And stripes, and arbitrary punishment

Inflicted? and what peace can we return,
But to our pow'r hoftility and hate,

Untam'd reluctance, and revenge though flow,
Yet ever plotting how the conqu'ror least
May reap his conquest, and may
leaft rejoice

In doing what we moft in fuffering feel?
Nor will occafion want, nor fhall we need
With dang'rous expedition to invade

335

340

Heav'n, whofe high walls fear no affault or fiege,
Or ambush from the deep. What if we find
Some eafier enterprife? There is a place,
(If ancient and prophetic fame in Heaven

345

Err not) another world, the happy feat

Of fome new race call'd Man, about this time
To be created like to us, though less

350

In pow'r and excellence, but favor'd more
Of him who rules above; fo was his will
Pronounc'd among the Gods, and by an oath,
That shook Heav'n's whole circumference, confirin'd.
Thither let us bend all our thoughts, to learn
What creatures there inhabit, of what mold
Or fubftance, how indued, and what their power,
And where their weakness, how attempted best,
By force or fubtlety. Though Heav'n be shut,
And Heaven's high arbitrator fit secure

As Virgil had imitated Homer,
Iliad. I. 528.

H, xx xvαVENTW επ' οφρύσι νεύσε
Κρονίων
Αμβροσιας
αρα χαιταί επεςρωσανίο
asz×10.

355

In

High Heav'n with trembling the
dread fignal took,

And all Olympus to the center
fhook.
Pope.

All the three poets, we fee, mention the fhaking of Heaven, only Milton attributes that effect to the

Κρατος απ' αθανατοιο μεγαν δ' ελε- cath, which Homer and Virgil

λιξεν Ολυμπον.

He fpoke, and awful bends his fable brows;

Shakes his ambrofial curls, and

gives the nod, The ftamp of fate, and fanction of the God;

afcribe to the nod of Jupiter: but. the circumftance of the nod feems to be rightly omitted in this place, because God is not here giving his affent to any one's petition, which is the cafe in Homer and Virgil, but only pronouncing his will among the Angels.

I z

360.--this

In his own ftrength, this place may lie expos'd, 360
The utmost border of his kingdom, left

To their defense who hold it: here perhaps
Some advantageous act may be achiev'd
By fudden onset, either with Hell fire

To wafte his whole creation, or poffefs

365

All as our own, and drive, as we were driven,

The puny habitants, or if not drive,

Seduce them to our party, that their God

May prove their foe, and with repenting hand
Abolish his own works. This would furpass 370
Common revenge, and interrupt his joy
In our confufion, and our joy upraise
In his disturbance; when his darling fons,

360.-this place may lie expos'd, The utmoft border of his kingdom,left To their defenfe who hold it :] It has been objected, that there is a contradiction between this part of Beelzebub's fpeech, and what he fays afterwards, fpeaking of the fame thing and of a meffenger proper to be fent in fearch of this new world, ver. 410.

-what strength, what art can then Suffice, or what evafion bear him

fafe

Through the ftrict fenteries and ftations thick

Hurl'd

Of Angels watching round?

How can this earth be faid to lie expos'd &c, and yet to be strictly guarded by ftation'd Angels? The objection is very ingenious: but it is not faid, that the earth doth lie expos'd, but only that it may lie expos'd: and it may be confider'd, that the defign of Beelzebub is different in these different speeches; in the former, where he is encouraging the affembly to undertake an expedition against this world, he fays things to leffen the difficulty and danger; but in the lat

ter,

375

Hurl'd headlong to partake with us, shall curfe
Their frail original, and faded bliss,

Faded fo foon. Advife if this be worth
Attempting, or to fit in darkness here
Hatching vain empires. Thus Beelzebub
Pleaded his devilish counsel, first devis'd

By Satan, and in part propos'd: for whence, 380
But from the author of all ill, could spring

So deep a malace, to confound the race

Of mankind in one root, and Earth with Hell
To mingle and involve, done all to fpite
The great Creator? But their spite still ferves 385
His glory to augment. The bold defign
Pleas'd highly those infernal States, and joy

ter, when they have determin'd upon the expedition, and are confulting of a proper perfon to employ in it, then he fays things to magnify the difficulty and danger, to make them more cautious in their choice.

362.here perhaps] Dr. Bentley fays that Milton must have given it there perbaps: but I think not: in ver. 360. it is this place, and therefore Milton gave it here, that is in the place which I am fpeaking of. Milton frequently uses now and here, not meaning a time or place then prefent to him or his

Sparkled in all their eyes; with full affent
They vote: whereat his fpeech he thus renews.
Well have ye judg'd, well ended long debate, 390
Synod of Gods, and like to what ye are,
Great things refolv'd, which from the lowest deep,
Will once more lift us up, in fpite of fate,
Nearer our ancient feat; perhaps in view
Ofthofebright confines, whence with neighb'ring arms
And opportune excurfion we may chance
Re-enter Heav'n; or elfe in fome mild zone
Dwell not unvilltea of Heav'n's fair light
Secure, and at the brightning orient beam
Purge off this gloom; the foft delicious air,
To heal the fear of thefe corrofive fires,
Shall breathe her balm. But nrft whom fhall we fend
In fearch of this new world? whom thall we find
Sufficient? who fhall tempt with wand ring feet

396

400