Shall breathe her balm. But first whom shall we send In search of this new world? whom shall we find Sufficient? who shall tempt with wandering feet The dark unbottom'd infinite abyss,
And through the palpable obscure find out II:s uncouth way, or spread his aery flight
Upborne with indefatigable wings
Over the vast abrupt, ere he arrive
The happy isle? What strength, what art can then
Suffice, or what evasion bear him safe
Through the strict senteries and stations thick
Of Angels watching round? Here he had need
All circumspection; and we now no less
Choice in our suffrage; for on whom we send,
The weight of all, and our last hope, relies. This said he sat; and expectation held His look suspense, awaiting who appear'd To second, or oppose, or undertake The perilous attempt: but all sat mute,
Pondering the danger with deep thought; and each
In other's countenance read his own dismay,
Astonish'd: None among the choice and prime
Of those heaven-warring champions could be found So hardy as to proffer or accept,
Alone, the dreadful voyage; till at last
Satan, whom now transcendent glory raised
Above his fellows, with monarchal pride,
Conscious of highest, worth, unmoved thus spake.
O Progeny of Heaven, empyreal Thrones!
With reason hath deep silence and demur Seized us, though undismay'd: Long is the ways And hard, that out of Hell leads up to light; Our prison strong; this huge convex of fire, Outrageous to devour, immures us round Ninefold; and gates of burning adamant, Barr'd over us, prohibit all egress. These pass'd, if any pass, the void profound Of unessential Night receives him next
Wide gaping, and with utter loss of being Threatens him, plunged in that abortive gulf. If thence ne scape into whatever world, Or unknown region, what remains him less Than unknown dangers and as hard escape? But I should ill become this throne, O Peers, And this imperial sov'reignty, adorn'd
With splendour, arm'd with power, if aught proposed
To him who reigns, and so much to him due Of hazard more, as he above the rest
High honour'd sits? Go, therefore, mighty Powers, Terror of Heaven, though fallen! intend at home, While here shall be our home, what best may ease The present misery, and render Hell
More tolerable; if there be cure or charm
To respite, or deceive, or slack the pain
Of this ill mansion: intermit no watch
Against a wakeful Foe, while I abroad
Through all the coasts of dark destruction seek Deliverance for us all: This enterprise None shall partake with me. The Monarch, and prevented all reply ; Prudent, lest, from his resolution raised, Others among the chief might offer now (Certain to be refused) what erst they fear'd; And, so refused, might in opinion stand
His rivals; winning cheap the high repute Which he through hazard huge must earn. Dreaded not more the adventure than his voice Forbidding; and at once with him they rose: Their rising all at once was as the sound
Of thunder heard remote. Towards him they bend
With awful reverence prone; and as a God
Extol him equal to the Highest in Heaven:
Nor fail'd they to express how much they praised 180 That for the general safety he despised
His own: For neither do the Spirits damn'd
Lose all their virtue; lest bad men should boast
Their specious deeds on earth, which glory excites
Or close ambition, varnish'd o'er with zeal. Thus they their doubtful consultations dark Ended, rejoicing in their matchless Chief: As when from mountain tops the dusky clouds Ascending, while the north wind sleeps, o'erspread Heaven's cheerful face, the lowering element Scowls o'er the darken'd landscape snow or shower; If chance the radiant sun with farewell sweet Extend his evening beam, the fields revive, The birds their notes renew, and bleating herds Attest their joy, that hill and valley ring. O shame to men! Devil with Devil damn'd
Firm concord holds; men only disagree
Of creatures rational, though under hope
Of heavenly grace: and, God proclaiming peace,
Yet live in hatred, enmity, and strife
Among themselves, and levy cruel wars,
Wasting the earth, each other to destroy :
As if (which might induce us to accord) Man had not hellish foes enow besides,
That, day and night, for his destruction wait.
The Stygian council thus dissolved; and forth
In order came the grand infernal Peers:
Midst came their mighty Paramount, and seem'd
Alone the Antagonist of Heaven, nor less
Than Hell's dread Emperor, with pomp supreme 510 And Godlike imitated state : him round
A globe of fiery Seraphim enclosed
With bright emblazonry and horrent arins. Then of their session ended they bid cry With trumpets' regal sound the great result:
Toward the four winds four speedy Cherubim Put to their mouths the sounding alchemy, By herald's voice explain'd; the hollow abyss Heard far and wide, and all the host of Hell
With deafening shout return'd them loud acclaim. 520 Thence more at ease their minds, and somewhat raised By false presumptuous hope, the ranged Powers Disband; and, wandering, each his several way Pursues, as inclination or sad choice
Leads him perplex'd, where he may likeliest find 525 Truce to his restless thoughts, and entertain The irksome hours till his great Chief return. Part on the plain, or in the air sublime, Upon the wing, or in swift race contend,
As at the Olympian games or Pythian fields ; 530 Part curb their fiery steeds, or shun the goal With rapid wheels, or fronted brigades form.? As when, to warn proud cities, war appears Waged in the troubled sky, and armies rush To battle in the clouds, before each van
Prick forth the aery knights, and couch their spears Till thickest legions close; with feats of arms From either end of Heaven the welkin burns. Others, with vast Typhœan rage more fell, Rend up both rocks and hills, and ride the air In whirlwind; Hell scarce holds the wild uproar. As when Alcides, from chalia crown'd With conquest, felt the envenom'd robe, and tore Through pain up by the roots Thessalian pines; And Lichas from the top of Eta threw Into the Euboic sea. Others more mild,
(What could it less when spirits immortal sing?)
Suspended Hell, and took with ravishment.
The thronging audience. In discourse more s veet (For eloquence the soul, song charms the sense,) 556 Others apart sat on a hill retired,
In thoughts more elevate, and reason'd high Of providence, foreknowledge, will, and fate; Fix'd fate, free will, foreknowledge absolute; And found no end, in wandering mazes lost. Of good and evil much they argued then. Of happiness and final misery, Passion and apathy, and glory and shame; Vain wisdom all, and false philosophy! Yet, with a pleasing sorcery, could charm Pain for a while or anguish, and exite Fallacious hope, or arm the obdured breast With stubborn patience, as with triple steel. Another part, in squadrons and gross bands, On bold adventure to discover wide That dismal world, if any clime perhaps Might yield them easier habitation, bend
Four ways their flying march, along the banks Of four infernal rivers that disgorge
Into the burning lake their baleful streams;
Abhorred Styx, the flood of deadly hate; Sad Acheron, of sorrow, black and deep;
Cocytus, named of lamentation loud
Heard on the rueful stream; fierce Phlegethon, 580
Whose waves of torrent fire inflame with rage.
Far off from these, a slow and silent stream,
Lethe, the river of oblivion, rolls Her watery labyrinth, whereof who drinks Forthwith his former state and being forgets, Forgets both joy and grief, pleasure and pain. Beyond this flood a frozen continent Lies dark and wild, beat with perpetual storms Of whirlwind and dire hail, which on firm land Thaws not, but gathers heap, and ruin seems Of ancient pile; or else deep snow and ice,
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