THE ARGUMENT.
The confultation begun, Satan debates whether another batte be to be hazarded for the recovery of Heaven: Some advise it, others diffuade: A third propofal is preferr'd, mention'd before by Satan, to fearch 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 fhall be fent on this difficult fearch: Satan their chief undertakes alone the voyage, is honor'd and applauded. The council thus ended, the reft betake them several ways, and to feveral employments, as their inclinations lead them, to entertain the time till Satan return. He paffes on his journey to Hell gates, finds them fhut, and who fate there to guard them, by whom at length they are open'd, and difcover to him the great gulf between Hell and Heaven; with what difficulty he paffes through, directed by Chaos, the Power of that place, to the fight of this new world which he fought.
IGH on a throne of royal state, which far Outfhone the wealth of Ormus and of Ind, Or where the gorgeous east with richest hand Show'rs on her kings barbaric pearl and gold, Satan exalted fat, by merit rais'd
To that bad eminence; and from despair Thus high uplifted beyond hope, afpires Beyond thus high, infatiate to purfue
Vain war with Heav'n, and by fuccefs untaught His proud imaginations thus display'd.
Pow'rs and Dominions, Deities of Heaven, For fince no deep within her gulf can hold Immortal vigor, though opprefs'd and fall'n,. I give not Heav'n for loft. From this defcent Celestial virtues rifing, will appear
More glorious and more dread than from no fall, And trust themselves to fear no fecond fate. Me though juft right, and the fix'd laws of Heaven Did firft create your leader, next free choice, With what befides, in counfel or in fight, Hath been achiev'd of merit, yet this lofs Thus far at least recover'd, hath much more Establish'd in a fafe unenvied throne,
Yielded with full confent. The happier state In Heav'n, which follows dignity, might draw Envy from each inferior; but who here Will envy whom the highest place expofes Foremost to stand against the Thund'rer's aim Your bulwark, and condemns to greatest share Of endless pain? where there is then no good For which to ftrive, no ftrife can grow up there From faction; for none fure will clame in Hell Precedence, none, whofe portion is so small Of present pain, that with ambitious mind Will covet more. With this advantage then To union, and firm faith, and firm accord, More than can be in Heav'n, we now return To clame our juft inheritance of old, Surer to profper than profperity
Could have affur'd us; and by what best way, Whether of open war or covert guile,
We now debate; who can advise, may speak.
He ceas'd, and next him Moloch, scepter'd king,
Stood up, the ftrongest and the fierceft Spirit
That fought in Heav'n, now fiercer by despair: His truft was with th' Eternal to be deem'd Equal in ftrength, and rather than be less Car'd not to be at all; with that care loft Went all his fear: of God, or Hell, or worfe He reck'd not, and thefe words thereafter spake. My fentence is for open war: of wiles,
More unexpert, I boaft not: them let those
Contrive who need, or when they need, not now.
For while they fit contriving, fhall the reft, Millions that stand in arms, and longing wait The fignal to afcend, fit ling'ring here Heav'n's fugitives, and for their dwelling-place Accept this dark opprobrious den of shame, The prison of his tyranny who reigns
By our delay? no, let us rather choose,
Arm'd with Hell flames and fury, all at once
O'er Heav'n's high tow'rs to force refiftless way, Turning our tortures into horrid arms Against the torturer; when to meet the noife Of his almighty engin he fhall hear Infernal thunder, and for lightning fee Black fire and horror fhot with equal rage Among his Angels, and his throne itself Mix'd with Tartarean fulphur, and strange fire, His own invented torments. But perhaps The way seems difficult and steep to scale With upright wing against a higher foe. Let fuch bethink them, if the fleepy drench Of that forgetful lake benumm not still, That in our proper motion we ascend Up to our native feat: defcent and fall To us is adverfe. Who but felt of late, When the fierce foe hung on our broken rear Infulting, and pursued us through the deep, With what compulfion and laborious flight We funk thus low? Th' afcent is easy then; Th' event is fear'd; fhould we again provoke Our stronger, fome worse way his wrath may find
Th' almighty victor to spend all his rage,
And that must end us, that must be our cure,
To be no more; fad cure; for who would lofe, Though full of pain, this intellectual being,
Those thoughts that wander through eternity, To perish rather, swallow'd up and loft
In the wide womb of uncreated night,
Devoid of fenfe and motion? and who knows,
Let this be good, whether our angry foe
Can give it, or will ever? how he can, Is doubtful; that he never will, is fure. Will he, fo wife, let loose at once his ire, Belike through impotence, or unaware, To give his enemies their wish, and end Them in his anger, whom his anger faves To punish endless? Wherefore ceafe we then? Say they who counsel war, we are decreed, Referv'd, and deftin'd to eternal woe; Whatever doing, what can we suffer more, What can we fuffer worfe? Is this then worst, Thus fitting, thus confulting, thus in arms? What when we fled amain, pursued and struck With Heav'n's afflicting thunder, and befought The deep to shelter us? this Hell then feem'd A refuge from thofe wounds: or when we lay Chain'd on the burning lake? that fure was worse. What if the breath that kindled thofe grim fires, 170 Awak'd fhould blow them into fev'nfold rage,
And plunge us in the flames? or from above Should intermitted vengeance arm again
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