Seite 195 von 239

Plenipotent on earth, of matchless might

Issuing from me. On your joint vigour now,

My hold of this new kingdom all depends,

My hold of this new kingdom all depends,

Through Sin to Death exposed by my exploit.

If your joint power prevail, the affairs of hell

No detriment need fear; go, and be strong.

248

So saying, he dismissed them. They with speed Their course through thickest constellations held, Spreading their bane; the blasted stars looked wan; And planets, planet-struck, real eclipse Then suffered. The other way Satan went down The causey to hell-gate. On either side Disparted Chaos overbuilt exclaimed,1 And with rebounding surge the bars assailed, That scorned his indignation. Through the gate, Wide open and unguarded, Satan passed, And all about found desolate; for those, Appointed to sit there, had left their charge, Flown to the upper world; the rest were all Far to the inland retired, about the walls Of Pandemonium, city and proud seat Of Lucifer, so by allusion called Of that bright star to Satan paragoned:2 There kept their watch the legions, while the grand In council sat solicitous what chance Might intercept their emperor sent; so he, Departing, gave command, and they observed. As when the Tartar, from his Russian foe, By Astracan, over the snowy plains Retires; or Bactrian Sophi, from the horns Of Turkish crescent, leaves all waste beyond The realm of Aladule, in his retreat To Tauris or Casbeen: so these, the late Heaven-banished host, left desert utmost hell

" Ezclaimed-" Deep calling unto deep." (Ps. xlii. 7.)

² Paragoned.—Compared, equalled.

Many a dark league, reduced in careful watch Round their metropolis, and now expecting Each hour their great adventurer, from the search Of foreign worlds. He through the midst, unmarked, In show plebeian angel militant Of lowest order, passed; and from the door Of that Plutonian hall, invisible Ascended his high throne, which, under state Of richest texture spread, at the upper end Was placed in regal lustre. Down a while He sat, and round about him saw, unseen. At last, as from a cloud, his fulgent head And shape star-bright appeared, or brighter, clad With what permissive glory since his fall Was left him, or false glitter. All amazed At that so sudden blaze, the Stygian throng Bent their aspect, and whom they wished beheld, Their mighty chief returned. Loud was the acclaim; Forth rushed in haste the great consulting peers, Raised from their dark divan, and with like joy Congratulant approached him, who with hand Silence, and with these words, attention won:

Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Virtues, Powers!

For in possession such, not only of right,

I call ye, and declare ye now, returned

Successful beyond hope, to lead ye forth

Triumphant out of this infernal pit,

Abominable, accursed, the house of woe,

And dungeon of our tyrant—now possess,

As lords, a spacious world, to our native heaven

Little inferior, by my adventure hard,

With peril great, achieved. Long were to tell

What I have done, what suffered; with what pain

Voyaged the unreal, vast, unbounded Deep

Reduced in careful watch.—Contracted, drawn in.