University of Virginia Library

But while to bring about their great intent,
The Christian army all their vigour bent;
The potent enemy of human kind,
Revolv'd their happy progress in his mind.
His baleful eyes with hellish envy glare,
Half stifled murmurs show his inward care,
And hollow groans betray his deep despair:
With such a heavy, hoarse, and bellowing sound,
Wild bulls, when stung with grief, they trace the ground,
Fill all the groves, and all the valleys round.
Collecting all the rage within his breast,
For means the active Christians to molest.
Fool! to believe with any force or skill,
T'oppose the methods of th' eternal will;
And those avenging thunders to awake,
That plung'd him headlong down the flaming lake,
Regardless of that memorable day,
He summons now the states of hell away.
Thro' all the climes of endless darkness round,
The jarring calls of the hoarse trumpet sound;
Trembled the wide infernal caves again,
And long the murm'ring air retain'd the sullen strain.
Not half so dreadful in a stormy wreck,
From low'ring clouds the noisy thunders break;
Nor vapours close imprison'd in the earth,
With such wild rumour give themselves a birth.
In various troops, the gloomy deities
Together came, that share the vast abyss:
Unnumber'd forms, and monstrous all appear,
And deadly terror in their looks they wear;
With horrid snaky tresses some were crown'd,
Some stamp'd with brutal hoofs the burning ground;
Others more curst a human visage find,
But scaly serpents end below, and wind
In circling folds prodigious lengths behind:
And many a lewd, detested Harpy there,
Centaurs, and Sphinx's hideous forms appear:
Hydra, and Python, hissing thro' the gloom,
With Gorgon here, and barking Scylla, come:
Giants and ghastly shapes that want a name,
And fierce Chimæra spitting angry flame;
And many a fiend and frightful monster more,
With wild confusion crowd the lofty door.
Great Lucifer the regal seat commands,
Shaking a rusty scepter in his hands:
Nor Alpine hill, nor some exalted rock,
That proudly stands the raging ocean's shock,
Nor half so tall th' Atlantic mount appears;
So vast his bulk, so high his tow'ring front he rears.
A horrid majesty surrounds his face,
Its terror, pride and growing rage increase.
His red'ning Eyes like fatal comets glare,
And shoot malignant venom thro' the air:
Beneath his breast descends a loathsome beard,
His mouth a deep polluted gulf appear'd;
Whence issue sulphur, smoke, and pois'nous steams.
With mutt'ring thunder, and destructive flames.
He spake; all hell astonish'd at the noise
Stood mute, grim Cerberus restrains his voice;
Cocytus stops, the snakes to hiss forbear,
While thro' the sounding deep these dreadful words we hear.

Infernal Gods, worthy the thrones of light,
And monarchies of heav'n, your native right,
Whom from the realms of bliss, your ancient lot,
The just, the glorious cause for which we fought,
With me to this opprobrious dungeon brought.
Other success, ev'n he that rules the skies,
Excepted from our noble enterprize:
But unmolested now he reigns above,
And us from thence as conquer'd rebels drove.
From a serene, and everlasting day,
From stars, and from the sun's delightsome ray;
To shades, and endless horrors we retire,
Nor dare again to those gay climes aspire.
But I th' effects of all his wrath disdain,
'Till one curst thought exasperates my pain;
That racking thought I never can sustain
I could with joy in heav'n resign my place,
But rage to see it fill'd with man's degen'rate race:
To see vile dust exalted to supply
Our once illustrious stations in the sky;
And what distracts me more—
As all too little to our mighty foe
Appear'd, that he for worthless man could do;
The ruin'd wretches forfeiture to pay,
He gave to death his darling son a prey;
Victorious o'er the meagre king, in state
He proudly enters the infernal gate;
Within my gloomy confines dar'd to tread,
And here in scorn his shining banners spread.
Millions of captive souls, our destin'd prey,
He led triumphant from the shades away:
And, what my discontent and pain renews,
The ancient enterprize he still pursues;
And while we idly here consume the day,
To him the Asian empire drops away,
And false Judæa shortly owns his sway:
Loud hymns in ev'ry language to his name
They sing, and spread around the world his fame.
Inscrib'd in brass, and lasting marble, they
His glory down to future times convey.
To him alone devoted flames arise,
And vows, and od'rous incense mount the skies.
No blazing fire upon our altar shines,
Neglected stand our temples, and our shrines:
No more with gifts they crowd our rich abodes,
Nor fall before us as assisting Gods.
Empty of human souls our regions grow,
While all the roads of hell unpeopled show:
And can we tamely suffer this? And rests
No spark of ancient vigour in your breasts?
Have you forgot when in bright arms we shone,
Engag'd with heav'n, and shook his lofty throne?
Our native vigour, our immortal flame,
And ardent thirst of glory, is the same.
But why, you dear companions of my woe,
In pleasing mischief are you grown so slow?
Lost here in sloth and darkness we remain,
While new allies the prosp'rous Christians gain:
Haste then, with all the rage of hell assail
Our dreaded foes, by arts or force prevail;
In all their solemn councils raise dissent,
Ungrounded jealousies, and discontent:
Let some the slaves of shameful passions prove,
Plung'd in the soft, licentious joys of love;
And others treach'rously the cause decline,
Confound their army, sink the curst design.