Of merit high to all th' infernal host, Eafing their paffage hence, from intercourse, Or tranfmigration, as their lot fhall lead. Nor can I miss the way, fo ftrongly drawn By this new felt attraction and instinct.
Whom thus the meagre fhadow answer'd foon:
Go whither Fate and inclination strong>
Leads thee; I fhall not lag behind, nor err
Of carnage, prey innumerable, and tafte
The way, thou leading, fuch a fcent I draw
The favor of death from all things there that live: Nor fhall I to the work thou enterprisest
Be wanting, but afford thee equal aid.
So faying, with delight he fnuff'd the smell
Of mortal change on earth. As when a flock
Of ravenous fowl, though many a league remote, Against the day of battle, to a field,
Where armies lie encamp'd, come flying, lur'd
With fcent of living carcafes defign'd
For death, the following day, in bloody fight;
So fcented the grim feature, and upturn'd His nottrils wide into the murky air,
Sagacious of his quarry from fo far.
Then both from out Hell gates, into the wafte
Wide anarchy of Chaos, damp and dark,
Flew diverfe, and with power (their power was great) Hovering upon the waters, what they met,
Solid or flimy, as in raging sea
Toft up and down, together crowded drove
From each fide fhoaling tow'rds the mouth of Hell;
As when two polar winds, blowing adverse
Upon the Cronian sea, together drive
Mountains of ice, that ftop th' imagin'd way
Beyond Petfora eastward, to the rich Cathaian coaft. The aggregated foil
Death, with his mace petrific, cold, and dry, As with a trident fmote, and fix'd as firm As Delos floating once; the reft his look Bound with Gorgonian rigour not to move; And with Alphaltic flime, broad as the gate,
Deep to the roots of hell the gather'd beach They faften'd, and the mole immenfe wrought on Over the foaming deep high arch'd, a bridge Of length prodigious, joining to the wall Immoveable of this now fenceless world, Forfeit to Death; from hence a paffage broad, Smooth, easy, inoffensive down to hell.
So, if great things to fmall may be compar'd,
Xerxes, the liberty of Greece to yoke,
From Sufa his Memnonian palace high Came to the fea, and over Hellefpont
Bridging his way, Europe with Asia join'd,
And fcourg'd with many a ftroke th' indignant waves.
Now had they brought the work by wondrous art Pontifical, a ridge of pendent rock,
Over the vex'd abyfs, following the track
Of Satan to the felf fame place where he
Firt lighted from his wing, and landed safe
From out of Chaos, to the out fide bare
Of this round world: with pins of adamant
And chains they made all fast, too fast they made And durable; and now in little space
The confines met of empyréan heav'n
And of this world; and on the left hand hell
With long reach interpos'd; three feveral ways
In fight, to each of thefe three places led.
And now their way to Earth they had defcry'd, To Paradife first tending, when behold Satan, in likeness of an angel bright, Betwixt the Centaur and the Scorpion fteering His zenith, while the fun in Aries rofe: Difguis'd he came, but thofe his children dear Their parent foon discern'd, though in difguife. He, after Eve feduc'd, unminded flunk Into the wood faft by, and changing fhape To obferve the fequel, faw his guileful act By Eve, though all unweeting, feconded Upon her husband, faw their fhame that fought Vain covertures; but when he faw defcend The Son of God to judge them, terrify'd B
He fled, not hoping to escape, but shun The prefent, fearing, guilty, what his wrath Might fuddenly inflict; that paft, return'd By night, and lift'ning where the hapless pair Sat in their fad difcourfe, and various plaint, Thence gather'd his own doom, which understood Not inftant, but of future time, with joy And tidings fraught, to hell he now return'd, And at the brink of Chaos, near the foot Of this new wondrous pontifice, unhop'd Met who to meet him came, his offspring dear. Great joy was at their meeting, and at fight Of that ftupendous bridge his joy increas'd. Long he admiring ftood, till Sin, his fair Enchanting daughter, thus the filence broke : O Parent, these are thy magnific deeds,
Thy trophies, which thou view'ft as not thine own; Thou art their author and prime architect;
For I no fooner in my heart divin'd,
My heart, which, by a secret harmony,
Still moves with thine, join'd in connexion fweet,
That thou on earth hath profper'd, which thy looks
Now alfo evidence, but ftrait I felt,
Though diftant from the worlds between, yet felt
That I must after thee with this thy fon,
Such fatal confequence unites us three :
Hell could no longer hold us in her bounds,
Nor this unvoyageable gulf obfcure
Detain from following thy illuftrious track.
Thou hast achiev'd our liberty, confin'd
Within hell gates till now; thou us empower'd To fortify thus far, and overlay
With this portentous bridge the dark abyfs.
Thine now is all this world; thy virtue hath won What thy hands builded not, thy wildom gain'd With odds what war hath loft, and fully aveng'd Our foil in heav'n: here thou shalt monarch reign, There didft not; there let him ftill victory sway, As battle hath adjudg'd, from this new world Retiring, by his own doom alienated,
And henceforth monarchy with thee divine Of all things parted by th' empyreal bounds, His quadrature, from thy orbicular world, Or try thee now more dangerous to his throne.
Whom thus the Prince of Darkness answer'd glad Fair daughter, and thou fon and grandchild both, High pooof 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
Thenfernal 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, Of easy thorough-fare. Therefore, while I Defcend through darkness, on your road with ease, To my affociate powers, them to acquaint With these fucceffes, and with them rejoice, You two this way, among thefe numerous orbs, All yours, right down to Paradife defcend;
There dwell and reign in bliss, thence on the earth Dominion exercise, and in the air;
Chiefly on man, fole lord of all declar'd: Him first make sure your thrall, and lastly kill. My fubftitutes I fend you, and create Plenipotent on earth, of matchlefs might Ifluing from me: on your joint vigour now My hold of this new kingdom all depends, Through fin to death expos'd by my exploit. If your joint power prevail, th' affairs of hell No detriment need fear: go, and be strong.
So faying, he difmifs'd them: they with fpeed 410 Their courfe through thickest constellations held, Spreading their bane; the blasted stars look'd wan, And planets, planet-struck, 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 assail'd, That fcorn'd his indignation: through the gate,
Wide open and unguarded, 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' inland 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.
There kept their watch the legions, while the grand In council fat, folicitous 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 Sophi, from the horns Of Turkish crefcent, leaves all waste beyond The realm of Aladule, in his retreat To Tauris or Catbeen; so these, the late Heav'n-banifh'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 through the midst unmark'd, In fhow plebeian angel militant,
Of loweft order, pass'd; and from the door Of that Plutonian hall invifible
Afcended his high throne, which, under state 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 last, as from a cloud, his fulgent head
And fhape ftar-bright appear'd, or brighter, clad 450 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 afpect, and whom they wish'd beheld,
Forth rush'd in hafte the great confulting peers, Rais'd from their dark divan, and with like joy
Their mighty Chief return'd: loud was the acclaim:
« 上一頁繼續 » |