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Tells the suggested cause, and casts between
Ambiguous words and jealousies, to sound
Or taint integrity. But all obeyed
The wonted signal, and superior voice
Of their great Potentate; for great indeed
His name, and high was his degree in Heaven :
His countenance, as the morning-star that guides
The starry flock, allured them, and with lies
Drew after him the third part of Heaven's
host.
Meanwhile, the Eternal Eye, whose sight discerns
Abstrusest thoughts, from forth his holy mount,
And from within the golden lamps that burn
Nightly before him, saw without their light
Rebellion rising-saw in whom, how spread
Among the Sons of Morn, what multitudes
Were banded to oppose his high decree;
And, smiling, to his only Son thus said :-

710

"Son, thou in whom my glory I behold
In full resplendence, Heir of all my might, 720
Nearly it now concerns us to be sure
Of our omnipotence, and with what arms
We mean to hold what anciently we claim
Of deity or empire: such a foe

Is rising, who intends to erect his throne
Equal to ours, throughout the spacious North;
Nor so content, hath in his thought to try
In battle what our power is or our right.
Let us advise, and to this hazard draw
With speed what force is left, and all employ 730
In our defence, lest unawares we lose

This our high place, our sanctuary, our hill."

To whom the Son, with calm aspéct and
clear

The Eternal Eye dis

cerns them

The Lightening divine, ineffable, serene,

palace of Made answer :— -"Mighty Father, thou thy foes Justly hast in derision, and secure

Lucifer

Laugh'st at their vain designs and tumults vain—
Matter to me of glory, whom their hate
Illustrates, when they see all regal power
Given me to quell their pride, and in event 740
Know whether I be dextrous to subdue

Thy rebels, or be found the worst in Heaven."
So spake the Son; but Satan with his
Powers

Far was advanced on winged speed, an host
Innumerable as the stars of night,

750

Or stars of morning, dew-drops which the sun
Impearls on every leaf and every flower.
Regions they passed, the mighty regencies
Seraphim and Potentates and Thrones
In their triple degrees-regions to which
All thy dominion, Adam, is no more
Than what this garden is to all the earth
And all the sea, from one entire globose
Stretched into longitude; which having passed,
At length into the limits of the North
They came, and Satan to his royal seat
High on a hill, far blazing, as a mount
Raised on a mount, with pyramids and towers
From diamond quarries hewn and rocks of
gold-

The palace of great Lucifer (so call
That structure, in the dialect of men
Interpreted) which, not long after, he,
Affecting all equality with God,
In imitation of that mount whereon
Messiah was declared in sight of Heaven,

760

The Mountain of the Congregation called;
For thither he assembled all his train,
Pretending so commanded to consult
About the great reception of their King
Thither to come, and with calumnious art
Of counterfeited truth thus held their ears :----
"Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Virtues,
Powers-

770

If these magnific titles yet remain
Not merely titular, since by decree
Another now hath to himself engrossed
All power, and us eclipsed under the name
Of King Anointed; for whom all this haste
Of midnight march, and hurried meeting here,
This only to consult, how we may best,
With what may be devised of honours new, 780
Receive him coming to receive from us
Knee-tribute yet unpaid, prostration vile!
Too much to one! but double, how endured--
To one and to his image now proclaimed?
But what if better counsels might erect
Our minds, and teach us to cast off this yoke!
Will ye submit your necks, and choose to bend
The supple knee? Ye will not, if I trust
To know ye right, or if ye know yourselves
Natives and Sons of Heaven possessed before 790
By none, and, if not equal all, yet free,
Equally free; for orders and degrees
Jar not with liberty, but well consist.
Who can in reason, then, or right, assume
Monarchy over such as live by right
His equals-if in power and splendour less,
In freedom equal? or can introduce
Law and edict on us, who without law

Satan incites to treason

Abdiel's Err not? much less for this to be our Lord,
loyalty And look for adoration, to the abuse

Of those imperial titles which assert
Our being ordained to govern, not to serve !

800

Thus far his bold discourse without control
Had audience, when, among the Seraphim,
Abdiel, than whom none with more zeal adored
The Deity, and divine commands obeyed,
and in a flame of zeal severe

Stood up,

The current of his fury thus opposed :

666

"O argument blasphemous, false, and proud—
Words which no ear ever to hear in Heaven 810
Expected; least of all from thee, ingrate,
In place thyself so high above thy peers!
Canst thou with impious obloquy condemn
The just decree of God, pronounced and sworn,
That to his only Son, by right endued
With regal sceptre, every soul in Heaven
Shall bend the knee, and in that honour due
Confess him rightful King?

say'st,

Unjust, thou

820

Flatly unjust, to bind with laws the free,
And equal over equals to let reign,
One over all with unsucceeded power!
Shalt thou give law to God? shalt thou dispute
With him the points of liberty, who made
Thee what thou art, and formed the Powers of
Heaven

Such as he pleased, and circumscribed their
being?

Yet, by experience taught, we know how good,
And of our good and of our dignity

How provident, he is-how far from thought
To make us less; bent rather to exalt

Our happy state, under one head more near 830 None
United. But-to grant it thee unjust

That equal over equals monarch reign—
Thyself, though great and glorious, dost thou

count,

Or all angelic nature joined in one,

Equal to him, begotten Son, by whom,
As by his Word, the mighty Father made
All things, even thee, and all the Spirits of
Heaven

By him created in their bright degrees,
Crowned them with glory, and to their glory
named

Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Virtues,

Powers?

840

Essential Powers; nor by his reign obscured,
But more illustrious made; since he, the head,
One of our number thus reduced becomes;
His laws our laws; all honour to him done
Returns our own. Cease, then, this impious.

rage,

And tempt not these; but hasten to appease
The incensed Father and the incensed Son
While pardon may be found, in time besought."
'So spake the fervent Angel; but his zeal
None seconded, as out of season judged,
Or singular and rash. Whereat rejoiced
The Apostate, and, more haughty, thus re-
plied

-

850

"That we were formed, then, say'st thou?
and the work

Of secondary hands, by task transferred
From Father to his Son? Strange point and

new!

seconds him

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