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The Under spread ensigns moving nigh, in slow opposing But firm battalion: back with speediest sail hosts Zophiel, of Cherubim the swiftest wing,

:

Came flying, and in mid air aloud thus cried :-
"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

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Fit well his helm, gripe fast his orbed shield,
Borne even or high; for this day will pour down,
If I conjecture aught, no drizzling shower,
But rattling storm of arrows barbed with fire."
'So warned he them, aware themselves, and

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In order, quit of all impediment.

Instant, without disturb, they took alarm,
And onward move embattled: when, behold, 550
Not distant far, with heavy pace the foe
Approaching gross and huge, in hollow cube
Training his devilish enginry, impaled

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On every side with shadowing squadrons deep,
To hide the fraud. At interview both stood
A while; but suddenly at head appeared
Satan, and thus was heard commanding loud :-
Vanguard, to right and left the frons unfold,
That all may see who hate us how we seek
Peace and composure, and with open breast 560
Stand ready to receive them, if they like
Our overture, and turn not back perverse:
But that I doubt. However, witness Heaven!
Heaven, witness thou anon! while we discharge

Freely our part. Ye, who appointed stand,
Do as you have in charge, and briefly touch
What we propound, and loud that all may

hear.'

The engines ›› belch their glut

'So scoffing in ambiguous words, he scarce
Had ended, when to right and left the front
Divided, and to either flank retired;
Which to our eyes discovered, new and strange,
A triple mounted row of pillars laid

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On wheels (for like to pillars most they seemed,
Or hollowed bodies made of oak or fir,
With branches lopt, in wood or mountain felled),
Brass, iron, stony mould, had not their mouths
With hideous orifice gaped on us wide,
Portending hollow truce. At each, behind,
A Seraph stood, and in his hand a reed
Stood waving tipt with fire; while we, suspense,
Collected stood within our thoughts amused. 581
Not long! for sudden all at once their reeds
Put forth, and to a narrow vent applied
With nicest touch. Immediate in a flame,
But soon obscured with smoke, all Heaven ap-
peared,

From those deep-throated engines belched, whose

roar

Embowelled with outrageous noise the air,
And all her entrails tore, disgorging foul
Their devilish glut, chained thunderbolts and hail
Of iron globes; which, on the victor host
Levelled, with such impetuous fury smote,
That whom they hit none on their feet might
stand

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Though standing else as rocks, but down they fell

By thousands, Angel on Archangel rolled,

Satan The sooner for their arms.

mocks at might

Unarmed, they

the Angels Have easily, as Spirits, evaded swift

over

thrown By quick contraction or remove; but now Foul dissipation followed, and forced rout; Nor served it to relax their serried files.

What should they do? If on they rushed, repulse

Repeated, and indecent overthrow

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Doubled, would render them yet more despised,
And to their foes a laughter-for in view
Stood ranked of Seraphim another row,
In posture to displode their second tire
Of thunder; back defeated to return

They worse abhorred. Satan beheld their plight,
And to his mates thus in derision called:-

""O friends, why come not on these victors
proud?

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Erewhile they fierce were coming; and, when we,
To entertain them fair with open front
And breast (what could we more?), propounded

terms

Of composition, straight they changed their minds,
Flew off, and into strange vagaries fell,

As they would dance. Yet for a dance they

seemed

Somewhat extravagant and wild; perhaps
For joy of offered peace.

But I suppose,

If our proposals once again were heard,

We should compel them to a quick result."

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To whom thus Belial, in like gamesome

mood:

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"Leader, the terms we sent were terms of

weight,

Angels uproot the mountains

Of hard contents, and full of force urged home, The
Such as we might perceive amused them all,
And stumbled many. Who receives them right
Had need from head to foot well understand;
Not understood, this gift they have besides-
They show us when our foes walk not upright.'
So they among themselves in pleasant vein
Stood scoffing, highthened in their thoughts
beyond

All doubt of victory; Eternal Might

So

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To match with their inventions they presumed and of his thunder made a scorn, And all his host derided, while they stood

easy,

A while in trouble. But they stood not long;
Rage prompted them at length, and found them

arms

Against such hellish mischief fit to oppose.
Forthwith (behold the excellence, the power,
Which God hath in his mighty Angels placed!)
Their arms away they threw, and to the hills
(For Earth hath this variety from Heaven 640
Of pleasure situate in hill and dale)

Light as the lightning-glimpse they ran, they
flew ;

From their foundations, loosening to and fro,
They plucked the seated hills, with all their load,
Rocks, waters, woods, and, by the shaggy tops
Uplifting, bore them in their hands. Amaze,
Be sure, and terror, seized the rebel host,
When coming towards them so dread they saw
The bottom of the mountains upward turned,
Till on those cursed engines' triple row
They saw them whelmed, and all their confidence
Under the weight of mountains buried deep;

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Confusion Themselves invaded next, and on their heads heaped Main promontories flung, which in the air

upon Came shadowing, and oppressed whole legions armed.

confusion

Their armour helped their harm, crushed in and bruised,

Into their substance pent-which wrought them pain

Implacable, and many a dolorous groan,

Long struggling underneath, ere they could wind
Out of such prison, though Spirits of purest
light,

Purest at first, now gross by sinning grown.
The rest, in imitation, to like arms

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Betook them, and the neighbouring hills uptore;
So hills amid the air encountered hills,
Hurled to and fro with jaculation dire,

And now all Heaven

That underground they fought in dismal shade:
Infernal noise! war seemed a civil game
To this uproar; horrid confusion heaped
Upon confusion rose.
Had gone to wrack, with ruin overspread, 670
Had not the Almighty Father, where he sits
Shrined in his sanctuary of Heaven secure,
Consulting on the sum of things, foreseen
This tumult, and permitted all, advised,
That his great purpose he might so fulfil,
To honour his Anointed Son, avenged
Upon his enemies, and to declare

All

power on him transferred.
Son,

Whence to his

The assessor of his throne, he thus began :

""Effulgence of my glory, Son beloved, 680 Son in whose face invisible is beheld

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