Geffere, aut Thebis, certantum utrinque Deorum
Ducta inimicitiis: non fi jungantur Utheri
Progeniem comitata Cohors, quos fabula narrat
Antiqua, Armoricique Equites, Equitesque Britanni.
Adde & Chrifticolas, lunatifve agmina fignis,
Quotquot in Albano, vel in Afp'ro Monte feroces
Commisere haftas; quot mifit in arma Trapezus
Læta Virûm; quot Gens Maurufia, quotque Damafcus,
Quofque Utica immani victrix certamine Magnum
Effudit Carolum contra Procerefque frequentes.
Hos vicere adeo, & quæ vis mortalibus usquam est,
Cœleftes Anima; at tacitâ formidine fanctum
Induperatorem obfervant: Ille arduus omnes
Sublimi gestu exfuperans ftat mole fuperbâ,
Celfa velut Turris: nondum decefferat omnis
Oris honos; formæ manet ufque prioris Imago
Nubila, & ingentes cœlefti in fronte ruinæ.
Ceu Sol Eoo nebulofum luftrat ab axe
In Fable or Romance of Uther's Son,
Begirt with British and Armoric Knights;
And all who fince, Baptiz'd or Infidel,
Joufted in Afpramont, or Montalban,
Damafco, or Morocco, or Trebifond;
Or whom Biferta fent from Afric Shore,
When Charlemain with all his Peerage fell
By Fontarabbia. Thus far thefe beyond
Compare of mortal prowess, yet obferv'd
Their dread Commander: He, above the rest
In fhape and gefture proudly eminent,
Stood like a Tow'r: his Form had yet not loft
All her Original brightness, nor appear'd
Lefs than Arch-Angel ruin'd, and th' excess
Of Glory obfcur'd: as when the Sun new-ris'n
Looks thro' the Horizontal mifty Air
Shorn of his Beams; or from behind the Moon,
In dim Eclipfe, difaftrous Twilight sheds
Aera, præcifus radios; vel conditus idem
Post Lunæ faciem, trepidoque crepuscula mundo
Dira ferens, hoftes & bella futura tyrannis
Nuntiat: ante alios pariter fpectabilis omnes,
Sed læfo fulgore minor, fefe extulit ingens
Dux Superûm: vultus horrendo fulminis igne
Sulcatos late perarârat multa Cicatrix;
Cura genis fedit marcentibus: at juga frontis
Ufque ferox tenuit Virtus, faftuque fevero
Vindictam meditata Superbia. Tum face fævâ
Lumina torva rotans volvit, fed & ipfa fubinde
Suffufas ægri nebulas testata doloris,
Ut Socios fcelerum, quidvis fe hortante magiftro
Aggreffos, longâ multatos clade tuetur;
Ut recolit, cœli jubar immortale bibentes
Tot quondam Heroas penitùs cecidiffe beatis
Ipfius ob noxam foliis: miferefcitur ultrò
Conftantes animos, poftquam defloruit omnis
On half the Nations, and with fear of Change
Perplexes Monarchs: Darken'd fo, yet fhone
Above them all th' Arch-Angel. But his Face
Deep fears of Thunder had intrench'd, and Care
Sat on his faded cheek, but under Brows
Of dauntless Courage, and confid'rate Pride
Waiting revenge. Cruel his eye, but caft
Signs of remorfe and paffion, to behold.
The fellows of his crime, the followers rather,
(Far other once beheld in blifs!) condemn'd
For ever now to have their lot in pain;
Millions of Spirits, for his fault amerc'd
Of Heav'n, and from Eternal Splendors flung
For his revolt; yet faithful how they ftood,
Their Glory wither'd: as when Heaven's Fire
Hath fcath'd the Foreft Oaks, or Mountain Pines,
With finged top their ftately growth, tho' bare,
Stands on the blasted Heath. He now prepar'd
Gloria: ceu quondam nemorum quæ maxima frondet
Æfculus, aut montana Abies, vi fulminis icta
Membra levat fpoliata comis; ambusta per arva
Effert se nudi Majestas ardua Trunci.
Rege locuturo cupide coeuntibus alis
Accurrunt duplicatæ Acies, clauduntque coronâ
Intentos Proceres: Ter fari orditur; obortæ
Ter lacrimæ, quales cœleftia lumina fundunt,
Prorumpunt, faftu multùm obluctante feroci;
Tandem inter gemitum Verbis via facta frequentem:
O fortes Animarum Acies, virtute potentes
Et numeris, quibus Omnipotens certaverit unus!
Nec fine honore fuit certaminis exitus hujus,
Sit licet infelix: fedes quod acerba vicefque
Sed quæ vis præfcia, rerum
Eventus fervans varios, monuiffe valebat
Tot celfas bellantûm Animas, tot fortia Divûm
Pectora victrici quondam ceffura lacerto?
Poft ipfas quis enim clades tanta Agmina, quorum
To fpeak; whereat their doubled Ranks they bend
From wing to wing, and half inclose him round
With all his Peers: Attention held them mute.
Thrice he affay'd, and thrice in fpight of Scorn,
Tears, fuch as Angels weep, burst forth; at last
Words interwove with fighs found out their way.
O Myriads of immortal Spirits! O Pow'rs
Matchlefs, but with th' Almighty! and that strife
Was not inglorious, tho' th' event was dire,
As this place teftifies, and this dire change,
Hateful to utter but what pow'r of mind,
Foreseeing, or prefaging, from the Depth
Of knowledge paft or prefent, could have fear'd,
How fuch united force of Gods, how fuch
Exilio vasti jam nuda & inania cœli
Templa vacant, quis adhuc dubitat vi tendere ad aftra
Poffe fuâ patriafque iterum confcendere fedes?
Vos cœli collecta Manus, Vos teftor, an ullis
Confiliis privatim habitis, cunctansve timensve,
Defuerim rebus veftris. Verùm Ille, tyrannum
Sefe unum in cœlo jactans, huc ufque resedit
Securus folio, famâ, vel temporis ufu,
Vel Superûm affenfu innixus; clariffimus Aulæ
Effulfit Splendor, Vires latuere repôstæ:
Hinc aufi nos bellum ingens, aufoque perimus;
Illius hinc demùm vires noftræque patescunt :
Jam neque molimur bellum, nec ad arma vocati
Terga damus: quod vis nequiit, fraus gnara patrabit;
Hoftis & ifte fciet, quos vicerit impete, victos
Dimidiâ vix parte. Alios fòrs efferet Orbes
Circuitus Spatii immenfus, quos fama ferebat
Ipfum animo ftatuiffe effingere;
As flood like thefe, could ever know repulse?
For who can yet believe, tho' after lofs,
That all these puiffant Legions, whofe exile
Hath emptied Heav'n, fhall fail to re-afcend
Self-rais'd, and repoffefs their native feat?
For Me be witness all the Hoft of Heav'n,
If counfels different, or danger fhun'd
By me, have loft our hopes. But He who reigns
Monarch in Heav'n, 'till then as one fecure
Sat on His Throne, upheld by old repute,
Confent, or custom, and His Regal State
Put forth at full; but ftill His ftrength conceal'd,
Which tempted our attempt, and wrought our fall.
Henceforth His Might we know, and know our
So as not either to provoke, or dread
(Own ;
New war, provok'd. Our better part remains
To work in close defign, by fraud or guile,
What force effected not: that He no less
At length from us may find, Who overcomes
By force, hath overcome but half his foe.
Gentem habitaturam, magni quam Cura Parentis
Blanda fovens miro fuperis æquaret amore.
Fòrs ibi tendemus fpeculatum, alióve locorum;
Non hîc certa domus; nec longum carcere opaco
Cœleftes cogent Animas immania Claustra
Gurgitis inferni. Verùm hæc decernere feris
Præftat conciliis. Pacem haud fperare licebit;
Nam quis pofcat iners veniam genubus minor? Ergo
Bella palam, vel clam potiùs, fed bella gerenda.
Dixerat; & vocem gladiorum multa micantûm
Millia fancîbant, altis vibrata Cherubum
Magnanimum validè dextris: Cava Tartara circum
Ardefcunt immane; DEUM contra Omnipotentem
Omnibus una furit rabies; clypeifque feroces
Constrictis, refonis quaffant clangoribus arma,
Infandifque minis cœli convexa laceffunt.
Mons juxtà fublimis erat; fqualentia diras
Space may produce new Worlds; whereof fo rife
There went a fame in Heav'n, that He ere-long
Intended to create; and therein plant
A generation, whom His choice regard
Should favour equal to the Sons of Heav'n:
Thither, if but to pry, fhall be perhaps
Our first Eruption; thither or elsewhere:
For this Infernal Pit fhall never hold
Celestial Spirits in Bondage, nor th' Abyss
Long under darkness cover. But these thoughts
Full Counsel must mature; Peace is despair'd,
For who can think Submission? War then, War,
Open or understood, must be refolv'd.
He spake and to confirm his words out-flew
Millions of flaming Swords, drawn from the Thighs
Of mighty Cherubim: the fudden blaze
Far round illumin'd Hell; highly they rag'd
Against the Highest, and fierce with grasped Arms
Clash'd on their founding Shields the din of war,
Hurling defiance toward the Vault of Heav'n.
There ftood a Hill not far, whofe grifly Top
Belch'd fire and rolling fmoke; the rest entire
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