SATAN N made no Reply, but quite overcome with Rage went haughtily on, like a proud Steed under the Rein, champing his Iron Curb: He held it vain to fly, or to refift; for an Awe from above had quelled his Heart, else he was not difmayed. Now they drew nigh to the Western Point, where thofe half-rounding Guards just met, and stood closing in a joined Squadron, waiting the next Command; to whom GABRIEL their Chief, from the Front called loudly: Friends! I hear the nimble Tread of Feet haftening this Way; and now by Glimpfe through the Shade can difcern ITHURIEL and ZEPHON, and with them there comes a third of regal Port, but of a faded Brightness, who by his Gate and his fierce Demeanour feems to me to be the Prince of Hell: not likely to depart hence without a Contest: Stand firm, for Defiance and Oppofition are in his Looks.

HE scarcely had ended, when IтHURIEL and ZEPHON approached, and briefly related whom they had brought, where they had found him, how he was bufied, and what Form and Pofture he was couched in; to whom, looking fternly at him, GABRIEL fpake: SATAN, why haft thou broke the Bounds prefcribed thee and thy Tranfgreffions? And why halt thou disturbed the Charge of others, who do not approve to tranfgrefs by thy Example; but have a Power and a Right to queftion, why thou haft boldly enfered on this Place, employed as it feems to violate Sleep, and those whofe Dwelling GOD has fettled here in Happiness?

To whom SATAN, with a contemptuous Look, made Answer: GABRIEL! in Heaven thou hadst the Eftimation of being wife, and fuch indeed I thought thee, but thy afking this Question puts me in Doubt? Does there live any Body who loves his Pain? or who

would

would not, if he could find a Way, break loofe from Hell, though he was doomed thither? Thou thyfelf wouldeft, I make no Doubt, and boldly wouldeft venture to whatever Place thou couldeft, to get farthest from Pain: where thou mightest hope to change Torment for Eafe, and fooneft recompence Sorrow with Delight; which is what I fought in this Place: This to thee is no Reafon, because thou knoweft nothing but Good, and haft not tried Evil. Wilt thou object his Will, who bound us? Let him bar his Iron Gates furer, if he intends we shall stay in that dark Durance! Thus much was asked me. The reft is true; they did find me where they fay, but that implies neither Harm nor Violence.

THUS he spoke in Scorn: The warlike Angel was moved, and half fmiling, thus replied difdainfully: What Loss there is in Heaven for one to judge of Wisdom, fince SATAN fell, whofe Folly overthrew him! and now returns him efcaped from his Prifon, very gravely in Doubt, whether he should hold them wife or not, who afk what Boldness brought him hither from his Bounds prefcribed in Hell, without Leave granted him: However he judges it wife to fly from Pain, and to escape his Punishment: fo judge thou ftill, prefumptuous Rebel, till that Wrath, which thou incurreft by flying, meet thy Flight, and with fevenfold Vengeance fcourge that Wisdom back to Hell again; which yet taught thee no better, that could not teach thee that no Pain can equal infinite Anger provoked. But wherefore art thou alone? Wherefore did not all Hell come with thee, broke loofe? Is Pain to them lefs Pain, or lefs to be fled? Or art thou lefs hardy to endure than they? A couragious Chief! the very first in Flight from Pain! Hadft thou alledged this Caufe to thy deferted Hoft, furely thou hadft not come away the fole Fugitive.

To which, frowning fternly, the Fiend anfwered: Infulting Angel, not that I can endure lets, or fhrink from Pain; thou knoweft well: I ftood thy fierceft, when the blafting vollied Thunder made all Speed in the Battle to thy Affiftance, and feconded thy Spear, which elfe was not dreaded; but ftill thy Words, as they were before, are at Random, and argue thy Want of Experience, as to what behoves a faithful Leader, (from hard Trials and ill Succeffes paft) not to hazard all, through Ways of Danger which he had never tried; therefore I alone undertook first to pass over the defolate Abyfs, and fpy out this new created World, whereof Fame is not filent in Hell; hoping to find here a better Abode, and fettle here upon Earth, or elfe in the Air, my afflicted Powers; though against our taking Poffeffion, we try once more what thou and thy gay Legions can do, whofe cafier Bufinefs is, to ferve their Lord with Songs, and practice diftant Cringes, not to fight.

To whom the Warrior Angel made fpeedy Reply: To fay, and then immediately to unfay, pretending firft to be wife and to fly Pain, next profeffing to be a Spy, argues no Leader, but a traced Liar, SATAN! and couldeft thou add faithful? Oh Profanation of the facred Name of Faithfulness! Faithful to whom? To thy rebellious Crew, an Army of Devils? A fit Body to fuch a Head! Was this your Difcipline, your Faith engaged, and your military Obedience, to diffolve Allegiance to the acknowledged fupreme Power? And thou, fly Hypocrite, who now wouldeft feem Patron of Liberty, who once fawned and cringed more than thou, and fervilely adored the awful King of Heaven? Wherefore? but in Hopes to difpoffefs him, and reign thyfelf? But mark what I pronounce thee now; Avaunt! fly back again from whence thou art Aled! for if from this Hour thou dareft but to ap

pear

pear within thefe hallowed Limits, I will drag thee back chained to the infernal Pit, and feal thee fo, that thou shalt not henceforth fcorn the eafy Gates of Hell, as barred too flightly.

So he threatned; but SATAN heeded no Threats, but growing still more enraged, replied: Proud limi. tary Cherub! when I am thy Captive, then begin to talk about Chains, but till then expect to feel a far heavier Load from my powerful Arm; though the King of Heaven ride upon thy Wings, and thou with thy Fellow Slaves, ufed to the Yoke, draweft his triumphal Car, in Progrefs through the star-paved Road of Heaven.

WHILE he spoke thus the angelical Squadron turned fiery red, fharpening their Phalanx into Half Moons, and began to enclofe him round with prefented Spears; as thick as Ears of Corn ripe for the Harvest bend to the Wind; on the other Side, SATAN being alarmed and collecting all his Might, ftood fixed and enlarged like Mount TENERIF (m), or ATLAS: His Stature reached the Sky, and on his Crest fat Horror for a Plume; nor did he want in his Grafp what feemed both Spear and Shield. Now ve

(m) Teneriffe, Tenerif, or Te nerife Portug. i. e. Holding up on High. It is the Chief of the Canary Islands, which are feven in Number, in the Western O. cean, and about thirty Leagues from the Continent. It is overagainst Morocco in Africa, about fort-yeight Spanish Leagues roun, Ptolomy reckoned the Longitude from them: Because the Antients esteemed them the remoteft Part of the Ocean; and fome modern Geographers follow him fill. The Pike of Teneriffe is one

of the highest Mountains upon our Globe; a Mass of Rocks heaped confusedly together, like a rough Pyramid; computed to be between three or at moft four Miles perpendicular above the Sea; and about fifteen Miles to them that afcend it. It may be feen a hundred twenty English Miles off at Sea, in clear Wea ther.

There is a Volcano on the Top of it, and it is alfo covered with Snow; therefore fome call it Nivaria; i. e. A Snowy Rock.

ry dreadful Deeds might have enfued, not only PARADISE, had gone to wreck in this Commoton, but perhaps the ftarry Cope of Heaven, all the Elements had been difturbed and torn with the Violence of this great Conflict, had not GoD to prevent fuch horrid Fray, hung forth his golden Scales in Heaven, which are yet feen between ASTREA (n) and the Sign SCORPIO, (wherein he first weighed all Things created, the pendulous round Earth, and counterpoized it with ballanced Air, and now weighs in them all Events of Battles, and Realms) in thefe he put two Weights, one of them to fhow the Confequence of SATAN's retreating, and the other of his fighting; the latter Scale flew up quick and ftruck the Beam; which GABRIEL feeing, thus fpoke to the Fiend.

SATAN! I know thy Strength, and thou too, knoweft mine, neither of them our own, but both given us: What Folly is it for us then to boaft what Arms can do, fince thine can do as much as Heaven permits, and mine can do more, though my Strength be doubled now to trample thee: For a Proof look up in yonder celeftial Sign where thou art weighed, and fhewn how light and weak thou art, if thou fhouldeft refift.The Fiend looked up, and faw and knew his Scale mounted aloft; nor did he ftay, but fled away murmuring, and with him likewife fled the Shade of the Night.

(n) Aftrea; Lat. i. e. A Star. The Daughter of Jupiter, and Themis, and Goddess of Justice. In the Golden Age or State of Innocency the lived among Men; but in the Iron Age, or after the Fall, the deferted the Earth, lait

of all the Gods; because of the Wickedness of Men, and flew up to Heaven, where the became the Sign Virgo, next to Libra, i.e. A Scale. Juttice's Ballance, ang. ther of the twelve Signs.

The End of the FOURTH BOOK.