Illumin, what is low raise and support;

That to the height of this great argument

I

may affert eternal Providence,

And justify the ways of God to Men.

Say first, for Heav'n hides nothing from thy view, Nor the deep tract of Hell, fay first what cause Mov'd our grand parents, in that happy state, Favor'd of Heav'n fo highly, to fall off From their Creator, and tranfgrefs his will For one restraint, lords of the world befides? Who firft feduc'd them to that foul revolt? Th' infernal Serpent; he it was, whofe guile, Stirr'd with up deceiv'd and revenge, envy

The mother of mankind, what time his pride
Had caft him out from Heav'n, with all his hoft
Of rebel Angels, by whofe aid afpiring
To fet himself in glory' above his peers,
He trusted to have equal'd the most High,
If he oppos'd; and with ambitious aim
Against the throne and monarchy of God
Rais'd impious war in Heav'n and battel proud
With vain attempt. Him the almighty Power
Hurl'd headlong flaming from th' ethereal sky,
With hideous ruin and combustion, down
To bottomless perdition, there to dwell
In adamantin chains and penal fire,
Who durft defy th' Omnipotent to arms.
Nine times the space that measures day and night
To mortal men, he with his horrid crew
Lay vanquish'd, rolling in the fiery gulf,

Confounded

Confounded though immortal: But his doom
Refery'd him to more wrath; for now the thought
Both of loft happiness and lafting pain

Torments him; round he throws his baleful eyes,
That witness'd huge affliction and dismay
Mix'd with obdurate pride and stedfast hate:
At once, as far as Angels ken, he views
The dismal fituation waste and wild;
A dungeon horrible on all fides round

As one great furnace flam'd, yet from thofe flames
No light, but rather darkness visible

Serv'd only to discover fights of woe,
Regions of forrow, doleful fhades, where peace
And reft can never dwell, hope never comes
That comes to all; but torture without end
Still urges, and a fiery deluge, fed
With ever-burning fulphur unconfum'd:
Such place eternal Juftice had prepar'd
For those rebellious, here their pris'on ordain'd
In utter darkness, and their portion fet
As far remov'd from God and light of Heav'n,
As from the center thrice to th' utmost pole.
O how unlike the place from whence they fell!
There the companions of his fall, o'erwhelm'd
With floods and whirlwinds of tempeftuous fire,
He foon discerns, and welt'ring by his fide
One next himself in pow'r, and next in crime,
Long after known in Palestine, and nam'd
Beelzebub. To whom th' Arch-Enemy,
And thence in Heav'n call'd Satan, with bold words

Breaking the horrid filence thus began.

If thou beeft he; but O how fall'n! how chang'd From him, who in the happy realms of light Cloth'd with transcendent brightness didst outshine Myriads though bright! If he whom mutual league, United thoughts and counfels, equal hope

And hazard in the glorious enterprise,

Join'd with me once, now misery hath join'd

In equal ru'in into what pit thou seest

:

From what highth fall'n, so much the stronger prov'd
He with his thunder: and till then who knew
The force of thofe dire arms? yet not for those,
Nor what the potent victor in his rage

Can elfe inflict, do I repent or change,

Though chang'd in outward lustre, that fix'd mind,
And high difdain from sense of injur'd merit,
That with the Mightiest rais’d me to contend,
And to the fierce contention brought along
Innumerable force of Spirits arm'd,

That durst dislike his reign, and me preferring,
His utmost pow'r with adverse pow'r oppos'd
In dubious battel on the plains of Heaven,

And shook his throne. What though the field be loft?

All is not loft; th' unconquerable will,
And study of revenge, immortal hate,
And courage never to fubmit or yield,
And what is elfe not to be overcome;
That glory never shall his wrath or might
Extort from me. To bow and fue for grace
With fuppliant knee, and deify his power,

Who

Who from the terror of this arm fo late

Doubted his empire; that were low indeed,
That were an ignominy' and shame beneath
This downfall; fince by fate the strength of Gods
And this empyreal substance cannot fail,
Since through experience of this great event
In arms not worse, in forefight much advanc'd,
We may with more fuccefsful hope refolve
To wage by force or guile eternal war,
Irreconcileable to our grand foe,

Who now triumphs, and in th' excess of joy
Sole reigning holds the tyranny of Heaven.

So fpake th' apoftate Angel, though in pain,
Vaunting aloud, but rack'd with deep despair:
And him thus answer'd foon his bold compeer.
O Prince, O Chief of many throned Powers,
That led th' imbattel'd Seraphim to war
Under thy conduct, and in dreadful deeds
Fearless, indanger'd Heav'n's perpetual king,
And put to proof his high fupremacy,
Whether upheld by strength, or chance, or fate;
Too well I fee and rue the dire event,

That with fad overthrow and foul defeat

Hath loft us Heav'n, and all this mighty host
In horrible deftruction laid thus low,
As far as Gods and heav'nly effences
Can perish for the mind and spi'rit remains
Invincible, and vigor soon returns,

Though all our glory' extinct, and happy state
Here swallow'd up in endless misery.

But

But what if he our conqu'ror (whom I now

Of force believe almighty, fince no less

Than fuch could have o'er-pow'r'd fuch force as ours)
Have left us this our fpi'rit and strength entire

Strongly to fuffer and fupport our pains,
That we may fo fuffice his vengeful ire,
Or do him mightier service as his thralls
By right of war, whate'er his business be,
Here in the heart of Hell to work in fire,
Or do his errands in the gloomy deep;
What can it then avail, though yet we feel
Strength undiminish'd, or eternal being
To undergo eternal punishment?

Whereto with speedy words th' Arch-Fiend reply'd.

Fall'n Cherub, to be weak is miferable

Doing or fuffering: but of this be fure,
To do ought good never will be our task,
But ever to do ill our fole delight,
As be'ing the contrary to his high will
Whom we refift. If then his providence
Out of our evil seek to bring forth good,
Our labor must be to pervert that end,
And out of good still to find means of evil;
Which oft-times may fucceed, fo as perhaps
Shall grieve him, if I fail not, and disturb
His inmoft counfels from their deftin'd aim.
But fee the angry victor hath recall'd

His ministers of vengeance and pursuit

Back to the gates of Heav'n: the fulphurous hail
Shot after us in storm, o'erblown hath laid