第3章 2
Whether of open Warr or covert guile,
We now debate; who can advise, may speak.
He ceasd, and next him Moloc, Scepterd King
Stood up, the strongest and the fiercest Spirit
That fought in Heavn; now fiercer by despair: [ 45 ]
His trust was with th Eternal to be deemd
Equal in strength, and rather then be less
Cared not to be at all; with that care lost
Went all his fear: of God, or Hell, or worse
He reckd not, and these words thereafter spake. [ 50 ]
My sentence is for open Warr: Of Wiles,
More unexpert, I boast not: them let those
Contrive who need, or when they need, not now.
For while they sit contriving, shall the rest,
Millions that stand in Arms, and longing wait [ 55 ]
The Signal to ascend, sit lingring here
Heavns fugitives, and for thir dwelling place
Accept this dark opprobrious Den of shame,
The Prison of his Tyranny who Reigns
By our delay? no, let us rather choose [ 60 ]
Armd with Hell flames and fury all at once
Ore Heavns high Towrs to force resistless way,
Turning our Tortures into horrid Arms
Against the Torturer; when to meet the noise
Of his Almighty Engin he shall hear [ 65 ]
Infernal Thunder, and for Lightning see
Black fire and horror shot with equal rage
Among his Angels; and his Throne it self
Mixt with Tartarean Sulphur, and strange fire,
His own invented Torments. But perhaps [ 70 ]
The way seems difficult and steep to scale
With upright wing against a higher foe.
Let such bethink them, if the sleepy drench
Of that forgetful Lake benumm not still,
That in our proper motion we ascend [ 75 ]
Up to our native seat: descent and fall
To us is adverse. Who but felt of late
When the fierce Foe hung on our brokn Rear
Insulting, and pursud us through the Deep,
With what compulsion and laborious flight [ 80 ]
We sunk thus low? Th ascent is easie then;
Th event is feard; should we again provoke
Our stronger, some worse way his wrath may find
To our destruction: if there be in Hell
Fear to be worse destroyd: what can be worse [ 85 ]
Then to dwell here, drivn out from bliss, condemnd
In this abhorred deep to utter woe;