Book 2, lines 817-44

Dear Daughter, since thou claim’st me for thy Sire,
And my fair Son here shows’t me, the dear pledge
Of dalliance had with thee in Heav’n, and joys
Then sweet, now sad to mention, through dire change [820]
Befall’n us unforeseen, unthought of, know
I come no enemy, but to set free
From out of this dark and dismal house of pain,
Both him and thee, and all the heav’nly Host
Of Spirits that in our just pretenses arm’d [825]
Fell with us from on high: from them I go
This uncouth errand sole, and one for all
Myself expose, with lonely steps to tread
Th’ unfounded deep, and through the void immense
To search with wand’ring quest a place foretold [830]
Should be, and, by concurring signs, ere now
Created vast and round, a place of bliss
In the Purlieus of Heav’n, and therein plac’t
A race of upstart Creatures, to supply
Perhaps our vacant room, though more remov’d [835]
Lest Heav’n surcharg’d with potent multitude
Might hap to move new broils: Be this or aught
Than this more secret now design’d, I haste
To know, and this once known, shall soon return,
And bring ye to the place where Thou and Death [840]
Shall dwell at ease, and up and down unseen
Wing silently the buxom Air, imbalm’d
With odors; there ye shall be fed and fill’d
Immeasurably, all things shall be your prey.