And hell expand its lake of fire
To' ingulf the offspring with their sire:
Saw too the' avenging angel stand,
Sword and keen lightnings in his hand,
And arrows rang'd in dire array
Athirst for blood, and wing'd to slay :
Then heard from the abhor'd profound
The monsters of the pit resound
Their joys, that man from God was driven,
And earth to hell's dominion given:
Compassion not to be express'd,
Like a swift flame, pervades his breast;
To help, to save almighty ire,
And love dimensionless conspire;
'Not the whole race of men shall be
Plunged in eternal misery :
What, shall my Father's work divine,
Where his refulgent beauties shine,
Perish by hellish fraud and spite?
Rather let all the stars of light
Be from their glorious stations hurl'd,
And night and chaos whelm the world:
I'll enter Satan's dark domain,
And bind the felon in my chain,
Or he shall chase me from the field,
And I'll to him my sceptre yield.
By my Sire's glories, and by mine,
Alike immortal and divine,
I swear!' He said, and bows the skies,
And to our world impatient flies.
The Prince of Heaven, without delay,
Assumes an humble form of clay;
Though scant the room, and poor the' abode,
Yet honour'd to admit the God!
Thus he displays his wondrous grace,
Thus he redeems our ruin'd race,
Vengeance' full quiver he receives,
And for our own his life he gives.
O the distress! the' effects how dire
Of the offended thunderer's ire!
Edict severe ! what punishment
For Adam's one transgression sent!
He tastes the interdicted tree,
And death sweeps o'er his progeny.
But check, my Muse, thy plaintive lay;
Whither do thy wild pinions stray?
Suppress these sighs, these groans restrain,
What, shall a flood of tears profane
The triumphs of Immanuel's tomb ?
Rather a joyful strain assume,
And in thy noblest numbers tell
How he descended into hell,
And enter'd the tremendous cells
Where death in night and horror dwells;
The dreary seats his presence own'd,
And to their inmost caverns groan'd.
Chaos through all his empire shook,
The' alarm the' infernal tyrant took,
And, roaring loud in wild affright,
Ran, fled through all the realms of night,
In hope to hide his guilty head,
When thus the Lord of glory said:
'Monster! curst cause of sin and woe,
In vain thou try'st to shun my blow:
This bolt shall find, shall pierce thee through,
Though, to conceal thee from my view,
Thou under hell's profoundest wave
Should'st dive, to seek a sheltering grave.'
He spoke, and with unerring aim
Full on the foe he flung the flame
His Father gave; through all the coasts
Hell trembled, trembled all the ghosts,
Who well ethereal fires might dread,
Ere since before their force they fled
From the celestial light and bliss
Down to the bottomless abyss.
Now from the deep loud thunders sound,
Scattering immense destruction round,
Tear up the dungeons from their base
Prepar'd to' immure the chosen race.
Here in a thousand fragments lie
Engines of hellish tyranny,
Fetters, wheels, racks, asunder burst,
And every cruelty accurs'd:
While Death in lamentable groans
The plunder of his darts bemoans.
But see the God, with conquest crown'd,
Returning from the dark profound,
See up Heaven's hills the triumph roll'd,
See to his wheels of burning gold
Proud Satan chain'd, and with a throng
Of hell's grim monsters drag'd along.
What shouts of joy from angels rise,
While he ascends his native skies!
What pleasure in the victor glow'd,
While through the gates of bliss he rode !
His praises, ye seraphic choirs,
Resound, and sweep your golden lyres,
His praises too all human tongues
Resound, and tune the noblest songs,
While the glad stars that round the pole
'Twixt Heaven and earth incessant roll,
Seize from both worlds the tuneful sound,
And waft the' immortal echoes round.
CORPORE Cur hæres, Wattsi? cur incola terræ ?
Quid cupis indignum, mens habitare lutum ?
Te caro mille malis premit; hinc juvenes gravat
Languor, et hinc vegetus crimina sanguis alit. Cura, amor, ira, dolor mentem malè distrahit; auceps Undique adest Satanas retiva sæva struens. Suspice ut æthereum signant tibi nutibus astra. Tramitem, et aula vocat parta cruore Dei. Te manet Uriel dux; et tibi subjicit alas Stellatas seraphin officiosa cohors.
Te superûm chorus optat amans, te invitat Jesus, 'Huc ades et nostro tempora conde sinû,'
Verè amat ille lutum quem nec dolor aut Satan arcet Inde, nec alliciunt angelas, astra, Deus.
TRANSLATION. BY DR. GIBBONS.
WHY dost thou linger in thy cell,
My soul, contented here to dwell?
What, are the charms of sinful clay
To court and entertain thy stay?
A thousand ills thy body feels:
In weakness now the fabric reels,
And now the crimson currents roll
In poison, and infect the soul:
Fear, love, wrath, sorrow, mix their strife,
And break the harmony of life.
See how the stars their beams unite
To point thy course, and guide thy flight
To the fair temple of thy God,
The purchase of Immanuel's blood.
Kind Uriel waits to lead thy way
In triumph to the realms of day:
Seraphic squadrons from the skies
Tender their wings, and bid thee rise.
Heaven opes its gates to give thee room:
Jesus in smiles invites thee home.
"Here on the pillow of my breast
(He cries) thy weary temples rest.'
How criminal his fond delight
In earth, who still delays his flight;
When Satan, and the pains of sense,
Try all their powers to drive him hence;
And friendly angels, Heaven, and God!
Court him in vain to quit his clod.
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