In dubious battel on the plains of heav'n,

And shook his throne. What tho' the field be loft? 105;
All is not loft; th' unconquerable will,
And ftudy of revenge, immortal hate,
And courage never to fubmit or yield;
(And what is elfe not to be overcome?)
That glory never fhall his wrath or might
Extort from me, to bow and fue for grace
With fuppliant knee, and deifie his pow'r,
Who from the terror of this arm fo late
Doubted his empire: that were low indeed,
That were an ignominy and fhame beneath
This downfal; fince by fate the ftrength of Gods,
And this empyreal fubftance cannot fail;
Since through experience of this great event,
In arms not worse, in forefight much advanc'd,
We may with more fuccessful 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 heav'n.

120

So fpake th' apoftate Angel, though in pain; 125
Vaunting aloud, but rack'd with deep despair:
And him thus anfwer'd foon his bold compeer.

O Prince, O chief of many throned Powers,
That led th' imbattell'd Seraphim to war
Under thy conduct, and in dreadful deeds
Fearless, endanger'd heav'n's perpetual King,
And put to proof his high fupremacy;

130

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 perih: For the mind and fpirit remains

135

A 3

Invincible, and vigor foon returns,

Though all our glory extinct, and happy ftate
Here fwallow'd up in endless mifery.

140

But what if he our conqu'ror (whom I now
Of force, believe, Almighty, fince no lefs,

146

Than fuch could have, o'er-power'd,fuch force, as ours)
Have left us this our fpirit and ftrength entire,
Strongly to fuffer and fupport our pains?
That we may fo faffice his vengeful ire,
Or do him, mightier fervice, 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?

150

155

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

160

165

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 being the contrary to his high will Whom we refift. If then his Providence Out of our evil feek to bring forth good, Our labour, muft be,to pervert that end, And out of good,ftill,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 minifters of vengeance and perfuit, Back to the gates of heav'n: the fulph'rous hail Shot after us in ftorm, o'er-blown, hath laid The fiery furge, that from the precipice Of heav'n receiv'd us falling; and the thunder, Wing'd with red lightning and impetuous rage, 175 Perhaps hath spent his fhafts, and ceafes now

179

Dans une misere eternelle notre uainqueur que je comence a croire tout puissant puisqu'il a pi

que

querre

uain tre des forces telles notre Courage et nos forces, pour resister et suffire a toute fa Colere uangeresse, til Comme ses esclauer, P. peulatre nous destine par droit de la aux plus rudes trauause', dans le fond des enfert ou a de penibles messages, a travers lobslur abime nous vivons mais a quoy nous fert notre immortalite, Sinon a eprouver un Suplile Larchi-furie my repartis an ec

eternel

precipitation.

que

бий

Infortune cherubin la forle est toujours utile soit quil faille agir soit qu'il faille Joufrir, mais fois Certain que nous ne flaurions etre Condamne a faire le bien le mal au moins -Sera tout notre plaisir, Comme etant Contraire a La Supreme volonté de notre ennemi. que sifa providence, tache a tirer quelques biens, des mause nous ferons nous travaillerons au moins a renverser Jes deisseins, et fi je ne me trompe je Suis a la veille de traverser Ses projets Secrets, et detromper Son attente, mais vois ! le Cruel uainqueur rapelle Jes ministres Langeance, portes 'du Ciel; Lorage et la grele de Soufre quil a apres nous etouffe et recouure berang de feu qui nous velut, du haut du Ciel; peutêtre ses traits sont ils epuisés, Ses Foudres qui volvient Sur laile des eclairs, et des tempetes Cessent de mugir dans la waste profondeur de Labime, profitons dune occasion, que le mepris

a

lance

де

ause

ennemy

ou lassouissement de la fureur Jun
nous lavise. vois tu Cette plaine Solitaire et
Januage, Sejour & horreur qui nest eclairé
que de la pale meur de les Sombres flames,
tournons y nos pas, et nous retirants 'de
lagitation de les vagues enflamee's

ди

де

reposons

noug en le lieu, Si nous y pouvons trouver du repos, rassemblons nos puissances abatues Consultons Sur les moyens doffenser desormais notre ennemy, escaminon's le goon peut faire pour reparer nos pertes, et Suporter notre malheur voyons en fin quel consolation, lesperan Casinon quile desespoir, peuvent nous Donner 'enfor. Satan parlant ainsi a Son plus proche Compagnon avoir les yeux etinldants de feu, et portoir fa tete ellence au dessus des nagues, le reste de fon Corps, flotant Jur le Flame, en Courroit une waste etendue aurti enormes dans leur grosseur eroient les tithan's briaree tiphon qui habitoit lantre pres de tarse, et touts les monstrueux fils de la terre, qui selon la Fable, fivent la guerre a jupiter, ou telle paroit en for la baleine le plus enorme de tours les animaux que diev aye Cree, d'ans les cause de Lolean, Souvent Sur la mer de norvege, pendant que les tenebres investissent Les eaux, et retardent le jour defire, le pilote de quelque petit batiment, Surpris par la nuict, la trouant endormie la prend pour quelque is le et jetant lancre dang Sa peau écaillée, Samarre du'vent; tel paroissoir le prink des demons, enchaine et Couche Sur le Lac brulant, it near jamais pu relever de la la Ite, mais la toute puissance le laissa Courir a moing projets, afin quen cherchaur a faire des

Contre elle a

гавку

To bellow through the vaft and boundless deep.
Let us not flip th' occafion, whether fcorn,
Or fatiate fury, yield it from our foe.

Seeft thou yon dreary plain, forlorn and wild, 180
The feat of defolation, void of light,

Save what the glimmering of these livid flames
Cafts pale and dreadful? thither let us tend
From off the toffing of thefe fiery waves;
There reft, if any reft can harbour there :
And re-affembling our afflicted pow'rs,
Confult how we may henceforth moft offend
Our enemy, our own lofs how repair,
How overcome this dire calamity,

185

What reinforcement we may gain from hope; 190 If not, what refolution from despair..

195

Thus SATAN talking to his nearest mate, With head up-lift above the wave, and eyes That sparkling blaz'd; his other parts befides Prone on the flood, extended long and large, Lay floating many a rood: in bulk as huge As whom the fables name, of monftrous fize, TITANIAN, OF EARTH-born, that warr'd on JovE, BRIAREUS or TYPHON, whom the den By ancient TARSUS held, or that fea-beaft 200 LEVIATHAN, which Gop of all his works Created hugeft that fwim th' ocean ftream: (Him haply flumb'ring on the NORWAY foam, The pilot of fome fmall night-founder'd skiff, Deeming fome ifland, oft, as fea-men tell, With fixed anchor in his fcaly rind, Moors by his fide under the lee, while night Inveft the fea, and wished morn delays.) So ftretch'd out huge in length the Arch-fiend lay Chain'd on the burning lake; nor ever thence Had ris'n or heav'd his head, but that the will And high permiffion of all-ruling heaven, Left him at large to his own dark defigns;

A 4

205

210

That