were means the temple of Belux in Babylon. It was an cribed to Semiramie, who was entbord to have reigned about 116 2200 B.C, LAST poems, 1665-1671.

Op'nd into the hill a spacious wound

2

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695

And digg'd out ribs of gold. Let none admire ruder, 690
That riches grow in Hell; that soil may best
Deserve the precious bane. And here let those
Who boast in mortal things, and wondring tell
Of Babel, and the works of Memphian kings,
Learn how their greatest monuments of fame,
And strength and art are easily out-done
By spirits reprobate, and in an hour
What in an age they with incessant toil
And hands innumerable scarce perform.
Nigh on the plain in many cells prepar'd,
That underneath had veins of liquid fire
Sluic'd from the lake, a second multitude
With wondrous art found out the massy ore,
Severing each kind, and scumm'd the bullion dross:
A third as soon had form'd within the ground

A various mould, and from the boiling cells

By strange conveyance fill'd each hollow nook,
As in an organ from one blast of wind

To many a row of pipes the sound-board breathes.
Anon out of the earth a fabric huge
Rose like an exhalation, with the sound
Of dulcet symphonies and voices sweet,
Built like a temple, where pilasters round
Were set, and Doric pillars overlaid
With golden architrave; nor did there want
Cornice or frieze, with bossy sculptures grav'n,

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boiling

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710

wanting,
4.1.541715

tremand, The roof was fretted gold. Not Babylon,

adro Nor great Alcairo such magnificence Memphis is meant legyption 720 vile.

Equall'd in all their glories, to enshrine
Belus or Serapis their Gods, or seat

Their kings, when Egypt with Assyria stovkifying the vile.

fixed a In wealth and luxury. Th' ascending pile

to her

Stood fixt her stately highth, and straight the doors

Light Op'ning their brazen folds discover wide

Within, her ample spaces, o'er the smooth
And level pavement: from the arched roof

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Pendent by subtle magic many a row

Of starry lamps, and blazing cressets fed crucibles
With naphtha and asphaltus yielded light See.
As from a sky. The hasty multitude

Admiring enter'd, and the work some praise,
And some the architect: his hand was known
In Heav'n by many a towred structure high,
Where scepter'd angels held their residence,
And sat as princes, whom the Supreme King
Exalted to such power, and gave to rule, alimm.
Each in his hierarchy, the orders bright.
Nor was his name unheard or unador'd

In ancient Greece; and in Ausonian land

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735

Men call'd him Mulciber; and how he fell designation of Vulcan.

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dear, dear.

From Heav'n, they fabl'd, thrown by angry Jove,
Sheer o'er the crystal battlements; from morn
To noon he fell, from noon to dewy eve,
A summer's day; and with the setting sun.
Dropt from the zenith like a falling star, mede stily above
On Lemnos th' Egean ile: thus they relaté,

Erring; for he with this rebellious rout Crows, of Lycidas!
Fell long before; nor aught avail'd him now

To have built in Heav'n high towr's; nor did he scape
By all his engines, but was headlong sent contrivances 750
With his industrious crew to build in Hell.

Meanwhile the winged haralds by command

Of sovran power, with awful ceremony

And trumpets' sound throughout the host proclaim

A solemn council forthwith to be held

At Pandemonium, the high capital

Of Satan and his peers: their summons call'd

From every band and squared regiment quadron.
By place or choice the worthiest; they anon
With hunderds and with thousands trooping came
Attended all access was throng'd, the gates.
And porches wide, but chief the spacious hall

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760

a fiels

(Though like a cover'd field, where champions bold closed in. Wont ride in arm'd, and at the Soldan's chair

I two kind of jousting

are

Lere meant ; à l'outrance,

or mortal combat; and the Hoodle passage of arme, LAST POEMS, 1665-1671. carrière.

118

Defi'd the best of Panim chivalry

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To mortal combat or carreer with lance)

Thick swarm'd, both on the ground and in the air,
Brusht with the hiss of rustling wings. As bees

In spring-time, when the sun with Taurus rides, apud
Pour forth their populous youth about the hive

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Walk

abroad Latina

In clusters; they among fresh dews and flowers
Fly to and fro, or on the smoothed plank,
The suburb of their straw-built citadel,
New rubb'd with balm, expatiate and confer
Their state affairs. So thick the airy crowd
Swarm'd, and were strait'n'd; till the signal giv'n,
Behold a wonder! they but now who seem'd
In bigness to surpass Earth's giant sons,

Now less than smallest dwarfs, in narrow room

775

So plan Throng numberless, like that Pygmean race √ 4.575. 780 Beyond the Indian mount, or faery elves, maux, a name of Whose midnight revels, by a forest side / Westone Bimalaya Or fountain some belated peasant sees,

Or dreams he sees, while over-head the moon
Sits arbitress, and nearer to the earth

range.

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Wheels her pale course; they on their mirth and dance
Intent, with jocund music charm his ear;

At once with joy and fear his heart rebounds.

Thus incorporeal spirits to smallest forms

Reduc'd their shapes immense; and were at large, Though without number still amidst the hall Of that infernal court. But far within, And in their own dimensions like themselves, retreat The great seraphic lords and cherubim close recess and secret conclave sat; retirement in A thousand demigods on gold'n seats, hum-Frequent and full. After short silence then And summons read, the great consult began.

brout

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BOOK II.

THE ARGUMENT.

The consultation begun, Satan debates, whether another battle be to be hazarded for the recovery of Heaven: some advise it, others dissuade. A third proposal is preferred, mentioned before by Satan, to search 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 shall be sent on this difficult search. Satan, their chief, undertakes alone the voyage, is honoured and applauded. The council thus ended, the rest betake them several ways and to several employments, as their inclinations lead them, to entertain the time till Satan return. He passes on his journey to Hell-gates; finds them shut, and who sat there to guard them, by whom at length they are opened, and discover to him the great gulf between Hell and Heaven; with what difficulty he passes through, directed by Chaos, the Power of that place, to the sight of this new world which he sought.

HIGH on a throne of royal state, which far an

e

island in
Outshon the wealth of Ormus and of Ind, The Persian julf,
Or where the gorgeous East with richest hand
Showrs on her kings barbaric pearl and gold,
Satan exalted sat, by merit rais'd

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

Vain war with Heav'n, and by success untaught
His proud imaginations thus display'd:

'Powers and Dominions, Deities of Heav'n,
For since no deep within her gulf can hold

5

event, here batz success.

Immortal vigor, though opprest and fall'n,

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

More glorious and more dread than from no fall,
And trust themselves to fear no second fate.

Me though just right, and the fixt laws of Heav'n
Did first create your leader, next free choice,
With what besides, in counsel or in fight,
Hath been achiev'd of merit, yet this loss
Thus far at least recover'd, hath much more
Establisht in a safe unenvied throne

Yielded with full consent. 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 Thunderer's aim
Your bulwark, and condemns to greatest share
Of endless pain? where there is then no good
For which to strive, no strife can grow up there
From faction; for, none sure will claim in Hell here it
Precedence; none, whose 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 claim our just inheritance of old,
Surer to prosper than prosperity

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

home

He ceas'd; and next him Moloch, scepter'd king,
Stood up, the strongest and the fiercest spirit
That fought in Heav'n; now fiercer by despair:
His trust was with th' Eternal to be deem'd
Equal in strength, and rather than be less
Car'd not to be at all; with that care lost
Went all his fear; of God, or Hell, or worse

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Cared

He reck'd not, and these words thereafter spake.

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