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In wealth and luxury.

The ascending pile

Stood fixed her stately height: and straight the doors,
Opening their brazen folds, discover, wide
Within, her ample spaces, o'er the smooth
And level pavement: from the arched roof,
Pendent by subtle magic, many a row
Of starry lamps and blazing cressets, fed
With naphtha and asphaltus, yielded light
As from a sky. The hasty multitude
Admiring entered, and the work some praise,
And some the architect: his hand was know i
In Heaven by many a towered structure high
Where sceptred angels held their residence,
And sat as princes; whom the supreme King
Exalted to such power, and gave to rule,
Each in his hierarchy, the orders bright.
Nor was his name unheard or unadored
In ancient Greece; and in Ausonian land
Men called him Mulciber; and how he fell

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From Heaven they fabled, thrown by angry Jove

Sheer o'er the crystal battlements: from morn

To noon he fell, from noon to dewy eve,
A summer's day; and, with the setting sun,
Dropped from the zenith like a falling star,
On Lemnos, the Æ'gean isle: thus they relate,
Erring; for he, with this rebellious rout,

Fell long before; nor aught availed him now

To have built in Heaven high towers; nor did he 'scape

By all his engines; but was headlong sent

With his industrious crew to build in Hell.

Meanwhile, the wingèd heralds, by command

Of sovereign power, with awful ceremony

And trumpets' sound, throughout the host proclaim
A solemn council, forwith to be held

At Pandemonium, the high capital

Of Satan and his peers; their summons called
From every band and squared regiment
By place or choice the worthiest; they anon,

With hundreds and with thousands trooping came
Attended: all access was thronged; the gates

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And porches wide, but chief the spacious hall,
(Though like a covered field, where champions bold
Wont ride in armed, and at the Soldan's chair
Defied the best of Panim chivalry

To mortal combat, or career with lance,)
Thick swarmed, both on the ground, and in the air,
Brushed with the hiss of rustling wings. As bees
In spring-time, when the sun with Taurus rides,
Pour forth their populous youth about the hive
In clusters: they among fresh dews and flowers
Fly to and fro, or on the smoothed plank,
The suburb of their straw-built citadel,
New rubbed with balm, expatiate, and confer
Their state affairs: so thick the airy crowd

Swarmed and were straitened; till, the signal given,
Behold a wonder! they, but now who seemed
In bigness to surpass Earth's giant sons,

Now less than smallest dwarfs, in narrow room
Throng numberless, like that Pygmëan race
Beyond the Indian mount; or fairy elves,
Whose midnight revels, by a forest-side,
Or fountain, some belated peasant sees,

Or dreams he sees, while, over-head, the moon
Sits arbitress, and nearer to the earth

Wheels her pale course: they, on their mirth and dance
Intent, with jocund music charm his ear:

At once with joy and fear his heart rebounds.

Thus incorporeal spirits to smallest forms

Reduced their shapes immense, and were at large,
Though without number still, amidst the hall
Of that infernal court. But far within,
And in their own dimensions like themselves,
The great Seraphic lords, and Cherubim,
In close recess, and secret conclave sat;
A thousand demi-gods on golden seats,
Frequent and full. After short silence then,
And summons read, the great consult began.

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THE Consultation begun, Satan debates whether another battle be to be hazarded for the recovery of Heaven: some advise it, others dissuade. A third proposal is preferred, mentioned before by Satan, to search the truth of that prophecy 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 honoured and applauded. The council thus ended, the rest betake them several ways and to several employments, as their inclinations lead them, to entertain 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 gulf 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.

HIGH on a throne of royal state,—which far
Outshone the wealth of Ormus, and of Ind;
Or where the gorgeous East with richest hand
Showers on her kings Barbaric pearl and gold,-
Satan exalted sat, by merit raised

To that bad eminence: and, from despair
Thus high uplifted beyond hope, aspires
Beyond thus high; insatiate to pursue

Vain war with Heaven, and, by success untaught,
His proud imaginations thus displayed:

"Powers and Dominions, Deities of Heaven!
"For, since no deep within her gulf can hold
"Immortal vigour, though oppressed and fallen,
"I give not Heaven for lost. From this descent
"Celestial virtues rising, will appear

"More glorious and more dread than from no fall,

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