The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems
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War, therefore, open or concealed, alike
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My voice dissuades. For what can force or guile
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With Him, or who deceive His mind, whose eye
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Views all things at one view? He from Heav’n’s height
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All these our motions vain sees and derides
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Not more Almighty to resist our might
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Than wise to frustrate all our plots and wiles
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Shall we, then, live thus vile—the race of Heav’n
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Thus trampled, thus expelled, to suffer here
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Chains and these torments? Better these than worse,
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By my advice, since fate inevitable
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Subdues us, and omnipotent decree
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The victor’s will. To suffer, as to do,
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Our strength is equal, nor the law unjust
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That so ordains. This was at first resolved
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If we were wise, against so great a foe
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Contending, 1984 and so1985 doubtful what might fall.1986
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I laugh when those who at the spear are bold
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And vent’rous, if that fail them, shrink, and fear
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What yet they know must follow—to endure
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Exile, or ignominy, 1987 or bonds, or pain
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The sentence of their conqueror. This is now
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Our doom,1988 which if we can sustain and bear
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Our Supreme foe in time may much remit1989
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His anger, and perhaps, thus far removed,1990
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Not mind1991 us, not offending, satisfied
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With what is punished, whence these raging fires
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Will slacken, if His breath stir not their flames
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Our purer essence then will overcome
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Their noxious1992 vapor or, inured,1993 not feel
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Or, changed at length, and to the place conformed 1994
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In temper and in nature, will receive
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Familiar the fierce heat, and void of pain
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This horror will grow mild, this darkness light
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Besides what hope the never-ending flight
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Of future days may bring, what chance, what change
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Worth waiting—since our present lot appears
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For happy though but ill, for ill not worst
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If we procure not to ourselves more woe
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Thus Belial, with words clothed in reason’s garb
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Counselled ignoble ease and peaceful sloth
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Not peace. And after him thus Mammon spoke
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“Either to disenthrone the King of Heav’n
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We war, if war be best, or to regain
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Our own right lost. Him to unthrone we then
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May hope, when everlasting Fate shall yield
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To fickle Chance, and Chaos judge the strife
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The former, vain to hope, argues as vain
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The latter—for what place can be for us
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Within Heav’n’s bound, unless Heav’n’s Lord supreme
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We overpower? Suppose He should relent
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And publish1995 grace to all, on promise made
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Of new subjection?1996 With what eyes could we
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Stand in His presence humble, and receive
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Strict laws imposed, to celebrate His throne
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With warbled hymns, and to His Godhead sing
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Forced hallelujahs, while He lordly sits
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Our envied sov’reign, and His altar breathes
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Ambrosial odors and ambrosial flowers
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Our servile offerings? This must be our task
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In Heav’n, this our delight. How wearisome
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Eternity so spent in worship paid
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To whom we hate! Let us not then pursue
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By force impossible, by leave obtained
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Unacceptable, though in Heav’n, our state
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Of splendid vassalage, but rather seek
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Our own good from ourselves, and from our own
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Live to1997 ourselves, though in this vast recess
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Free and to none accountable, preferring
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Hard liberty before the easy yoke
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Of servile pomp. Our greatness will appear
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Then most conspicuous when great things of 1998 small,
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Useful of hurtful, prosperous of adverse, 1999
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We can create, and in what place soe’er
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Thrive under evil, and work ease out of pain
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Through labor and endurance. This deep world
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Of darkness do we dread? How oft amidst
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Thick clouds and dark doth Heav’n’s all-ruling Sire
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Choose to reside, His glory unobscured
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And with the majesty of darkness round
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Covers His throne, from whence deep thunders roar,
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Must’ring2000 their rage, and Heav’n resembles Hell!
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As He our darkness, cannot we His light
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Imitate when we please? This desert soil
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Wants2001 not her hidden luster, gems and gold,
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Nor want 2002 we skill or art from whence to raise
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Magnificence. And what can Heav’n show more?
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Our torments also may, in length of time,
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Become our elements,2003 these piercing fires
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As soft as now severe, our temper changed
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Into their temper, which must needs remove
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The sensible2004 of pain. All things invite
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To peaceful counsels, and the settled state
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Of order, how in safety best we may
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Compose2005 our present evils, with regard
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Of what we are and where, dismissing quite
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All thoughts of war. Ye have what I advise.
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He scarce had finished, when such murmur filled
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Th’ assembly as when hollow rocks retain
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The sound of blust’ring winds, which all night long
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Had roused the sea, now with hoarse cadence lull
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Seafaring men o’erwatched,2006 whose barque2007 by chance,
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Or pinnace, 2008 anchors in a craggy bay
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After the tem
pest. Such applause was heard
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As Mammon ended, and his sentence2009 pleased,
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Advising peace, for such another field 2010
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They dreaded worse than Hell, so much the fear
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Of thunder and the sword of Michael
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Wrought2011 still within them, and no less desire
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To found2012 this nether 2013 empire, which might rise,
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By policy2014 and long process2015 of time,
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In emulation2016 opposite2017 to Heav’n.
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Which when Beelzebub perceived—than whom,
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Satan except, none higher sat—with grave
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Aspect he rose, and in his rising seemed
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A pillar of state. Deep on his front2018 engrav’n
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Deliberation sat, and public care,
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And princely counsel in his face yet shone,
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Majestic, though in ruin. Sage he stood
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With Atlantean2019 shoulders, fit to bear
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The weight of mightiest monarchies. His look
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Drew audience2020 and attention still as night
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Or summer’s noontide air, while thus he spoke:
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“Thrones and Imperial Powers, offspring of Heav’n,
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Ethereal Virtues! Or these titles now
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Must we renounce and, changing style, be called
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Princes of Hell? For so the popular vote
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Inclines—here to continue, and build up here
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A growing empire. Doubtless! While we dream,
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And know not that the King of Heav’n hath doomed2021
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This place our dungeon, not our safe retreat
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Beyond His potent arm, to live exempt
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From Heav’n’s high jurisdiction, in new league
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Banded against His throne, but to remain
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In strictest bondage, though thus far removed,
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Under th’ inevitable2022 curb,2023 reserved2024
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His captive multitude. For He, to be sure,
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In height or depth, still first and last will reign
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Sole king, and of His Kingdom lose no part
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By our revolt, but over Hell extend
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His empire, and with iron scepter rule
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Us here, as with His golden2025 those in Heav’n.
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What sit we then projecting peace and war?
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War hath determined 2026 us and foiled2027 with loss
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Irreparable; terms of peace yet none
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Vouchsafed 2028 or sought. For what peace will be giv’n
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To us enslaved, but custody severe,
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And stripes2029 and arbitrary punishment
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Inflicted? And what peace can we return,2030
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But, to our power, hostility and hate,
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Untamed reluctance, 2031 and revenge, though slow,
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Yet ever plotting how the conqueror least
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May reap2032 His conquest, and may least rejoice
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In doing what we most in suffering feel?
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Nor will occasion2033 want,2034 nor shall we need
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With dangerous expedition2035 to invade
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Heav’n, whose high walls fear no assault or siege,
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Or ambush from the deep. What if we find
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Some easier enterprise?2036 There is a place
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(If ancient and prophetic fame2037 in Heav’n
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Err not)—another world, the happy seat
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Of some new race, called man, about this time
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To be created like to us, though less
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In power and excellence, but favored more
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Of Him who rules above. So was His will
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Pronounced among the gods, and by an oath
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That shook Heav’n’s whole circumference2038 confirmed.
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Thither let us bend all our thoughts, to learn
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What creatures there inhabit, of what mould 2039
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Or substance, how endued,2040 and what their power
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And where their weakness: how attempted best,
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By force or subtlety. Though Heav’n be shut,
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And Heav’n’s high arbitrator2041 sit secure
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In His own strength, this place2042 may lie exposed,
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The utmost border of His Kingdom, left
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To their defence who hold it. Here, perhaps,
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Some advantageous act may be achieved
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By sudden onset2043 —either with Hell-fire
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To waste2044 His whole creation, or possess
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All as our own, and drive, 2045 as we were driven,
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The puny2046 habitants, or if not drive,
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Seduce them to our party, that their God
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May prove their foe, and with repenting hand
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Abolish His own works. This would surpass
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Common revenge, and interrupt His joy
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In our confusion, and our joy upraise
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In His disturbance, when His darling sons,
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Hurled headlong to partake with us, shall curse
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Their frail original,2047 and faded bliss—
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Faded so soon! Advise if this be worth
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Attempting, or to sit in darkness here
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Hatching vain empires.” Thus Beelzebub
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Pleaded his devilish counsel—first devised
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By Satan, and in part proposed, for whence
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But from the author of all ill could spring
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So deep a malice, to confound2048 the race
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Of mankind in one root,2049 and earth with Hell
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To mingle and involve, done all to spite
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The great Creator? But their spite still serves
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His glory to augment. The bold design
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Pleased highly those infernal States,2050 and joy
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Sparkled in all their eyes. With full assent
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They vote, whereat his speech he thus renews:
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“Well have ye judged, well ended long debate,
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Synod2051 of gods, and, like to what ye are,
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Great things resolved, which from the lowest deep
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Will once more lift us up, in spite of fate,
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br /> Nearer our ancient seat—perhaps in view
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Of those bright confines, whence, with neighboring arms,
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And opportune2052 excursion, we may chance
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