Paradise Lost (Modern Library Classics) (20 page)

Our own good from our selves, and from our own

Live to our selves, though in this vast recess,

Free, and to none accountable, preferring

Hard liberty before the easy yoke
²⁵⁶

Of servile pomp. Our greatness will appear

Then most conspicuous, when great things of small,

Useful of hurtful, prosperous of adverse

We can create, and in what place soe’er

Thrive under evil, and work ease out of pain

Through labor and endurance. This deep world

Of darkness do we dread? How oft amidst
²⁶³

Thick clouds and dark doth Heav’n’s all-ruling Sire

Choose to reside, his glory unobscured,

And with the majesty of darkness round

Covers his throne; from whence deep thunders roar

Must’ring their rage, and Heav’n resembles Hell?

As he our darkness, cannot we his light

Imitate when we please? This desert soil

Wants not
²⁷¹
her hidden luster, gems and gold;

Nor want we skill or art, from whence to raise

Magnificence; and what can Heav’n show more?

Our torments also may in length of time

Become our elements
²⁷⁵
, these piercing fires

As soft as now severe, our temper changed

Into their temper; which must needs remove

The sensible
²⁷⁸
of pain. All things invite

To peaceful counsels, and the settled state

Of order, how in safety best we may

Compose
²⁸¹
our present evils, with regard

Of what we are and where
²⁸²
, dismissing quite

All thoughts of war: ye have what I advise.”

   He scarce had finished, when such murmur filled

Th’ assembly, as when hollow rocks retain

The sound of blust’ring winds, which all night long

Had roused the sea, now with hoarse cadence lull

Seafaring men o’erwatched
²⁸⁸
, whose bark by chance

Or pinnace anchors in a craggy bay

After the tempest: such applause was heard

As Mammon ended, and his sentence pleased,

Advising peace: for such another field
²⁹²

They dreaded worse than Hell: so much the fear

Of thunder and the sword of Michael

Wrought still within them; and no less desire

To found this nether empire, which might rise

By policy
²⁹⁷
, and long process of time,

In emulation opposite to Heav’n.

Which when Beëlzebub perceived, than whom,

Satan except, none higher sat, with grave

Aspect he rose, and in his rising seemed

A pillar of state; deep on his front
³⁰²
engraven

Deliberation sat and public care;

And princely counsel in his face yet shone,

Majestic though in ruin: sage he stood

With Atlantean
³⁰⁶
shoulders fit to bear

The weight of mightiest monarchies; his look

Drew audience and attention still as night

Or summer’s noontide air, while thus he spake.

   “Thrones and imperial Powers, offspring of Heav’n,

Ethereal Virtues; or these titles now

Must we renounce, and changing style
³¹²
be called

Princes of Hell? For so the popular vote

Inclines, here to continue, and build up here

A growing empire; doubtless
³¹⁵
; while we dream,

And know not that the King of Heav’n hath doomed

This place our dungeon, not our safe retreat

Beyond his potent arm, to live exempt

From Heav’n’s high jurisdiction, in new league

Banded against his throne, but to remain

In strictest
³²¹
bondage, though thus far removed,

Under th’ inevitable curb, reserved

His captive multitude: for he, be sure

In highth or depth, still first and last
³²⁴
will reign

Sole king, and of his kingdom lose no part

By our revolt, but over Hell extend

His empire, and with iron scepter rule
³²⁷

Us here, as with his golden those in Heav’n.

What
³²⁹
sit we then projecting peace and war?

War hath determined us
³³⁰
, and foiled with loss

Irreparable; terms of peace yet none

Vouchsafed or sought; for what peace will be giv’n

To us enslaved, but custody severe,

And stripes
³³⁴
, and arbitrary punishment

Inflicted? And what peace can we return,

But to our power hostility and hate,

Untamed reluctance
³³⁷
, and revenge though slow,

Yet ever plotting how the Conqueror least
³³⁸

May reap his conquest, and may least rejoice

In doing what we most in suffering feel?

Nor will occasion want, nor shall we need

With dangerous expedition to invade

Heav’n, whose high walls fear no assault or siege,

Or ambush from the deep. What if we find

Some easier enterprise? There is a place

(If ancient and prophetic fame in Heav’n

Err not) another world, the happy seat

Of some new race called Man, about this time

To be created
³⁴⁹
like to us, though less

In power and excellence, but favored more

Of him who rules above; so was his will

Pronounced among
³⁵²
the gods, and by an oath,

That shook Heav’n’s whole circumference, confirmed.

Thither let us bend all our thoughts, to learn

What creatures there inhabit, of what mold
³⁵⁵
,

Or substance, how endued, and what their power,

And where their weakness, how attempted
³⁵⁷
best,

By force or subtlety: though Heav’n be shut,

And Heav’n’s high arbitrator sit secure

In his own strength, this place may lie exposed

The utmost border of his kingdom, left

To their defense who hold it: here perhaps

Some advantageous act may be achieved

By sudden onset, either with Hell fire

To waste his whole creation, or possess

All as our own, and drive as we were driven,

The puny
³⁶⁷
habitants, or if not drive,

Seduce them to our party, that their God
³⁶⁸

May prove their foe, and with repenting hand

Abolish his own works
³⁶⁹
. This would surpass

Common revenge, and interrupt his joy

In our confusion, and our joy upraise

In his disturbance, when his darling sons

Hurled headlong
³⁷⁴
to partake with us, shall curse

Their frail original
³⁷⁵
, and faded bliss,

Faded so soon. Advise if this be worth

Attempting, or to sit in darkness here
³⁷⁷

Hatching vain empires.” Thus Beëlzebub

Pleaded his devilish counsel, first devised
³⁷⁹

By Satan, and in part proposed: for whence,

But from the author of all ill could spring

So deep a malice, to confound the race

Of mankind in one root
³⁸³
, and Earth with Hell

To mingle and involve, done all to spite

The great Creator? But their spite still serves

His glory to augment. The bold design

Pleased highly those infernal States
³⁸⁷
, and joy

Sparkled in all their eyes; with full assent

They vote: whereat his speech he thus renews.

   “Well have ye judged, well ended long debate,

Synod
³⁹¹
of gods, and like to what ye are,

Great things resolved, which from the lowest deep

Will once more lift us up, in spite of fate,

Nearer our ancient seat; perhaps in view

Of those bright confines, whence with neighboring arms

And opportune excursion we may chance

Re-enter Heav’n; or else in some mild zone

Dwell not unvisited of Heav’n’s fair light

Secure, and at the bright’ning orient beam

Purge off this gloom; the soft delicious air,

To heal the scar of these corrosive fires

Shall breathe her balm. But first whom shall we send

In search of this new world, whom shall we find

Sufficient? Who shall tempt
⁴⁰⁴
with wand’ring feet

The dark unbottomed infinite abyss
⁴⁰⁵

And through the palpable obscure
⁴⁰⁶
find out

His uncouth
⁴⁰⁷
way, or spread his airy flight

Upborne with indefatigable wings

Over the vast abrupt
⁴⁰⁹
, ere he arrive

The happy isle
⁴¹⁰
; what strength, what art can then

Suffice, or what evasion bear him safe

Through the strict senteries and stations thick

Of angels watching round? Here he had
⁴¹³
need

All circumspection, and we now no less

Choice in our suffrage
⁴¹⁵
; for on whom we send,

The weight of all and our last hope relies.”

   This said, he sat; and expectation held

His look suspense
⁴¹⁸
, awaiting who appeared

To second, or oppose, or undertake

The perilous attempt: but all sat mute,

Pondering the danger with deep thoughts; and each

In other’s count’nance read his own dismay

Astonished: none among the choice and prime

Of those Heav’n-warring champions could be found

So hardy as to proffer or accept

Alone the dreadful voyage; till at last

Satan, whom now transcendent glory raised

Above his fellows, with monarchal pride

Conscious of highest worth, unmoved thus spake.

   “O pr
⁴³⁰
ogeny of Heav’n, empyreal Thrones,

With reason hath deep silence and demur

Seized us, though undismayed: long is the way
⁴³²

And hard, that out of Hell leads up to light;

Our prison strong, this huge convex
⁴³⁴
of fire,

Outrageous to devour
⁴³⁵
, immures us round

Ninefold, and gates of burning adamant
⁴³⁶

Barred over us prohibit all egress.

These past, if any pass, the void profound
⁴³⁸

Of unessential
⁴³⁹
night receives him next

Wide gaping, and with utter loss of being

Threatens him, plunged in that abortive
⁴⁴¹
gulf.

If thence he scape into whatever world,

Or unknown region, what remains
⁴⁴³
him less

Than unknown
⁴⁴⁴
dangers and as hard escape.

But I should ill become this throne, O Peers,

And this imperial sov’reignty, adorned

With splendor, armed with power, if aught proposed

And judged of public moment
⁴⁴⁸
, in the shape

Of difficulty or danger could deter

Me from attempting. Wherefore do I assume

These royalties, and not refuse to reign,

Refusing
⁴⁵²
to accept as great a share

Of hazard as of honor, due alike

To him who reigns, and so much to him due

Of hazard more, as he above the rest

High honored sits? Go therefore mighty Powers,

Terror of Heav’n, though fall’n; intend at
⁴⁵⁷
home,

While here shall be our home, what best may ease

The present misery, and render Hell

More tolerable; if there be cure or charm

To respite or deceive
⁴⁶¹
, or slack the pain

Of this ill mansion: intermit no watch

Against a wakeful foe, while I abroad

Through all the coasts of dark destruction seek

Deliverance for us all: this enterprise

None shall partake with me.” Thus saying rose

The monarch, and prevented
⁴⁶⁷
all reply,

Prudent, lest from his resolution raised
⁴⁶⁸

Others among the chief might offer now

(Certain to be refused) what erst they feared;

And so refused might in opinion stand

His rivals, winning cheap the high repute

Which he through hazard huge must earn. But they

Dreaded not more th’ adventure than his voice

Forbidding; and at once with him they rose;

Their rising all at once was as the sound

Of thunder heard remote. Towards him they bend

With awful reverence prone
⁴⁷⁸
; and as a god

Extol him equal to the highest in Heav’n:

Nor failed they to express how much they praised,

That for the general safety he despised

His own: for neither do the spirits damned

Lose all their virtue; lest bad men should boast
⁴⁸³

Their specious deeds on earth, which glory excites,

Or close ambition varnished o’er with zeal.

Thus they their doubtful consultations dark

Ended rejoicing in their matchless chief:

As when from mountain tops the dusky clouds

Ascending, while the north wind sleeps
⁴⁸⁹
, o’erspread

Heav’n’s cheerful face, the louring element
⁴⁹⁰

Scowls o’er the darkened lantskip
⁴⁹¹
snow, or show’r;

If chance the radiant sun with farewell sweet

Extend his ev’ning beam, the fields revive,

The birds their notes renew, and bleating herds

Attest their joy, that hill and valley rings.