Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

In dubious battel on the plains of heav'n,
And shook his throne. What tho the field be loft? 10s;
All is not loft; th' unconquerable will,
And study of revenge, immortal hate,
And courage never to submit 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 deifie his pow'r,
Who from the terror of this arm so late
Doubted his empire: that were low indeed,
That were an ignominy and shame beneath
This downfal; fince by fate the strength of Gods,
And this empyreal substance cannot fail;

[ocr errors]

Since through experience of this great event,
In arms not worse, in forefight much advanc'd,

We may with more fuccessful hope resolve
To wage by force or guile eternal war,

120

Irreconcileable to our grand foe;

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

So fpake th' apostate 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;
Whether upheld by strength, or chance, or fate,

130

Too well I see and rue the dire event,
That with fad overthrow and foul defeat
Hath loft us heav'n, and all this mighty host

135

In horrible destruction laid thus low,

As far as Gods and heav'nly essences

Can perim: For the mind and spirit remains

140

4

146

Invincible, and vigor foon returns,
Though all our glory extinct, and happy state
Here fwallow'd up in endless misery.
But what if he our conqu'ror (whom I now
Of force, believe, Almighty, fince no less,
Than fuch could have, o'er-power'd, such force, as ours)
Have left us this our spirit and strength'entire,
Strongly to fuffer and support our pains?
That we may so suffice his vengeful ire,
Or do him mightier service, as his thralls
By right of war, whate'er his business be, 150
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?

مي

155

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 being the contrary to his high will
Whom we refift. If then his Providence
Out of our evil seek to bring forth good,
Our labour must be, to pervert that end,
And out of good, still, to find means of evil;
Which oft-times may fucceed, so as perhaps
Shall grieve him, if I fail not, and disturb
His inmoft counsels from their destin'd aim
But fee! the angry victor hath recall'd

160

L

165

[ocr errors]

His minifters of vengeance and perfuit,

179

Back to the gates of heav'n: the fulph'rous hail
Shot after us in storm, 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 shafts, and ceases now

[ocr errors]

Colere

pour re

ister et Su fire a

nous

Destine

Dans une misere eternelle notre uainqueur que je Comence a croire tout puissant puisquil a pu uain Gre des forces telles que les not'res, nous a laissé notre Courage et nos forces toute fa uangeresse peutetre tit Comme Ses esclaves, par le droit de la guerre plus rudes travaux, Dans Le fond des enfere ou a de penibles messages, a travers lobslur abime. nous vivons mais a quoy nous fert notre

[ocr errors]

immortalité, Sinon a eprouver un foplile eternd, Larchi-furie luy repartir

precipitation.

auec

In fortune cherubin la forle est toujours utile, Soit quil faille agir Soit quil faille Joufrir, mais fois Certain que nous ne Slaurions etre Condamné a faire le bien le mal au moins

Sera

tout notre plaisir,

volonté

1.

Comme erant Contraire a

de notre

ennemi.

La Supreme que si fa prouidene tache a tiver quelques biens, des mause "que nous ferons, renuerser Ses deisseins, et si je ne me trompe je. Suis a la veille de traverser Ses projets Secrets et detromper Son attente, mais vois ! le Cruel uainqueur a rapelle Ses ministres de wangeance, ause portes 'du Ciel; Lorage et la grele de Soufre quil a lance apres nous etouffe et recouure letang de feu qui nous velut, du haut du Cied; peutetre Ses traits sont ils epuisés, Ses foudres qui voloient Sur Laile des eclairs, et des tempetes Cessent de mugir dans la uaste profondeur de Labime, profitons fitons dune occasion,

nous travaillerons au moins a

que

le mepris

.

ou lassouissement de la fureur dun ennemy
nous laisse vois tu Cette plaine Solitaire et
Sauvage, Sejour d'horreur qui nest eclairé
que de la pale werer de Ces Sombres flames,
tournons y
Logitation de as vaques enflamees reposons

nous en

nos pas,

le lieu, Si

et nous retirants 'de

du repos, rassemblons nos puiss. Consultons Sur les

ns nos puissances

moyens,

trolluer

on les abatues

Joffenser desormais

notre ennemy, escaminons le quon peut faire

pour reparer

voyons

nos pertes, et Suporter notre malheur

en fin quel Consolation, gole desespoir, peuvent nous

Satan

avoir

Lesperan Casinon

Donner'enlor.

enorme de touts

2 parlant ainsi a fon plus proche Compagnon yeux etinlelants de fer et portoit sa tete ellence au dessus des uaques, le reste de fon Corps, flotant Jur le Fleuve, en Courroit une vaste etendue 'aussi 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, Livent la guerre a jupiter, ou telle paroit en Cor la baleine le plus de touts les animaux que diev aye Cree, d'ans les cause de locean, Jouvent Sur la mer de norvege, pendant que les tenebres investissent les eause, et retardent le jour desire, le pilote de quelque petit batiment, Surpris par la nuict, la trouvant endormie la prend pour quelque isle et jetant lancre dang Sa peaw ecaillée, Samarre Contre elle a labry du'vent; tel paroissoit le prine des demons, enchaine et buche Sur le Lac brulant, it neur jamais pu relever de la la Ite, mais la toute puissance le laissa Courir a noirs projets, afin quen cherchaura faire des

To bellow through the vast and boundless deep.
Let us not flip th'occasion, whether scorn,
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

Casts pale and dreadful? thither let us tend

From off the tossing of these fiery waves;
There reft, if any reft can harbour there :
And re-assembling our afflicted pow'rs,
Confult how we may henceforth most offend
Our enemy, our own loss how repair,
How overcome this dire calamity,
What reinforcement we may gain from hope; 190

185

If not, what resolution from despair..

Thus SATAN talking to his nearest mate, With head up-lift above the wave, and eyes That sparkling blaz'd; his other parts besides Prone on the flood, extended long and large, 195 Lay floating many a rood: in bulk as huge As whom the fables name, of monstrous fize, TITANIAN, Or EARTH-born, that warr'd on JOVE, BRIAREUS or TYPHON, whom the den By ancient TARSUS held, or that fea-beast 200 LEVIATHAN, which Gon of all his works Created hugest that swim th' ocean stream: (Him haply flumb'ring on the NORWAY foam, The pilot of fome small night-founder'd skiff, Deeming fome ifland, oft, as fea-men tell, With fixed anchor in his scaly rind, Moors by his fide under the lee, while night Invest the fea, and wished morn delays.) So stretch'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 permission of all-ruling heaven, Left him at large to his own dark defigns;

205

210

[ocr errors]

A 4

That

« ZurückWeiter »