Nor what the potent victor in his rage

Can else inflict, do I repent or change,

Though changed in outward lustre, that fix'd mind,
And high disdain from sense of injured merit,
That with the Mightiest raised me to contend,
And to the fierce contention brought along
Innumerable force of spirits arm'd,
That durst dislike his reign, and, me preferring,
His utmost power with adverse power opposed
In dubious battle on the plains of heaven,
And shook his throne.

lost?

95

100

What though the field be

All is not lost the unconquerable will,
And study of revenge, immortal hate,
And courage never to submit or yield,
And what is else not to be overcome;
That glory never shall his wrath or might
Extort from me. To bow and sue for grace
With suppliant knee, and deify his power,
Who from the terror of this arm so late
Doubted his empire; that were low indeed,
That were an ignominy and shame beneath
This downfall since by fate the strength of gods
And this empyreal substance cannot fail;

105

110

115

109. If there be any thing else (besides the particulars mentioned) which is not to be overcome: et si quid sit aliud quod superari nequeat.' Thus else is used, 683. Than aught divine or holy else enjoyed." PEARCE. Others read it interrogatively: 'If this is not to be unsubdued, what is?'

110. That ground for glorying, boasting: viz. submission. 'That which Satan reckoned his glory, viz. that he had still an unconquerable will, a study of revenge, &c.' PEARCE.

117. empyreal, fiery: the substantive is empyréan, ii. 771.

Since through experience of this great event
In arms not worse, in foresight much advanced,
We may with more successful hope resolve
To wage by force or guile eternal war,
Irreconcileable to our grand foe,
Who now triumphs, and in the excess of joy,
Sole reigning, holds the tyranny of heaven.'

6

So spake the apostate angel, though in pain,
Vaunting aloud, but rack'd with deep despair;
And him thus answer'd soon his bold compeer :
O prince, O chief of many throned powers,
That led the embattled seraphim to war
Under thy conduct, and in dreadful deeds
Fearless, endanger'd heaven's perpetual King,
And put to proof his high supremacy,

Whether upheld by strength, or chance, or fate;
Too well I see and rue the dire event,
That with sad overthrow, and foul defeat,
Hath lost us heaven, and all this mighty host

120

125

130

135

The highest heaven, where the pure element of fire is supposed to subsist.' TODD's Johnson.

123. Triumphs. This word is always accented in prose on the first syllable, but in poetry sometimes on the last.' TODD's Johnson. So exíle' 632. vanquísh' Par. Regained.

125. The poet had probably in view this passage of Virg. Æn. i. 208. Talia voce refert; curisque ingentibus æger Spem vultu simulat, premit altum corde dolorem." N.

127. compeer: Lat. compar: colleague, associate.

131. perpetual, i. e. from time immemorial, without interruption; (as perpetuum carmen' Ovid Met. i. 4.) expressed more at large by Satan, v. 637.

'But he who reigns

Monarch in heaven, till then as one secure
Sat on his throne, upheld by old repute,
Consent or custom, &c.'' N.

(

With ever-burning sulphi Such place eternal justice For those rebellious; he In utter darkness, and t As far removed from G As from the centre thric O how unlike the place There the companions o With floods and whirlw He soon discerns; and One next himself in po Long after known in P Beelzebub. To whon.

72. utter for outer, as in treme, excessive, utmost.' 'l utter and through middle d 74. Thrice as far as it is the centre of the world x. 671.) to the pole of the far beyond the pole of the pole. It is observable that beneath the deepest pit of ΙΙ. Θ. 16. Τόσσον ἔνερθ' Α. makes it twice as far: Æ in præceps tantum tendit cæli suspectus Olympum.'

78. weltering: wallowi 81. Beelzebub, or Baal: Ekron, a city of the Phi (2 Kings i. 2.) being sit Mediterranean Sea, was from these visitations this hem. Some authors s abitants of Ekron wo they borrowed from ; for Pliny says, N. F numina colit.' ed to this sur

experience of this great event
orse, in foresight much advanced,
more successful hope resolve

rce or guile eternal war, Te to our grand foe,

mphs, and in the excess of joy, holds the tyranny of heaven.' e apostate angel, though in pain, d, but rack'd with deep despair; answer'd soon his bold compeer : O chief of many throned powers, embattled seraphim to war onduct, and in dreadful deeds Tanger'd heaven's perpetual King,

proof his high supremacy,

held by strength, or chance, or fate; ee and rue the dire event,

120

125

In horrible destruction laid thus low,
As far as gods and heavenly essences
Can perish for the mind and spirit remains
Invincible, and vigour soon returns,

140

Though all our glory extinct, and happy state
Here swallow'd up in endless misery.

But what if he our Conqueror (whom I now

Of force believe almighty, since no less

Than such could have o'erpower'd such force as ours) Have left us this our spirit and strength entire

146

Strongly to suffer and support our pains,
That we may so suffice his vengeful ire,
Or do him mightier service as his thralls

By right of war, whate'er his business be,
Here in the heart of hell to work in fire,
Or do his errands in the gloomy deep?
What can it then avail, though yet we feel
Strength undiminish'd, or eternal being

To undergo eternal punishment?'

Whereto with speedy words the arch-fiend replied: Fall'n cherub, to be weak is miserable

Doing or suffering; but of this be sure,

150

155

144. of force, as Big in Greek: opevŵv Bíą Æsch. S. c. Th. 608. 149. thralls: a Saxon word; slaves, bondmen.

150. 'his business: that is, the business which God hath appointed for us to do: so in ii. 70. his torments, are the torments which he hath appointed for us to suffer.' PEARCE.

156. speedy words: πeа πтeрóevтα, Hom.

157. Whether we are to suffer or to work, yet still it is some comfort to have our strength undiminished; for it is a miserable thing to be weak and without strength, whether we are doing or suffering. So Belial says ii. 199. to suffer as to do Our strength is equal.' PEARCE.