And cannot ceafe to be, we are at worst

On this fide nothing; and by proof we feel
Our pow'r fufficient to disturb his Heaven,
And with perpetual inroads to alarm,

Though inacceffible, his fatal throne:

Which if not victory is yet revenge.

He ended frowning, and his look denounc'd Defp'rate revenge, and battel dangerous

up

To less than Gods. On th' other fide
Belial, in act more graceful and humane;

rofe

97

100

105

A

and therefore the prefent reading To less than Gods may be justify'd.

bable at first view: but the Angels though often called Gods, yet fometimes are only compar'd or faid to 109. Belial, in act more graceful be like the Gods, as in I. 570. and humane;] Belial is defcribed in the first book as the idol Their vifages and ftature as of of the lewd and luxurious. He is

Gods:

and of the two chief, Michael and Satan, it is faid VI. 301, that

likeft Gods they feem'd: and of two others we read, VI. 366.

in the fecond book, pursuant to that defcription, characterized as timorous and flothful; and if we look into the fixth book, we find him celebrated in the battel of

Angels for nothing but that fcoffing fpeech which he makes to Satan, on their fuppofed advantage

Two potent Thrones, that to be over the enemy. As his appear

less than Gods

Difdain'd:

ance is uniform and of a piece in thefe three feveral views, we find his fentiments in the infernal afhis character. Such are his apprefembly every way conformable to henfions of a fecond battel, his horrors of annihilation, his preferring to be miferable rather than not to be. I need not observe, that

the

A fairer perfon loft not Heav'n; he feem'd
For dignity compos'd and high exploit:

110

But all was falfe and hollow; though his tongue
Dropt Manna, and could make the worfe appear
The better reason, to perplex and dafh
Matureft counfels: for his thoughts were low; 115
To vice induftrious, but to nobler deeds
Timorous and flothful: yet he pleas'd the ear,
And with perfuafive accent thus began.

I should be much for open war, O Peers,
As not behind in hate; if what was urg'd
Main reafon to perfuade immediate war,
Did not diffuade me moft, and feem to caft
Ominous conjecture on the whole fuccefs:
When he who moft excels in fact of arms,
In what he counfels and in what excels

the contraft of thought in this fpeech, and that which precedes, gives an agreeable variety to the debate. Addifon.

The fine contraft, which Mr. Addifon obferves there is betwixt the characters of Moloch and Belial, might probably be firft fuggefted to our poet by a contraft of the fame kind betwixt Argantes and Aletes in the fecond Canto of Taflo's Jerufalem. Thyer.

120

125 Miftruftful,

Mistrustful, grounds his courage on despair
And utter diffolution, as the fcope

Of all his aim, after fome dire revenge.

130

First, what revenge? the tow'rs of Heav'n are fill'd
With armed watch, that render all accefs
Impregnable; oft on the bord'ring deep
Incamp their legions, or with óbfcure wing
Scout far and wide into the realm of night,
Scorning furprise. Or could we break our way
By force, and at our heels all Hell fhould rife
With blackeft infurrection, to confound
Heav'n's pureft light, yet our great enemy
All incorruptible would on his throne
Sit unpolluted, and th' ethereal mold
Incapable of stain would foon expel
Her mischief, and purge off the bafer fire

from the known profeffion of the ancient Sophifts, Tor λoyor Tov ητίω κρείττω ποιειν. Bentley.

124.-in fact of arms,] Dr. Heylin fays it is from the Italian Fatto d'arme a battel; or elfe we should

read here feats of arms, as in ver.

537.

with feats of arms

135

140

From either end of Heav'n the and strange fire, welkin burns.

151. Devoid

Victorious. Thus repuls'd, our final hope
Is flat defpair: we must exasperate
Th'almighty victor to spend all his rage,
And that must end us, that must be our cure,

To be no more; fad cure; for who would lofe,
Though full of pain, this intellectual being,
Those thoughts that wander through eternity,
To perish rather, fwallow'd up and loft

145

In the wide womb of uncreated night,

Devoid of fenfe and motion? and who knows,

Let this be good, whether our angry foe

150

Can give it, or will ever? how he can
Is doubtful; that he never will is fure.
Will he, fo wise, let loose at once his ire,
Belike through impotence, or unaware,
To give his enemies their wish, and end

151. Devoid of fenfe and motion?] Dr. Bentley reads Devoid of fenfe and action: but motion includes action. Mr. Warburton is of opinion, and fo likewife is the learned Mr. Upton in his Critical Obfervations upon Shakespear, that it fhould be read Devoid of fenfe and motion: but the common reading feems better, as it is ftronger and expreffes more; they fhould be depriv'd not only of all fenfe but of

155

Them

all motion, not only of all the intellectual but of all vital functions.

meant for the oppofit to wisdom, 156. impotence,] Tis here and is fed frequently by the Latin authors to fignify a weakness of mind, an uniteddinefs in the government of our paffions, or the conduct of our defigns. In this fenfe Cicero in Epift. ad Fam. IX. fays Victoria ferociores impotentiorefque

9.

160

Them in his anger, whom his anger faves
To punish endless? Wherefore cease we then?
Say they who counfel war, we are decreed,
Referv'd, and deftin'd to eternal woe;
Whatever doing, what can we fuffer more,
What can we fuffer worfe? Is this then worst,
Thus fitting, thus confulting, thus in arms?
What when we fled amain, pursued and struck 165
With Heav'n's afflicting thunder, and befought
The deep to fhelter us? this Hell then feem'd
A refuge from those wounds: or when we lay
Chain'd on the burning lake? that sure was worse.
What if the breath that kindled thofe grim fires, 170
Awak'd should blow them into fev'nfold rage,
And plunge us in the flames? or from above
Should intermitted vengeance arm again

refque reddidit. and in Tufc. Difp. IV. 23. we read Impotentia dictorum et factorum: hence we often meet with impotens animi, iræ, doloris &c. and Horace in Od. I. XXXVII. 10. has Quidlibet impotens fperare. Pearce.

159. Wherefore ceafe we then? &c.] Belial is here propofing what is urged by thofe who counfel war; and then replies to it, Is this then worst &c. and shows that they had

His

been in a worfe condition 165169. that fure was worse; and might be fo again 170-186. this would be worse.

170. What if the breath that kindled thofe grim fires,] If. XXX. 33. For Tophet is ordained of old, the pile thereof is fire and much wood, the breath of the Lord, like a fiream of brimflone, doth kindle it.

174: His