this might be, but without Fear; for he neither valu'd nor fhunn'd any Thing that was created, nor fear'd any Thing, GOD and his SoN excepted, and thus with a difdainful Look begun firft:

THOU execrable Shape! whence and what art thou? That dar'ft, though grim and terrible, to advance thy mifcreant Form athwart my Way to yonder Gates? Be affur'd that I mean to pafs through them, without asking any Leave of thee: Give Way, or feel the Effects of thy Folly; and learn by Proof, Hellborn! not to contend with Spirits of Heaven.

To whom full of Wrath, the Phantom reply'd, art thou that Traitor Angel? Art thou he, who firft didft break Peace in Heaven, and Faith, which 'till then had never been broken, and in proud rebellious Arms, drew after him a third Part of the Sons of Heaven, covenanted against the HIGHEST; for which both thou and they are here condemn'd, outcaft from GOD, to pass Eternity in Woe and Mifery? And doft thou reckon thyfelf with Spirits of Heaven? Helldoom'd! doft thou breath Scorn and Defiance here, where I reign King? (and more to enrage thee, thy King, and Lord) Back, thou Fugitive, to thy Punishment, and add Wings to thy Speed; left I purfue thy lingering Steps with a Whip of SCORPIONS; (a) or at one Stroke of this Dart strange Horror fhall feize thee, and fuch Pangs as thou haft never felt before.

THE hideous Shadow fpoke thus; and fo fpeaking and threatening, grew in Shape ten Times more dreadful and deform'd. On the other Side, SATAN ftood unterrify'd, and incens'd with Rage, and burn'd

(z) Scorpion; Gr. Lat. i. e. Throwing out Poifon. A Scorpion is a black, fhort, and very poifonous Serpent, with a fmail

like

Head like a Craw-fifh, and a long Tail with fix or feven Knots, wherewith it kills Men and Beafts.

like a Comet, that fires the Length of OPHIUCUs (b) in the ARTIC (c) Sky, and from his horrid Hair is believ'd to shake War and Peftilence. Each at the others Head levell'd his mortal Aim, their fatal Hands intending no fecond Stroke; and they caft fuch a Frown at one another, as when two black Clouds full of Thunder, come rattling on over the CASPIAN (d) Sea, then stand Front to Front, hovering for a Space, 'till the Winds blow a Signal for them to join their dark Encounter in the Midft of the Air; so these mighty Combatants frown'd, infomuch that Hell grew darker; fo match'd they ftood: For never but once more was either of them ever like to meet fo great a Foe. And now great Deeds had been performed, of which all Hell would have rung, had not the other Snaky Form, that fat close by Hell Gate, and who kept the fatal Key, rifen up, and rush'd between with hideous Outcry.

SHE cry'd, Oh Father! what does thy Hand defign against thy onely Son? Oh Son! what Fury poffeffes

(b) Ophiucus; Lat. from the Gr. i. e. A Serpent-Bearer. An Aftron. T. A Northern Conftellation, called alfo the Serpent, representing a Man holding a Serpent in his. Hand; and confifts of 29 Stars, according to Ptolomy. The Fable is taken from Hereules, who fqueezed two Serpents to Death in his Cradle.

(a) Artic; Lat. Gr. An Afron. T. The Northern Circle, where there are two Stars that go by this Name, near the North Pole; the Great Bear and the Little Bear. The oppofite Pole is called Antartic, or the Southern Pole.

(b) Cafpian; Scyth. from the

Cafpii, an antient People, who dwelt upon the South Side of it. the Cafpian Sea is not a Sea properly fo called, nor a Bay of the Northern Ocean, as the Antients thought; but a Lake; and the greateft in the World. It lies between Perfia, Tartary, Georgia, and Mufcovy: about 3000 Miles in Compafs; for tho' the Volga (which alone discharges more Water in a Year, than all the other Rivers in Europe) and 100 Rivers befides, run into it; yet it hath no visible Outlet. Therefore fome think it rifeth up in the Perfian Gulf, after running under Ground above 2000 Miles.

feffes thee, to bend that mortal Dart against the Head of thy Father? And knoweft for whom too; for him who fits above, and only laughs at thee, who art ordain'd his Drudge, to execute whatever his Wrath commands, which he calls Juftice; his Wrath, which fometime or other will deftroy ye both.

THUS fhe spoke, and at her Bidding the hellish Phantom forbore, and SATAN made Answer to her.

THY Outcry, and thy Words, which thou haft interpos'd, are fo ftrange, that my Hand has been prevented by them, from letting thee know by Deeds what I intend; 'till I know firft of thee what thou art, thus double form'd, and why on first meeting me on this infernal Vale thou haft called me Father, and that horrid Shape my Son: I know thee not, nor ever 'till now faw a Sight more deteftable than thee and him.

To whom the Portrefs of the Gate of Hell made Answer,

HAST thou forgot me then? And do I feem fo very foul in thine Eye now, who was once esteem'd fo fair in Heaven, when at the Affembly, and in Sight of all the Seraphim, who combin'd with thee in bold Confpiracy against the great King of Heaven, all on a fudden a milerable Pain feiz'd on thee, thy Eyes grew dim, and swam in Darkness, while thy Head threw forth Flames thick and faft, 'till it open'd on the Left Side; from whence I fprung, a Goddess arm'd, moft like to thyfelf in Shape and Brightnefs of Countenance, then fhining heavenly fair: All the Hoft of Heaven were feiz'd with Amazement; they started back, being at first afraid, and called me SIN, and held me for an unlucky Omen; but grown more familiar, I pleas'd, and with attracting Graces, won those who before were most averfe, and thee chief of

alle

all, who viewing in me a perfect Image of thyfelf, becamest enamour'd of me, and fuch Joy didft often take with me in Secret, that my Womb conceiv'd a growing Burthen: Mean while War arose in Heaven, and Battles were fought, whereon remain'd (for what elfe could) to our ALMIGHTY Foe a compleat Victory; to our Part Lofs and Defeat through all Heaven; down they fell, driven headlong from the Skies, into this Deep, and in the general Fall I fell alfo; at which Time this powerful Key was given into my Hand, with Charge to keep the Gates fhut for ever, which none can pafs without my opening. Here I fat, penfive and alone; but not long, before my Womb, made pregnant by thee and now grown exceffively, felt prodigious Motion, and Pains of Child-birth; at last this odious Offfpring, whom thou feeft here, thine own Begotten, violently breaking his Way, tore through my Entrails; fo that distorted with Fear and Pain, my nether Parts grew thus transform'd: But he, my inbred Enemy, iffu'd forth, terribly fhaking his fatal Dart made to destroy: I fled away, and cry'd Out, DEATH! at that hideous Name Hell trembled, and figh'd from all her Caves, and refounded back, DEATH! I fled, but he purfu'd, (though more inflamed, it seems, with Luft, than with Rage) and being far fwifter, overtook me his Mother, quite overcome with Fear; and in forcible Embraces, and foul engendering with me in that Rape, begot thefe yelling Monsters, that as thou faweft furround me with ceaseless Cry; with infinite Sorrow to me hourly conceiv'd, and hourly born; for when they lift they return into the Womb that bred them, and howl and gnaw all my Bowels for their Food; then burfting forth, put me to fresh and terrible Pain, fo that I neither find Reft or Intermiffion. Directly oppofite and before my Eyes fits grim DEATH, my Son and Foe, who fets them on; and full foon would even devour me, his Parent, but that he well knows that his End

is

is involv'd with mine; he knows that I should prove a bitter Morfel and his Bane, whenever that shall happén; fo was it pronounc'd by Fate. But I forewarn thee, my Father! do thou fhun his deadly Arrow; neither vainly have Hope to be invulnerable in those bright Arms of thine, tho' they were made in Heaven, for that mortal Stroke there's none can refift, excepting HE who reigns above.

SHE finish'd here, and the fubtle Fiend foon learn'd what was beft for him to do; fo that now grown milder, he answer'd thus fmoothly:

DEAR Daughter! fince thou claimeft me to be thy Father, and fheweft me my fair Son here, (the dear Pledge of Dalliance which I had with thee in Heaven, Joys then fweet, now fad to mention, thro' the fatal Change that has befallen us, quite_unthought of and unforeseen) I come not here as an Enemy, but to fet free from out this dismal and dark House of Pain, both him and thee, and all the Hoft of heavenly Spirits, that arm'd in our juft Pretences fell with us from on high; I now go from them alone, fo has it been my Choice, on this uncouth Errand, and expofe myfelf, one for all, to tread with lonely Steps the fathomlefs Deep, and thro' Immenfity fearch with wandering Enquiry a Place, which was foretold fhould be created; and if we may judge by concurring Signs it is now created; a large Globe, a Place of Blifs, on the Borders of Heaven, and already therein is plac'd a Race of upftart Creatures, to fupply, it may be, our vacant Room, tho' remov'd farther off, left Heaven being over-ftock'd with too powerful a Multitude, new Broils might happen: Whether this be, or any Thing more fecret now defign'd, I am haftening to know; and this once known, I fhall foon return, and conduct ye to the Place, where thou and DEATH hall dwell at Eafe, and filently and unfeen pass to

and