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Though huge, and in a rock of diamond arm'd,
Vanquish'd Adramelech and Asmadai,

363

Two potent Thrones, that to be less than Gods
Disdain'd, but meaner thoughts learn'd in their flight,
Mangled with ghastly wounds through plate and
Nor stood unmindful Abdiel to annoy

The atheist crew, but with redoubled blow
Ariel and Arioch, and the violence

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Of Ramiel scorch'd and blasted overthrew.
I might relate of thousands, and their names
Eternize here on earth; but those elect
Angels, contented with their fame in Heaven,
Seek not the praise of men. The other sort
In might though wondrous, and in acts of war,
Nor of renown less eager, yet by doom
Cancell'd from Heaven and sacred memory,
Nameless in dark oblivion let them dwell.
For strength from truth divided and from just,
Illaudable, nought merits but dispraise
And ignominy; yet to glory' aspires
Vain-glorious, and through infamy seeks fame:
Therefore eternal silence be their doom.

370

375

380

385

And now their mightiest quell'd, the battle swerved.

With many an inroad gored; deformed rout
Enter'd, and foul disorder; ail the ground
With shiver'd armour strewn, and on a heap
Chariot and charioteer lay overturn'd,
And fiery foaming steeds: what stood, recoil'd
O'erwearied, through the faint Satanic host
Defensive scarce, or with pale fear surprised,

390

Then first with fear surprised and sense of pain,
Fled ignominious, to such evil brought

395

By sin of disobedience, till that hour
Not liable to fear, or flight, or pain.
Far otherwise th' inviolable Saints
In cubic phalanx firm advanced entire,
Invulnerable, impenetrably arm'd :
Such high advantages their innocence
Gave them above their foes, not to have sinn'd,

400

363. Adramelech, afterwards one of the idols of Sepharvaim, 2 Kings xvii. 31. Asmadai, the same as Asmodeus, Tobit iii. 9. 371. Ariel, a name in Hebrew, meaning a strong lion: Arioch has a similar sense. Ramiel, one exalting himself against God. 391. What stood is the nominative to the verbs recoil'd and ed.

Not to have disobey'd: in fight they stood
Unwearied, unobnoxious to be pain'd

404

By wound, tho' from their place by violence moved.
Now Night her course began, and over Heaven
Inducing darkness, grateful truce imposed,
And silence on the odious din of war.

Under her cloudy covert both retired,

Victor and vanquish'd, on the foughten field
Michaël and his angels prevalent

Encamping, placed in guard their watches round,
Cherubic waving fires. On th' other part
Satan with his rebellious disappear'd,

410

Far in the dark dislodged; and void of rest,
His potentates to council call'd by night;
And in the midst thus undismay'd began:

415

O now in danger try'd, now known in arms,
Not to be overpow'r'd, Companions dear,
Found worthy not of liberty alone,

Too mean pretence, but what we more affect,
Honour, dominion, glory, and renown;
Who have sustain'd one day in doubtful fight
(And if one day, why not eternal days?)
What Heaven's Lord had pow'rfullest to send
Against us from about his throne, and judged
Sufficient to subdue us to his will,

420

425

But proves not so: then fallible, it seems,
Of future we may deem him, though till now
Omniscient thought. Truc is, less firmly arm'd, 430
Some disadvantage we endured and pain,

Till now not known; but known, as soon contemn'd;
Since now we find this our empyreal form

Incapable of mortal injury,

440

Imperishable, and though pierced with wound, 435
Soon closing, and by native vigour heal'd.
Of evil then so small, as easy think
The remedy; perhaps more valid arms,
Weapons more violent, when next we meet,
May serve to better us, and worse our foes;
Or equal what between us made the odds,
In nature none. If other hidden cause
Left them superior, while we can preserve
Unhurt our minds and understanding sound,
407. Inducing, bringing on.

Due search and consultation will disclose.

He sat; and in th' assembly next upstood
Nisroch, of principalities the prime.
As one he stood escaped from cruel fight,
Sore toil'd, his riven arms to havoc hewn,
And cloudy in aspéct, thus answ'ring spake :
Deliverer from new Lords, leader to free
Enjoyment of our right as Gods: yet hard
For Gods, and too unequal work we find,
Against unequal arms to fight in pain,

445

450

Against unpain'd, impassive; from which evil
Ruin must needs ensue; for what avails

455

Valour or strength, though matchless, quell'd with

pain

Which all subdues, and makes remiss the hands
Of mightiest? Sense of pleasure we may well
Spare out of life perhaps, and not repine,
But live content, which is the calmest life :
But pain is perfect misery, the worst
Of evils, and excessive, overturns

460

465

470

All patience. He who therefore can invent
With what more forcible we may offend
Our yet unwounded enemies, or arm
Ourselves with like defence, to me deserves
No less than for deliverance what we owe.
Whereto, with look composed, Satan reply'd:
Not uninvented that, which thou aright
Believ'st so main to our success, I bring.
Which of us who beholds the bright surface
Of this ethereous mould whereon we stand,
This continent of spacious Heav'n, adorn'd
With plant, fruit, flow'r ambrosial, gems, and gold;
Whose eye so superficially surveys

476

These things, as not to mind from whence they grow
Deep under ground, materials dark and crude,
Of spirituous and fiery spume, till touch'd

481

With Heaven's ray, and temper'd, they shoot forth
So bounteous, op'ning to the ambient light?
These in their dark nativity the deep

447. Nisroch, god of the Assyrians, in whose temple Senna. cherib was slain. 2 Kings xix. 37. and Isa. xxvii. 37.

482. The deep, not hell, as is usually meant by tl is word, bu the under parts of the ground.

Shall yield us, pregnant with infernal flame;
Which into hollow engines, long and round,

Thick ramm'd, at th' other bore with touch of fire 485
Dilated and infuriate, shall send forth

From far, with thund'ring noise among our foes,
Such implements of mischief, as shall dash
To pieces, and o'erwhelm whatever stands
Adverse, that they shall fear we have disarm'd 490
The Thund'rer of his only dreaded bolt.

Nor long shall be our labour; yet ere dawn,
Effect shall end our wish. Mean while revive;
Abandon fear; to strength and council join'd
Think nothing hard, much less to be despair'd. 495
He ended, and his words their drooping cheer
Enlighten'd, and their languish'd hope revived.
Th' invention all admired, and each, how he
To be th' inventor miss'd; so easy' it seem'd
Once found, which yet unfound most would have

thought

Impossible; yet haply of thy race

In future days, if malice should abound,
Some one intent on mischief, or inspired
With dev'lish machination, might devise
Like instrument to plague the sons of men
For sin, on war and mutual slaughter bent.
Forthwith from council to the work they flew ;
None arguing stood; innumerable hands
Were ready; in a moment up they turn'd
Wide the celestial soil, and saw beneath
Th' originals of nature in their crude
Conception; sulphurous and nitrous foam
They found, they mingled, and with subtle art,
Concocted and adjusted they reduced

To blackest grain, and into store convey'd.
Part hidden veins digg'd up (nor hath this earth
Entrails unlike) of mineral and stone,
Whereof to found their engines and their balls
Of missive ruin; part incentive reed
Provide, pernicious with one touch to fire.
So all ere day-spring, under conscious night,

Secret they finish'd, and in order set,

500

505

510

515

520

20 Pernicious; to be understood, it is probable, as the Latin.

penisi, quick, speedy.

With silent circumspection unespy'd.

Now when fair morn orient in Heav'n appear'd,

Up rose the victor Angels, and to arms

525

The matin-trumpet sung. In arms they stood

Of golden panoply, refulgent host,

Soon banded: others from the dawning hills

Look'd round, and scouts each coast light-armed scour
Each quarter, to descry the distant foe,
Where lodged, or whither fled, or if for fight,
In motion or in halt. Him soon they met
Under spread ensigns moving nigh, in slow
But firm battalion. Back with speediest sail
Zophiel, of Cherubim the swiftest wing,
Came flying, and in mid-air aloud thus cry'd:

53C

Arm, Warriors, arm for fight; the foe at hand,
Whom fled we thought, will save us long pursuit
This day. Fear not his flight; so thick a cloud
He comes, and settled in his face I see
Sad resolution and secure. Let each
His adamantine coat gird well, and each

535

540

Fit well his helm, gripe fast his orbed shield,

Borne ev'n or high; for this day will pour down,

If I conjecture aught, no drizzling show'r,

545

But rattling storm of arrows barb'd with fire.

So warn'd he them, aware themselves, and soon

In order, quit of all impediment;

Instant without disturb they took alarm,

And onward moved embattled; when behold,
Not distant far with heavy pace the foe
Approaching gross and huge, in hollow cube
Training his devilish engin'ry, impaled
On ev'ry side with shadowing squadrons deep,
To hide the fraud. At interview both stood
A while; but suddenly at head appear'd
Satan, and thus was heard commanding loud:
Vanguard, to right and left the front unfold,
That all may see who hate us, how we seek
Peace and composure, and with open breast

527. Panoply, complete armour.
535. Zophiel, the spy of God.

550

555

541. Sad, sullen, or as in old authors grave and serious. 548. Impediment, like the Latin impedimenta, the baggage

553. Training, drawing in train.

of an army.

560

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