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THE

SECOND BOOK

O F

PARADISE LOST.

THE ARGUMENT.

The confultation begun, Satan debates whether another battel be to be hazarded for the recovery of Heaven: fome advife it, others diffuade: A third propofal is preferr'd, mention'd before by Satan, to fearch the truth of that prophecy or tradition in Heaven concerning another world, and another kind of creature equal or not much inferior to themselves, about this time to be created: Their doubt who fhall be fent on this difficult fearch: Satan their chief undertakes alone the voyage, is honor'd and applauded. The council thus ended, the reft betake them feveral ways, and to feveral employments, as their inclinations lead them, to entertain the time till Satan return. He paffes on his journey to Hell gates, finds them fhut, and who fat there to guard them, by whom at length they are open'd, and difcover to him the great gulf between Hell and Heaven; with what difficulty he paffes through, directed by Chaos, the Power of that place, to the fight of this new world which he fought.

PARADISE LOST.

Η

BOOK II.

I G H on a throne of royal state, which far Outfhone the wealth of Ormus and of Ind, Or where the gorgeous east,with richest hand, Show'rs on her kings barbaric pearl and gold, Satan exalted fat, by merit rais'd

To that bad eminence; and from despair
Thus high uplifted beyond hope, aspires
Beyond thus high; infatiate to pursue

Vain war with Heav'n; and, by fuccefs untaught,
His proud imaginations thus display'd.

Pow'rs and Dominions, Deities of Heaven,
For, fince no deep within her gulf can hold
Immortal vigor, though oppress'd and fall'n,

I give not Heav'n for loft. From this descent
Celestial virtues rifing, will appear

More glorious, and more dread, than from no fall,
And truft themselves to fear no fecond fate.
Me though just right, and the fix'd laws of Heaven
Did first create your leader, next, free choice,
With what besides, in counfel or in fight,

Hath been achiev'd of merit; yet this loss

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Thus

Thus far at leaft recover'd, hath much more
Establish'd in a fafe, unenvied throne,

Yielded with full confent. The happier state
In Heav'n, which follows dignity, might draw
Envy from each inferior; but who here
Will envy,
whom the highest place exposes
Foremost to stand against the Thund'rer's aim,
Your bulwark, and condemns to greatest share
Of endless pain? where there is then no good
For which to ftrive, no ftrife can grow up there
From faction; for none sure will clame in Hell
Precedence; none, whofe portion is so small
Of present pain, that,with ambitious mind,
Will covet more. With this advantage then
To union, and firm faith, and firm accord,
More than can be in Heav'n, we now return
To clame our just inheritance of old,
Surer to profper, than prosperity

Could have affur'd us; and by what best way,
Whether of open war, or covert guile,
We now debate; who can advise, may speak.

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He ceas'd; and next him Moloch, fcepter'd king,
Stood up; the strongest and the fiercest Spirit
That fought in Heav'n, now fiercer by despair: 45
His truft was with th' Eternal to be deem'd

Equal in ftrength, and rather than be less,
Car'd not to be,at all; with that care loft
Went all his fear: of God, or Hell, or worse

He

He reck'd not, and these words thereafter spake. 50
My fentence is for open war: of wiles,

More unexpert, I boaft not: them let those
Contrive who need, or when they need, not now.
For while they fit contriving, shall the rest,
Millions that stand in arms, and longing wait
The fignal to ascend, fit ling'ring here
Heav'n's fugitives; and, for their dwelling place,
Accept this dark, opprobrious den of shame,
The prison of his tyranny who`reigns
By our delay? no, let us rather choose,
Arm'd with Hell flames and fury, all at once
O'er Heav'n's high tow'rs to force resistless way,
Turning our tortures into horrid arms
Against the torturer; when,to meet the noise
Of his almighty engin, he shall hear
Infernal thunder, and, for lightning,see
Black fire and horror fhot with equal rage
Among his Angels; and his throne itself,
Mix'd with Tartarean fulphur, and strange fire,
His own invented torments. But, perhaps,
The way seems difficult, and steep, to scale
With upright wing against a higher foe.
Let fuch bethink them, if the fleepy drench
Of that forgetful lake benumm not fill,
That, in our proper motion, we ascend
Up to our native feat: descent and fall
To us is adverfe. Who,but felt of late,

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