Or spirit of the nethermost abyss
Might in that noise reside, of whom to ask
Which way the nearest coast of darkness lies
Bordering on light ; when straight behold the throne
Of Chaos, and his dark pavilion spread
Wide on the wasteful deep; with him enthroned
Sat sable.vested Night, eldest of things
The.consort of his reign ; and by them stood
Orcus and Ades, and the dreaded name,
Of Demogorgon! Rumour next and Chance,
And Tumult and Confusion all embroil'd,
And Discord with a thousand various mouths.
To whom Salan turning boldly, thus : “Ye powers
And spirits of this nethermost abyss,
Chaos and ancient Night, I come no spy,
With purpose to explore or to disturb
The secrets of your realm ; but hy constraint
Wandering this darksome desert, as my way
Lies through your spacious empire up to light,
Alone, and without guide, half lost, I seek
What readiest path leads where your gloomy bounds
Confine with heaven; or if some other place
From your dominion 'won, the ethereal King
Possesses lately, thither to arrive
I travel this pisfound : direct my course ;
Directed, no mean recompense it brings
To your behoof, if I that region lost,
All usurpation thence expell’d, reduce
"To her original darkness, and your sway
(Which is my present journey), and once more
Erect the standard there of ancient Night:
Yours be the advantage all, mine the revenge.
Thus Satan; and him thus the Anarch old,
With faltering speech and visage incomposed,
Answer'd: “I know thee, stranger, who thou art,
That mighty leading angel, who of late [thrown.
Made bead against heaven's King, though over-
I saw and heard ; for such a numerous host
Fled not in silence through the frighted deep,
With ruin upon ruin, rout on rout,
Confusion worse confounded; and heaven-gate
Pourd forth by millions her victorious bands l'g'suing. I upon my frontiers here Keep residence; if all I can will serve That little which is left so to defend, Encroach'd on still through your intestine broils Weakening the sceptre of old Night: first hell Your dungeon, stretching far and wide beneath; Now lately heaven and earth, another world, Hung o'er my. realm, link'd in a golden chain To that side heaven from whence your legions fell :: If that way be your walk, you have not far; So much the nearer danger. Go, and speed; Havoc, and spoil, and ruin, are my gain."
He ceased; and Satan stay'd not to reply, But, glad that now his sea should find a store, With fresh alacrity, and force renew'd, Springs upward, like a pyramid of fire, Into the wild. expanse, and, through the shock. Of fighting elements, on all sides round Environ’d, wins his way; harder beset And more endanger'd, than when Argo pass'd Through Bosporus, betwixt the justling rocks :: Or when Ulysses on the larboard shunn'd Charybdis, and by th' other whirlpool steer'd. So he with difficulty and labour hard Moved on, with difficulty and labour he: But, he once pass'd, soon after, when man fell, Strange alteration ! Sin and Death amain Following his track, such was the will of Heaven,, Paved after him a broad and beaten way Over the dark abyss, whose boiling gulf Tamely endured a bridge of wondrous length From hell continued reaching to the utmost orb Of this frail world: by which the spirits perverseWith easy intercourse pass to and fro To tempt or punish mortals, except whoin God and good angels guard by special grace. But now at last the sacred influence Of light appears, and from the walls of heaven Shoots far into the bosom of dim Night, A glimmering dawn; bere Nature first begins
Or spirit of the nethermost abyss
Might in that noise reside, of whom to ask
Which way the nearest coast of darkness lies
Bordering on light; when straight behold the throne
Of Chaos, and his dark pavilion spread
Wide on the wasteful deep; with him enthroned
Sat sable-vested Night, eldest of things
The consort of his reign; and by tbem stood
Orcus and Ades, and the dreaded name,
Of Demogorgon! Rumour next and Chance,
And Tumult and Confusion all embroil'd,
And Discord with a thousand various mouths.
To whom Salan turning boldly, thus: “Ye powers
And spirits of this nethermost abyss,
Chaos and ancient Night, I come no spy,
With purpose to explore or to disturb
The secrets of your realm ; but by constraint
Wandering this darksome desert, as my way
Lies through your spacious empire up to light,
Alone, and without guide, half lost, I seek
What readiest path leads where your gloomy bounds
Confine with heaven ; or if some other place
From your dominion won, the ethereal King
Possesses lately, thither to arrive
I travel this pisfound : direct my course;
Directed, no mean recompense it brings
To your behoof, if I that region lost,
All usurpation thence expellid, reduce
"To her original darkness, and your sway
(Which is my present journey), and once more
Èrect the standard there of ancient Night:
Yours be the advantage all, mine the revenge."
Thus Satan; and him thus the Anarch old, With faltering speech and visage incomposed, Answer'd: “I know thee, stranger, who thou' art, That mighty leading angel, who of late
[thrown. Made bead against heaven's King, though overI saw and heard; for such a numerous host Fled not in silence through the frighted deep, With ruin upon ruin, rout on rout, Confusion worse confounded; and heaven-gate
Pourd forth by millions her victorious bands
Pursuing. I upon my frontiers bere
Keep residence; if all I can will serve
Tbai little which is left so to defend,
Encroach'd on still through your intestine broils
Weakening the sceptre of old Night: first hell
Your dungeon, stretching far and wide beneath;
Now lately heaven and earth, another world,
Hung o'er my. realm, link'd in a golden chain
To that side heaven from whence your legions fell ::
If that way be your walk, you have not far;
So much the nearer danger. Go, and speed;
Havoc, and spoil, and ruin, are my gain.".
He ceased; and Satan stay'd not to reply,
But, glad that now his sea should find a shore,
With fresh alacrity, and force renew'd,
Springs upward, like a pyramid of fire,
Into the wild. expanse, and, through the sbock.
Of fighting elements, on all sides round
- Environ'd, wins his way; harder beset
And more endanger'd, than when Argo pass'd
Through Bosporus, betwixt the justling rocks ::
Or when Ulysses on the larboard shunnid
Charybdis, and by th' other whirlpool steer'd.
So he with difficulty and labour hard
with difficulty and labour he:
But, he once pass'd, soon after, when man fell,
Strange alteration ! Sin and Death amain
Following bis track, such was the will of Heaven,,
Paved after him a broad and beaten way
Over the dark abyss, whose boiling gulf
Tamely endured a bridge of wondrous length
From hell continued reaching to the utmost orb
Of this frail world: by wbich the spirits perverse-
With easy intercourse pass to and fro
To tempi or punish mortals, except whoin
God and good angels guard by special grace.
But now at last the sacred influence
Of light appears, and from the walls of heaven
Shoots far into the bosom of dim Night,
A glimmering dawn; bere Nature first beginss
Her farthest verge, and Chaos to retire,
As from her ouimost works a broken foe,
With tumult less, and with less hostile din.
'That Satan with less toil, and now with ease
Wafts on the calmer waves by dubious light,
And, like a weather-beaten vessel, holds
Gladly the port, though shrouds and tackle torn;
Or in the emptier waste, resembling air,
Weighis his spread wings, at leisure to behold
Far off the empyreal heaven, extended wide
In circuit, undetermined square or round,
With opal towers and battlements adorn'd
Of living sapphire, once his native seat;
And fast by, hanging in a golden chain,
This pendent world, in bigness as a star
of smallest magnitude, close by the moon.
Thither, full fraught with mischievous revenge,
Accursed, and in a cursed hour he hies.
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