[61] ТНЕ SECOND BOOK O F PARADISE LOST. AR 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 themfelves, about this Time to be created. Their Doubt who shall be fent on this difficult Search. Satan, their Chief undertakes the Voyage alone; is honour'd and applauded. The Council thus ended, the rest 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 shut, and who who fat there to guard them; by whom at length they are open'd, and discover to him the great Gulf between Hell and Heaven: With what Difficulty be paffes through, directed by Chaos, the Power of that Place, to the Sight of this new World which he fought. СНА The Confultation begun, Satan debates concerning another Battle, in order to recover Heaven: Propofes to fearch the Truth of that Prophecy 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 outfhone 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 still, 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 a trong City and Castle upon it; Then it became the Glory of Islands, and one of the richest upon on a vain War againft 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 themfelves to prevent their fearing any fecond. 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 Gomron, 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 Ho du, Havilah, and Chus, i. e. Beautiful and worthy of Praife; because it is an exceeding fine, rich Country: By the Arabs, Hind; by the Natives, Perfians, &c. Hindoftan, i. e. The Country of the Blacks, or fwarthy People; but by us, the Empire Though my juft of the Great Mogul, and the Eaft Indies. It is the largest (ex cept China) and the richest Empire upon Earth, about 1680 Miles in Length, and 1690 Miles in Breadth. It lies between China on the Eaft, and Perfia to the Weft, and upon the Indian Ocean, and contains 37 Kingdoms befides innumerable Islands. OBS. India was always estee-> med the richest Part of the World, in Gold, Silver, Jewels, Spices, &c. and we have a fignal Proof of it lately, in those immenfe Treafures, which Thamas Kouli Kan took from the Emperor and others, when he invaded that Empire, A. D. 1740. Nadir Shah collected to the Value of 87,500,000l. while. he continued there: He carried away 25,000,000/.. He took from his Officers and Soldiers 12,500,000 /. from the Omras or Princes 3,750,000l. The Jewels were worth about. 2,000,000!. The Imperial Throne fet with Diamonds, &c. 2250,000,000 /. In Contributi juft Right, the fix'd Laws of Heaven, and next your free Choice did first 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 those of inferior Rank; but who will envy here him, who being in the highest Place, is expos'd to stand foremost against the Thunder of Go D, and to be to you as a Bulwark; condemn'd at the fame Time to bear the greatest Share of Mifery without End? Where then there is no Good to ftrive for, there can no Strife arise from Faction; for none fure will claim Precedence in Hell, nor is there any whofe Share of present Pain is fo fmall, 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 just Inheritance ; being more fure to profper, than past Profperity could have affur'd us: But which may be the beft Way to obtain our End, whether open War or conceal'd Stratagem, 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 less than that, ons from the People 25,000,000l. Befides vaft Sums from petty Kings and Cities, with the Lives of 200,000 Inhabitants. See Mr. Frafer's Hiftory of Kouli Airacan mentioned in the publick Papers, Sept. 23, 1740, furmounts all Credibility. Eaft India was firft difcover'd to the Europeans by the Portugueze, when Vafques de Gania arrived at Calicut, May 4, A. D. 1498. |