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 :-
"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
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,
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,
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-
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
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 !
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
The current of his fury thus opposed :
"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?
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
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,
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.
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
"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
« PreviousContinue » |