Chapter 4 3
Where pain of unextinguishable fire
Must exercise us without hope of end
The Vassals of his anger, when the Scourge [90]
Inexorably, and the torturing hour
Calls us to Penance? More destroyed then thus
We should be quite abolisht and expire.
What fear we then? what doubt we to incense
His ultimate ire? which to the highth enragd, [ 95 ]
Will either quite consume us, and reduce
To nothing this essential, happier farr
Then terrible to have eternal being:
Or if our substance be indeed Divine,
And cannot cease to be, we are at worst [ 100 ]
On this side nothing; and by proof we feel
Our power sufficient to disturb his Heavn,
And with perpetual inrodes to Allarme,
Though inaccessible, his fatal Throne:
Which if not Victory is yet Revenge. [ 105 ]
He ended frowning, and his look denouncing
Desperate revenge, and Battel dangerous
To less then Gods. On th other side up rose
Belial, in act more graceful and humane;
A fairer person lost not Heavn; he seemed to [ 110 ]
For dignity composd and high exploit:
But all was false and hollow; though his Tongue
Dropt Manna, and could make the worse appear
The better reason, to perplex and dash
Maturest Counsels: for his thoughts were low; [ 115 ]
To vice industrious, but to Nobler deeds
Timorous and slothful: yet he pleased the ear,
And with perswasive accent thus began.
I should be much for open Warr, O Peers,
As not behind in hate; if what was urgd [ 120 ]
Main reason to persuade immediate Warr,
Did not disswade me most, and seem to cast
Ominous conjecture on the whole success:
When he who most excels in fact of Arms,
In what he counsels and in what excels [ 125 ]
Mistrustful, grounds his courage on despair
And utter dissolution, as the scope
Of all his aim, after some dire revenge.
First, what Revenge? the Towrs of Heavn are filled
With Armed watch, that render all access [ 130 ]
Impregnable; oft on the bordering Deep
Encamp thir Legions, or with obscure wing
Scout farr and wide into the Realm of night,