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Twilight upon the earth (fhort arbiter
'Twixt day and night) and now, from end to end,
Night's hemifphere had veil'd th'horizon round:
When SATAN who late fled before the threats
Of GABRIEL out of EDEN, now improv'd
In meditated fraud, and malice, bent
On man's deftruction, maugre what might hap
Of heavier on himself, fearless return'd.
By night he fled, and at midnight return'd
From compaffing the earth; cautious of day,
Since URFEL, regent of the Sun, defcry'd
His entrance, and forewarn'd the Cherubim,
That kept their watch: thence full of anguish driv'n,
The space of fev'n continu'd nights he rode
With darkness; thrice the equinoctial Line
He circled; four times crofs'd the car of Night 65
From Pole to Pole, traverfing each Colure;
On th' eighth return'd, and on the coaft averfe
From entrance, or Cherubic watch, by stealth
Found unfufpected way. There was a place,
Now not (tho' fin, not time, firft wrought the change)
Where TIGRIS, at the foot.of Paradife,
Into a gulph fhot under-ground, 'till part
Rofe up a fountain by the Tree of Life.
In with the river funk, and with it rofe
SATAN, involv'd in rifing mift; then fought
Where to lie hid: fea he had fearch'd, and land,
From EDEN Over PONTUS, and the pool
MAOTIS, up beyond the river OB:
Downward as far antartic: and in length,
Weft from ORONTES, to the ocean barr'd
At DARIEN: thence, to the land where flows
GANGES, and INDUS. Thus the orb he roam'd
With narrow fearch; and with infpection deep
Confider'd every creature, which of all

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Moft opportune might ferve his wiles; and found 85
The ferpent-fubtleft beaft of all the field.
Him after long debate (irrefolute

Of

Of thoughts revol'd) his final fentence chofe
Fit veffel, fitteft imp of fraud, in whom
To enter, and his dark fuggeftions hide
From sharpeft fight: for in the wily fnake
Whatever fleights, none would fufpicious mark,
As from his wit and native fubtilty
Proceeding; which in other beafts obferv'd
Doubt might beget of diabolic pow'r,"
Active within, beyond the fenfe of brute.
Thus he refolv'd, but firft from inward grief
His bursting paffion into plaints thus pour'd

O Earth, how like to Heav'n! if not prefer'd
More juftly, feat worthier of Gods, as built
With fecond thoughts, reforming what was old!
For what God after better, worfe would build?
Terreftrial heav'n, danc'd round by other heav'ns
That shine, yet bear their bright officious lamps,
Light above light, for thee alone, as feems,
In thee concentring all their precious beams
Of facred influence! As GOD in Heav'n
Is centre, yet extends to all; fo thou

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Centring, receiv't from all thofe orbs: in thee,
Not in themselves, all their known virtue appears 110
Productive in herb, plant, and nobler birth
Of creatures animate with gradual life,

Of growth, fenfe, reafon, all fumm'd up in Man!
With what delight could I have walk'd thee round,
If I could joy in ought: fweet interchange IIS
Of hill, and valley, rivers, woods, and plains!
Now land, now fea, and fhores with foreft crown'd,
Rocks, dens, and caves! But I in none of these
Find place or refuge: and the more I fee
Pleasures about me, fo much more I feel
Torment within me, as from the hateful fiege
Of contraries all good to me becomes
Bane; and in Heav'n much worfe would be my ftate.
But neither here feek I, no nor in Heav'n

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To dwell, unless by maft'ring Heav'n's Supreme: 125
Nor hope to be my felf leis miferable
By what I feek, but others to make fuch
As I, though thereby worfe to me redound.
For only in deftroying I find ease

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To my relentless thoughts; and him deftroy'd, 130
Or won to what may work his utter lofs,
For whom all this was made all this will foon
Follow, as to him link'd in weal or woe:
In woe then that deftruction wide may range.
To me fhall be the glory fole among
Th'infernal Pow'rs, in one day to have marr'd
What he Almighty ftyl'd, fix nights and days
Continu'd making; and who knows how long
Before had been contriving? though perhaps
Not longer than fince I, in one night, freed
From fervitude inglorious well nigh half
Th' Angelic name, and thinner left the throng
Of his adorers. He, to be aveng'd,
And to repair his numbers thus impair'd;
Whether fuch virtue fpent of old now fail'd
More Angels to create (if they at least
Are his created) or, to fpite us more,
Determin'd to advance into our room

A creature form'd of earth, and him endow,
(Exalted from fo bafe original!)

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With heav'nly fpoils; our poils. What he decreed,
He effected; Man he made, and for him built
Magnificent this world, and earth his feat,
Him Lord pronounc'd; and, O indignity!
Subjected to his fervice Angel-wings,
And flaming minifters, to watch and tend.
Their earthy charge. Of thefe the vigilance
I dread, and to elude, thus wrap'd in mift
Of midnight vapor glide obfcure, and pry
In every bush, and brake, where hap may find 160
The ferpent fleeping; in whofe mazy folds
To hide me, and the dark intent I bring.