EITHER to disenthrone the King of Heaven
We war, if war be best, or to regain
Our own right, lost him to unthrone we then
May hope, when everlasting Fate shall yield
To fickle chance, and Chaos judge the strife:
The former vain to hope argues as vain
The latter; for what place can be for us
Within Heaven's bound, unless Heaven's Lord
We overpower? Suppose he should relent,
And publish grace to all, on promise made
Of new subjection; with what eyes could we
Stand in his presence humble, and receive
Strict laws imposed, to celebrate his throne
With warbled hymns, and to his Godhead sing
Forced hallelujahs; while he lordly sits
Our envied sovereign, and his altar breathes
Ambrosial odours and ambrosial flowers,
Our servile offerings? This must be our task
In Heaven; this our delight: how wearisome
AUT superis Cæli regem detrudere regnis
Adgredimur bello, placeat si indicere bellum,
Aut iterum nostris, repetito jure, potiri
Sedibus amissis: moderamina vellere rerum
Illius a manibus tandem sperare licebit,
Cum cedatque levi fatum inrevocabile Casu,
Arbitrioque Chaos dirimet certamina summo :
Futilis ut spes illa cadit, sic vana videtur
Hæc quoque; nam nobis intra cælestia regna
Quis locus esse potest, nisi si superemus Olympi
Supremum Dominum? Crudelis fingite pœnæ
Illum pænituisse, irasque remittere cunctis
Colla jugo rursus supponere fida paratis :
Continuo ante Deum quo stantes ore feremus
Demissi inpositas leges audire severas,
Quæ celebrare jubent modulantes carmina regnum
Et numen laudare invita voce supremum :
Regali dum more sedet sublimis in alto
Invisus solio rector: dum floribus ara
Ambrosiis redolens divinum spirat odorem,
Munera quæ domino dabimus servilia magno?
Hocce erit officium nobis, hæc gaudia cælo !
Eternity, so spent in worship paid
To whom we hate! Let us not then pursue
By force impossible, by leave obtain'd
Unacceptable, though in Heaven, our state
Of splendid vassalage;
Our own good from ourselves, and from our own
Live to ourselves, though in this vast recess,
Free, and to none accountable, preferring
Hard liberty before the easy yoke
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 labour and endurance. This deep world
Of darkness do we dread? How oft amidst
Thick cloud and dark doth Heaven'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,
Mustering their rage, and Heaven resembles Hell ?
As he our darkness, cannot we his light
Imitate when we please? This desert soil
Wants not her hidden lustre, gems and gold,
Nor want we skill or art, from whence to raise
Æternæ fient O tædia quanta diei
Invisum sine fine caput venerantibus! Ergo
Quærere parcamus multo spectabile luxu
Servitium, quod non acquirere possumus armis,
Non volumus venia, cœtus licet inter Olympi.
Quæ bona sunt nobis a nobis illa petamus,
Et nos res nostras potius referamus ad ipsos
Hoc in secessu vasto, non ora timentes
Judicis, imperio nulli parere coacti,
Libertate frui malentes duraque ferre,
Mollia luxuria quam conterere otia servi.
Tunc adparebit virtus validissima nostra
Cum nos exiguo de semine magna creare,
Utilia e nocuis, inimicis rebus amicas,
Subjectique malis, quavis regione, vigere
Possumus, et, quæ sit patientia nostra laborque,
Gignere tranquillam cedente dolore quietem.
Has sine sole plagas penitus penitusque jacentes
An formidamus? Superûm rectorque paterque
Vult quotiens nebulis piceisque habitare tenebris,
(Nec minor interea justo tum gloria fulget,)
Occulit et sedem grandi caligine circum,
Unde fremunt iras glomerantia fulmina sævas
Murmuribus magnis, Erebique habet instar Olym-
pus?
Ille potest nostras tenebras : simulare valemus
Nonne diem illius, si fert ita forte voluntas?
Namque humus hæc deserta caret non luce latentis
Auri gemmarumque : ipsi non arte caremus
Ingenioque, quibus magnum statuamus in Orco
Magnificence; and what can Heaven show more?
Our torments also may in length of time
Become our elements; these piercing fires
As soft as now severe, our temper changed
Into their temper; which must needs remove
The sensible of pain.
All things invite
To peaceful counsels, and the settled state
Of order, how in safety best we may
Compose our present evils, with regard
Of what we are and where, dismissing quite
All thoughts of war. Ye have what I advise.
He scarce had finish'd, when such murmur fill'd
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'erwatch'd, 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
They dreaded worse than hell: so much the fear
Of thunder and the sword of Michaël
Wrought still within them; and no less desire
To found this nether empire, which might rise
By policy, and long process of time,
In emulation opposite to Heaven.
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