Art thou that traitor Angel, art thou Hedebil A
Who first broke peace in Heav'n and faith, till then
Unbroken, and in proud rebellious armsha691
Drew after him the third part of Heav'n's fons
Conjúr'd against the Highest, for which both thou
And they, outcast from God, are here condemn'd
To waste eternal days in woe and pain?695
And reckon'st thou thyself with Spirits of Heaven,
Hell-doom'd, and breath'st defiance here and scorn
Where I reign king, and, to enrage thee more,
Thy king and lord? Back to thy punishment,
False fugitive, and to thy speed add wings,
Left with a whip of scorpions I purfue
Thy lingring, or with one ftroke of this dart TO
Strange horror feife thee', and pangs unfelt before.
So spake the grifly terror, and in shape,
Sol speaking and so threatning, grew ten-fold 705
More dreadful and deform: on th' other fide
Incens'd with indignation Satan stood
Unterrify'd, and like a comet burn'd,
That fires the length of Ophiuchus huge
In th' arctic sky, and from his horrid hair
Shakes peftilence and war. Each at the head
Level'd his deadly aim; their fatal hands
No second stroke intend, and such a frown
Each cast at th' other, as when two black clouds,
With Heav'n's artillery fraught, come rattling on
Over the Calpian, then stand front to front
Hovering a space, till winds the fignal blow
To join their dark encounter in mid air:
So frown'd the mighty combatants, that Hell Grew darker at their frown, so match'd they stood; 720 For never but once more was either like
To meet fo great a foe: and now great deeds
Had been achiev'd, whereof all Hell had rung,
Had not the snaky forceress that fat
Fast by Hell gate, and kept the fatal key,
Ris'n, and with hideous outcry rush'd between.
O Father, what intends thy hand, the cry'd,
Against thy only Son? What fury', O Son,
Poffeffes thee to bend that mortal dartra
Against thy Father's head? and know'it for whom;
For him, who fits above and laughs the while
At thee ordain'd his drudge, to execute
Whate'er his wrath, which he calls justice, bids;
His wrath, which one day will destroy ye both.
*She spake, and at her words the hellish pest 735
Forbore, then these to her Satan return'd.
So strange thy outcry, and thy words so strange Thou interposeft, that my sudden hand Prevented spares, to tell thee yet by deeds What it intends; till first I know of thee, What thing thou art, thus double-forin'd, and why In this infernal vale first met thou call'ital Me Father, and that phantasm call'st my Son; I know thee not, nor ever faw till now Sight more detestable than him and thee.
T' whom thus the portress of Hell gate reply'd:
Hast thou forgot me then, and do I feem
Now in thine eye so foul? once deem'd fo fair
In Heav'n, when at th' assembly, and in fight
Of all the Seraphim with thee combin'd
In bold confpiracy against Heav'n's king,
All on a sudden miferable pain
Surpris'd thee, dim thine eyes, and dizzy fwum In darkness, while thy head flames thick and fast
Threw forth, till on the left fide opening wide, 755
Likett to thee in shape and count'nance bright,
Then shining heav'nly fair, a Goddess arm'
Out of thy head I fprung: amazement feis'dd
All th' host of Heav'n; back they recoil'd afraid
At first, and call'd me Sin, and for a fign 760
Portentous held me; but familiar grown,
I pleas'd, and with attractive graces won
The most averfe, thee chiefly, who full oft Aninga
Thyself in me thy perfect image viewing
Becam'it enamour'd, and such joy thou took'st 765
With me in fecret, that my womb conceiv'de
A growing burden. Mean while war arose,
And fields were fought in Heav'n; wherein remain'd
(For what could elfe?) to our almighty foe
Clear victory, to our part loss and rout
Through all the empyréan: down they fell
Driv'n headlong from the pitch of Heaven, down
Into this deep, and in the general fallử
I also; at which time this pow'rful keya
Into my hand was giv'n, with charge to keep 775
These gates for ever shut, which none can país
Without my opening. Pensive here I fat
Alone, but long I fat not, till my womb mar
Pregnant by thee, and now excessive grown,
Prodigious motion felt and rueful throes.
At lait this odious offspring, whom thou seest
Thine own begotten, breaking violent way
Tore through my entrails, that with fear and pain
Distorted, all my nether shape thus grew
Transform'd: but he my inbred enemy
Forth iffued, brandishing his fatal dart
Made to destroy: I fled, and cry'd out Death;
Hell trembled at the hideous name, and figh'datet
From all her caves, and back refounded Death.
I fled, but he pursued, (though more, it seems, 790
Inflam'd with lust than rage) and swifter far, fo
Me overtook his mother all difinay'd,
And in embraces forcible and foul
Ingendring with me, of that rape begot
These yelling monsters, that with ceaseless cry 795
Surround me, as thou faw'ft, hourly conceiv'de
And hourly born, with forrow infinite
To me; for when they lift, into the womb
That bred them they return, and howl and gnaw
My bowels, their repast; then bursting forth
Afresh with confcious terrors vex me round,
That reft or intermiffion none I find.
Before mine eyes in oppofition fits
Grim Death my fon and foe, who sets them on,
And me his parent would full foon devour
For want of other prey, but that he knows.
His end with mine involv'd; and knows that I SCA
Should prove a bitter morsel, and his bane,
Whenever that shall be; so fate pronounc'd.
But thou, O Father, I forewarn thee, shun
His deadly arrow; neither vainly hope
To be invulnerable in those bright arms,
Though temper'd heav'nly, for that mortal dint,
Save he who reigns above, none can refift.
She finish'd, and the fubtle Fiend his lore 815 Soon learn'd, now milder, and thus anfwer'd fmooth. Dear Daughter, fince thou claim'it me for thy fire, And my fair son here show'it me, the dear pledge Of dalliance had with thee in heav'n, and joys Then sweet, now sad to mention, through dire change Befall'n
Befall'n us unforeseen, unthought of; know
I come no enemy, but to fet free
From out this dark and dismal house of pain r
Both him and thee, and all the heav'nly host
Of Spirits, that in our juit pretences arm'd
Fell with us from on high: from them I go
This uncouth errand fole, and one for all
Myself expose, with lonely steps to tread
Th' unfounded deep, and through the void immenfe
To fearch with wand'ring quest a place foretold 830
Should be, and, by concurring signs, ere now
Created valt and round, a place of bliss
In the pourlieus of Heav'n, and therein plac'd
A race of upstart creatures, to supply
Perhaps our vacant room, though more remov'd, 835
Left Heav'n furcharg'd with potent multitude
Might hap to move new broils: Be this, or ought
Than this more fecret now design'd, I hafte
To know, and this once known, shall foon return,
And bring ye to the place where Thou and Death 840
Shall dwell at ease, and up and down unfeen
Wing filently the buxom air, imbalm'd
With odors; there ye shall be fed and fill'd
Immeafurably, all things shall be your prey.
He ceas'd, for both feem'd highly pleas'd, and Death
Grinn'd horrible a ghastly finile, to hear
His farmin should be fill'd, and blest his maw
Destin'd to that good hour: no less rejoic'd
His mother bad, and thus bespake her fire.
The key of this infernal pit by due,
And by command of Heav'n's all-pow'rful king
I keep, by him forbidden to unlock
These adamantin gates; against all force
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