Mean while the adverfary' of God and man, Satan with thoughts inflam'd of hig’hest defign, 630 Puts on swift wings, and tow'ards the gates of Hell Explores his folitary flight; fometimes
He fcours the right hand coast, sometimes the left, Now shaves with level wing the deep, then foars Up to the fiery concave towring high.
As when far off at fea a fleet defcry'd
Hangs in the clouds, by equinoctial winds
Close failing from Bengala or the iles
Of Ternate and Tidore, whence merchants bring Their spicy drugs: they on the trading flood Through the wide Ethiopian to the Cape
Ply ftemming nightly tow'ard the pole. So feem'd Far off the flying Fiend: at laft appear
Hell bounds high reaching to the horrid roof,
And thrice three-fold the gates; three folds were brass, Three iron, three of adamantin rock,
Impenetrable, impal'd with circling fire,
Yet unconfum'd. Before the gates there fat
On either fide a formidable fhape;
The one feem'd woman to the waist, and fair, 650
But ended foul in many a fealy fold
Voluminous and vaft, a ferpent arm'd
With mortal fting: about her middle round
A cry of hell-hounds never ceasing bark
With wide Cerberean mouths full loud, and rung
A hideous peal; yet, when they lift, would creep,
If ought difturb'd their noise into her womb,
And kennel there, yet there still bark'd and howl'd,
Within unfeen. Far lefs abhorr'd than these
Vex'd Scylla bathing in the sea that parts
Calabria from the hoarfe Trinacrian shore :
Nor uglier follow the Night-hag, when call'd
In fecret, riding through the air she comes,
Lur'd with the smell of infant blood, to dance
With Lapland witches, while the lab'ring moon 665
Eclipfes at their charms. The other shape,
If fhape it might be call'd that shape had none
Distinguishable in member, joint, or limb,
Or fubftance might be call'd that shadow feem'd,
For each feem'd either; black it stood as Night, 670
Fierce as ten Furies, terrible as Hell,
And shook a dreadful dart; what seem'd his head The likeness of a kingly crown had on.
Satan was now at hand, and from his feat
The monster moving onward came as fast
With horrid ftrides, Hell trembled as he strode.
Th' undaunted Fiend what this might be admir'd,
Admir'd, not fear'd; God and his Son except,
Created thing nought valued he nor fhunn'd;
And with disdainful look thus first began.
Whence and what art thou, execrable shape,
That dar'ft, though grim and terrible, advance
Thy mifcreated front athwart my way
To yonder gates through them I mean to pass,
That be affur'd, without leave ask'd of thee: 685
Retire, or tafte thy folly', and learn by proof,
Hell-born, not to contend with spi'rits of Heav'n.
To whom the goblin full of wrath reply'd.
Art thou that traitor angel, art thou he
Who first broke peace in Heav'n and faith, till then Unbroken, and in proud rebellious arms 691
Drew after him the third part of Heav'n's fons
Conjur'd against the Hig'heft, for which both thou
And they, outcast from God, are here condemn'd
To waste eternal days in woe and pain?
695
And reckon'it thou thy felf with fpi'rits of Heav'n,
Hell-doom'd, and breath'st defiance here and scorn
Where I reign king, and to enrage thee more,
Thy king and lord? Back to thy punishment,
Falfe fugitive, and to thy speed add wings,
Left with a whip of fcorpions I pursue
Thy lingring, or with one stroke of this dart
Strange horror feise thee', and pangs unfelt before.
So spake the grisly Terror, and in shape,
So fpeaking and fo threatning, grew ten-fold
More dreadful and deform: on th' other fide
Incens'd with indignation Satan stood
Unterrify'd, and like a comet burn'd,
That fires the length of Ophiuchus huge
In th' Arctic sky, and from his horrid hair
Shakes peftilence and war. Each at the head
Levell'd his deadly aim; their fatal hands
No fecond stroke intend, and fuch a frown
Each caft at th' other, as when two black clouds,
With Heav'n's artillery fraught, come rattling on
Over the Caspian, then stand front to front
Hov'ring a space, till winds the fignal blow
To join their dark encounter in mid air :
So frown'd the mighty combatants, that Hell
Grew darker at their frown, so match'd they stood; For never but once more was either like
To meet fo great a foe: and now great deeds
Had been achiev'd, whereof all Hell had rung,
Had not the fnaky forceress that fat
Faft by Hell gate, and kept the fatal key,
Ris'n, and with hideous outcry rush'd between.
O Father, what intends thy hand, she cry'd, Against thy only fon? What fury', O Son, Poffeffes thee to bend that mortal dart
Against thy father's head ? and know'it for whom;
For him who fits above and laughs the while
At thee ordain'd his drudge, to execute
Whate'er his wrath, which he calls Juftice, bids;
His wrath, which one day will destroy ye both.
She spake, and at her words the hellish pest 735
Forbore, then these to her Satan return'd.
So ftrange thy outcry, and thy words so strange
Thou interpofeft, that my fudden hand
Prevented spares to tell thee yet by deeds
What it intends; till firft I know of thee,
What thing thou art, thus double-form'd, and why
In this infernal vale first met thou call'ft
Me Father, and that phantafm call'st my Son;
I know thee not, nor ever saw till now
Sight more deteftable than him and thee.
To' whom thus the portress of Hell gate reply'd.
Haft thou forgot me then, and do I feem
Now in thine eye fo foul? once deem'd fo fair
In Heav'n, when at th' assembly, and in sight
Of all the feraphim with thee combin'd
In bold confpiracy against Heav'n's King,
All on a sudden miferable pain
Surpris'd thee, dim thine eyes, and dizzy swum
In darkness, while thy head flames thick and fast
Threw forth, till on the left fide opening wide, 755
Likeft to thee in fhape and count'nance bright,
Then shining heav'nly fair, a goddess arm'd
Out of thy head I sprung: amazement seis'd
All th' hoft of Heav'n; back they recoil'd afraid
At first, and call'd me Sin, and for a fign
Portentous held me; but familiar grown,
I pleas'd, and with attractive graces won
The most averfe, thee chiefly, who full oft
Thyfelf in me thy perfect image viewing
Becam'ft enamour'd, and fuch joy thou took'st 765
With me in fecret, that my womb conceiv'd
A growing burden. Mean while war arose,
And fields were fought in Heav'n; wherein remain'd
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