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In ancient Greece; and, in Ausonian land,
Men call'd him Mulciber; and how he fell
From Heaven, they fabled, thrown by angry Jove,
Sheer o'er the crystal battlements: from morn
To noon he fell, from noon to dewy eve,
A summer's day; and with the setting sun
Dropt from the zenith, like a falling star,
On Lemnos, the Ægean isle. Thus they relate,
Erring; for he, with this rebellious rout,
Fell long before; nor aught avail'd him now

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To have built, in Heaven, high towers; nor did he 'scape By all his engines: but was headlong sent,

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With his industrious crew, to build in Hell.

Mean while the winged heralds, by command

Of sovereign power, with awful ceremony,

And trumpets' sound, throughout the host, proclaim

A solemn council, forthwith to be held
At Pandemonium, the high capital

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Of Satan and his peers. Their summons call'd
From every band and squared regiment,
By place or choice the worthiest. They anon,
With hundreds and with thousands trooping, came
Attended all access was throng'd. The gates
And porches wide, but chief the spacious hall,
Though like a cover'd field. where champions bold
Wont ride in arm'd, and at the Soidan's chair
Defied the best of Panim chivalry
To mortal combat, or career with lance
Thick swarm'd, both on the ground and in the air,
Brush'd with the hiss of rustling wings. As bees
In spring-time, when the sun with Taurus rides,
Pour forth their populous youth about the hive
In clusters they among fresh dews and flowers
Fly to and fro, or, on the smoothed plank,
The suburb of their straw-built citadel,
New rubbed with balm, expatiate, and confer
Their state affairs. So thick the airy crowd
Swarm'd, and were straiten'd; till, the signal given,
Behold a wonder! They but now who seem'd
In bigness to surpass Earth's giant sons,
Now less than smallest dwarfs, in narrow room
Throng numberless; like that pygmean race
Beyond the Indian mount: or faery elves,
Whose midnight revels, by a forest-side,
Or fountain, some belated peasant sees,
Or dreams he sees, while over-head the moon
Sits arbitress; and, nearer to the earth,

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Wheels her pale course: they, on their mirth and dance
Intent, with jocund music, charm his ear:
At once with joy and fear his heart rebounds.
Thus incorporeal Spirits to smallest forms
Reduced their shapes immense; and were at large,
Though without number, still amidst the hall
Of that infernal court. But far within,
And, in their own dimensions, like themselves,
The great Seraphic Lords and Cherubini
In close recess, and secret conclave, sat;
A thousand Demi-gods, on golden seats,
Frequent and full. After short silence then,
And summons read, the great consult began

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PARADISE LOST.

BOOK II.

THE ARGUMENT.

The consultation begun, Satan debates, whether another battle be to be hazarded for the recovery of Heaven: some advise it, others dissuade. A third proposal is preferred, mentioned before by Satan, to search the truth of that prophecy, or tradition in Heaven, concerning another world, and another kind of creature, equal, or not much inferior to themselves, about this time to be created: their doubt who shall be sent on this difficult search. Satan, their chief, undertakes alone the voyage, is honoured and applauded. The council thus ended, the rest betake them several ways, and to several employments, as their inclinations lead them, to entertain the time till Satan return. He passes on his journey to Hellgates; finds them shut, and who sat there to guard them; by whom at length they are opened, and discover to him the great gulf between Hell and Heaven; with what difficulty he passes through, directed by Chaos, the Power of that place, to the sight of this new world which he sought.

PARADISE LOST.

BOOK II.

HIGH on a throne of royal state, which far
Outshone the wealth of Ormus and of Ind,
Or, where the gorgeous East, with richest hand,
Showers on her kings barbaric pearl and gold,
Satan exalted sat; by merit raised
To that bad eminence; and, from despair,
Thus high uplifted beyond hope, aspires
Beyond thus high, insatiate to pursue
Vain war with Heaven, and by success untaught,
His proud imaginations thus display'd:

"Powers and Dominions! Deities of Heaven!
For since no deep within her gulf can hold
Immortal vigour, though oppress'd and fall'n,
I give not Heaven for lost. From this descent
Celestial virtues rising, will appear
More glorious, and more dread, than from no fall
And trust themselves, to fear no second fate.
Me, though just right, and the fix'd laws of Heaven,
Did first create your leader, next free choice,
With what besides, in counsel or in fight,
Hath been achieved of merit; yet this loss,
Thus far at least recovered, hath much more
Establish'd, in a safe unenvied throne,
Yielded with full consent. The happier state
In Heaven, which follows dignity, might draw
Envy from each inferior; but who here
Will envy, whom the highest place exposes,
Foremost to stand against the Thunderer's aim,
Your bulwark, and condemns to greatest share
Of endless pain? Where there is then no good
For which to strive, no strife can grow up there
From faction; for none, sure, will claim in Hell
Precedence; none, whose portion is so small
Of present pain, that with ambitious mind
Will covet more. With this advantage then
To union, and firm faith, and firm accord.
More than can be in Heaven, we now return,

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