Though full of pain, this intellectual being,

Devoid of sense and motion? and who knows,

Belike through impotence, or unaware,

Sit unpolluted, and th Ethereal mould

Her mischief, and purge off the baser fire

Impendent horrors, threatning hideous fall

Of Hell should spout her Cataracts of Fire,

One day upon our heads; while we perhaps

And that must end us, that must be our cure, [ 14ｈtｔps://ｒｅad.９9ｃsw•cｏm5 ]

There to converse with everlasting groans,

Heavns purest Light, yet our great Enemy

By force, and at our heels all Hell should rise [ 135 ]

Incapable of stain would soon expel [ 140 ]

And plunge us in the flames? or from above

With Heavns afflicting Thunder, and besought

Should intermitted vengeance arm again

With blackest Insurrection, to confound

Them in hhttps://read.99csw.comis anger, whom his anger saves

All incorruptible would on his Throne

To give his Enemies thir wish, and end

Can give it, or will ever? how he can

Caught in a fierie Tempest shall be hurld [ 180 ]

A refuge from those wounds: or when we lay

Of racking whirlwinds, or for ever sunk

Say they who counsel Warr, we are decreed, [ 160 ]

Victorious. Thus repulsd, our final hope

Each ｈttpｓ://read.９９ｃｓw.comon his rock transfixt, the sport and prey

What if the breath that kindld those grim fires [ 170 ]

What can we suffer worse? is this then worst,

Under yon boyling Ocean, wrapt in Chains;

His red right hand to plague us? what if all

Awakd should blow them into sevenfold rage

To be no more; sad cure; for who would loose,

Is flat despair; we must exasperate

Reservd and destind to Eternalhttps://read.99csw.com woe;

The Deep to shelter us? this Hell then seemd

Th Almighty Victor to spend all his rage,

Designing or exhorting glorious warr,

Whatever doing, what can we suffer more,

Scorning surprize. Or could we break our way

What when we fled amain, pursud and strook [ 165 ]

Thus sitting, thus consulting, thus in Arms?

Those thoughts that wander through Eternity,

Will he, so wise, let loose at once his九*九*藏*書 ire, [ 155 ]

Is doubtful; that he never will is sure.

To punish endless? wherefore cease we then?

Ages of hopeless end; this would be worse.

Let this be good, whether our angry Foe

Unrespited, unpitied, unrepreevd, [ 185 ]

Her stores were opend, and this Firmament [ 175 ]

In the wide womb of uncreated night, [ 150 ]

To perish rather, swallowd up and lost

Chaind on the burning Lake? that sure was worse.