With long reach interpos'd; three several ways
In fight, to each of these three places led.
And now their way to Earth they had defcry'd,
To Paradise first tending, when behold
Satan in likenefs of an Angel bright
Betwixt the Centaur and the Scorpion steering
His zenith, while the fun in Aries rofe:
Difguis'd he came, but thofe his children dear
Their parent foon difcern'd, though in disguise.
He after Eve feduc'd, unminded flunk
Into the wood faft by, and changing shape
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
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 discourse, 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
Inchanting daughter, thus the filence broke.
O Parent, these are thy magnific deeds,
Thy trophies, which thou view'st 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 fecret harmony
Still moves with thine, join'd in connexion sweet,
That thou on earth hadft profper'd, which thy looks
Now also evidence, but ftrait I felt
Though distant from thee 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 obscure
Detain from following thy illuftrious track.
Thou hast achiev'd our liberty, confin'd
Within Hell gates till now, thou us impower'd
To fortify thus far, and overlay
With this portentous bridge the dark abyss.
Thine now is all this world; thy virtue' hath won
What thy hands builded not, thy wisdom gain'd
With odds what war hath loft, and fully' aveng'd
Our foil in Heav'n; here thou shalt monarch reign, 375
There didft not; there let him ftill victor fway,
As battel hath adjudg'd, from this new world
Retiring, by his own doom alienated,
And henceforth monarchy with thee divide
Of all things parted by th' empyreal bounds,
His quadrature, from thy orbicular world,
Or try thee now more dange'rous to his throne.
Whom thus the Prince of darknefs anfwer'd glad.
Fair Daughter, and thou Son and Grandchild both,
High proof 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
Th' infernal 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 eafy thorough-fare. Therefore while I
Defcend through darkness, on your road with ease,
To my affociate Pow'rs, them to acquaint
With thefe 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 blifs, thence on the earth
Dominion exercife 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
Iffuing from me: on your joint vigor now
My hold of this new kingdom all depends,
Through Sin to Death expos'd by my exploit.
If your joint pow'r prevail, th' affairs of Hell
No detriment need fear; go and be strong.
So faying he difmifs'd them; they with speed 410 Their courfe through thickest conftellations held, Spreading their bane; the blasted stars look'd wan,
And planets, planet-ftruck, real eclipse
Then fuffer'd. Th' other way Satan went down
The caufey to Hell gate; on either fide
Difparted Chaos over built exclam'd,
And with rebounding furge the bars affail'd,
That scorn'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 obferv'd.
As when the Tartar from his Ruffian foe
By Aftracan over the snowy plains
Retires, or Bactrian Sophi from the horns
Of Turkish crefcent, leaves all wafte beyond
The realm of Aladule, in his retreat
To Tauris or Cafbeen: So these the late
Heav'n-banish'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 search 440
Of foreign worlds; he through the midst unmark'd,
In fhow plebeian Angel militant
Of loweft order, pafs'd; and from the door
Of that Plutonian hall, invifible
Afcended his high throne, which under state
Of richeft texture fpread, at the upper end
Was plac'd in regal luftre. Down a while
He fat, and round about him faw unfeen:
At laft 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 afpéct, and whom they wish'd beheld,
Their mighty chief return'd: loud was th' acclame:
Forth rufh'd in hafte the great confulting peers,
Rais'd from their dark Divan, and with like joy
Congratulant approach'd him, who with hand
Silence, and with thefe words attention won.
Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Virtues, Powers,
For in poffeffion fuch, not only' of right,
I call you and declare you now, return'd
Successful beyond hope, to lead
Triumphant out of this infernal pit
Abominable, accurs'd, the house of woe,
And dungeon of our tyrant: now poffefs,
As Lords, a fpacious world, to' our native Heaven
Little inferior, by my adventure hard
With peril great achiev'd. Long were to tell
What I have done, what fuffer'd, with what pain 470 Voyag'd th' unreal, vaft, unbounded deep
Of horrible confufion, over which
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