8

So sented the grim Feature, and upturnd

His Nostril wide into the murkie Air, [ 280 ]

Sagacious of his Quarry from so farr.

Then Both from out Hell Gates into the waste

Wide Anarchie of Chaos damp and dark

Flew divers, and with Power (thir Power was great)

Hovering upon the Waters; what they met [ 285 ]

Solid or slimie, as in raging Sea

Tost up and down, together crowded drove

From each side shoaling towards the mouth of Hell.

As when two Polar Winds blowing adverse

Upon the Cronian Sea, together drive [ 290 ]

Mountains of Ice, that stop th imagind way

Beyond Petsora Eastward, to the rich

Cathaian Coast. The aggregated Soyle

Death with his Mace petrific, cold and dry,

As with a Trident smote, and fixt as firm [ 295 ]

As Delos floating once; the rest his look

Bound with Gorgonian rigor not to move,

And with Asphaltic slime; broad as the Gate,

Deep to the Roots of Hell the gatherd beach

They fastend, and the Mole immense wraught on [ 300 ]

Over the foaming deep high Archt, a Bridge

Of length prodigious joyning to the Wall

Immovable of this now fenceless world

Forfeit to Death; from hence a passage broad,

Smooth, easie, inoffensive down to Hell. [ 305 ]

So, if great things to small may be compard,

Xerxes, the Libertie of Greece to yoke,

From Susa his Memnonian Palace high

Came to the Sea, and over Hellespont

Bridging his way, Europe with Asia joynd, [ 310 ]

And scourgd with many a stroak th indignant waves.

Now had they brought the work by wondrous Art

Pontifical, a ridge of pendent Rock

Over the vext Abyss, following the track

Of Satan, to the self same place where hee [ 315 ]

First lighted from his Wing, and landed safe

From out of Chaos to the out side bare

Of this round World: with Pinns of Adamant

And Chains they made all fast, too fast they made

And durable; and now in little space [ 320 ]

The confines met of Empyrean Heavn

And of this World, and on the left hand Hell

With long reach interposd; three sevral wayes

In sight, to each of these three places led.