9

Thither let us bend all our thoughts, to learn

What creatures there inhabit, of what mould, [ 355 ]

Or substance, how endud, and what thir Power,

And where thir weakness, how attempted best,

By force or suttlety: Though Heavn be shut,

And Heavns high Arbitrator sit secure

In his own strength, this place may lye exposd [ 360 ]

The utmost border of his Kingdom, left

To their defence who hold it: here perhaps

Som advantagious act may be achievd

By sudden onset, either with Hell fire

To waste his whole Creation, or possess [ 365 ]

All as our own, and drive as we were driven,

The punie habitants, or if not drive,

Seduce them to our Party, that thir God

May prove thir foe, and with repenting hand

Abolish his own works. This would surpass [ 370 ]

Common revenge, and interrupt his joy

In our Confusion, and our Joy upraise

In his disturbance; when his darling Sons

Hurld headlong to partake with us, shall curse

Thir frail Original, and faded bliss, [ 375 ]

Faded so soon. Advise if this be worth

Attempting, or to sit in darkness here

Hatching vain Empires. Thus Beelzebub

Pleaded his devilish Counsel, first devisd

By Satan, and in part proposd: for whence, [ 380 ]

But from the Author of all ill could Spring

So deep a malice, to confound the race

Of mankind in one root, and Earth with Hell

To mingle and involve, done all to spite

The great Creatour? But thir spite still serves [ 385 ]

His glory to augment. The bold design

Pleasd highly those infernal States, and joy

Sparkld in all thir eyes; with full assent

They vote: whereat his speech he thus renews.