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? 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 blifs, among The Gods who live at eafe, where I fhall reign At thy right hand voluptuous, as befeems Thy daughter and thy darling, without end. Thus faying, from her fide the fatal key, Sad inftrument of all our woe, fhe took; And towards the gate rolling her beftial train, Forthwith the huge portcullis high up drew, Which but herfelf not all the Stygian Powers 875 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 arth thunder, that the lowest bottom thook Of Erebus. She open'd, but to shut Excell'd her pow'r; the gates wide open food, That with extended wings a banner'd hoft Under fpread enfigns marching might país through With horfe and chariots rank'd in loose array; So wide they food and like a furnace mouth aft forth redounding fmoke and ruddy flame. Before their eyes in fudden view appear The fecrets of the hoary deep, a dark limitable ocean, without bound, Without dimenfion, where length, breadth, and highth,
And time, and place are loft; where eldest Night nd Chaos, ancestors of nature, hold ternal anarchy, amidst the noise
endless wars, and by confusion stand.
or hot, cold, moist, and dry, four champions
rive here for maft'ry, and to battel bring Their embryon atoms; they around the flag f each his faction, in their feveral clans, ight-arm'd or heavy, fharp, finooth, fwift or
Fluttering his pennons vain plumb down he drops Ten thoufand fathom deep, and to this hour Down had been falling, had not by ill chance 935 The strong rebuff of fome tumultuous cloud, Instinct with fire and aitre, hurried him As many miles aloft: that fury ftay'd, Quench'd in a boggy Syrtis, neither fea, Nor good dry land, nigh founder'd on he fares, 940° Treading the crude confiftence, half on foot, Half-fly'ing; behoves him now both oar and fail. As when a gryphon through the wilderness With winged courfe, o'er hill or moory dale, Purfues the Arimafpian, who by stealth Had from his wakeful cuftody purloin'd The guarded gold: So eagerly the Fiend O'er bog, or steep, through strait, rough, dense, or
Which way the nearest coaft of dark nefs lies Bord ring on light; when strait behold the throne Of Chaos, and his dark pavillion spread 960 Wide on the wafteful deep; with him enthron'd Sat fable-vefted Night, eldeft of things, The confort of his reign; and by them stood Orcus and Ades, and the dreaded name Of Damogorgon; Rumor next and Chance, And Tumult and Confufion all embroil'd, And Difcord with a thoufand various mouths. T'whom Satan turning boldly, thus. Ye Powers And Spirits of this nethermost abyss, Chaos and ancient Night, I come no spy, With purpose to explore or to disturb The fecrets of your realm, but by constraint Wand'ring this dark fome defert, as my way Lies through your fpacious empire up to light, Alone, and without guide, half loft, I feek What readieft path leads where your gloomy
Confine with Heav'n; or if fome other place, From your dominion won, th' ethereal king
Poffeffes lately, thither to arrive I travel this profound; direct my course; Directed no mean recompenfe it brings To your behoof, if I that region lost, All ufurpation thence expell'd, reduce To her original darkness and your sway (Which is my present journey) and once more Erect the standard there of ancient Night; Yours be th' advantage all, mine the revenge. Thus Satan; and him thus the Anarch old, With faltring fpeech and visage incompos'd, Anfwer'd. I know thee, ftranger, who thou art, That mighty leading Angel, who of late
Through Bosporus betwixt the justling rocks: 980 Or when Ulyffes on the larbord fhunn'd Charybdis, and by th' other whirlpool steer'd. 1010 So he with difficulty and labor hard Mov'd on: with difficulty and labor he; But he once paft, soon after when man fell, Strange alteration! Sin and Death amain Following his track, fuch was the will of Heav'n, Pav'd after him a broad and beaten way Over the dark abyfs, whose boiling gulf Tamely indur'd a bridge of wondrous length From Hell continued reaching th' utmost orb Of this frail world; by which the Spiʼrits perverfe With eafy intercourse pass to and fro To tempt or punish mortals, except whom God and good Angels guard by special grace. But now at laft the facred influence Of light appears, and from the walls of Heav'n Shoots far into the bofom of dim Night A glimmering dawn; here Nature first begins Her fartheft verge, and Chaos to retire
Made head against Heav'n's king, though over
I faw and heard, for fuch a numerous hoft Fled not in filence through the frighted deep With ruin upon ruin, rout on rout,
Confufion worfe confounded; and Heav'n gates Pour'd out by millions her victorious bands Pursuing. I upon my frontiers here Keep refidence if all I can will ferve That little which is left fo to defend, Encroach'd on still through your inteftin broils Weak ning the fcepter of old Night: first Hell Your dungeon ftretching far and wide beneath; Now lately Heav'n and Earth, another world, Hung o'er my realm, link'd in a golden chain 1005 To that fide Heav'n from whence your legions fell: If that way be your walk, you have not far; So much the nearer danger; go and speed; Havock and spoil and ruin are my gain.
He ceas'd; and Satan ftay'd not to reply, But glad that now his fea should find a shore, With fresh alacrity and force renew'd Springs upward like a pyramid of fire Into the wild expanfe, and through the fhock Of fighting elements, on all fides round Environ'd wins his way; harder beset And more indanger'd than when Argo pass'd
As from her outmost works a broken foe With tumult less and with less hostile din, That Satan with less toil, and now with eafe Wafts on the calmer wave by dubious light, And like a weather-beaten veffel holds Gladly the port, though shrouds, and tackle torn; Or in the emptier waste, resembling air, Weighs his fpread wings, at leifure to behold Far off th' empyreal Heav'n, extended wide In circuit, undetermin'd square or round, With opal tow'rs and battlements adorn'd Of living faphir, once his native feat; And faft by hanging in a golden chain This pendent world in bignefs as a star Of smallest magnitude close by the moon. Thither full fraught with mischievous revenge, Accurs'd, and in a curfed hour he hies.
THE END OF THE SECOND BOOK.
God fitting on his throne fees Satan Aying towards this world, then newly created; fhews him to the Son, who fat at his right hand; foretells the fuccefs of Satan in perverting mankind; clears his own juftice and wisdom from all imputation, having created Man free and able enough to have withstood his tempter; yet declares his purpose of grace towards him, in regard he fell not of his own malice, as did Satan, but by him feduced. The Son of God renders praises to his Father for the manifeftation of his gracious purpose towards Man; but God again declares, that grace cannot be extended towards Man without the fatisfaction of divine juftice; Man hath offended the Majefty of God by afpiring to Godhead, and therefore with all his progeny devoted to death muft die, unless some one can be found fufficient to answer for his offence, and undergo his punishment. The Son of God freely offers himself a ranfom for Man; the Father accepts him, ordains his incarnation, pronounces his exaltation above all names in Heaven and Earth; commands all the Angels to adore him; they obey; and hymning to their harps in full quire, celebrate the Father and the Son. Mean while Satan alights upon the bare convex of this world's outermoft orb; where wand'ring he firft finds a place, fince called the Limbo of Vanity; what perfons and things fly up thither; thence comes to the gate of Heaven, described afcending by ftairs, and the waters above the firmament that flow about it: His paffage thence to the orb of the fun; he finds there Uriel the regent of that orb, but first changes himself into the fhape of a meaner Angel; and pretending a zealous defire to behold the new creation, and Man whom God had placed here, inquires of him the place of his habitation, and is directed; alights firft on mount Niphates.
HAIL holy Light, off-fpring of Heav'n firft Thee I re-vifit now with bolder wing,
Or of th' Eternal coeternal beam!
Escap'd the Stygian pool, though long detain'd In that obfcure lojourn, while in my flight
May I exprefs thea' unblam'd? fince God is light, Through utter and through middle darkness borne,
And never but in unapproached light Dwelt from eternity, dwelt then in thee, Bright effluence of bright effence increate. Or hear'st thou rather pure ethereal stream, Whofe fountain who shall tell? before the fun, Before the Heav'ns thou wert, and at the voice Of God, as with a mantle didst invest The rifing world of waters dark and deep,
Won from the void and foranless infinite, VOL. IL.
With other notes than to th' Orphéan lyre,
I fung of Chaos and eternal Night; Taught by the heav'nly Muse to venture down The dark defcent, and up to re-afcend, Though hard and rare: thee I revisit safe, And feel thy fovran vital lamp; but thou Revifit'ft not these eyes, that roll in vain To find thy piercing ray, and find no dawn; So thick a drop ferene hath quench'd their`orbaj [2 DI
Or dim fuffufion veil'd. Yet not the more Cease I to wander, where the Mufes haunt Clear spring, or fhady grove, or funny hill, Smit with the love of facred fong; but chief Thee, Sion, and the flow'ry brooks beneath, 30 That wash thy hallow'd feet, and warbling flow, Nightly I vifit: nor fometimes forget Thofe other two equal'd with me in fate, So were I equal'd with them in renown, Elind Thamyris and blind Mæonides, And Tirefias and Phineus prophets old: Then feed on thoughts, that voluntary move Harmonious numbers; as the wakeful bird Sings darkling, and in fhadiet covert hid Tunes her nocturnal note. Thus with the year 40 Seafons return, but not to me returns Day, or the fweet approach of ev'n or morn, Or fight of vernal bloom, or funimer's rofe, Or flocks, or herds, or human face divine; But cloud instead, and ever-during dark Surrounds me, from the chearful ways of men Cut off, and for the book of knowledge fair Prefented with a univerfal blank
Of nature's works, to me expung'd and ras'd, And wifdom at one entrance quite fhut out. So much the rather thou, celestial Light, Shine inward, and the mind through all her powers Irradiate, there plant eyes, all mitt from thence Purge and difperfe, that I may fee and tell Of things invifible to mortal fight.
Now had th' almighty Father from above, From the pure empyréan where he fits High thron'd above all highth, bent down his eye, His own works and their works at once to view; About him all the San&ities of Heaven Stood thick as ftars, and from his fight receiv'd Beatitude paft utterance; on his right The radiant image of his glory fat, His only Son; on earth he fit beheid Our two firft parents, yet the only two Of mankind, in the happy garden plac'd, Reaping immortal fruits of joy and love, Uninterrupted joy, unrival'd love In blissful folitude; he then furvey'd Hell and the gulf between, and Satan there Coafting the wall of Heav'n on this side Night In the dun air fublime, and ready now To ftoop with wearied wings and willing feet On the bare outfide of this world, that feem'd Firm land inbofom'd, without firmament; Uncertain which, in ocean or in air. Him God beholding from his profpect high, Wherein paft, prefent, future he beholds, Thus to his only Son foreseeing spake.
Freely they stood who flood, and fell who fell. Not free what proof could they have giv'n fincere Of true allegiance, conftant faith or love, Where only what they needs must do appear'd, Not what they would? what praise could they re- ceive?
What pleasure I from fuch obedience paid, When will and reafon reafon alfo' is choice) Ufeless and vain, of freedom both defpoii'd, Made palive both, had ferv'd neceffity, Not me? They therefore as to right belong'd, So were created, nor can juftly' accufe Their maker, or their making, or their fate, As if predestination over-rul'd
Their will, difpos'd by abfolute decree Or high foreknowledge; they themselves decreed Their own revolt, not I; if I foreknew, Foreknowledge had no influence on their fault, Which had no lefs prov'd certain unforeknown. So without leaft impulfe or fhadow' of late, 120 Or ought by me immutably forefeen, They trefpafs, authors to themfelves in all Both what they judge and what they choose : fcr f I form'd them free, and free they must remain, Till they inthrall themfelves; elfe must change Their nature, and revoke the high decree Unchangeable, eternal, which ordain'd Their freedom; they thenfelves ordain'd their The first fort by their own fuggeftion fell, Self tempted, felf-deprav'd: Man falls, deceiv'd By th' other first: Man therefore fhall find grace, The other none in mercy' and justice both, Through Heav'n and Earth, fo fhall my glory excel, But mercy firit and laft fhall brightest shine. Thus while God fpake, ambrofial fragrance
All Heav'n, and in the bleffed Spirits elect Senfe of new joy ineffable diffus'd: Beyond compare the Son of God was feen Moft glorious; in him all his Father thone
Only begotten Son, feeft thou what rage Tranfports our Adverfary? whom no bounds Preferib'd, no bars of Hell, nor all the chains Heap'd on him there, nor yet the main aby is Wide interrupt can hold; fo bent he seems On defperate revenge, that fhall redound Upon his own rebellious head. And now Thro all restraint broke loofe he wings his way Not far off Heav'n, in the precincts of light, Directly to'wards the new created world, And Man there plac'd, with purpose to affay 90 if him by force he can deftroy, or worse,
Subftantially exprefs'd; and in his face Divine compaflion vifibly appear'd, Love without end, and without measure grace, Which uttering thus he to his Father spake.
O Father, gracious was that word which clos'd Thy fovran fentence, that Man fhould find grace; For which both Heav'n and Earth shall high exte Thy praifes, with th' innumerable found
Of hymns and facred fongs, wherewith thy throne Incompafs'd fhall refound thee ever bleft. For fhould Man finally be loft, fhould Man, 15 Thy creature late fo lov'd, thy youngest fon, Fall circumvented thus by fraud, though join'd With his own folly? that be from thee far, That far be from thee, Father, who art judge
Of all things made, and judgeft only right. Or fhall the Adverfary thus obtain
His end, and fruftrate thine? fhall he fulfil His malice, and thy goodness bring to nought, Or proad return, though to his heavier doom, Yet with revenge accomplish'd, and to Hell 160 Draw after him the whole race of mankind, By him corrupted? or wilt thou thyfelf Abolish thy creation, and unmake
For him, what for thy glory thou haft made?
So fhould thy goodness and thy greatnefs both 165 Be queflion'd and blafphem'd without defenfe. To whom the great Creator thus reply'd. O Son, in whom my foul hath chief delight, Son of my bofom, Son who art alone
My word, my wifdom, and effectural might, 170 All haft thou fpoken as my thoughts are, all
eternal purpose hath decreed:
Man fhall not quite be loft, but fav'd who will, Yet not of will in him, but grace in me Freely vouchfaf'd; once more I will renew His lapfed pow'rs, though forfeit and inthrall'd' By fin to foul exorbitant defires;
Upheld by me, yet once more he shall stand On even ground against his mortal foe,
By me upheld, that he may know how frail 180 His fall'n condition is, and to me owe All his deliverance, and to none but me. Some I have chofen of peculiar grace Elect above the rest; fo is my will:
The reft fhall hear me call, and oft be warn'd 185 Their finful ftate, and to appeafe betimes Th' incenfed Deity, while offer'd grace Invites; for I will clear their enfes dark, What may fuffice, and foften tony hearts To pray, repent, and bring obedience due. 190 To pray's, repentance, and obedience due, Though but endeavor'd with incere intent, Mine ear fhall not be flow, mine eye not ihut. And I will place within them as a guide My umpire Confcience, whom if they will hear, Light after light well us'd they fhall attain, 196 And to the end perfifting, fafe arrive. This my long fufferance and my day of They who neglect and fcorn, fhall never taste; But hard be harden'd, blind be blinded more, That they may ftumble on, and deeper fall; And none but fuch from mercy I exclude.
yet all is not done; Man difobeying, Diloyal breaks his fealty, and fins Against the high fupremacy of Heaven, Affecting God-head, and fo lofing all, To expiate his treafon hath nought left, But to deftruction facred and devote, He with his whole pofterity muft die, Die he or juftice muft; unless for him Some other able, and as willing pay The rigid fatisfaction, death for death. 8ay heav'nly Pow'rs, where fhall we find fuch
Which of ye will be mortal to redeem Man's mortal crime, and juft th' unjust to save? Dwells in all Heaven charity fo dear?
He afk'd; but all the heav'nly quire ftood mute, And filence was in Heav'n: on Man's behalf
Patron or interceffor none appear'd,
Much lefs that durft upon his own head draw 220 The deadly forfeiture, and ranfem fet. And now without redemption all mankind Muft have been loft, adjudg'd to Death and Hell By doom severe, had not the Son of God, In whom the fulnefs dwells of love divine, His dearest mediation thus renew'd.
Father, thy word is past, Man fhall find grace; And fhall grace not find means, that finds her way, The fpeedieft of thy winged meffengers, To vifit all thy creatures, and to all Comes unprevented, unimplor'd, unfought? Happy for Man, fo coming; he her aid Can never feek, once dead in fins and lott; Atonement for himfelf or offering meet. Indebted and undone, hath none to bring: Bhold me then me for him, life for life 1 offer; on me let thine anger fall; Account me Man; I for his fake will leave Thy bofom, and his glory next to thee Freely put off, and for him raftly die
Weil pleas'd; on me let Death wreak all his rage; Under his gloomy pow'r I fhall not long Lie vanquifh'd; thou haft giv'n me to poffefs Life in myself for ev'r; by thee I live, Though now to Death I yield, and am his due 245 All that of me can die; yet that debt paid, Thou wilt not leave me in the loathfome grave His prey, nor fuffer my unfpotted foul For ever with corruption there to dwell; But I fhall rife victorious, and subdue My vanquifier, fpoil'd of his vaunted spoil; Death his death's wound fhall then receive, and toop
Inglorious, of his mortal fting difarm'd.
I through the ample air in triumph high Shall lead Hell captive maugre Hell, and fhow 255 The Pow'rs of darkness bound. Thou at the fight Pleas'd, out of Heaven fhalt look down and fmile, While by thee rais'd I ruin all my foes, Death lait, and with his carcafs glut the grave: Then with the multitude of my redeem'd Shall enter Heav'n long abfent, and return, Father, to fee thy face, wherein no cloud Of anger fhall remain, but peace affur'd And reconcilement; wrath fhall be no more Thenceforth, but in thy prefence joy entire. 265
His words here ended, but his meek afpect Silent yet fpake, and breath'd immortal love To mortal man, above which only fhone Filial obedience; as a facrifice
Glad to be offer'd, he attends the will
Of his great Father. Admiration feis'd
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