Vain covertures; but when he faw defcend
The son of God to judge them, terrifi'd
He fled, not hoping to escape, but shun
The prefent, fearing guiltie what his wrauth
Might suddenly inflict; that past, return'd
By night, and liftening where the hapless pair
Sat in their fad difcourfe, 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 wondrous pontifice, unhop'd
Met who to meet him came, his offspring deare,
Great joy was at their meeting, and at fight
Of that stupendious bridge his joy encreas'd.
Long he admiring stood, till Sin, his faire
Inchanting daughter, thus the filence broke.
O parent, these are thy magnific deeds,
Thy trophies, which thou view'st as not thine own,
Thou art their author and prime architect :
For I no fooner in my heart divin'd,

My heart, which by a fecret harmonie

Still moves with thine, join'd in connexion sweet,
That thou on earth hadft profper'd, which thy looks
Now alfo evidence, but ftraight I felt

Though diftant from thee worlds between, yet felt
That I must after thee with this thy fon;
Such fatal confequence unites us three :
Hell could no longer hold us in her bounds,
Nor this unvoyageable gulf obfcure
Detain from following thy illuftrious track,

Thou haft atchiev'd our libertie, confin'd
Within hell gates till now, thou us impow'rd
To fortifie thus far, and overlay

With this portentuous bridge the dark abyss.
Thine now is all this world, thy vertue hath won
What thy hands builded not, thy wisdom gain'd
With odds what war hath loft, and fully aveng'd
Our foile in heav'n; 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 monarchie with thee divide
Of all things parted by th’empyreal bounds,
His quadrature, from thy orbicular world,
Or trie thee now more dang'rous to his throne.
Whom thus the prince of darkness answer'd glad.
Fair daughter, and thou fon and grandchild both,
High proof ye now have giv'n to be the race
Of Satan (for I glorie in the name,
Antagonist of heav'ns almightie king)
Amply have merited of me, of all

Th'infernal empire, that so neer heav'n's dore
Triumphal with triumphal act have met,

Mine with this glorious work, and made one realm
Hell and this world, one realm, one continent
Of eafie thorough-fare. Therefore while I
Defcend through darkness, on your rode with ease
To my affociate powers, them to acquaint
With these fucceffes, and with them rejoice,
You two this way, among these numerous orbs
All yours, right down to Paradife defcend;

There dwell and reign in blifs, thence on the earth Dominion exercise and in the airė,

Chiefly on man, fole lord of all declar'd,

Him first make fure your thrall, and lastly kill.
My fubftitutes I fend ye, and create
Plenipotent on earth, of matchless might
Iffuing from me: on your joynt vigor now
My hold of this new kingdom all depends,
Through fin to death expos'd by my exploit.
If your joynt power prevails, th'affairs of hell
No detriment need feare, goe and be strong.

So faying he difmifs'd them, they with speed Their courfe through thickest constellations held Spreading their bane; the blasted stars lookt wan, And planets, planet ftrook, real eclips

Then fuffer'd. Th'other way Satan went down
The caufey to hell gate; on either fide
Difparted chaos over built exclaim'd,
And with rebounding furge the barrs affail'd,
That scorn'd his indignation: through the gate,
Wide open and unguarded, Satan pafs'd,
And all about found defolate; for those
Appointed to fit there, had left their charge,
Flown to the upper world; the reft were all
Far to the inland retir'd, about the walls
Of Pandaemonium, citie and proud feat
Of Lucifer, fo by allufion call'd,

Of that bright star to Satan paragon'd.

There kept their watch the legions, while the grand In council fate, follicitous what chance

Might intercept their emperor fent, fo he

Departing gave command, and they observ’d.
'As when the Tartar from his Ruffian foe
By Aftracan over the snowie plains
Retires, or Bactrian sophi from the horns
Of Turkish crefcent, leaves all waste beyond
The realm of Aladule, in his retreat
To Tauris or Cafbeen. So these the late
Heav'n-banisht hoft, left defert utmost hell
Many a dark league, reduc't in careful watch
Round their metropolis, and now expecting
Each hour their great adventurer from the search
Of forrein worlds: he through the midst unmarkt,
In fhew plebeian angel militant

Of lowest order, past; and from the dore
Of that Plutonian hall, invifible

Afcended his high throne, which under state
Of richest texture fpred, at th'upper end
Was plac't in regal luftre. Down a while
He fate, and round about him saw unseen :
At laft as from a cloud his fulgent head

And shape star-bright appeer'd, or brighter, clad
With what permiffive glorie fince his fall
Was left him, or falfe glitter: all amaz'd
At that so sudden blaze the Stygian throng
Bent their afpect, and whom they wish'd beheld,
Their mighty chief return'd: loud was th'acclaim :
Forth rufh'd in hafte the great confulting peers,
Rais'd from their dark Divan, and with like joy
Congratulant approach'd him, who with hand
Silence, and with these words attention won.

Thrones, dominations, princedoms, vertues, powers,

For in poffeffion fuch. not onely of right,
I call ye and declare ye now, return'd
Successful beyond hope, to lead ye forth
Triumphant out of this infernal pit
Abominable, accurft, the house of woe,
And dungeon of our tyrant: now poffefs,
As lords, a fpacious world, to our native heaven
Little inferiour, by my adventure hard

With peril great atchiev'd. Long were to tell
What I have done, what suffer'd, with what pain
Voyag'd th'unreal, vast, unbounded deep
Of horrible confufion, over which

By fin and death a broad way now is pav'd
To expedite your glorious march; but I
Toil'd out my uncouth paffage, forc't to ride
Th'untractable abyss, plung'd in the womb
Of unoriginal night and chaos wilde,

That jealous of their fecrets fiercely oppos'd
My journey ftrange, with clamorous uproare
Protesting fate fupreme; thence how I found
The new created world, which fame in heav'n
Long had foretold, a fabric wonderful
Of abfolute perfection, therein man
Plac't in a Paradife, by our exile

Made happie: him by fraud I have feduc'd
From his creator, and the more to increase
Your wonder, with an apple; he thereat
Offended, worth your laughter, hath giv'n up
Both his beloved man and all his world,
To fin and death a prey, and so to us,
Without our hazard, labour, or allarm,