And hourly born, with forrow infinite

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 conscious terrors vex me round,
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'd.
But thou, O Father, I forewarn thee, shun
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 refift.

800

805

810

815

She finish'd, and the fubtle Fiend his lore Soon learn'd, now milder, and thus answer'd smooth.

809. fo fate pronounc'd.] The Heathen poets make Jupiter fuperior to fate: the will of Jupiter was perform'd, fays Homer, Iliad.

I. 5. A

Dear

SETEλHETO Bean. Sic fata Deûm rex fortitur, volvitque vices, fays Virgil, Æn. III. 375. Et fic fata Jovis pofcunt, Æn. IV.

Dear Daughter, fince thou clam'ft me for thy fire, And my fair fon here show'ft me, the dear pledge Of dalliance had with thee in Heav'n, and joys Then fweet, now fad to mention, through dire change Befall'n us unforeseen, unthought of; know

I come no enemy, but to fet free

821

825

From out this dark and difmal house of pain
Both him and thee, and all the heav'nly host
Of Spirits, that in our juft pretences arm'd
Fell with us from on high: from them I go
This uncouth errand fole, and one for all
Myself expose, with lonely steps to tread
Th' unfounded deep, and through (the void immense
To fearch with wand'ring queft a place foretold 830
Should be, and, by concurring figns, ere now
Created vaft and round, a place of bliss

In the pourlieus of Heav'n, and therein plac'd
A race of upstart 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, fhall 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 fhall be fed and fill'd
Immcafurably, all things fhall be your prey.

841

'He ceas'd, for both feem'd highly pleas'd, and Death Grinn'd horrible a ghaftly smile, to hear

846

His famin fhould be fill'd, and bleft his maw

Deftin'd to that good hour: no less rejoic'd
His mother bad, and thus befpake her fire.
The key of this infernal pit by due,

had faid before, ver. 745. that he had never feen fight more deteftable; but now it is dear daughter, and my fair fon.

842. Wing filently the buxom air,] Buxom, as when we fay a buxom lafs, is vulgarly understood for merry, wanton; but it properly fignifies flexible, yielding, from a Saxon word fignifying to bend. It is likewife made the epithet of the air by Spenfer, Fairy Queen, B. 1. C. 11. St. 37.

And therewith fcourge the buxom air fo fore.

850 And

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 stands to interpofe his dart,
Fearless to be o'ermatch'd by living might.

855

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 compass'd round
Of mine own brood, that on my bowels feed?
Thou art my father, thou my author, thou

860

My

855. Fearless to be o'ermatch'd by

living might.] In fome editions it is living wight, that is creature, and we have living wight beDr. Bentley's reading, for living fore ver. 613 and this is likewife might, fays he, would not except even God himself, the ever-living and the almighty. But God himfelf muft neceffarily be excepted here; for it was by his command that Sin and Death fat to guard the gates, and therefore living might cannot poffibly be understood of God, but of any one else who fhould endevor to force a paffage,

Ꭲ ;

868. The

My being gav'ft me; whom should I obey

865

870

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,
Sad inftrument of all our woe, she took;
And towards the gate rolling her beftial train,
Forthwith the huge portcullis high up drew,
Which but herself, 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

ly as highly gratified by the minute detail of particulars our author has given us. It may with juftice be farther observed, that in no part of the poem, the verfification is better accommodated to the fenfe. The drawing up of the portcullis, the turning of the key, the fudden fhooting of the bolts, and the flying open of the doors are in fome fort defcribed by the very break and found of the verses. Thyer.

873. And towards the gate rolling

her beftial train,] A modern riming poet would perhaps have faid,.

And rolling tow'rds the gate her beftial train,

and