mild Zone, (m) or Place of lefs Torment dwell fecure, not unvifited by its fair Light, and at the brightening Beams of the Eaft purge off this Gloom: The foft delightful Air fhall breath Balm, to heal the Scorchings of these corrofive Fires.-----But firft let us confider whom we shall fend in Search of this new World, whom fhall we find fufficient to attempt, with wandering Feet, the dark, infinite, and bottomlefs Abyss? That can find out his uncouth Way, thro' grofs and palpable Darknefs, or take his Flight, born upward with indefatigable Wings over the pathlefs Space, before he arrives at the happy World where MAN is placed? What Strength or Art can be enough, or what Evafion can ever bear him fafe, thro' the strict Centuries and thick Stations of Angels, that doubtless are watching round it? Here he had Need of the greateft Circumfpection, and we need no lefs now in the Choice of whom we are to fend; for on him our last Hope and the Weight of all relies. HAVING faid thus, he fat down, and look'd expecting who would fecond him, or undertake this dangerous Enterprize: But they all fat mute, with deep Thoughts confidering the Danger; and each of them, in the Countenance of others, might have seen how himself look'd difmay'd; all were aftonish'd; none among the choice and chiefeft of those Champions, who had warr'd in Heaven, could be found fo hardy, as to proffer, or confent alone to undertake, the dreadful Journey; 'till at laft SATAN, whom now tranfcendant Glory rais'd above his Companions, with Regal Pride, as confcious of highest Worth, spoke thus: Он! (m) Zone; Lat. Gr. i. e. A Belt or Girdle: because it girds the World. An Aftronomical Term: Aftronomers divide the Heavens into five Zones; one is extreme hot, between the two Tropics; two are temperate, between the two Tropics and the Polar Circles; and two are extreme cold, between the two Polar Circles and the two Poles. OH! Progeny of Heaven! where perhaps ye still have Thrones, with Reafon deep Silence and Demur have seiz'd us, tho' we are undifmay'd: The Way that leads up to Light, out of Hell, is long and hard; our Prifon is ftrong; this huge Convex of Fire, the immenfe Vault of Hell, outrageous to devour, furrounds us on all Sides, and Gates of burning Adamant barr'd over us, hinder all Paffage out. After these are past, (if that be by any one poffible) the void and bottomlefs Depth of Hell and Night gaping wide, receives him next who makes the Attempt, and plung'd in that abortive Gulph, he is threaten'd with utter Lofs of Being. If he escape thence, in whatever World or unknown Region it may be, what lefs remains for him than unknown Dangers, and Perils difficult to go through? But I fhould very ill become this Throne, and this Imperial Sovereignty, adorn'd as I am with Splendor and arm'd with Power, if any Thing could be propofed, judg'd to be of publick Moment, that in the Shape of Difficulty or Danger, I could be deterr'd from attempting. Wherefore do I affume thefe Royalties? Why do I not refuse to reign, if I refufe to accept as great a Share of Hazard as I do of Honour ? Since to him who reigns they are alike due, and fo much the more of Hazard due to him, as he fits high honour'd above the reft? Therefore, ye mighty Powers, the Terror of Heaven, (though fallen) go and confult at Home, (while here fhall be our Home) what may best give Eafe to prefent Mifery, and render Hell more tolerable; if there be Cure or Charm to refpite, deceive, or mitigate the Pain of this ill Manfion. Neglect no Watch against fo wakeful a Foe, while I far off, through all the untrod Paths of dark Destruction, feek a Deliverance for us all: None shall partake this Enterprize with me. THUS THUS faying, SATAN arofe, and prudently prevented all Reply; left others among the Chiefs, their Spirits rais'd from his Refolution, and certain to be refus'd, might offer now what they before fear'd; and fo might ftand in Opinion his Rivals, cheaply winning the high Reputation, which he had to acquire thro' extream great Hazard. But they did not dread the Adventure more than his forbidding Voice; with him they rofe all at once, and their Rifing was as the Sound of diftant Thunder: They bend towards him, and bow with awful Reverence, extolling him as a God, and equal to the higheft in Heaven: Nor did they fail to express their Praise, that he defpis'd his own, for the general Safety: (For neither do the damned Spirits lofe all their Virtue; left bad Men fhould boaft their fpecious Deeds upon Earth, to which they are excited only by Glory, or close Ambition, varnifhed over with Zeal) Thus they ended their doubtful and dark Confultations, greatly rejoicing in their General, whom they esteem'd matchlefs: As when after a Storm, if the Sun extends his warm Beams, the Fields revive, the Birds renew their Songs, and the Herds bleat, and with their Joy make the Hills and the Vallies ring. What Shame to MEN! Devil with Devil damn'd holds firm Concord; of rational Creatures, MEN only difagree; though they are under Hope of heavenly Grace, and tho' GoD proclaims Peace, yet live in Hatred, Strife, and Envy, among themselves, levying cruel Wars, and wafting the Earth, to destroy each other: As if (which Confideration itself might induce us to Unity) MAN had not hellish Foes enough befides, that Day and Night wait for his Deftruction. CHAP. CHA P. II. The Council thus ended, the reft betake them feveral Ways, and to ferveral Employments, as their Inclinations lead them, 'till Satan returns. T HUS the Infernal Council broke up, and the great Peers of it came forth in Order; in the Midft came SATAN their Sovereign, and feem'd of himself alone ftrong enough to be an Oppofition to Heaven; nothing lefs than Hell's dread Emperor, with fupreme Pomp and State, imitating GOD: Around him a Company of fiery Seraphim, who enclos'd him with fhining and dreadful Enfigns and Arms. Then they order'd the great Refult of their Councils to be proclaim'd with the Sound of Trumpets Four fwift Cherubim founding towards the four Winds, the Meaning of which was explain'd by the Voice of a Herald, which founded far and wide, and all the Hoft of Hell fhouted out aloud for Joy. FROM thence their Minds grew more at Eafe, and being fomewhat encourag'd by falfe and ill-grounded Hope, the ranged Bands difperfe, and each wanders his feveral Way, as Inclination or fad Choice perplexedly leads him, where he may likelieft find fome Eafe to his reftlefs Thoughts, and pass the painful Hours 'till his great Chief fhould return. PART of them on the Plain, Part hovering in the Air, others contending in swift Race, as in the (n) OLYMPIAN (n) Olympian, of Olympus. The Olympic Games of Greece were inftituted by Hercules, and celebrated near the City Olym pia in Peloponnefus, in Honour of Jupiter Olympus's Father, on the OLYMPIAN or PYTHIAN (0) Games; others curb fiery Steeds, or draw up Chariots and Troops in Form of Battle: As when, to give Warning to proud Cities, there appears War in the troubled Sky, and Armies rufh to Battle in the Clouds, before the Van the airy Knights fpur on and level their Spears, 'till thick Legions clofe; and the Firmament feems to be on Fire with warlike Apparitions. OTHERS of the Fallen Spirits, with Rage like that of TYPHON, and more fierce, tear up the Rocks and Hills, and ride the Air in Whirlwinds, fo that Hell the fecond Month after the 4th Year, every fifth Year, or every fiftieth Year monthly for five Days together; because the Dactyli were five Brothers, who fetdled in Elis, and inftituted the Solemnity. In these the valiant Youths exercifed themfelves, at Running, Whirlbating, Quoit ing, Jumping, and Wreitling; for high Rewards: but Women were not fuffer'd to be at them. They were very famous, and more manly (abating the Immodefty of the Players, who were all naked) than the cruel Diverfions of the Romans, who pleaf ed themselves with tearing Men and Beasts into Pieces, upon their Theatres; and became their Epocha or Date of Time. The Olympiads were the first certain Periods of Chronology among the Greeks. The firft Olympiad began in the 35th Year of Uzziah, King of Judah, on the 11th of our June, A. M. 3174 or 3228. After the Deluge, 1518 Years, 400 after the Deftruction of Troy; 30 Years before the Building of Rome; 730 before the Incarnation; and con- (0) Pythian, of Python; Heb. Pethen, i. e. An Afp or Cockatrice, Gr. i. e. Corruption. These Games were inftituted in Honour of Apollo, who shot a huge Serpent called Python: (0thers fay, it was fome cruel Tyrant whom he flew,) because it was generated of the impure Mud of the Earth after the DeJuge, by the River Cephifus, near Parnaffus: therefore he was called Pythius, thefe Games Pythici, the City of Delphi (where his Oracle was kept) Pythia; the Priefteffes, Pythia or Pytho niffe. They were celebrated every 9th Year at first, but afterward on every 5th Year, according to the Number of the five Nymphs, that went to congratulate Apollo on his Victory over the Python; and the Conquerors were rewarded with Fruits confecrated to him. Apollo is the Sun, who by his fcorching Rays deftroyed this dreadful Monster, |