Thither let us bend all our thoughts, to learn
What creatures there inhabit, of what mould, [ 355 ]
Or substance, how endud, and what thir Power,
And where thir weakness, how attempted best,
By force or suttlety: Though Heavn be shut,
And Heavns high Arbitrator sit secure
In his own strength, this place may lye exposd [ 360 ]
The utmost border of his Kingdom, left
To their defence who hold it: here perhaps
Som advantagious act may be achievd
By sudden o, either with Hell fire
To waste his whole Creation, or possess [ 365 ]
All as our own, and drive as we were driven,
The punie habitants, or if not drive,
Seduce them to our Party, that thir God
May prove thir foe, and with repenting hand
Abolish his own works. This would surpass [ 370 ]
on revenge, and interrupt his joy
In our fusion, and our Joy upraise
In his disturbance; when his darling Sons
Hurld headlong to partake with us, shall curse
Thir frail inal, and faded bliss, [ 375 ]
Faded so soon. Advise if this be worth
Attempting, or to sit in darkness here
Hatg vain Empires. Thus Beelzebub
Pleaded his devilish sel, first devisd
By Satan, and in part proposd: for whence, [ 380 ]
But from the Author of all ill could Spring
So deep a malice, to found the race
Of mankind in one root, ah with Hell
To mingle and involve, done all to spite
The great Creatour? But thir spite still serves [ 385 ]
His glory to augment. The bold design
Pleasd highly those infernal States, and joy
Sparkld in all thir eyes; with full assent
They vote: whereat his speech he thus renews.