Thrice he assayd, and thri spight of s,
Tears such as Angels weep, burst forth: at last [ 620 ]
Words interwove with sighs found out thir way.
O Myriads of immortal Spirits, O Powers
Matchless, but with th Almighty, and that strife
Was not inglorious, though th event was dire,
As this place testifies, and this dire ge [ 625 ]
Hateful to utter: but ower of mind
Foreseeing ing, from the Depth
Of knowledge past or present, could have feard,
How suited force of Gods, how such
As stood like these, could ever know repulse? [ 630 ]
For who yet beleeve, though after loss,
That all these puissant Legions, whose exile
Hath emptied Heavn, shall fail to re-asd
Self-raisd, and repossess thir native seat?
For mee be witness all the Host of Heavn, [ 635 ]
If sels different, or danger shund
By me, have lost our hopes. But he whns
Monar Heavn, till then as one secure
Sat on his Throne, upheld by old repute,
sent or e, and his Regal State [ 640 ]
Put forth at full, but still his strength ceald,
Which tempted our attempt, and wrought our fall.
Heh his might we know, and know our own
So as her to provoke, or dread
New warr, provokt; our better part remains [ 645 ]
To work in close design, by fraud uile
What force effected not: that he no less
At length from us may find, who overes
By force, hath overe but half his foe.
Space may produew Worlds; whereof so rife [ 650 ]
There went a fame in Heavn that he ere long
Inteo create, and therein plant
A geion, whom his choice regard
Should favour equal to the Sons of Heaven:
Thither, if but to pry, shall be perhaps
Our first eruption, thither or elsewhere: [ 655 ]
For this Infernal Pit shall never hold
Cælestial Spirits in Bondage, nor th Abyss
Long under darkness cover. But these thoughts
Full sel must mature: Peace is despaird, [ 660 ]
For who think Submission? Warr then, Warr
Open or uood must be resolvd.