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605

They ferry over this LETHEAN Sound
Both to and fro, their forrow to augment,
And with, and struggle as they pass, to reach
The tempting stream, with one small drop to lose
In sweet forgetfulness all pain and woe,
All in one moment, and so near the brink :
But Fate withstands, and to oppose th' attempt 610
MEDUSA with GORGONIAN terror guards
The ford, and of itself the water flies
All taste of living wight; as once it fled
The lip of TANTALUS. Thus roving on
In confus'd march forlorn th' advent'rous bands 615
With shuddring horror pale, and eyes agaft
View'd first their lamentable lot, and found
No rest: through many a dark and dreary vale
They pass'd, and many a region dolorous,
O'er many a frozen, many a fiery Alp,
Rocks, caves, lakes, fens, bogs, dens, & shades of death;
A universe of death, which GOD by curse
Created evil, for evil only good,

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Where all life dies, death lives, and nature breeds, Perverse, all monstrous, all prodigious things, 625 Abominable, inutterable; and worfe

Than Fables yet have feign'd, or fear conceiv'd, GORGONS and HYDRA'S and CHIMERAS dire.

Mean while the adversary of God and man, SATAN, with thoughts inflam'd of highest defign, 630 Puts on swift wings, and tow'rds the gates of Hell Explores his folitary flight: fometimes He scours the right-hand coaft, sometimes the left: Now shaves with level wing the deep; then foars Up to the fiery concave towring high. As when far off at sea a fleet defcry'd, Hangs in the clouds by Aquinoctial winds Close failing from BENGALA, or the ifles Of TERNATE and Tidore, whence merchants bring

Their spicy drugs: they on the trading flood

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Through

Through the wide ETHIOPIAN, to the Cape
Ply stemming nightly tow'rd the Pole: So feem'd
Far off the flying Fiend. At last appear
Hell bounds high reaching to the horrid roof;
And thrice threefold the gates; three folds were brass,
Three iron, three of adamantine rock,

Impenetrable, impal'd with circling fire,
Yet unconfum'd. Before the gates there fat
On either fide a formidable shape;

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The one feem'd woman to the waste, and fair, 650
But ended foul in many a fcaly fold,
Voluminous and vast! a ferpent arm'd
With mortal sting: about her middle round
A cry of hell-hounds never ceafing bark'd

With wide CERBERIAN mouths full loud, and rung
A hideous peal: yet, when they lift, would creep, 656
If ought disturb'd their noise, into her womb,
And kennel there, yet there still bark'd, and howl'd
Within, unseen. Far less abhorr'd than these
Vex'd SCYLLA, bathing in the fea that parts 660
CALABRIA from the hoarse TRINACRIAN shore:
Nor uglier follow the Night-Hag, when call'd
In fecret, riding through the air she comes
Lur'd with the finell of infant blood, to dance
With LAPLAND witches, while the lab'ring Moon 665
Eclipses at their charms. The other shape,
If shape it might be call'd that shape had none
Diftinguishable in member, joint, or limb,
Or fubftance might be call'd that shadow seem'd,
For each feem'd either; black it stood as night, 670
Fierce as ten Furies, terrible as hell,

And fhook a dreadful dart; what seem'd his head,
The likeness of a Kingly crown had on.
SATAN was now at hand, and from his feat
The monster moving, onward came as fast
With horrid ftrides, Hell trembled as he strode.
Th'undaunted Fiend what this might be admir'd,
Admir'd, not fear'd; Gop and his Son except,

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Created

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