For each feem'd either :) black it stood as night,
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 ftrode.
Th' undaunted fiend what this might be admir'd;
Admir'd, not fear'd; God and his Son except,'
Created thing naught valued he, nor shun'd;
And with difdainful look thus firft began.

Whence, and what, art thou! execrable shape! That dar'ft, though grim and terrible, advance Thy mif-created front athwart my way

To yonder gates? through them I mean to pass,
That be affur'd, without leave ask'd of thee.
Retire, or tafte thy folly, and learn by proof,
Hell-born! not to contend with fpirits 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

Drew after him the third part of heav'n's fons,
Conjur❜d against the Higheft; for which both thou
And they, outcaft from God, are here condemn'd
To wafte eternal days in woe and pain!

And reckon'ft thou chy felf with fpirits of heav'n, Hell-doom'd! and breath'ft defiance here and fcorn, 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 ling'ring; or with one ftroke of this dart
Strange horror feize thee, and pangs unfelt before
So fpake the griefly Terror, and in shape,
(So fpeaking, and so threatning) grew tenfold
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 Ophiucus huge
In th' arctic sky, and from his horrid hair
Shakes peftilence and war. Each at the head
Level'd his deadly aim; their fatal hands
No fecond ftroke intend: and fuch a frown
Each caft at th' other, as when two black clouds.
With heav'n's artil'ry fraught, come rattling on
Over the Cafpian; then ftand front to front,
Hov'ring a space, till winds the signal blow
To join their dark encounter in mid air:
So frown'd the mighty combatants, that hell
Grew darker at their frown: fo match'd they stood:-
For never but once more was either like

To meet fo great a foe. And now great deeds
Had been atchiev'd, whereof all hell had rung
Had not the fnaky forceress that fat
Fast 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 fon, Poffeffes thee, to bend that mortal dart

Against thy father's head and know'ft 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 deftroy-ye both!
She spake, and at her words the trellish peft
Forbore; then these to her Satan return'd.

So ftrange thy outcry, and thy words so strange
Thou interpofeft, that my fudden hand
Prevented, fpares to tell thee yet by deeds
What it intends; till first 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 phanta'm call'ft my fon :
I know thee not, nor ever faw till now
Sight more deteftable than him, and thee..

T'whom thus the portrefs 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' affembly, and in sight
Of all the Seraphim, with thee combin'd
In bold confpiracy against heav'n's King,
All on a fudden miferable pain

Şurpriz'd thee, dim thine eyes, and dizzy fwum
In darkness; while thy head flames thick and faft
Threw forth; till on the left fide op'ning wide,
Likeft to thee in shape, and count'nance bright,
Then shining heav'nly fair, a Goddess arm'd,
Out of thy head I fprung: amazement feiz'd
All th' host 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 moft averfe, thee chiefly, wo full oft
(Thy felf in me thy perfect image viewing)
Becam'ft inamor'd, and fuch joy thou took'st
With me in fecret, that my womb conceiv'd
A growing burthen. Mean while war arofe,
And fields were fought in heav'n ; wherein remain'd
(For what could elfe?) to our Almighty foe
Clear victory; to our part lofs, and rout,
Through all the empyrean: down they fell
Driv'n headlong from the pitch of heav'n, down
Into this Deep; and in the gen❜ral fall

I alfo at which time this pow'rful key

Into my hand was griv'n, with charge to keep
These gates for ever shut, which none can pafs
Without my op'ning. Penfive here I fat
Alone, but long I fat not, till my womb
Pregnant by thee, and now exceffive grown,
Prodigious motion felt, and rueful throes!
At last this odious offspring whom thou feeft,
Thine own begotten, breaking violent way
Tore through my intrails; that with fear, and pain
Distorted, all my nether shape thus grew
Transform'd. But he, my inbred enemy
Forth-iffu'd, brandishing his fatal dart,
Made to deftroy : I fled, and cry'd out Death!
Hell trembled at the hideous name, and figh'd
From all her caves, and back refounded, Death!

I fled, but he purfu'd (though more, it feems
Inflam'd with luft than rage) and, swifter far!
Me overtook his mother, all dismay'd:
And in embraces forcible, and foul,
Ingendring with me, of that rape begot
Thefe yelling monsters; that with ceafeless cry
Surround me, as thou saw'st; hourly conceiv'd,
And hourly born, with forrow infinite
To me ! For, when they lift, into the womb
That bred them they return; and howl, and gnaw
My bowels, their repaft: then bursting forth,
Afresh with confcious terrors vex me round,
That reft, or intermiffion none I find.
Before mine eyes in oppofition fits

Grim Death, my fon and foe: who fets them on
And me his parent would full foon devour
For want of other prey, but that he knows
His end with mine involv'd: and knows that I
Should prove a bitter morfel, and his bane,
Whenever that shall be; fo Fate pronounc'd.
But thou O father! I forewarn rhee, shun
His deadly arrow; neither vainly hope
To be invuln'rable in thofe bright arms
Though temper'd heav'nly; for that mortal dint
Save He who reigns above, none can refift!

She finish'd, and the fubtile fiend his lore Soon learn'd, now milder, and thus anfwer'd fmooth. Dear daughter! fince thou claim'ft me for thy

fire,

And my fair fon here showift me (the dear pledge