Nor straitening vale, nor wood, nor stream, The
divides Their perfect ranks; for high above the ground Their march was, and the passive air upbore Their nimble tread. As when the total kind Of birds, in orderly array on wing, Came summoned over Eden to receive Their names of thee; so over many a tract Of Heaven they marched, and many a province
Tenfold the length of this terrene. At last, Far in the horizon, to the north, appeared From skirt to skirt a fiery region, stretched 80 In battailous aspect; and, nearer view, Bristled with upright beams innumerable Of rigid spears, and helmets thronged, and shields Various, with boastful argument portrayed, The banded Powers of Satan hasting on With furious expedition; for they weened That self-same day, by fight or by surprise, To win the Mount of God, and on his throne To set the envier of his state, the proud Aspirer. But their thoughts proved fond and
In the mid-way; though strange to us it seemed At first that Angel should with Angel war, And in fierce hosting meet, who wont to meet So oft in festivals of joy and love Unanimous, as sons of one great Sire, Hymning the Eternal Father. But the shout Of battle now began, and rushing sound Of onset ended soon each milder thought. High in the midst, exalted as a God,
The Apostate in his sun-bright chariot sat, 100
Abdiel Idol of majesty divine, enclosed
meets the With flaming Cherubim and golden shields ; Apostate Then lighted from his gorgeous throne-for now "Twixt host and host but narrow space was left, A dreadful interval, and front to front Presented stood, in terrible array
Of hideous length. Before the cloudy van, On the rough edge of battle ere it joined, Satan, with vast and haughty strides advanced, Came towering, armed in adamant and gold. IIC Abdiel that sight endured not, where he stood Among the mightiest, bent on highest deeds, And thus his own undaunted heart explores :- ""O Heaven! that such resemblance of the Highest
Should yet remain, where faith and realty Remain not!
Wherefore should not strength
There fail where virtue fails, or weakest prove Where boldest, though to sight unconquerable? His puissance, trusting in the Almighty's aid, I mean to try, whose reason I have tried Unsound and false; nor is it aught but just That he who in debate of truth hath won Should win in arms, in both disputes alike Victor. Though brutish that contést and foul, When reason hath to deal with force, yet so Most reason is that reason overcome.'
'So pondering, and from his armed peers Forth-stepping opposite, half-way he met His daring foe, at this prevention more Incensed, and thus securely him defied :"Proud, art thou met? Thy hope was to have reached
The highth of thy aspiring unopposed- The throne of God unguarded, and his side Abandoned at the terror of thy power Or potent tongue. Fool! not to think how vain Against the Omnipotent to rise in arms; Who, out of smallest things, could without end Have raised incessant armies to defeat Thy folly; or with solitary hand, Reaching beyond all limit, at one blow,
Unaided could have finished thee, and whelmed Thy legions under darkness!
All are not of thy train; there be who faith Prefer, and piety to God, though then To thee not visible when I alone
Seemed in thy world erroneous to dissent From all my Sect thou seest; now learn too late How few sometimes may know when thousands err."
'Whom the grand Foe, with scornful eye askance,
Thus answered :-"Ill for thee, but in wished hour
Of my revenge, first sought for, thou return'st From flight, seditious Angel, to receive
Thy merited reward, the first
Of this right hand provoked, since first that tongue,
Inspired with contradiction, durst oppose A third part of the Gods, in synod met Their deities to assert: who, while they feel Vigour divine within them, can allow Omnipotence to none. But well thou com'st Before thy fellows, ambitious to win
From me some plume, that thy success may show
Few may
know when thousands
The first Destruction to the rest. This pause between blow (Unanswered lest thou boast) to let thee know.- At first I thought that Liberty and Heaven To heavenly souls had been all one; but now I see that most through sloth had rather serve, Ministering Spirits, trained up in feast and song: Such hast thou armed, the minstrelsy of heaven— Servility with freedom to contend,
As both their deeds compared this day shall prove."
To whom, in brief, thus Abdiel stern re
plied:- "Apostate! still thou err'st, nor end wilt find Of erring, from the path of truth remote. Unjustly thou deprav'st it with the name Of servitude, to serve whom God ordains, Or Nature: God and Nature bid the same, When he who rules is worthiest, and excels Them whom he governs. This is servitude- To serve the unwise, or him who hath rebelled Against his worthier, as thine now serve thee, 180 Thyself not free, but to thyself enthralled; Yet lewdly dar❜st our ministering upbraid. Reign thou in Hell, thy kingdom; let me serve In Heaven God ever blest, and his divine Behests obey, worthiest to be obeyed.
Yet chains in Hell, not realms, expect: mean- while,
From me returned, as erst thou saidst, from flight, This greeting on thy impious crest receive.'
So saying, a noble stroke he lifted high, Which hung not, but so swift with tempest fell 190 On the proud crest of Satan that no sight, Nor motion of swift thought, less could his shield,
Such ruin intercept. Ten paces huge He back recoiled; the tenth on bended knee His massy spear upstayed: as if, on earth, Winds under ground, or waters forcing way, Sidelong had pushed a mountain from his seat, Half-sunk with all his pines. Amazement seized The rebel Thrones, but greater rage, to see Thus foiled their mightiest; ours joy filled, and shout,
Presage of victory, and fierce desire
Of battle: whereat Michaël bid sound The Archangel trumpet. Through the vast of Heaven
It sounded, and the faithful armies rung Hosannah to the Highest; nor stood at gaze The adverse legions, nor less hideous joined The horrid shock. Now storming fury rose, And clamour such as heard in Heaven till now Was never; arms on armour clashing brayed Horrible discord, and the madding wheels Of brazen chariots raged; dire was the noise Of conflict; overhead the dismal hiss Of fiery darts in flaming volleys flew, And, flying, vaulted either host with fire. So under fiery cope together rushed Both battles main with ruinous assault And inextinguishable rage. All Heaven Resounded; and, had Earth been then, all Earth Had to her centre shook. What wonder, when Millions of fierce encountering Angels fought 220 On either side, the least of whom could wield These elements, and arm him with the force Of all their regions? How much more of power Army against army numberless to raise
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