Or transmigration, as their lot shall lead. Nor can I miss the way, so strongly drawn By this new-felt attraction and instinct.
Whom thus the meager Shadow answer'd soon. Go, whither Fate, and inclination strong, Leads thee; I shall not lag behind, nor err The way, thou leading; such a scent I draw Of carnage, prey innumerable, and taste
The savour of death from all things there that live : Nor shall I to the work thou enterprisest
Be wanting, but afford thee equal aid.
So saying, with delight he snuff'd the smell Of mortal change on earth. As when a flock Of ravenous fowl, though many a league remote, Against the day of battle, to a field,
Where armies lay encamp'd, come flying, lur'd With scent of living carcases design'd
For death, the following day, in bloody fight : So scented the grim Feature, and upturn'd His nostril wide into the murky air;
Sagacious of his quarry from so far.
Then both from out Hell-gates, into the waste
Wide anarchy of Chaos, damp and dark,
Flew diverse; and with power (their power was great)
Hovering upon the waters, what they met
Solid or slimy, as in raging sea
Tost up and down, together crouded drove,
From each side shoaling towards the mouth of Hell: As when two polar winds, blowing adverse Upon the Cronian sea, together drive Mountains of ice, that stop the imagin'd way Beyond Petsora eastward, to the rich Cathaian coast. The aggregated soil Death with his mace petrifick, cold and dry, As with a trident, smote; and fix'd as firm As Delos, floating once; the rest his look Bound with Gorgonian rigour not to move; And with Asphaltick slime, broad as the gate, Deep to the roots of Hell the gather'd beach They fasten'd, and the mole immense wrought on Over the foaming deep high-arch'd, a bridge Of length prodigious joining to the wall Immoveable of this now fenceless world, Forfeit to Death; from hence a passage broad, Smooth, easy, inoffensive, down to Hell. So, if great things to small may be compar'd, Xerxes, the liberty of Greece to yoke, From Susa, his Memnonian palace high, Came to the sea; and, over Hellespont Bridging his way, Europe with Asia join'd,
And scourg'd with many a stroke the indignant waves. Now had they brought the work by wonderous art Pontifical, a ridge of pendant rock,
Over the vex'd abyss, following the track
Of Satan, to the self-same place where he
First lighted from his wing, and landed safe From out of Chaos, to the outside bare
Of this round world: With pins of adamant And chains they made all fast, too fast they made And durable! and now in little space
The confines met of empyréan Heaven,
And of this world; and, on the left hand, Hell With long reach interpos'd; three several ways In sight, to each of these three places led. And now their way to earth they had descried, To Paradise first tending; when, behold! Satan, in likeness of an angel bright,
Betwixt the Centaur and the Scorpion steering His zenith, while the sun in Aries rose : Disguis'd he came; but those his children dear Their parent soon discern'd, though in disguise. He, after Eve seduc'd, unminded slunk Into the wood fast by; and, changing shape, To observe the sequel, saw his guileful act By Eve, though all unweeting, seconded Upon her husband; saw their shame that sought Vain covertures; but when he saw descend The Son of God to judge them, terrified He fled; not hoping to escape, but shun The present; fearing, guilty, what his wrath Might suddenly inflict; that past, return'd By night, and listening where the hapless pair Sat in their sad discourse, and various plaint,
Thence gather'd his own doom; which understood Not instant, but of future time, with joy And tidings fraught, to Hell he now return'd; And at the brink of Chaos, near the foot Of this new wonderous pontifice, unhop'd Met, who to meet him came, his offspring dear. Great joy was at their meeting, and at sight Of that stupendous bridge his joy encreas'd. Long he admiring stood, till Sin, his fair Enchanting daughter, thus the silence broke. O Parent, these are thy magnifick deeds, Thy trophies! which thou view'st as not thine own; Thou art their author, and prime architect:
For I no sooner in my heart divin'd,
My heart, which by a secret harmony
Still moves with thine, join'd in connexion sweet, That thou on earth hadst prosper'd, which thy look Now also evidence, but straight I felt,
Though distant from thee worlds between, yet felt, That I must after thee, with this thy son; Such fatal consequence unites us three! Hell could no longer hold us in our bounds, Nor this unvoyageable gulf obscure Detain from following thy illustrious track. Thou hast achiev'd our liberty, confin'd Within Hell-gates till now; thou us impower'd To fortify thus far, and overlay,
With this portentous bridge, the dark abyss.
Thine now is all this world; thy virtue hath won What thy hands builded not; thy wisdom gain'd With odds what war hath lost, and fully aveng'd Our foil in Heaven; here thou shalt monarch reign There didst not; there let him still victor sway As battle hath adjudg'd; from this new world Retiring, by his own doom alienated;
And henceforth monarchy with thee divide Of all things, parted by the empyreal bounds, His quadrature, from thy orbicular world; Or try thee now more dangerous to his throne.
Whom thus the Prince of darkness answer'd glad. Fair Daughter, and thou Son and Grandchild both; High proof ye now have given to be the race Of Satan, (for I glory in the name, Antagonist of Heaven's Almighty King,) Amply have merited of me, of all
The infernal empire, that so near Heaven's door Triumphal with triumphal act have met,
Mine, with this glorious work; and made one realm, Hell and this world, one realm, one continent Of easy thorough-fare. Therefore, while I Descend through darkness, on your road with ease, To my associate Powers, them to acquaint With these successes, and with them rejoice; You two this way, among these numerous orbs, All yours, right down to Paradise descend;
There dwell, and reign in bliss; thence on the earth
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