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Hell could no longer hold us in her bounds,

365

Nor this un voyageable gulf obscure

Detain from following thy illustrious track.
Thou hast atchiev'd our liberty, confin’d

Within Hell-gates till now, thou us impower'd
To fortify thus far, and overlay

370

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 Heav'n; here thou shalt monarch reign,
There didst not; there let him still victor sway, 376
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 th' empyreal bounds,
His quadrature, from thy orbicular world,
Or try thee now more dang'rous 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 giv'n to be the race

Of Satan, (for glory in the name,

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Antagonist of Heav'n's almighty king)

Amply have merited of me, of all

Th` infernal empire, that so near Heav'n's door
Triumphal with triumphal act have met,

390

Mine with this gloricus 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 Pow'rs, 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
Dominion exercise and in the air,

395

400

Chiefly on Man, sole lord of all declar'd,

Him first make sure your thrall, and lastly kill.
My substitutes I send ye, and create

Plenipotent on earth, of matchless might

Issuing from me: on your joint vigour now
My hold of this new kingdom all depends,
Through Sin to Death expos'd by my exploit.
If your joint pow'r prevail, th' affairs of Hell
No detriment need fear; go and be strong.

So saying he dismiss'd them; they with speed
Their course through thickest constellations held,
Spreading their bane; the blasted stars look'd wan,
And planet-struck, real eclipse

405

410

Then suffer'd. Th' other way Satan went down
The causey to Hell-gate; on either side

415

Disparted Chaos over-built exclaim'd,

And with rebounding surge the bars assail'd,

That scorn'd his indignation: through the gate
Wide open and unguarded, Satan pass'd,
And all about found desolate; for those

420

Appointed to sit there, had left their charge,
Flown to the upper world; the rest were all

Far to th' inland retir'd, about the walls

Of Pandemonium, city and proud seat

Of Lucifer, so by allusion call'd,

Of that bright star to Satan paragon'd.

425

There kept their watch the legions, while the Grand

In council sat, solicitous what chance

Might intercept their emp'ror sent; so he

Departing gave command, and they observ'd.

430

As when the Tartar from his Russian foe
Py Astracan over the snowy plains
Retires, or Bactrian Sophi from the horns
Of Turkish crescent, leaves all waste beyond
The realm of Aladule, in his retreat

435

To Tauris or Casbeen: So these the late

Heav'n banish'd host, left desert utmost Hell

Many a dark league, reduc'd in careful watch

Round their metropolis, and now expecting

Each hour their great adventurer from the search 440 Of foreign worlds: he through the midst unmask'd,

In show plebeian Angel militant

Of lowest order, pass'd; and from the door

Of that Plutonian hall, invisible

Ascended his high throne, which under state
Of richest texture spread, at th' upper end
Was plac'd in regal lustre. Down a while
He sat, and round about him saw unseen:
At last as from a cloud his fulgent head

445

And shape star bright appear'd, or brighter, clad 450 With what permissive glory since his fall

Was left him, or false glitter : All amaz'd

At that so sudden blaze the Stygian throng

Bent their aspect, and whom they wish'd beheld,

To my associate Pow'rs, 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
Dominion exercise and in the air,

Chiefly on Man, sole lord of all declar'd,

Him first make sure your thrall, and lastly kill.
My substitutes I send ye, and create

Plenipotent on earth, of matchless might

Issuing from me: on your joint vigour now
My hold of this new kingdom all depends,
Through Sin to Death expos'd by my exploit.
If your joint pow'r prevail, th' affairs of Hell
No detriment need fear; go and be strong.

So saying he dismiss'd them; they with speed
Their course through thickest constellations held,
Spreading their bane; the blasted stars look'd wan,
And planet-struck, real eclipse

395

400

405

410

Then suffer'd. Th' other way Satan went down
The causey to Hell-gate; on either side

415

Disparted Chaos over-built exclaim'd,

And with rebounding surge the bars assail'd,
That scorn'd his indignation: through the gate
Wide open and unguarded, Satan pass'd,
And all about found desolate; for those

420

Appointed to sit there, had left their charge,
Flown to the upper world; the rest were all

Far to th' inland retir'd, about the walls
Of Pandemonium, city and proud seat

Of Lucifer, so by allusion call'd,

Of that bright star to Satan paragon'd.

425

There kept their watch the legions, while the Grand

In council sat, solicitous what chance

Might intercept their emp'ror sent; so he

Departing gave command, and they observ'd.

439

As when the Tartar from his Russian foe

Py Astracan over the snowy plains
Retires, or Bactrian Sophi from the horns
Of Turkish crescent, leaves all waste beyond
The realm of Aladule, in his retreat

To Tauris or Casbeen: So these the late

435

Heav'n-banish'd host, left desert utmost Hell
Many a dark league, reduc'd in careful watch
Round their metropolis, and now expecting

Each hour their great adventurer from the search 440
Of foreign worlds: he through the midst unmask’d,

In show plebeian Angel militant

Of lowest order, pass'd; and from the door

Of that Plutonian hall, invisible

Ascended his high throne, which under state
Of richest texture spread, at th' upper end
Was plac'd in regal lustre. Down a while
He sat, and round about him saw unseen:
At last as from a cloud his fulgent head

445

And shape star bright appear'd, or brighter, clad 450 With what permissive glory since his fall

Was left him, or false glitter : All amaz'd

At that so sudden blaze the Stygian throng

Bent their aspect, and whom they wish'd beheld,

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