That shake heaven's basis, bring forth all my war.
My bow and thunder, my almighty arms

Gird on, and sword upon thy puissant thigh,
Pursue these sons of darkness, drive them out
From all heaven's bounds into the utter deep:
There let them learn, as likes them, to despise
God, and Messiah his annointed king. »

He said, and on his Son with rays direct
Shone full; he all his Father full express'd
Ineffably into his face receiv'd;

And thus the filial Godhead answering spake:

"O Father, O supreme of heavenly thrones,

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First, Highest, Holiest, Best! thou always seek'st To glorify thy Son, I always thee,

As is most just: this I my glory account,

My exaltation, and my whole delight,

That thou, in me well pleas'd, declar'st thy will
Fulfill'd, which to fulfil is all my bliss.
Sceptre and power, thy giving, I assume,
And gladlier shall resign, when in the end
Thou shalt be all in all, and I in thee

For ever; and in me all whom thou lov'st:
But whom thou hat'st, I hate, and can put on,
Thy terrors, as I put thy mildness on,

Image of thee in all things; and shall soon,
Arm'd with thy might, rid heaven of these rebell'd;

To their prepar'd ill mansion driven down
To chains of darkness, and the undying worm ;
That from thy just obedience could revolt,
Whom to obey is happiness entire.

Then shall thy saints unmix'd, and from the impure
Fat separate, circling thy holy mount,

Spingi crollanti il ciel, mie posse educi
Mio tuono ed arco, e mic terribili armi
Ti vesti e il brando al tuo potente fianco,
Persegui i figli di tenébra, cacciali

Da tutto il ciel nell' ultimo profondo :
Là imparino a spregiare a lor talento
Il Nume mio, il Messia lor unto rege. »
Disse, e sul Figlio de' suoi rai la piena
Dritto verso; tutto il suo Padre espresso
Nel volto suo ineffabilmente accolse,
E in tal favella il Figlio Dio rispose:

« O padre, o sommo de' celesti troni,
Primo, eccelso, santo, ottimo! tu sempre
Mia gloria cerchi, ed io la tua mai sempre,
Come è ragion: questa io mia gloria estimo,
Mio vanto e mio diletto intier, che tu
Piaciuto in me, tua volontade empiuta
Dichiari, ch' io nell' adempir mi beo.
Scettro e poter, tuoi doni, io tolgo, e lieto
Rassegnerolli quando tutto in tutti

Tu fia nel fine, ed io fia sempre in te

E in me fian quanti fiano a te diletti:

Sol chi tu abborri, abborro, e i tuoi terrori
Posso vestir come la tua clemenza,

In tutto imago a te; di tua possanza
Armato, tosto il cicl di tai ribelli
Sgombrerò impulsi in carcer lor parato,
In ceppi di tenébra e verme eterno;
Chè osaro mispregiar tua giusta legge
A cui lieto obbedire è gaudio intégro
Soli i tuoi santi allora dagli impuri
Scevrati, roteando al santo monte

Unfeigned halleluibas to thee sing,

Hymns of high praise, and I among them Chief. »

So said, he, o'er his sceptre bowing, rose

From the right hand of glory where he sat;

And the third sacred morn began to shine,

Dawning through heaven.Forth rush'd with whirlwind sound. The chariot of paternal Deity,

Flashing thick flames, wheel within wheel undrawn, Itself instinct with spirit, but convoy'd

By four cherubic shapes; four faces each

Had wondrous; as with stars, their bodies all

And wings were set with eyes; with eyes the wheels Of beryl, and carcering fires between;

Over their heads a crystal firmament,

Whercon a sapphire throne, inlaid with pure
Amber, and colours of the showery arch.
He, in celestial panoply all arm'd

Of radiant Urim, work divinely wrought,
Ascended at his right hand Victory

:

Sat eagle-wing'd; beside him hung his bow
And quiver, with three-bolted thunder stor'd;
And from about him fierce effusion roll'd

Of smoke, and bickering flame and sparkles dire.
Attended with ten thousand thousand saints,
He onward came; far off his coming shone;
And twenty thousand (I their number heard)
Chariots of God, half on each hand, were seen:
He on the wings of cherub rode sublime
On the crystalline sky, in sapphire thron'd,
Illustrious far and wide; but by his own
First seen; them unexpected joy surpris'd,
When the great ensign of Messiah blaz'd

Sinceri osanna canteranti ed inni

D'eccelsa laude, ed io tra lor primiero.

Disse, e inchinando sul suo scettro, alzossi Dalla destra di gloria ove ei sedea;

E la terza apparia serena aurora

Purpurea in ciel. Fuor ecco in suon di turbine
Della paterna Deitade il carro

Sprazzante dense fiamme; interno spirito
Move le rote, e quattro forme il guidano
Di cherubin che quattro facce ognuna
Mirande avea; quai d'astri, i corpi e l'ali
Cosparse d'occhi avea; d' occhi le rote
Di berillo e schizzanti fochi in mezzo;
Stea sui lor capi cristallina volta
Su cui saffireo trono, che d'elettro
Era tarsiato e de' color dell' Iri.
Ei nel celeste padiglione armato
Dell' Urim radïante, opra divina,

Montò con aquilini vanni a destra

Gli stea Vittoria; arco e faretra innanti
Gli pendevan con folgori trisulche,
E intorno gli rotava un atro nembo
Di fumo e irose fiamme e rie faville.
Egli tra mezzo a mille santi e mille
Inoltrò; lùnge il suo venir splendeva ;
E ventimila (il numero ne intesi)
Carri di Dio fur visti d' ambo i lati.
Sull' ali de' cherubi ei già sublime

Pei campi eterei, nel saffir seduto

Tra immensi rai; primieri i suoi scoprirlo

E subito gioir li prese, quando

Il gran vessillo del Messia portato

Aloft by angels horne, his sign in heaven;
Under whose conduct Michael soon reduc'd
His army, circumfus'd on either wing,
Under their head imbodied all in one.
Before him Power Divine his way prepar'd;
At his command the uprooted hills retir'd
Each to his place; they heard his voice, and went
Obsequious; heaven his wonted face renew'd,

And with fresh flowerets hill and valley smil'd.
This saw his hapless foes, but stood obdur'd,
And to rebellious fight rallied their powers,
Insensate, hope conceiving from despair.

In heavenly spirits could such perverseness dwell?
But to convince the proud, what signs avail,
Or wonders move the obdurate to relent?
They, harden'd more by what might most reclaim,
Grieving to see his glory, at the sight

Took envy; and aspiring to his height,
Stood re-embattled fierce, by force or fraud
Weening to prosper, and at length prevail
Against God and Messiah, or to fall
In universal ruin last; and now

To final battle drew, disdaining flight,

Or faint retreat; when the great son of God

To all his host on either hand thus spake:

• Stand still in bright array, ye saints; here stand,

Ye angels arm'd; this day from battle rest;
Faithful hath been your warfare, and of God
Accepted, fearless in his righteous cause;
And as ye have receiv'd, so have done
Invincibly: but of this cursed crew

The punishment to other hand belongs;