The better reason, to perplex and dash
Matureft counfels: for his thoughts were low;
To vice industrious, but to nobler deeds
Timorous and flothful: yet he pleas'd the ear,
And with perfuafive accent thus began.
I fhould be much for open war, O Peers,
As not behind in hate; if what was urg'd
Main reason to perfuade immediate war,
Did not diffuade me most, and seem to cast.
Ominous conjecture on the whole fuccefs:
When he who moft excels in fact of arms,
In what he counfels and in what excels
Miftrustful, grounds his courage on despair
And utter diffolution, as the scope
Of all his aim, after some dire revenge.
First, what revenge? the tow'rs of Heav'n are fill'd
With armed watch, that render all access
Impregnable; oft on the bord'ring deep
Incamp their legions, or with óbfcure wing
Scout far and wide into the realm of night,
Scorning furprise. Or could we break our way
By force, and at our heels all Hell fhould rife
With blackest infurrection, to confound
Heav'n's pureft light, yet our great enemy ·
All incorruptible would on his throne
Sit unpolluted, and th' ethereal mould
Incapable of ftain would foon expel
Her mifchief, and purge off the bafer fire
Victorious. Thus repuls'd, our final hope
Is flat defpair: we must exafperate
Th' almighty victor to spend all his rage,
And that must end us, that must be our cure,
To be no more; fad cure; for who would lofe,
Though full of pain, this intellectual being,
Thofe thoughts that wander through eternity,
To perish rather, fwallow'd up and loft
In the wide womb of uncreated night,
Devoid of fenfe and motion? and who knows,
Let this be good, whether our angry foe
Can give it, or will ever? how he can,
Is doubtful; that he never will, is fure.
Will he, so wife, let loose at once his ire,
Belike through impotence, or unaware,
To give his enemies their wish, and end
Them in his anger, whom his anger faves
To punish endless? Wherefore cease we then?
Say they who counsel war, we are decreed,
Referv'd, and deftin'd to eternal woe;
Whatever doing, what can we suffer more,
What can we fuffer worfe? Is this then worst,
Thus fitting, thus confulting, thus in arms?
What when we fled amain, pursued and struck
With Heav'n's afflicting thunder, and befought
The deep to fhelter us? this Hell then feem'd
A refuge from those wounds: or when we lay
Chain'd on the burning lake? that fure was wor
What if the breath that kindled thofe grim fires,
Awak'd should blow them into fev'nfold rage,
And plunge us in the flames? or from above
Should intermitted vengeance arm again
His red right hand to plague us? what if all
Her stores were open'd, and this firmament
Of Hell should spout her cataracts of fire,
Impendent horrors, threatning hideous fall
One day upon our heads; while we perhaps
Designing or exhorting glorious war,
Caught in a fiery tempeft fhall be hurl'd
Each on his rock transfix'd, the sport and prey
Of wracking whirlwinds, or for ever funk
Under yon boiling ocean, wrapt in chains;
There to converse with everlasting groans,
Unrefpited, unpitied, unrepriev'd,
Ages of hopeless end? this would be worse.
War therefore, open or conceal'd, alike
My voice diffuades; for what can force or guile
With him, or who deceive his mind, whofe eye
Views all things at one view? he from Heav'n's highth
All these our motions vain fees and derides;
Not more almighty to resist our might
Than wife to fruftrate all our plots and wiles.
Shall we then live thus vile, the race of Heaven
Thus trampled, thus expell'd to suffer here
Chains and these torments? better these than worfe
By my advice; fince fate inevitable
Subdues us, and omnipotent decree,
The victor's will. To fuffer, as to do,
Our strength is equal, nor the law unjust
That fo ordains: this was at first resolv'd,
If we were wife, against fo great a foe
Contending, and fo doubtful what might fall.
I laugh, when those who at the spear are bold
And ventrous, if that fail them, fhrink and fear 205
What yet they know muft follow, to indure
Exile, or ignominy', or bonds, or pain,
The fentence of their conqu'ror: this is now
Our doom; which if we can sustain and bear,.
Our fupreme foe in time may much remit
His anger, and perhaps thus far remov'd
Not mind us not offending, fatisfy'd
With what is punish'd; whence these raging fires
Will flacken, if his breath stir not their flames.
Our purer effence then will overcome
Their noxious vapor, or inur'd not feel,
Or chang'd at length, and to the place conform'd
In temper and in nature, will receive
Familiar the fierce heat, and void of pain;
This horror will grow mild, this darkness light, 220 Befides what hope the never-ending flight
Of future days may bring, what chance, what change
Worth waiting, fince our prefent lot appears
For happy though but ill, for ill not worst,
If we procure not to ourselves more woe.
Thus Belial with words cloth'd in reafon's garb
Counsel'd ignoble eafe, and peaceful floth,
Not peace and after him thus Mammon spake.
Either to difinthrone the king of Heaven
We war, if war be best, or to regain
Our own right lost : him to unthrone we then
May hope, when everlasting Fate fhall yield
To fickle Chance, and Chaos judge the ftrife:
The former vain to hope argues as vain
The latter: for what place can be for us
Within Heav'n's bound, unlefs Heav'n's Lord fupreme
We overpow'r? Suppofe he fhould relent,
And publish grace to all, on promise made
Of new fubjection; with what eyes could we
Stand in his presence humble, and receive
Strict laws impos'd, to celebrate his throne
With warbled hymns, and to his Godhead fing
Forc'd Hallelujah's; while he lordly fits
Our envied fovran, and his altar breathes
Ambrofial odors and ambrofial flowers,
Our fervile offerings? This must be our task
In Heav'n, this our delight; how wearifome
Eternity fo spent in worship paid
To whom we hate! Let us not then pursue
By force impoffible, by leave obtain’d
Unacceptable, though in Heav'n, our state
Of fplendid vaffalage; but rather feek
Our own good from ourselves, and from our own
Live to ourselves, though in this vaft recefs,
Free, and to none accountable, preferring
Hard liberty before the eafy yoke
Of fervile pomp. Our greatnefs will appear
Then moft confpicuous, when great things of finall,
Useful of hurtful, prosp'rous of adverse
We can create, and in what place fo e'er
Thrive under ev'il, and work ease out of pain
Through labor and indurance. This deep world
Of darkness do we dread? How oft amidst
|