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War, therefore, open or concealed, alike
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My voice dissuades. For what can force or guile
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With Him, or who deceive His mind, whose eye
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Views all things at one view? He from Heav’n’s height
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All these our motions vain sees and derides
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Not more Almighty to resist our might
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Than wise to frustrate all our plots and wiles
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Shall we, then, live thus vile—the race of Heav’n
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Thus trampled, thus expelled, to suffer here
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Chains and these torments? Better these than worse,
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By my advice, since fate inevitable
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Subdues us, and omnipotent decree
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The victor’s will. To suffer, as to do,
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Our strength is equal, nor the law unjust
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That so ordains. This was at first resolved
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If we were wise, against so great a foe
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Contending, 1984 and so1985 doubtful what might fall.1986
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I laugh when those who at the spear are bold
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And vent’rous, if that fail them, shrink, and fear
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What yet they know must follow—to endure
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Exile, or ignominy, 1987 or bonds, or pain
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The sentence of their conqueror. This is now
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Our doom,1988 which if we can sustain and bear
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Our Supreme foe in time may much remit1989
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His anger, and perhaps, thus far removed,1990
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Not mind1991 us, not offending, satisfied
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With what is punished, whence these raging fires
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Will slacken, if His breath stir not their flames
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Our purer essence then will overcome
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Their noxious1992 vapor or, inured,1993 not feel
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Or, changed at length, and to the place conformed 1994
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In temper and in nature, will receive
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Familiar the fierce heat, and void of pain
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This horror will grow mild, this darkness light
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Besides what hope the never-ending flight
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Of future days may bring, what chance, what change
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Worth waiting—since our present lot appears
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For happy though but ill, for ill not worst
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If we procure not to ourselves more woe
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Thus Belial, with words clothed in reason’s garb
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Counselled ignoble ease and peaceful sloth
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Not peace. And after him thus Mammon spoke
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“Either to disenthrone the King of Heav’n
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We war, if war be best, or to regain
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Our own right lost. Him to unthrone we then
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May hope, when everlasting Fate shall yield
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To fickle Chance, and Chaos judge the strife
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The former, vain to hope, argues as vain
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The latter—for what place can be for us
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Within Heav’n’s bound, unless Heav’n’s Lord supreme
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We overpower? Suppose He should relent
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And publish1995 grace to all, on promise made
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Of new subjection?1996 With what eyes could we
Stand in His presence humble, and receive
241
Strict laws imposed, to celebrate His throne
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With warbled hymns, and to His Godhead sing
243
Forced hallelujahs, while He lordly sits
244
Our envied sov’reign, and His altar breathes
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Ambrosial odors and ambrosial flowers
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Our servile offerings? This must be our task
247
In Heav’n, this our delight. How wearisome
248
Eternity so spent in worship paid
249
To whom we hate! Let us not then pursue
250
By force impossible, by leave obtained
251
Unacceptable, though in Heav’n, our state
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Of splendid vassalage, but rather seek
253
Our own good from ourselves, and from our own
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Live to1997 ourselves, though in this vast recess
255
Free and to none accountable, preferring
256
Hard liberty before the easy yoke
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Of servile pomp. Our greatness will appear
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Then most conspicuous when great things of 1998 small,
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Useful of hurtful, prosperous of adverse, 1999
260
We can create, and in what place soe’er
261
Thrive under evil, and work ease out of pain
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Through labor and endurance. This deep world
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Of darkness do we dread? How oft amidst
264
Thick clouds and dark doth Heav’n’s all-ruling Sire
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Choose to reside, His glory unobscured
266
And with the majesty of darkness round
267
Covers His throne, from whence deep thunders roar,
268
Must’ring2000 their rage, and Heav’n resembles Hell!
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As He our darkness, cannot we His light
270
Imitate when we please? This desert soil
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Wants2001 not her hidden luster, gems and gold,
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Nor want 2002 we skill or art from whence to raise
273
Magnificence. And what can Heav’n show more?
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Our torments also may, in length of time,
275
Become our elements,2003 these piercing fires
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As soft as now severe, our temper changed
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Into their temper, which must needs remove
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The sensible2004 of pain. All things invite
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To peaceful counsels, and the settled state
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Of order, how in safety best we may
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Compose2005 our present evils, with regard
282
Of what we are and where, dismissing quite
283
All thoughts of war. Ye have what I advise.
284
He scarce had finished, when such murmur filled
285
Th’ assembly as when hollow rocks retain
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The sound of blust’ring winds, which all night long
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Had roused the sea, now with hoarse cadence lull
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Seafaring men o’erwatched,2006 whose barque2007 by chance,
289
Or pinnace, 2008 anchors in a craggy bay
290
After the tem
pest. Such applause was heard
291
As Mammon ended, and his sentence2009 pleased,
292
Advising peace, for such another field 2010
293
They dreaded worse than Hell, so much the fear
294
Of thunder and the sword of Michael
295
Wrought2011 still within them, and no less desire
296
To found2012 this nether 2013 empire, which might rise,
297
By policy2014 and long process2015 of time,
298
In emulation2016 opposite2017 to Heav’n.
299
Which when Beelzebub perceived—than whom,
300
Satan except, none higher sat—with grave
301
Aspect he rose, and in his rising seemed
302
A pillar of state. Deep on his front2018 engrav’n
303
Deliberation sat, and public care,
304
And princely counsel in his face yet shone,
305
Majestic, though in ruin. Sage he stood
306
With Atlantean2019 shoulders, fit to bear
307
The weight of mightiest monarchies. His look
308
Drew audience2020 and attention still as night
309
Or summer’s noontide air, while thus he spoke:
310
“Thrones and Imperial Powers, offspring of Heav’n,
311
Ethereal Virtues! Or these titles now
312
Must we renounce and, changing style, be called
313
Princes of Hell? For so the popular vote
314
Inclines—here to continue, and build up here
315
A growing empire. Doubtless! While we dream,
316
And know not that the King of Heav’n hath doomed2021
317
This place our dungeon, not our safe retreat
318
Beyond His potent arm, to live exempt
319
From Heav’n’s high jurisdiction, in new league
320
Banded against His throne, but to remain
321
In strictest bondage, though thus far removed,
322
Under th’ inevitable2022 curb,2023 reserved2024
323
His captive multitude. For He, to be sure,
324
In height or depth, still first and last will reign
325
Sole king, and of His Kingdom lose no part
326
By our revolt, but over Hell extend
327
His empire, and with iron scepter rule
328
Us here, as with His golden2025 those in Heav’n.
329
What sit we then projecting peace and war?
330
War hath determined 2026 us and foiled2027 with loss
331
Irreparable; terms of peace yet none
332
Vouchsafed 2028 or sought. For what peace will be giv’n
333
To us enslaved, but custody severe,
334
And stripes2029 and arbitrary punishment
335
Inflicted? And what peace can we return,2030
336
But, to our power, hostility and hate,
337
Untamed reluctance, 2031 and revenge, though slow,
338
Yet ever plotting how the conqueror least
339
May reap2032 His conquest, and may least rejoice
340
In doing what we most in suffering feel?
341
Nor will occasion2033 want,2034 nor shall we need
342
With dangerous expedition2035 to invade
343
Heav’n, whose high walls fear no assault or siege,
344
Or ambush from the deep. What if we find
345
Some easier enterprise?2036 There is a place
346
(If ancient and prophetic fame2037 in Heav’n
347
Err not)—another world, the happy seat
348
Of some new race, called man, about this time
349
To be created like to us, though less
350
In power and excellence, but favored more
351
Of Him who rules above. So was His will
352
Pronounced among the gods, and by an oath
353
That shook Heav’n’s whole circumference2038 confirmed.
354
Thither let us bend all our thoughts, to learn
355
What creatures there inhabit, of what mould 2039
356
Or substance, how endued,2040 and what their power
357
And where their weakness: how attempted best,
358
By force or subtlety. Though Heav’n be shut,
359
And Heav’n’s high arbitrator2041 sit secure
360
In His own strength, this place2042 may lie exposed,
361
The utmost border of His Kingdom, left
362
To their defence who hold it. Here, perhaps,
363
Some advantageous act may be achieved
364
By sudden onset2043 —either with Hell-fire
365
To waste2044 His whole creation, or possess
366
All as our own, and drive, 2045 as we were driven,
367
The puny2046 habitants, or if not drive,
368
Seduce them to our party, that their God
369
May prove their foe, and with repenting hand
370
Abolish His own works. This would surpass
371
Common revenge, and interrupt His joy
372
In our confusion, and our joy upraise
373
In His disturbance, when His darling sons,
374
Hurled headlong to partake with us, shall curse
375
Their frail original,2047 and faded bliss—
376
Faded so soon! Advise if this be worth
377
Attempting, or to sit in darkness here
378
Hatching vain empires.” Thus Beelzebub
379
Pleaded his devilish counsel—first devised
380
By Satan, and in part proposed, for whence
381
But from the author of all ill could spring
382
So deep a malice, to confound2048 the race
383
Of mankind in one root,2049 and earth with Hell
384
To mingle and involve, done all to spite
385
The great Creator? But their spite still serves
386
His glory to augment. The bold design
387
Pleased highly those infernal States,2050 and joy
388
Sparkled in all their eyes. With full assent
389
They vote, whereat his speech he thus renews:
390
“Well have ye judged, well ended long debate,
391
Synod2051 of gods, and, like to what ye are,
392
Great things resolved, which from the lowest deep
393
Will once more lift us up, in spite of fate,
394
Nearer our ancient seat—perhaps in view
395
Of those bright confines, whence, with neighboring arms,
396
And opportune2052 excursion, we may chance
397