Or dreams he sees, while overhead the moon
785
Sits arbitress,1905 and nearer to the earth
786
Wheels1906 her pale course. 1907 They, on their mirth and dance
787
Intent, with jocund1908 music charm his1909 ear
788
At once with joy and fear his heart rebounds
789
Thus incorporeal Spirits to smallest forms
790
Reduced their shapes immense, and were at large, 1910
791
Though without number still, amidst the hall
792
Of that infernal court.1911 But far within
793
And in their own dimensions like themselves
794
The great Seraphic Lords and Cherubim
795
In close recess and secret conclave1912 sat
796
A thousand demi-gods on golden seats
797
Frequent 1913 and full. After short silence, then
798
And summons read, the great consult began
The End of the First Book
BOOK II
THE ARGUMENT
The consultation begun, Satan debates whether another battle be1914 to be hazarded for the recovery of Heaven. Some advise it, others dissuade. A third proposal is preferred,1915 mentioned before by Satan, to search the truth of that prophesy 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 honored and applauded. The council thus ended, the rest betake them several ways and to several employments, as their inclinations lead them, to entertain1916 the time till Satan return. He passes on his journey to Hell Gates, finds them shut, and who sat there to guard them, by whom at length they are opened, and discover to him the great gulf1917 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.
1
High on a throne of royal state, which far
2
Outshone the wealth of Ormus1918 and of Ind,1919
3
Or where the gorgeous1920 East with richest hand
4
Show’rs on her kings barbaric pearl and gold
5
Satan exalted sat, by merit raised
6
To that bad eminence and, from despair
7
Thus high uplifted beyond hope, aspires
8
Beyond thus high, insatiate1921 to pursue
9
Vain war with Heav’n and, by success1922 untaught
10
His proud imaginations thus displayed
11
“Powers and Dominions, Deities of Heav’n!—
12
For since no deep within her gulf 1923 can hold
13
Immortal vigor, 1924 though oppressed and fall’n,
14
I give not Heav’n for lost. From this descent
15
Celestial Virtues1925 rising will appear
16
More glorious and more dread than from no fall
17
And trust themselves to fear no second fate
18
Me, though, just right 1926 and the fixed laws of Heav’n
19
Did first create your leader, next free choice
20
With what besides in council or in fight
21
Hath been achieved of merit, yet this loss
22
Thus far at least recovered,1927 hath much more
23
Established in a safe, unenvied throne
24
Yielded with full consent. The happier1928 state
25
In Heav’n, which follows1929 dignity, 1930 might draw
26
Envy from each inferior. But who here
27
Will envy whom the highest place exposes
28
Foremost to stand against the Thunderer’s aim
29
Your bulwark,1931 and condemns to greatest share
30
Of endless pain? Where there is then no good
31
For which to strive, no strife can grow up there
32
From faction,1932 for none sure will claim in Hell
33
Precedence, none whose portion is so small
34
Of present pain that with ambitious mind
35
Will covet more! With this advantage, then
36
To union, and firm faith, and firm accord
37
More than can be in Heav’n, we now return
38
To claim our just inheritance of old
39
Surer to prosper than prosperity
40
Could have assured us. And by what best way
41
Whether of open war or covert guile
42
We now debate. Who can advise may speak
43
He ceased. And next 1933 him Moloch, sceptered king,
44
Stood up—the strongest and the fiercest Spirit
45
That fought in Heav’n, now fiercer by despair
46
His trust1934 was with th’ Eternal to be deemed
47
Equal in strength, and rather than be less
48
Cared not to be at all. With that care lost
49
Went all his fear—of God, or Hell, or worse
50
He recked1935 not—and these words thereafter spoke:
51
My sentence1936 is for open war. Of wiles
52
More unexpert, I boast not. Then let those
53
Contrive who need, or when they need; not now
54
For while they sit contriving, shall the rest
55
Millions that stand in arms, and longing wait
56
The signal to ascend—sit ling’ring here
57
Heav’n’s fugitives? and for their dwelling-place
58
Accept this dark opprobrious1937 den of shame
59
The prison of His tyranny who reigns
60
By our delay? No! Let us rather choose
61
Armed with Hell-flames and fury, all at once
62
O’er Heav’n’s high tow’rs to force resistless way
63
Turning our tortures into horrid arms
64
Against the Torturer! When to meet the noise
65
Of His almighty engine, 1938 He shall hear
66
Infernal thunder and, for lightning, see
67
Black fire and horror shot with equal rage
68
Among His Angels, and His throne itself
69
Mixed with Tartarean1939 sulphur and strange1940 fire
70
His own invented torments. But perhaps
71
The way seems difficult, and steep to scale
72
With upright wing against a higher foe
73
Let such bethink them, if the sleepy drench1941
74
Of that forgetful 1942 lake benumb not still
75
That in our proper1943 motion we ascend
76
Up to our native seat; descent and fall
77
To us is adverse. 1944 Who but felt of late
78
When the fierce foe hung on our broken rear 1945
79
Insulting, 1946 and pursued us through the deep
80
With what compulsion and laborious flight
81
We sunk thus low? Th’ ascent is easy, then
82
Th’ event1947 is feared! Should we again provoke
83
Our stronger, some worse way His wrath may find
84
To our destruction, if there be in Hell
85
Fear to be worse destroyed! What can be worse
86
Than to dwell here, driv’n out from bliss condemned
87
In this abhorrèd1948 deep to utter1949 woe
88
Where pain of unextinguishable fire
89
Must exercise1950 us without hope of end
90
The vassals1951 of His anger, when the scourge
91
Inexorably, and the torturing hour
92
Calls us to penance? More destroyed than thus
93
We should be quite abolished, and expire
94
What fear we then? What doubt we to incense1952
95
His utmost ire? which, to the height enraged
96
Will either quite consume us, and reduce
97
To nothing this essential1953 —happier far
98
Than miserable to have eternal being
99
Or if our substance be indeed divine
100
And cannot cease to be, we are at worst
101
On this side nothing. And by proof we feel
102
Our power sufficient to disturb His Heav’n,
103
And with perpetual inroads to alarm
104
Though inaccessible, His fatal throne
105
Which if not victory, is yet revenge
106
He ended frowning, and his look denounced1954
107
Desperate revenge, and battle dangerous
108
To less than gods. On th’ other side up rose
109
Belial, in act more graceful and humane
110
A fairer person lost not Heav’n. He seemed
111
For dignity composed, and high exploit
112
But all was false and hollow, though his tongue
113
Dropped manna1955 and could make the worse appear
114
The better reason, to perplex1956 and dash1957
115
Maturest counsels, for his thoughts were low
116
To vice industrious, but to nobler deeds
117
Timorous and slothful. Yet he pleased the ear
118
And with persuasive accent thus began
119
“I should be much for open war, O peers,1958
120
As not behind in hate, if what was urged
121
Main reason to persuade immediate war
122
Did not dissuade me most, and seem to cast
123
Ominous conjecture1959 on the whole success,1960
124
When he who most excels in fact1961 of arms
125
In what he counsels and in what excels
126
Mistrustful, grounds his courage on despair
127
And utter dissolution1962 as the scope1963
128
Of all his aim,1964 after some dire revenge
129
First, what revenge? The tow’rs of Heav’n are filled
130
With armèd watch that render all access
131
Impregnable. Oft on the bordering deep
132
Encamp their legions, or with obscure1965 wing
133
Scout far and wide into the realm of Night
134
Scorning surprise. Or could 1966 we break our way
135
By force, and at our heels all Hell should rise
136
With blackest insurrection to confound1967
Heav’n’s purest light, yet our great enemy
138
All incorruptible, would on His throne
139
Sit unpolluted, and th’ ethereal 1968 mould,1969
140
Incapable of stain, would soon expel
141
Her mischief, 1970 and purge off the baser1971 fire
142
Victorious. Thus repulsed, our final hope
143
Is flat1972 despair: we must exasperate
144
Th’Almighty victor to spend1973 all His rage
145
And that must end us, that must be our cure
146
To be no more. Sad cure! for who would lose, 1974
147
Though full of pain, this intellectual being, 1975
148
Those thoughts that wander through eternity
149
To perish rather, swallowed up and lost
150
In the wide womb of uncreated Night
151
Devoid of sense and motion? And who knows
152
Let this be good, whether our angry foe
153
Can give it, or will ever? How He can
154
Is doubtful; that He never will is sure
155
Will He, so wise, let loose at once His ire
156
Belike1976 through impotence or unaware
157
To give His enemies their wish, and end
158
Them in His anger, whom His anger saves
159
To punish endless? ‘Wherefore cease we, then
160
Say they who counsel war: ‘we are decreed,1977
161
Reserved,1978 and destined to eternal woe
162
Whatever doing, what can we suffer more
163
What can we suffer worse?’ Is this, then, worst
164
Thus sitting, thus consulting, thus in arms
165
What when we fled amain,1979 pursued and struck
166
With Heav’n’s afflicting thunder, and besought
167
The deep to shelter us? This Hell then seemed
168
A refuge from those wounds. Or when we lay
169
Chained on the burning lake? That sure was worse.
170
What if the breath that kindled those grim fires
171
Awaked, should blow them into sevenfold rage
172
And plunge us in the flames? Or from above
173
Should intermitted 1980 vengeance arm again
174
His red right hand to plague us? What if all
175
Her stores were opened, and this firmament
176
Of Hell should spout her cataracts of fire
177
Impendent1981 horrors, threat’ning hideous fall
178
One day upon our heads, while we, perhaps
179
Designing or exhorting glorious war
180
Caught in a fiery tempest, shall be hurled
181
Each on his rock transfixed, the sport and prey
182
&
nbsp; Of racking1982 whirlwinds, or for ever sunk
183
Under yon boiling ocean, wrapped in chains
184
There to converse with everlasting groans
185
Unrespited,1983 unpitied, unreprieved
186
Ages of hopeless end? This would be worse