fet free

From out this dark and difmal houfe of pain
Both him and thee, and all the heav'nly hoft
Of Spirits, that in our just pretences arm'd
Fell with us from on high: from them I go
This uncouth errand fole, and one for all
Myfelf expofe, with lonely fteps to tread

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Th' unfounded deep, and through the void immenfe
To fearch with wand'ring quest a place foretold 830
Should be, and, by concurring figns, ere now
Created vaft and round, a place of blifs

In the pourlieus of Heav'n, and therein plac'd

A race

A race of upftart creatures, to fupply

Perhaps our vacant room, though more remov'd, 835
Left Heav'n furcharg'd with potent multitude
Might hap to move new broils: Be this or ought
Than this more fecret now defign'd, I haste
To know, and this once known, shall foon return,
And bring ye to the place where Thou and Death
Shall dwell at ease, and up and down unseen
Wing filently the buxom air, imbalm'd
With odors; there ye shall be fed and fill'd
Immeasurably, all things fhall be your prey.

He ceas'd, for both feem'd highly pleas'd, and Death
Grinn'd horrible a ghafstly smile, to hear
His famin fhould be fill'd, and blest his maw
Deftin'd to that good hour: no lefs rejoic'd
His mother bad, and thus bespake her fire.
The key of this infernal pit by due,

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And by command of Heav'n's all-pow'rful king

I keep, by him forbidden to unlock

These adamantin gates; against all force

Death ready ftands to interpofe his dart,

Fearless to be o'ermatch'd by living might.

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But what owe I to his commands above

Who hates me, and hath hither thrust me down

Into this gloom of Tartarus profound,

To fit in hateful office here confin'd,

Inhabitant of Heav'n, and heav'nly-born,

Here in perpetual agony and pain,

With terrors and with clamors compafs'd round
Of mine own brood, that on my bowels feed?

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Thou

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Thou art my father, thou my author, thou
My being gav'ft me; whom should I obey
But thee, whom follow? thou wilt bring me foon
To that new world of light and bliss, among
The Gods who live at ease, where I shall reign
At thy right hand voluptuous, as befeems
Thy daughter and thy darling, without end.
Thus faying, from her fide the fatal key,

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Sad inftrument of all our woe, she took;

And tow'ards the gate rolling her bestial train,

Forthwith the huge portcullis high up drew,

Which but herself not all the Stygian Powers

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Could once have mov'd; then in the key-hole turns Th' intricate wards, and every bolt and bar

Of maffy ir'on or folid rock with ease

Unfaftens on a fudden open fly

With impetuous recoil and jarring found
Th' infernal doors, and on their hinges grate
Harsh thunder, that the loweft bottom shook
Of Erebus. She open'd, but to fhut
Excell'd her pow'r; the gates wide open
That with extended wings a banner'd hoft

stood,

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Under spread enfigns marching might pass through
With horfe and chariots rank'd in loose array;

So wide they stood, and like a furnace mouth
Caft forth redounding fmoke and ruddy flame.
Before their eyes in fudden view appear
The fecrets of the hoary deep, a dark

Illimitable ocean, without bound,

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Without dimenfion, where length, breadth, and highth,

And

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