[61] THE SECOND BOOK O F PARADISE LOST. T The ARGUMENT. HE Confultation began, Satan debates whether another Battle be to be bazarded for the Recovery of Heaven: Some advife it, others diffuade. A third Propofal is preferr'd, mention'd before by Satan, to Search the Truth of that Prophecy or Tradition in Heaven, concerning another World, and another Kind of Creature, equal or not much inferior to themselves, about this Time to be created. Their Doubt who fhall be sent on this difficult Search. Satan, their Chief undertakes the Voyage alone; is bonour'd and applauded. The Council thus ended, the reft betake them feveral Ways, and to feveral Employments, as their Inclinations lead them, to entertain the Time 'till Satan return. He pales on his Journey to Hell Gates, finds them fout, and whe fat there to guard them; by whom at length they are open'd, and discover to him the great Calf Between Hell and Heaven: With what Diffi ulty be paffes through, directed by Chaos, the Power of that Place, to the Sight of this new World which he fought. The Confultation begun, Satan debates concerning another Battles in order to recover Heaven: Propofes to fearch the Truth of that Prophety in Heaven, concerning another World and new Creature Their, Doubt who shall be fent on this difficult Search Satan their Chief undertakes alone the difficult Tafk; is honour'd and applauded. ATAN fat high exalted on a Throne of Royal State, which by far outshone the Wealth of ORMUS, (a) or of INDIA, (b) or where the fumptuous East yields to her Kings rich Pearls and Gold: He was by Merit rais'd to that bad Dignity; and from Defpair thus high lifted up beyond Hope, afpires higher ftill, ambitious to carry (a) Ormus, Ormuz, or Hormus; from Armuza, a Town of Carmanica in Perfia near it, Perf. i. e. Crafty. It was firft call'd Orgis then Geru. A rocky Ifland in the Mouth of the Perfian Gulph, 12 Miles from the nearest Shore of Perfia, 15 Miles round, producing nothing on but fome Wood and Salt, and hath not a Drop of fresh Water in it. It was formerly a Kingdom, and had a large Territory in Kirman. The Portuguese took it, A. D. 1501, built trong City and Caftle upon it: Then it became the Glory of Inlands, and one of the richest ироп on a vain War against Go D, and not yet enough taught by Events, in this Manner exprefs'd his proud Thoughts and Imaginations. YE Powers, and other Inhabitants of Heaven! for fuch you ftill by Right are call'd, fince no Deep can hold within its Gulph immortal Vigour, tho' it may be opprefs'd and fallen: Therefore I give not Heaven for loft; celeftial Virtues rifing from this Defcent, will appear more glorious and more terrible, than from no Fall, and have a Certainty in themselves to prevent their fearing any fecond. Though my just of the Great Mogul, and the Eaft Indies. It is the largest (ex cept and the richest Em pire upon Earth, about 1680 Miles in Length, and 1690 Miles in Breadth. It lies between upon Earth, from their vaft Traffick with India, Perfia, Arabia, &c. But through their Avarice and Pride, Shah Abbas, King of Perfia, i. e. King and Father, affifted with the English, took it from them, with the Lofs of feven Millions of Money and much Blood, April 25, A. D. 1622. They rafed it, and transferr'd all the Trade of it to Gom‡ OBS. India was always eftee ron, and four Canons were car. ry'd from thence to Ipahan; now it is a very poor Place. (b) India; from the great River Indus, call'd Scind by the Natives, Tartars, and others, which divides it from Perfia on the Weft; or from Hadoran the 5th Son of Joktan, who first peopled it, Gen. 10. 27. Therefore in Scripture it is called Hodu, Havilah, and Chus, i. e. Beautiful and worthy of Praise ; because it is an exceeding fine, rich Country: By the Arabs, Hind; by the Natives, Perfians, &c. Hindaftan, i. e. The Country of the Blacks, or fwarthy People; but by us, the Empire China on China on the Eaft, and Perfia to the Weft, and upon the Indian Ocean, and contains 37 Kingdoms befides innumerable Islands. med the richest Part of the ons juft Right, the fix'd Laws of Heaven, and next your free Choice did firft create me your Leader, with whatever hath been atchiev'd of Merit, either in Council or in Battle; yet this Lofs (fo far at leaft recover'd) hath establish'd me much more, in a fafe and unenvy'd Throne, yielded me with full Confent. The happier State, which in Heaven follows Dignity, might draw Envy from thofe of inferior Rank; but who will envy here him, who being in the highest Place, is expos'd to ftand foremost against the Thunder of Go D, and to be to you as a Bulwark; condemn'd at the fame Time to bear the greateft Share of Mifery without End? Where then there is no Good to ftrive for, there can no Strife arife from Faction; for none fure will claim Precedence in Hell, nor is there any whofe Share of prefent Pain is so small, that he with ambitious Mind will covet more! With thefe Advantages then, thus leagu'd in firm Faith and Accord, more than there can be in Heaven, we now return, to claim our ancient and juft Inheritance; being more fure to profper, than paft Profperity could have affur'd us: But which may be the beft Way to obtain our End, whether open War or conceal'd Stra→ tagem, is the Subject of our prefent Debate; whoever can advise, let him speak. HERE SATAN remain'd filent; and next him MoLOCH, who affum'd a Name of Royalty, ftood up ♦ he was the strongest and fierceft Spirit that fought in Heaven, and was now grown fiercer thro' Defpair; his Aim was to have been deem'd equal in Strength with the ALMIGHTY, and rather than be lefs than that, ons from the People 25,000,000!. Befides vaft Sums from petty Kings and Cities, with the Lives. of 200,000 Inhabitants. See Mr. Frafer's Hiftory of Kouli Afracan mentioned in the publick Papers, Sept. 23, 1740, furmounts all Credibility. Eaft. India was first difcover'd to the Europeans by the Portuguese, when Vasques de Gania arrived at Calicut, May 4, A. D. 1498. that, chofe not to be at all; but having loft that Hope he loft all Fear: He made no Account of GOD, or Hell, or worse, and fpoke as follows: + My Sentence is altogether for open War; I boast not of Stratagems, for in them I am not skilful; let those contrive them who have no better Means to ufe, and when there may be Occafion for them, not now: For while they fit inventing, fhall the reft, fo many Millions that stand in Arms and impatiently wait the Signal to afcend, fit lingering here; Hea→ ven's Fugitives, and accept for their Dwelling-Place this dark and fhameful Pit, which is the Prison of his Tyranny, who reigns only by our Delay? No, let us chufe rather, arm'd with Fury and Hell Flames, all at once to force refiftlefs Way over the high Towers of Heaven, turning our Tortures into horrible Arms against him who tortures us; when he fhall hear, to meet the Noise of his almighty Thunder, infernal Thunder, and for Lightning, fee black Fire and Horror fhot with as great Rage among His Angels; and fee His Throne itself, mix'd with burning Sulphur and ftrange Fire, Torments which He himself invented. -----But, perhaps, the Way feems hard and steep, to scale upward upon the Wing, against a Foe above us.-----If the fleepy Drench of that Lake does not ́ fill ftupify, let fuch bethink them, that we afcend in our proper Motion, up to our native Seats; Defcent and Sinking is contrary to our celeftial Natures. Who were there of late, when our fierce Foe purfu’d us closely thro' the Deep, but felt with what Compulfion and Labour we funk thus low? The Afcent then is eafy, but the Event is fear'd: It is objected, that if we fhould again provoke HIM, who is ftronger than us, His Wrath may find fome worse Way to our Destruction; as if those who are already in Hell could fear to be worfe deftroy'd. What can be worfe F than |