Ductor agit turmas. Hoftem Hi fcrutantur in umbris
Illum ibi Bufonis specie videre cubantem
Depressum, acclinemque incautis auribus Evæ,
Arte malâ taciti quærentem impellere fenfûs
Organa, mendaces variâ fub imagine formas
Fingere, blanditiafque leves ac fomnia falfa :
Tum tenues nervorum auras vegetofque vapores
(Sanguine qui puro veniunt, ut flamina blanda
Fontibus ingenuis) tristi violare veneno
Orfus; & hinc vanas animo fpes, vana fovere
Confilia, & faftu pectus diftendere iniquo.
Ergo his intentum perftrinxit Ithurial haftæ
Cufpide; cœlefti leviter nam percita tactu
Vi fubitâ redit ad fefe Fraus omnis, & atrâ
Fronte patet. Satanas levis emicat, attonitufque
Contremit, & faciem infernam fuaque ora fatetur.
Qualis fulphurei fi pulveris incidat altum
In cumulum, quondam fcelerata in bella repôstum,
Dazling the Moon: thefe to the Bow'r direct,
In fearch of whom they fought. Him there they
Squat like a Toad, close at the ear of Eve; [found,
Affaying by his devilish Art to reach
The Organs of her fancy, and with them forge
Illufions, as he lift, Phantafms, and Dreams:
Or if infpiring venom, he might taint
Th' animal Spirits, that from pure blood arife,
Like gentle breaths from rivers pure; thence raise
At least diftemper'd, discontented thoughts;
Vain hopes, vain aims, inordinate defires,
Blown up with high conceits ingend'ring pride.
Him thus intent Ithuriel with his Spear
Touch'd lightly; for no falfhood can endure
Touch of Celestial Temper, but returns
Of force to its own likeness. Up he starts,
Discover'd, and furpriz'd. As when a spark
Lights on a heap of nitrous Powder, laid
Alite lapfa malo Scintillula; pinguis acervus
Corripitur, celerique per aera fulgurat igne.
Haud fecus emicuit Satanas, fuaque extulit ora.
Ut verò deformem Erebi videre Tyrannum
Calicolæ rofei, fubitus ftupor occupat ambos,
Non timor: ergo ipfum invadunt his vocibus ultro:
Quis Tu infidorum Superûm, nigrantibus umbris
Damnatorum Erebi? quid rupto huc carcere tendis ?
Quidque aliâ excubias facie velut hoftis agebas
Subdolus, hos juxta innocuos fomnoque vacantes ?
Nefcitifne, tumens faftu Prædator atroci,
Mene ergo nefcitis? ait. Meminiftis at olim
Evectum, quà vos nequaquam adnitier aufi.
Sed me nôffe parum, magis & vos arguit ipfos
Ignotos, plebem abjectam, & fine nomine vulgus.
Sin nôftis, cur hæc tam vana exordia inani
Protrahitis ftudio, vanamque habitura fequelam?
Cui Zephon fimili ulcifcens faftidia fastu :
Fit for the tun, fome Magazine to ftore
Against a rumor'd War; the fmutty grain
With fudden blaze diffus'd, inflames the air:
So ftarted up, in his own shape, the Fiend.
Back ftep'd those two fair Angels, half amaz'd,
So fudden to behold the grifly King;
Yet thus, unmov'd with fear, accost him foon:
Which of thofe rebel Spirits, adjudg'd to Hell,
Com'ft thou, efcap'd thy prifon? and transform'd
Why fat'ft thou, like an enemy in wait,
Here watching at the head of these that sleep?
Know ye not then, faid Satan, fill'd with
fcorn,
Know ye not Me? ye knew me once no mate
For
you; there fitting where you durst not foar:
Not to know Me argues your felves unknown,
The lowest of your throng: or if ye know,
Why ask ye, and fuperfluous begin
Your meffage, like to end as much in vain? [fcorn:
To whom thus Zephon, anfwering fcorn with
Ergone adhuc jactas talem te, Perfide, pulchro
Infignem vultu, illafo fplendore decorum,
Qualis eras quondam, æthereâ fublimis in arce,
Integer, immaculatus? Ut excidit aurea Virtus,
Omnis ibi diffugit honos; jam fronte nigranti
Trifte refers fcelus, & fceleris deformia regna.
Non tamen abfcedes; Illo te Judice coram
Purgabis, nos qui mifit, ftudioque fideli
Hæc loca tutari dedit, indigenafque beatos.
Dixerat hæc Juvenis radians, & voce severâ
Corripuit: voci invictum decus addidit oris
Purpurei nitor, & florentis Gratia formæ.
Succubuit victus Satanas; jam quantus Honesti
Splendor erat, Rectique, videt; quæ quantaque pulchræ
Virtutis Species; intabescitque relictâ.
At dolet hoc gravius, læfà fe fronte minorem
Diffimilemque fuî cerni: fed mente videri
Indomitâ conatur adhuc. Si viribus æquis
This place inviolable, and thefe from harm.
So fpake the Cherub; and his grave rebuke,
Think not, revolted Spirit, thy fhape the fame,
Or undiminish'd brightnefs, to be known,
As when thou ftoodft in Heav'n, upright and Severe in youthful beauty, added grace
That Glory then, when thou no more waft good,
Departed from thee; and thou resembleft now
Thy fin, and place of doom, obfcure and foul.
But come; for thou, be fure, fhalt give account
To him who fent us, whofe charge is to keep
Invincible: abafh'd the Devil ftood,
And felt how awful goodness is, and saw
Virtue in her shape how lovely; faw, and pin'd
His lofs but chiefly to find here observ'd
His luftre visibly impair'd; yet feem'd
Undaunted. If I must contend, faid He,
Certandum eft, inquit, cur pugnat Nuntius? Ipfe
Dux mihi, concurrantve omnes: Sic gloria major
Tibi inertia corda,
(Rettulit impavidus Zephon) tentare vetabunt,
Quid noftrûm & minimus poffit certamine folus
Te contra, fcelere infractum. Nihil improbus olli
Refpondet Satanas, rabie exfuperante tumefcens :
At lento incedit passu, velut acer habenas
Indignans Sonipes, fpumanfque ac ferrea mandens
Fræna ferox: Vanum quippe aut contendere duxit,
Aut fugere; ufque adeo domitârat atrocia corda
Infolitus cœlo veniens formidinis Horror.
Jamque propinquabant, quà fe Cuftodia duplex
Occiduâ conjuncta plagâ trahit agmen in unum,
Imperia expectans, dederit quæ proxima Ductor:
Quos acie à primâ Gabrial fic admonet, altum
Compellans:
Huc properant; oculifque incertâ luce per
Vigilate; pedum fonus impulit aures;
Beft with the Beft, the Sender not the Sent,
Or All at once more glory will be won,
Or lefs be loft. Thy fear, faid Zephon bold,
Will fave us tryal, what the leaft can do
Single against Thee wicked, and thence weak.
The Fiend reply'd not, overcome with rage;
But like a proud Steed rein'd, went haughty on,
Champing his iron curb: to ftrive, or fly,
He held it vain: awe from above had quell'd
His heart, not elfe difmay'd. Now drew they nigh
The western Point, where those half-rounding guards
Juft met, and clofing ftood in fquadron join'd,
Awaiting next command. To whom their Chief,
Gabriel, from the Front thus call'd aloud:
O Friends, I hear the tread of nimble feet
Hafting this way; and now by glimps discern
Apparent Zephonque & Ithurial, & Comes unà
Tertius, inceffu regali, at lumine læso
Splendoris; geftuque fuperbo & mole videtur
Rex Erebi, bellum intentans. Vos firma tenete
Agmina; nam fævo Rabies furit improba vultu.
Vix ea finierat; cum Par illuftre propinquant;
Et Quis, ubi arreptus, quo geftu, quâque figurâ,
Quofque dolos ftrueret modò perfidus, ordine narrant
Cuncta brevi: torvo hunc Gabrial fic increpat ore:
Cur data nequitiis, Satana, perrumpere claustra
Aufus es, indignifque modis vexare filentes
Custodum vagus excubias, qui te tuaque horrent
Exempla? At noftrum eft veniendi poscere caufas,
Et quianam fomnos violes, gentifque quietem
Innocuæ, quibus his tribuit DEUS otia terris.
Quem Satanas fic deinde irridet fronte fuperba : Scilicet in cœlo, Gabrial, Sapientis honores Jactabas! Quin dignum etiam te nomine tanto
Ithuriel and Zephon, through the fhade;
And with them comes a Third of Regal port,
But faded fplendor wan; who by his gate,
And fierce demeanour, feems the Prince of Hell,
Not likely to part hence without contest:
Stand firm, for in his look defiance lours.
He scarce had ended, when those two approach'd,
And brief related whom they brought, where found,
How bufied, in what form and pofture couch'd:
To whom with ftern regard thus Gabriel fpake:
Why haft thou, Satan, broke the bounds prefcrib'd
To thy tranfgreffions, and difturb'd the charge
Of others, who approve not to transgress
By thy example; but have pow'r and right
To queftion thy bold entrance on this place,
Employ'd, it seems, to violate fleep, and those
Whofe dwelling God hath planted here in bliss ?
To whom thus Satan, with contemptuous brow:
Gabriel, thou hadft in Heav'n th' efteem of Wise,
And fuch I held thee; but this question ask'd
|