第64章 Book 9(3)

So sented the grim Feature, and upturn'd His Nostril wide into the murkie Air, Sagacious of his Quarrey from so farr.

Then Both from out Hell Gates into the waste Wide Anarchie of CHAOS damp and dark Flew divers, & with Power (thir Power was great)

Hovering upon the Waters; what they met Solid or slimie, as in raging Sea Tost up and down, together crowded drove From each side shoaling towards the mouth of Hell.

As when two Polar Winds blowing adverse Upon the CRONIAN Sea, together drive Mountains of Ice, that stop th' imagin'd way Beyond PETSORA Eastward, to the rich CATHAIAN Coast. The aggregated Soyle Death with his Mace petrific, cold and dry, As with a Trident smote, and fix't as firm As DELOS floating once; the rest his look Bound with GORGONIAN rigor not to move, And with ASPHALTIC slime; broad as the Gate, Deep to the Roots of Hell the gather'd beach They fasten'd, and the Mole immense wraught on Over the foaming deep high Archt, a Bridge Of length prodigious joyning to the Wall Immoveable of this now fenceless world Forfeit to Death; from hence a passage broad, Smooth, easie, inoffensive down to Hell.

So, if great things to small may be compar'd, XERXES, the Libertie of GREECE to yoke, From SUSA his MEMNONIAN Palace high Came to the Sea, and over HELLESPONT Bridging his way, EUROPE with ASIA joyn'd, And scourg'd with many a stroak th' indignant waves.

Now had they brought the work by wondrous Art Pontifical, a ridge of pendent Rock Over the vext Abyss, following the track Of SATAN, to the selfsame place where hee First lighted from his Wing, and landed safe From out of CHAOS to the outside bare Of this round World: with Pinns of Adamant And Chains they made all fast, too fast they made And durable; and now in little space The Confines met of Empyrean Heav'n And of this World, and on the left hand Hell With long reach interpos'd; three sev'ral wayes In sight, to each of these three places led.

And now thir way to Earth they had descri'd, To Paradise first tending, when behold SATAN in likeness of an Angel bright Betwixt the CENTAURE and the SCORPION stearing His ZENITH, while the Sun in ARIES rose:

Disguis'd he came, but those his Children dear Thir Parent soon discern'd, though in disguise.

Hee, after EVE seduc't, unminded slunk Into the Wood fast by, and changing shape To observe the sequel, saw his guileful act By EVE, though all unweeting, seconded Upon her Husband, saw thir shame that sought Vain covertures; but when he saw descend The Son of God to judge them, terrifi'd Hee fled, not hoping to escape, but shun The present, fearing guiltie what his wrauth Might suddenly inflict; that past, return'd By Night, and listning where the hapless Paire Sate in thir sad discourse, and various plaint, Thence gatherd his own doom, which understood Not instant, but of future time. With joy And tidings fraught, to Hell he now return'd, And at the brink of CHAOS, neer the foot Of this new wondrous Pontifice, unhop't Met who to meet him came, his Ofspring dear.

Great joy was at thir meeting, and at sight Of that stupendious Bridge his joy encreas'd.

Long hee admiring stood, till Sin, his faire Inchanting Daughter, thus the silence broke.

O Parent, these are thy magnific deeds, Thy Trophies, which thou view'st as not thine own, Thou art thir Author and prime Architect:

For I no sooner in my Heart divin'd, My Heart, which by a secret harmonie Still moves with thine, joyn'd in connexion sweet, That thou on Earth hadst prosper'd, which thy looks Now also evidence, but straight I felt Though distant from thee Worlds between, yet felt That I must after thee with this thy Son;

Such fatal consequence unites us three:

Hell could no longer hold us in her bounds, Nor this unvoyageable Gulf obscure Detain from following thy illustrious track.

Thou hast atchiev'd our libertie, confin'd Within Hell Gates till now, thou us impow'rd To fortifie thus farr, and overlay With this portentous Bridge the dark Abyss.

Thine now is all this World, thy vertue hath won What thy hands builded not, thy Wisdom gain'd With odds what Warr hath lost, and fully aveng'd Our foile in Heav'n; here thou shalt Monarch reign, There didst not; there let him still Victor sway, As Battel hath adjudg'd, from this new World Retiring, by his own doom alienated, And henceforth Monarchie with thee divide Of all things, parted by th' Empyreal bounds, His Quadrature, from thy Orbicular World, Or trie thee now more dang'rous to his Throne.

Whom thus the Prince of Darkness answerd glad.

Fair Daughter, and thou Son and Grandchild both, High proof ye now have giv'n to be the Race Of SATAN (for I glorie in the name, Antagonist of Heav'ns Almightie King)

Amply have merited of me, of all Th' Infernal Empire, that so neer Heav'ns dore Triumphal with triumphal act have met, Mine with this glorious Work, & made one Realm Hell and this World, one Realm, one Continent Of easie thorough-fare. Therefore while I Descend through Darkness, on your Rode with ease To my associate Powers, them to acquaint With these successes, and with them rejoyce, You two this way, among those numerous Orbs All yours, right down to Paradise descend;

There dwell & Reign in bliss, thence on the Earth Dominion exercise and in the Aire, Chiefly on Man, sole Lord of all declar'd, Him first make sure your thrall, and lastly kill.

My Substitutes I send ye, and Create Plenipotent on Earth, of matchless might Issuing from mee: on your joynt vigor now My hold of this new Kingdom all depends, Through Sin to Death expos'd by my exploit.

If your joynt power prevaile, th' affaires of Hell No detriment need feare, goe and be strong.