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PARADISE

LOST.

BOOK IV.

For that warning voice, which he who faw
Th' Apocalyps heard cry in Heav'n aloud,
Then when the Dragon, put to second rout,
Came furious down to be reveng'd on men,
Woe to th' inhabitants on earth! that now,
While time was, our first parents had been warn'd
The coming of their fecret foe, and scap'd,
Haply fo fcap'd his mortal fnare: for now
Satan, now first inflam'd with rage, came down,
The tempter ere th' accufer of man-kind,
To wreck on innocent frail man his lofs
Of that first battel, and his flight to Hell:
Yet not rejoicing in his fpeed, though bold
Far off and fearless, nor with cause to boast,
Begins his dire attempt, which nigh the birth
Now rolling boils in his tumultuous breast,
And like a devilish engin back recoils
Upon himself; horror and doubt distract
His troubled thoughts, and from the bottom ftir
The Hell within him; for within him Hell
He brings, and round about him, nor from Hell
One step no more than from himself can fly

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By change of place: now confcience wakes despair
That flumber'd, wakes the bitter memory

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Of what he was, what is, and what must be
Worfe; of worse deeds worse sufferings muft enfue.
Sometimes tow'ards Eden, which now in his view
Lay pleasant, Kis griev'd look he fixes fad;
Sometimes towards Heav'n and the full-blazing fun,
Which now fat high in his meridian tower::
Then much revolving, thus in fighs began.

O thou that with furpaffing glory crown'd,
Look'ft from thy fole dominion like the God
Of this new world; at whofe fight all the stars
Hide their diminish'd heads; to thee I call,
But with no friendly voice, and add thy name
O Sun, to tell thee how I hate thy beams,
That bring to my remembrance from what state
I fell, how glorious once above thy sphere;
Till pride and worse ambition threw me down
Warring in Heav'n against Heav'n's matchless king:
Ah wherefore! he deferv'd no fuch return
From me, whom he created what I was
In that bright eminence, and with his good
Upbraided none; nor was his fervice hard.
What could be less than to afford him praise,
The easiest recompenfe, and pay him thanks,
How due! yet all his good prov'd ill in me,
And wrought but malice; lifted up fo high
I fdeind subjection, and thought one step higher
Would fet me hig'heft, and in a moment quit
The debt immenfe of endlefs gratitude,

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So

So burdenfome ftill paying, ftill to owe,
Forgetful what from him I still receiv'd,
And understood not that a grateful mind
By owing owes not, but ftill pays, at once
Indebted and difcharg'd; what burden then?
O had his pow'rful destiny ordain'd
Me fome inferior Angel, I had ftood

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Then happy; no unbounded hope had rais'd
Ambition. Yet why not? fome other Power
As great might have afpir'd, and me though mean
Drawn to his part; but other Pow'rs as great
Fell not, but ftand unfhaken, from within
Or from without, to all temptations arm'd.
Hadft thou the fame free will and pow'r to stand?
Thou hadft: whom haft thou then or what t' accufe,
But Heav'n's free love dealt equally to all?

Be then his love accurs'd, fince love or hate,
To me alike, it deals eternal woe.

Nay curs'd be thou; fince against his thy will
Chofe freely what it now fo juftly rues.
Me miferable which way fhall I fly
Infinite wrath, and infinite defpair?
Which way I fly is Hell; myfelf am Hell;
And in the loweft deep a lower deep
Still threatning to devour me opens wide,
To which the Hell I fuffer feems a Heaven.
O then at laft relent: is there no place
Left for repentance, none for pardon left ?
None left but by fubmiffion; and that word
Difdain forbids me, and my dread of fhame

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deeds worfe fufferings muf enfue. Eden, which now in his view grev'd look he fixes fad;

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Heav'n and the fuli-blazing fun,

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ating glory crown'd, Mominion like the God

whof fight all the ftars heads, to thec I call,

vorce, and add thy name now I hate thy beams,

mbrance from what ftate vas onec above thy iphere;

ambition threw me down

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So burdenfome still paying, ftill to owe,
Forgetful what from him I still receiv'd,
And understood not that a grateful mind
By owing owes not, but ftill pays, at once
Indebted and difcharg'd; what burden then?
O had his pow'rful destiny ordain'd
Me fome inferior Angel, I had ftood

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60

Then happy; no unbounded hope had rais'd
Ambition. Yet why not? fome other Power
As great might have afpir'd, and me though mean
Drawn to his part; but other Pow'rs as great
Fell not, but ftand unfhaken, from within
Or from without, to all temptations arm'd.
Hadft thou the fame free will and pow'r to stand ?
Thou hadft: whom haft thou then or what t' accufe,
But Heav'n's free love dealt equally to all?

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Be then his love accurs'd, fince love or hate,
To me alike, it deals eternal woe.

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Nay curs'd be thou; fince against his thy will
Chofe freely what it now fo juftly rues.

Me miferable! which way fhall I fly
Infinite wrath, and infinite defpair?

Which way I fly is Hell; myfelf am Hell;
And in the lowest deep a lower deep
Still threatning to devour me opens wide,
To which the Hell I fuffer feems a Heaven.
O then at last relent: is there no place
Left for repentance, none for pardon left?
None left but by fubmiffion; and that word
Disdain forbids me, and my dread of shame

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