Impulerit primos, cœli propiore beatos
Numine, tam blandi Genitoris fpernere jussa Ingratos, unum ob Vetitum, cum cætera latè Terrarum vaftâ foli ditione tenerent;
Tam fœdum miferis crimen quis fuaferit auctor. Infernus Serpens: Ille improbus arte malignâ Matrem hominum lufit, furiis ultricibus actus, Ipfe exul jam tum cœli, faftumque nefandum Efferaque aufa luens cum Tartareo comitatu; Quorum ope, præcelfum divini munus honoris Ante Pares longè affectans, æquâffe Supremum Sperabat, fi contra obfifteret; impiaque amens Bella DEI Solio & pugnam intentabat atrocem. Hunc adeò, effræni molitum vana tumultu, Æthereis projectum oris per inane profundum Flagrantem torfit DEUS, horrificâque ruinâ Præcipitem dedit; æternæque voragine noctis Inclufit demerfum, ibi longum adamantina vincla
Mov'd our Grand Parents, in that happy State, Favour'd of Heav'n fo highly, to fall off From their Creator, and tranfgrefs his Will For one Restraint, Lords of the World befides: Who firft feduc'd them to that foul revolt. Th' infernal Serpent: He it was, whofe Guile, Stirr'd up with Envy and Revenge, deceiv'd The Mother of Mankind, what time his Pride Had caft him out from Heav'n, with all his Host
Of Rebel Angels; by whofe aid aspiring To fet himself in Glory above his Peers, He trufted to have equal'd the Most High, If He oppos'd; and with ambitious aim Against the Throne and Monarchy of GoD Rais'd impious war in Heav'n and battel proud With vain Attempt. Him the Almighty Power Hurl'd headlong flaming from th' Ethereal Skie With hideous ruin and combuftion down
Et meritos flammæ paffurum vindicis ignes,
Qui malesana palam Omnipotentem in bella vocârat. Jam novies noctis fpatium noviesque diei Fluxerat, ut terris numerantur tempora; ponto Hic fuper ignivomo dirâ comitante catervâ Attonitus jacet, atque Animæ ftupet obruta Virtus Æthereæ. Cœlo vifum eft gravioribus iris
Hunc ultrà fupereffe; amiffa hinc gaudia luget, Illinc immenfos horret fine fine dolores: Lumina continuò feralia circumvolvit,
Lumina mærorem immanem, formidine mixtâ, Invictumque odium & faftum testata ferocem.
Tum celerem torquens aciem, quantùm usque tuendo Cœlicolûm penetrant oculi, loca lurida, vasto Deformem tractu regionem afpectat: ubique
Horror erat; barathrumque ingens, ceu maxima fornax, Undique jactabat flammas, fine lumine flammas: Obscurâ tantùm fub lucis imagine tristes
To bottomless perdition; there to dwell In adamantine Chains and penal Fire, Who durft defie th' Omnipotent to arms. Nine times the space that measures day and night To mortal men, He with his horrid crew Lay vanquish'd, rowling in the fiery Gulf, Confounded, though immortal. But his Doom Reserv'd him to more wrath; for now the thought Both of loft happiness and lasting pain
Torments him: round he throws his baleful eyes,
That witness'd huge affliction and dismay Mix'd with obdurate pride and stedfast hate. At once, as far as Angels ken, he views The difmal fituation waste and wild. A Dungeon horrible on all fides round, As one great Furnace, flam'd; yet from those flames No light, but rather darkness visible Serv'd only to discover fights of woe,
Luftrabat Caligo plagas, folafque dolorum
Pandebat facies, umbras vallesque inamœnas;
Pax fugit inde, Quiesque; fugit, quæ fublevat omnes Ultrò Spes placida; at torto Vindicta flagello
Inftat, Diluviumque perenni agit agmine flammas Sulphuris indomitas. Iftos hâc fede Rebelles, Hoc claudi Omnipotens æquus decreverat antro, Heu quam diffimili Patriæ fedisque relictæ ! Ter tantùm ore fuo æthereâque à luce remotos, Quantùm vel Medio diftat mundi ultimus Axis. Cladis ibi comites flammarum in gurgite volvi Dux cernit miser attonitos, multoque rotatos Turbine; & adjunctum lateri, qui proximus Ipfi Criminibus fceptrisque, infano agitarier æstu : Ille Palaftiná longo poft tempore notus, Nomine Balzebus: quem cœli acerrimus Hoftis (Cœlicola hinc Satanam memorant) audacibus ultro Compellans dictis horrenda filentia rupit :
Regions of forrow, doleful fhades, where Peace And Reft can never dwell, Hope never comes That comes to all; but Torture without end Still urges, and a fiery Deluge, fed With ever-burning Sulphur unconfum'd. Such Place Eternal Juftice had prepar'd For those Rebellious, here their' prifon ordain'd In utter darkness, and their portion set As far remov'd from God and light of Heav'n,
As from the Center thrice to th' utmost Pole; O how unlike the place from whence they fell! There the companions of his fall, o'erwhelm'd With Floods and Whirl-winds of tempeftuous fire, He foon difcerns, and welt'ring by his fide One next himself in power, and next in crime, Long after known in Palestine, and nam'd Beelzebub. To whom th' Arch-enemy, And thence in Heav'n call'd Satan, with bold words
Si fis Ille Idem! verùm ô quàm everfus, ab Illo Quantùm ô mutatus, lætis qui lucis in oris
Tot rutilorum unus fuperabas millia longè Calicolûm, eximio radiorum indutus amictu! Si fis Ille, mihi focium quem fœdus idemque Confilium, quem fpes eadem & commune periclum Aufi participem ingentis junxere; ruinâ
Nunc Sors una pari junxit: de culmine quanto Corruimus, fentis, quantâque voragine merfi. Scilicet Hunc tantùm evexere Tonitrua, nulli Nota priùs fera tela. At me, fi tota ruat vis Telorum, & quodcunque aliud violentior Ira Victoris quondam inveniet, non franget, atroxve Mutabit mihi cor, fpecies licèt extera formæ Mutetur; neque enim, quæ fpretæ injuria movit Virtutis, generofa animo faftidia cedent.
Ergo ipfi haud veritus bellum intentare Tonanti Calicolûm immenfas ducebam in prœlia turmas,
Breaking the horrid filence thus began:
If thou beeft He! but O how fall'n; how chang'd From Him, who in the happy realms of light Cloath'd with transcendent brightness didft out-fhine Myriads tho' bright! If He, whom mutual league, United thoughts and counfels, equal hope And hazard in the glorious Enterprize, Join'd with me once, now mifery hath join'd In equal ruin: Into what Pit thou seest
From what Height fall'n: fo much the ftronger prov'd
He with his Thunder: and 'till then who knew The force of thofe dire Arms? Yet not for those, Nor what the potent Victor in his rage Can elfe inflict, do I repent or change, Though chang'd in outward luftre, that fix'd mind And high disdain, from sense of injur'd merit, That with the Mightieft rais'd me to contend,
Quot juga detrectare aufi, dominumque volentes
Me potiùs, vires quas Ifte coegerat omnes Per latos cœli dubio certamine campos Viribus aggreffi adverfis, foliumque fupremum Concuffere. Efto; palmam infelicibus Alter Præripuit; fed Mens fupereft immota, nec ullis Debellanda malis, fed flecti nefcia Virtus, Immortale Odium, Vindicta arrecta cupido, Et Quodcunque ufquam vinci frangive recufat.
Hos mihi nunquam adimet, nunquam extorquebit honores, Non rabie indomitâ, non vi. Victumne fuperbos
Me volvi ante pedes, & inertia flectere genua?
Orabo veniam fupplex, & habebitur ultrò Ifte mihi Deus, Ifte hujus terrore lacerti Pallidus haudpridem, ac regno nutante tremiscens ? Tunc effem fanè abjectus, tunc clade vel ipsâ Fœdius opprobrium paterer. Quoniam auspice fato Igneus ille Deûm vigor & cœleftis origo
And to the fierce Contention brought along Innumerable force of Spirits arm'd That durft diflike His Reign; and me preferring His utmost power with adverse power oppos'd In dubious battel on the plains of Heav'n, And shook his Throne. What tho' the field be loft? All is not loft; th' unconquerable Will, And ftudy of Revenge, immortal Hate, And Courage never to fubmit or yield,
And what is else not to be overcome. That Glory never fhall his wrath or might Extort from me. To bow and fue for grace With fuppliant knee, and deifie his Power, Who from the terror of this Arm fo late Doubted his Empire: That were low indeed; That were an Ignominy and Shame beneath This Downfal. Since by fate the strength of Gods And this empyreal substance cannot fail,"
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