(Sic belli fortuna jubet) cum fponte recenti
Migrârit mundo, & defertis cefferit oris.
Scilicet hinc tecum imperium difcrimine certo,
Ipfe empyrei contentus limite cœli,
Dividat æquali partitu jure, fuâque
Quadratâ ditione tuum difterminet orbem;
Aut te alio tandem certamine viribus auctum
Sentiat, & folio ancipiti graviora minatum.
Huic deinde exultans tenebrarum talia princeps:
Filia pulcra, idemque mihi tu nate neposque,
Jam claris patet indiciis a fanguine cretos
Vos Satana (namque omnipotentis numinis hostem
Et dici juvat, & celfo me nomine jacto)
Ampla quidem de me, ftygiæ de fratribus aulæ
Omnibus ampla etiam meriti; prope mœnia cœli
Ipfa triumphantes qui fic junxiftis opima
Veftra trophæa meis; mundique hæc arva plagafque
Infernas, nunc regna eadem fociâftis, eandem
As battle hath adjudg'd; from this new world.
Retiring, by his own doom alienated:
And henceforth monarchy with thee divide
Of all things, parted by th' empyreal bounds,
His quadrature, from thy orbicular world;
Or try thee now more dang'rous to his throne.
Whom thus the prince of darkness answer'd glad :
Fair daughter, and thou fon and grand-child both,
High proof ye now have giv'n to be the race
Of Satan, (for I glory in the name,
Antagonist of heav'n's Almighty King)
Amply have merited of me, of all
Th' infernal empire, that, fo near heav'n's door,
Triumphal with triumphal act have met,
Mine with this glorious work; and made one
realm
Hell, and this world, one realm, one continent
Nunc patriam, atque unas communi littore fedes.
Ergo agite, & tenebras inter dum tramite vestro
Ipfe iter ad focios fectabor lætius arces,
Ut pandam hæc portenta, ut dulcia partiar illis
Gaudia, vos celeres Edeni tendite regna
Per varios, quos latè orbes ditione tenetis.
Macte ibi perpetuis fceptris, ibi pace ferenâ
Per terras dulce imperium exercete, per auras
Undique; præ cunctis hominem, qui fcilicet unus
Regnator terrarum audit, compefcite; fræno
Hunc premite ac vinclis, & tandem abfumite letho.
In veftras ibi plena manus tranfmiffa poteftas,
Vifque immenfa meî, nullifque coercita virtus
Finibus; in vobis cuncta inclinata recumbunt.
Hæc alacres nova regna opibus defendite junctis,
Atis & aufpiciis fpatia ampla potentior Hades
Occupet: hinc quantis fe attollet gloria rebus
Tartarea! ite igitur fortes, atque omine læto.
Of eafy thorough-fare. Therefore while I
Defcend thro' darkness on your road with ease
To my affociate pow'rs, them to acquaint
With these fucceffes, and with them rejoice;
You two this way, among these numerous orbs
All yours, right down to paradise descend:
There dwell, and reign in blifs; thence on the
Dominion exercife, and in the air,
Chiefly on man, fole lord of all declar'd:
Him first make fure your thrall, and lastly kill.
My substitutes I send you, and create
Plenipotent on earth, of matchless might
Iffuing from me: on your joint vigor now
My hold of this new kingdom all depends;
Thro' fin to death expos'd, by my exploit.
If your joint pow'r prevail, th' affairs of hell
No detriment need fear: go, and be strong.
His dictis, illi raptim inter fidera denfa :
Præcipitem per inane fugam celerare, venena
Spargentes latè: tabenti protinus igne
Sidera defecere polo, tenebrisque malignis
Cefferunt ftygiâ contacti peste planetæ.....
Parte aliâ infuetum Satanas tendebat averni
Ad portas iter attonitus, quà ponte recenti.
Hinc atque hinc fonitum immanem divifa dederunt
Stagna Chaûs, fruftra impositam indignantia molem.
Dein portam ingreditur, nullo cuftode, patentem;
Et defolatas circum videt undique fedes:
Nam vigilum excubiæ, portæ queis cura, volârant
In fuperi nova regna orbis: pars cetera averni
Se mediis collecta plagis glomeraverat ipsum
Ad Pandæmonium, folium fedemque fuperbam
Luciferi: id Satanas nomen de nomine duxit
Sideris, ante alios lucentis clarius ignes.
So faying, he difmifs'd them: they with speed
Their course thro' thickeft conftellations held,
Spreading their bane: the blafted stars look'd wan;
And planets, planet-ftruck, real eclipse
Then fuffer'd. Th' other way, Satan went down
The caufey to hell-gate: on either fide,
Difparted Chaos over-built exclaim'd,
And with rebounding furge the bars affail'd,
That fcorn'd his indignation. Through the gate,
Wide open, and un-guarded, Satan pass'd;
And all about found defolate: for those
Appointed to fit there, had left their charge,
Flown to the upper world: the rest were all
Far to th' in-land retir`d, about the walls
Of Pandemonium, city, and proud feat
Of Lucifer, (fo by allufion call'd
Of that bright ftar to Satan paragon'd)
Hic vigilum excubuere cohors, dum grande coacti
Concilium proceres regni de rebus agebant,
Solliciti mora quæ magnum tam longa teneret
Induperatorem: nam fic mandaverat ipfe
Difcedens; hi, quæ dederat mandata, faceffunt.
Qualis ubi Scytha, quem prope Mofcoviticus hoftis
Infequitur, rura aggeribus cooperta nivosis
Deferit Aftracanæ; feu qualis Perfa tyrannus,
Turcarum cum figna fugax lunata tremiscit,
Et faltus longè armenios latèque vacantes
Deftituens, abit aut Casbini aut Tauridis arces.
Haud aliter profuga hæc dudum cœleftibus oris
Agmina deferuere unà, poft jugera multa relictos
Jugera nigra, erebi fines; arcemque fupremam
Mutatâ excubiis cautis ftatione tenebant.
Jamque pererratis audaci indagine mundis
Impavidum expectant rediturum ad limina regem.
Ille autem ingenti taciti fefe intulit aulæ
There kept their watch the legions, while the grand The realm of Aladule, in his retreat
In council fat, follicitous what chance
Might intercept their emperor fent: fo he
Departing gave command, and they observ'd.
As when the Tartar from his Ruffian foe,
By Aftracan, over the fnowy plains,
Retires; or Bactrian sophy from the horns
Of Turkish crefcent, leaves all waste beyond
To Tauris, or Cabin. So thefe, the late
Heav'n banish'd hoft, left defert utmost hell
Many a dark league, reduc'd in careful watch
Round their metropolis; and now expecting
Each hour their great adventurer, from the fearch
Of foreign worlds. He thro' the midft un-mark'd,
Ordinis indutus formam vultufque minoris,
Per medios latè incedens, neque cognitus ulli;
Dein folium afcendit, fummâ quod fede fuperbum
Auleis oftro intextis effulfit & auro.
Sedit ibi paulùm & fua circumfpexit ab alto
Agmina, opertus adhuc tenebris: tum fideris inftar
Erupit, veluti e nebulâ, penitusque videndum
Explicuit vanum fplendorem, & quanta prioris
Omnipotens manfiffe finit vestigia lucis.
At ftygiæ fubito attonitos fplendore catervæ
Convertere repente oculos, magnumque fonanti
Sollicitè optatum plaufu, agnovere tyrannum:
Nec mora, concilio ex fummo nigroque receffu
Accelerantque ruuntque duces, fremituque fecundo
Gratantur reducem: dehinc ipfe filentia dextrâ
Imperat, & trahit attentas his vocibus aures :
Sceptra, poteftatefque, excelfi nominis arces,
In fhew plebeian angel militant
Of lowest order pafs'd; and from the door
Of that Plutonian hall, invifible
Afcended his high throne: which, under ftate
Of richeft texture fpread, at th' upper end
Was plac'd, in regal luftre. Down a-while
He fat, and round about him faw, unfeen.
At laft, as from a cloud, his fulgent head,
And shape star-bright appear'd, or brighter; clad
With what permiffive glory fince his fall
Was left him, or falfe glitter. All amaz'd
At that fo fudden blaze, the Stygian throng
Bent their aspect; and whom they wish'd, beheld,
Their mighty chief return'd: loud was th’acclaim!
Forth rush'd in hafte the great confulting peers,
Rais'd from the dark divan, and with like joy
Congratulant approach'd him; who with hand
Silence, and with thefe words, attention won:
Thrones, dominations, princedoms, virtues,
pow'rs,
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