Of good and evil much they argued then,
Of happiness and final misery,
Passion and apathy, and glory and shame —
Vain wisdom all, and false philosophy ; 565

Yet, with a pleasing sorcery, could charm
Pain for awhile or anguish, and excite
Fallacious hope, or arm the obdured breast
With stubborn patience as with triple steel.
Another part, in squadrons and gross bands, 570
On bold adventure to discover wide
That dismal world, if any clime perhaps
Might yield them easier habitation, bend
Four ways their flying march, along the banks
Of four infernal rivers, that disgorge 575



102 PARADISE LOST.
Into the burning lake their baleful streams —

Abhorred Styx, the flood of deadly hate ;

Sad Acheron, of sorrow, black and deep ;

Cocytus, named of lamentation loud

Heard on the rueful stream ; fierce Phlegethon, 580

tion of P thein- Whose waves of torrent fire inflame with rage.
femai regions. Far off from these, a slow and silent stream,
Lethe, the river of oblivion, rolls
Her watery labyrinth, whereof who drinks
Forthwith his former state and being forgets, 585
* Forgets both joy and grief, pleasure and pain.
