第10章 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.