Might fuddenly inflict; that paft, return'd

345

By night, and list'ning where the hapless pair
Sat in their fad difcourfe, and various plaint,
Thence gather'd his own doom, which underflood
Not inftant, but of future time, with joy
And tidings fraught, to Hell he now return'd,
And at the brink of Chaos, near the foot
Of this new wondrous pontifice, unhop'd
Met who to meet him came, his ofspring dear.
Great joy was at their meeting, and at fight
Of that stupendous bridge his joy increas'd.
Long he admiring ftood, till Sin, his fair
Inchanting daughter, thus the filence broke,
O Parent, these are thy magnific deeds,

fun rofe in Aries, he fteers his courfe
directly upwards betwixt the Cen-
taur and the Scorpion, two conftel-
lations which lay in a quite different
part of the Heavens from Aries.
which underflood
344.
Not inftant, but of future time,

with joy &c.] In Milton's own editions, and in all the reft which I have seen till Mr. Fenton's and Dr. Bentley's it was falfely printed thus,

which underflood Not inftant, but of future time. With joy &'c.

350

354 Thy

But the fenfe evidently fhows that ver. 312.

Thy trophies, which thou view'ft as not thine own; Thou art their author and prime architect :

For Ino fooner in my heart divin'd,

My heart, which by a secret harmony

Still moves with thine, join'd in connexion sweet, That thou on earth hadft profper'd, which thy looks Now alfo evidence, but ftrait I felt

361

Though diftant from thee worlds between, yet felt That I must after thee with this thy fon,

Such fatal confequence unites us three:

Hell could no longer hold us in her bounds,

365

Nor this unvoyageable gulf obfcure

Detain from following thy illuftrious track.
Thou hast achiev'd our liberty, confin'd
Within Hell gates till now, thou us impower'd

To fortify thus far, and overlay

With this portentous bridge the dark abyss.
Thine now is all this world; thy virtue' hath won

370

What

See more inftances of this IV. 129.
VIII. 423. and IX. 908. Pearce.

381. His quadrature, from thy or

bicular world,] This world is orbicular or round; the empyreal Heaven is a quadrature or fquare. Our author had faid before, Book II. 1048. that it was undetermin'd Square or round, and fo it might be

to

What thy hands builded not, thy wisdom gain'd
With odds what war hath loft, and fully' aveng'd
Our foil in Heav'n; here thou shalt monarch reign,
There didft not; there let him ftill victor fway, 376
As battel hath adjudg'd, from this new world
Retiring, by his own doom alienated,
And henceforth monarchy with thee divide
Of all things parted by th' empyreal bounds,
His quadrature, from thy orbicular world,
Or try thee now more dange'rous to his throne.
Whom thus the Prince of darkness anfwer'd glad.
Fair Daughter, and thou Son and Grandchild both,
High proof ye now have giv'n to be the race 385
Of Satan, (for I glory in the name,

Antagonist of Heav'n's almighty king)

Amply have merited of me, of all

Th' infernal empire, that so near Heav'n's door
Triumphal with triumphal act have met,

to Satan viewing it at that distance: But here he follows the opinion of Gaffendus and others, who fay that the Empyréum or Heaven of Heavens is of a fquare figure becaufe the holy city in the Revelation is fo defcribid, Rev. XXI. 16. And the city lieth four-fquare, and the length is as large as the breadth.

380

390 Mine

383.
the Prince of darkness]
Satan may well be fo call'd, fince
his Angels are filed in Scripture,
the rulers of the darkness of this world
Eph. VI. 12.

386.-for 1 glory in the name,
Antagonist &c.] The name Satan
fignifies Antagonist or Adverfary, as
we obferv'd before.

395

Mine with this glorious work, and made one realm
Hell and this world, one realm, one continent
Of easy thorough-fare. Therefore while I
Defcend through darkness, on your road with ease,
Το my affociate Pow'rs, them to acquaint
With these fucceffes, and with them rejoice,
You two this way, among these numerous orbs
All yours, right down to Paradife defcend;
There dwell and reign in bliss, thence on the earth
Dominion exercise and in the air,

Chiefly on Man, fole lord of all declar'd,

Him first make sure your thrall, and lastly kill.

408.prevail,] So it is in the first edition, in the fecond it is prevails.

409. No detriment need fear ;] Here our author plainly alludes to the charge given by the Roman fenate to the fupreme magiftrate in times of danger providere nequid refp. detrimenti accipiat. Thyer.

409. and be ftrong] Satan go encourages Sin and Death in much

400

My

the fame words as Mofes does Jofhua. Deut. XXXI. 7, 8.

412. Spreading their bane ;] Ovid's defcription of the journey of Envy Death's to Paradife, have a great to Athens, and Milton's of Sin and refemblance. But whatever Milton imitates, he adds a greatness to it; as, in this place, he alters Ovid's flowers, herbs, people and cities to ftars, planets and worlds. Ovid. Met. II. 791.

Quacunque ingreditur,florentia pro-
terit arva,
Exuritque herbas, et fumma cacu-
mina carpit;
Afflatuque fuo populos, urbesque
domofque

Polluit.

Plenipotent on earth, of matchlefs might
Iffuing from me: on your joint vigor now
My hold of this new kingdom all depends,
Through Sin to Death expos'd by my exploit.
If your joint pow'r prevail, th' affairs of Hell
No detriment need fear; go and be strong.

405

So faying he difmifs'd them; they with speed 410 Their course through thickest constellations held, Spreading their bane; the blasted stars look'd wan, And planets, planet-ftruck, real eclipse

Then fuffer'd. Th' other way Satan went down