elephant, To make them mirth, used all his might, and wreathed His lithe proboscis; close the serpent sly, Insinuating, wove with Gordian twine His braided train, and of his fatal guile Gave proof unheeded. Others on the grass Couched, and now filled with pasture gazing sat, Or bedward ruminating; for the sun, Declined, was hastening now with prone career To the Ocean Isles, and in the ascending scale Of Heaven the stars that usher evening rose: When Satan, still in gaze as first he stood, Scarce thus at length failed speech recovered sad:
“O Hell! what do mine eyes with grief behold? Into our room of bliss thus high advanced Creatures of other mould, Earth-born perhaps, Not Spirits, yet to Heavenly Spirits bright Little inferior; whom my thoughts pursue With wonder, and could love, so lively shines In them divine resemblance, and such grace The hand that formed them on their shape hath poured. Ah! gentle pair, ye little think how nigh Your change approaches, when all these delights Will vanish, and deliver ye to woe— More woe, the more your taste is now of joy: Happy, but for so happy ill secured Long to continue, and this high seat, your Heaven, Ill fenced for Heaven to keep out such a foe As now is entered; yet no purposed foe To you, whom I could pity thus forlorn, Though I unpitied. League with you I seek, And mutual amity, so strait, so close, That I with you must dwell, or you with me, Henceforth: my dwelling, haply, may not please, Like this fair Paradise, your sense; yet such Accept your Maker’s work; he gave it me, Which I as freely give. Hell shall unfold, To entertain you two, her widest gates, And send forth all her kings; there will be room, Not like these narrow limits, to receive Your numerous offspring; if no better place, Thank him who puts me loath to this revenge On you who wrong me not, for him who wronged. And, should I at your harmless innocence Melt, as I do, yet public reason just— Honour and empire with revenge enlarged By conquering this new World—compels me now To do what else, though damned, I should abhor.”
So spake the Fiend, and with necessity, The tyrant’s plea, excused his devilish deeds. Then from his lofty stand on that high tree Down he