The Adamus exul of Grotius; or The Prototype of Paradise Lost — page 47: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

30 Eve. ADAMUS EXUL. What odious servitude, base slavery, Served thus by one who serves Himself alone ! He, sure, is evil who is never good - But for his proper self and interest. And is He, then, so bountiful, so kind, Who gives such glorious benefits, and then Reserves their use for His peculiar gain And profit? OQ, intolerable yoke ! Richer than He is none, none less benign— The Tyrant of the Thunder! Dost thou know How lately He did crush, with His dire hate, Ten thousand bands of all the heroic youth Of peopled Heaven ? their fortunate estate Their only crime, their dauntless bravery His terror and revenge. He hurled the storm Of His all-withering, three-forked thunderbolts, Full on their matchless phalanx, and pursued, With His hot, sulphurous, spirit-blistering shafts, Even to the gate of Hell, the infernal cave Of madness and despair. Generous, forsooth ! Doth He not stop the ear of merciless wrath When the fallen legions pray, and moan in prayer, And, writhed in weltering agony, confess Their fault, if fault there be, which, as unknown, They know not to repent? Thus hath He done ; What He will do hereafter lies in night. 4 Be wise by our misfortune. If He loves Mankind, as you imagine, He will not Surely torment you with the fear of death ; And if He love you not, beware in time ; Delay not one poor instant, but shake off This tyrannous yoke of bondage. Hold your own, And vindicate yourselves; bravely maintain : Your proper rights, the rights of your own world. This is not the celestial court, nor here The etherial armies fix their starry camp Of radiant vigilance. Be bold, be firm, Banish your impotent terrors ; never yet Was peril but by peril overcome: Courage alone is safety, when all things ~ Grow hazardous and teem with difficulties. O, but I cannot think the God of Heaven Can thus with jealousy be stung, or be So wrung with passion for another's good | For He who gives us these hath all to give. Can the eternal Lord of the bright stars Envy our little honours? What His wrath To Satan or his horrible damned crew May work is naught to me, though I suppose Their punishment is just, nor undeserved. ECOMcoOolkKS.corn @