one Realm, (and made it ours) one Continent of eafy Thoroughfare. Therefore while I with Eafe defcend through Darkness, over the Road which ye have made, to my affociate Powers, to acquaint them with what hath happen'd, and to rejoice with them; do you two, this Way, among these numerous Orbs, (which are all yours) defcend right down to PAR ADISE: Dwell there, and reign in Happiness, and thence exercise Dominion on the Earth and in the Air, but chiefly upon MAN, who has been declar'd Lord of all; make him first your Slave and Prisoner, and laftly kill him. I fend ye my Substitutes, and create ye my Plenipotentiaries on Earth, having matchlefs and full Power iffuing from me: All my Hold of this new Kingdom depends entirely upon your joint Strength; it lying, through my Craft and Management, now expos'd to DEATH through SIN. If your united Power does but prevail, the Affairs of Hell need Fear no Detriment; therefore go, and be ftrong in Evil.

SAYING this, he difmifs'd them, and they with Speed held their Course through the thickeft of the Conftellations, every where fpreading their Bane: The blafted Stars look'd pale, and Planets under evil Influence then fuffer'd real Eclipfe. SATAN went the other Way, down the Causeway to the Gate of Hell: On either Side, GHAOs (over whofe Realm SIN and DEATH had built the Bridge) beat with rebounding Surge against its Foundation, which it could not remove. SATAN pafs'd through the Gate, that was wide open and unguarded, and found the Place deferted; for those who were appointed and us'd to fit there, had (as has been faid) left their Charge, and flown to the upper World: The reft were all retir'd farther within, about the Walls of PANDEMONIUM, the City and proud Seat of LuCIFER: (SATAN having been call'd fo by Allufion, be

ing

ing compar'd to that bright Star) There the Legions kept their Watch, while the Chiefs fat in Council, follicitous what Accident might intercept the Return of their fent Emperor; for fo when he departed he gave Command, and they obferv'd it: As when the TARTAR retires from his Foe the RUSSIAN (s) by ASTRACAN, (t) over the fnowy Plains; or the SoPHY (u) of PERSIA, retiring from the TURKS, leaves all waste beyond the Realm ALADULE (x),

in his Retreat to TAURIS, (y) or CASBIN: (z) So thefe, the Hoft lately banish'd from Heaven, left the outermoft Parts of Hell deferted many a dark League, being reduc'd in careful Watch round their Metropolis, and now in hourly Expectation of their great Âdventurer, from the Search of foreign Worlds. He pafs'd through the Midft of them unmark'd, appearing only as an inferior Angel of War of the lowest Order; and from the Door of the PANDEMONIUM invifibly afcended his high Throne, which was plac'd in Regal Luftre at the upper End, under a Canopy of State moft richly woven. He fat down a-while, and look'd round about him, he himself keeping unfeen: At laft, as from a Cloud appear'd his fhining Head and Shape, bright like a Star: (or brighter; being clad with that permiffive Glory or falfe Glitter, that was left him fince his Fall.) The Throng of Infernal

the Turks, from Aladules, the laft King of it, whom Selymus I. flew, A. D. 1516. and subjected it to their Empire ever fince. It was called Turcomania, in the Year 844. When a great Flood of bloody Tartars or Turks paffed over the Caspian Mountains and fettled there.

(y) Tauris, and Tebris ; Pers. Some call it Ecbatana: because it was founded out of the Ruins of that antient City (as old as Babylon, and called Alhmetha, Efd. 6. 2. founded by Arphaxad, A. D. 786) Tebris belonged to the Turks till Shah Abas King of Perfia retook it. A. D. 1603. It is one of the richest Cities of Perfia, and of the greateftTrade in Afia. There is a Medreha or Academy in it; a vast Nun ber of Armenian Chriftians, and their Patriarch's Seat.

Spirits,

(z) Cafbin, Cafwin, or Karwin: A large and beautiful City of Perfia, and formerly of Parthia; fituate in a delightful Plain, 6 Miles in Circumference; in the Province of Ayrach, between the Caspian Sea and Ipaban. Some take Cafbin for Tauris the Ecbatana of Media, but it is 65 German Miles from Tauris. Here the Perfian Monarchs refided after the Lofs of Tauris, till Shah Abbas removed to If

pahan; fince then it has declined, but there they are all inaugurated till. The Inhabitants are Muhammedans, except fome Chriftians and Jews, that are confiderable Merchants. There is also a Madreba or Academy for Perfian Learning.

Spirits, all amaz'd at fuch a fudden Blaze, turn'd ́ their Eyes that Way, beholding him they were wishing to fee; and their Acclamations were loud and many. The great Peers that were fitting in Council, rufh'd out from their dark Divan, (a) and with like congratulating Joy approach'd him; who, making a Motion with his Hand, made Silence, and with these Words gain'd Attention:

THRONES, DOMINATIONS, PRINCEDOMS, VIRTUES, and POWERS! for fuch I declare ye now and call ye, not only in Right, but in actual Poffeffion; seeing I am return'd fuccefsful beyond Hope, to lead ye forth out of this infernal, abominable Pit, accurs'd Place, the Houfe of Woe, the Dungeon of our great Tyrant! Now ye fhall poffefs as Lords a fpacious World, little inferior to our native Heaven, atchiev'd by me with Hardship and great Peril. It would be long to tell what I have done; what I have fuffer'd; with what Pain I made my Voyage through the waft, unbounded, and deep Abyss of horrible Confufion; over which, now, a broad Way is pav'd by SIN and DEATH, to facilitate your glorious March: But I labour'd through my untrodden Path, plung'd in the Midft of Darknefs and wild CHAOS, who fiercely oppos'd my strange Journey with clamorous Uproar, declaring that Fate was against me: Afterwards how I found the new created World, which Fame in Heaven had long foretold; a wonderful Fabrick! of absolute Perfection! and therein found MAN, plac'd in a PARADISE, made happy by our Banishment. Him I have seduc'd by Fraud to disobey his CREATOR; and (what may increase your Wonder the more) only with an Apple. He, at that offended, ('tis a Subject well worth laughing at) hath given up both his belov'd MAN, and all his World, a Prey to SIN and DEATH,

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(a) Divan. The most folemn Council among the Turks is call'd fo.

DEATH, and confequently to us, without our Hazard, Labour, or Contention; to range in, and to dwell in, and to rule over MAN, juft as he should have reign'd over all other Things. 'Tis true, he has judg'd me too, or rather not me, but the brute Serpent, in whofe Shape I deceiv'd MAN; that Part that belongs to me is Enmity, which he fays he'll put between me and MANKIND; I am to bruise his Heel, and his Seed (but he does not fay when) fhall bruise my Head. Who would not purchase a whole World with a Bruife or Pain much more grievous? And now you have heard the Account of my Performance; what remains fpeak ye, who are all Gods, but that we mount up, and inftantly enter into full

Blifs?

HAVING faid this, he ftood a-while, expecting that high Applause and an univerfal Shout would fill his Ear; when, on the contrary, he hears on all Sides, from Tongues without Number, a difmal and univerfal Hifs, the Sound of publick Contempt! He wonder'd at it, but he had not Leifure to do fo long, now wondering much more at himfelf: He felt his Vifage drawn sharp; his Arms clung to his Ribs; his Legs twining round each other, 'till no longer fupported by them, he fell down with Reluctance, a monftrous Serpent prone upon his Belly; his Reluctance was vain, for now a greater Power rul'd him, and punish'd him in the Shape he finned, according to the Sentence that was pafs'd on him. He would have fpoke, but inftead of that return'd Hifs for Hifs, with forked Tongue to forked Tongue; for now they were all alike transform'd to Serpents, as having been all acceffary to the bold Evil which he had committed: The Din of hiffing was very dreadful all through the Hall, that was now fwarming thick with compleat

Mon