Drew after him the third part of heav'n's hoft:
Mean while th'eternal eye, whose sight difcernes
Abstrusest thoughts, from forth his holy mount
And from within the golden lamps that burn
Nightly before him faw without their light
Rebellion rifing, saw in whom, how spred
Among the sons of morn, what multitudes
Were banded to oppose his high decree;
And smiling to his onely son thus said.
Son, thou in whom my glory I behold
In full refplendence, heir of all my might,
Neerly it now concerns us to be sure
Of our omnipotence, and with what arms
We mean to hold what anciently we claim
Of deitie or empire, such a foe
Is rifing, who intends to erect his throne
Equal to ours, throughout the spacious north;
Nor so content, hath in his thought to trie
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 imploy
In our defence, lest unawares we lose
This our high place, our sanctuarie, our hill.
To whom the son with calm aspect and cleer
Light'ning divine, ineffable, serene,
Made answer. Mightie father, thou thy foes
Justly hast in derision, and secure
Laught'st at their vain designes and tumults vain,
Matter to me of glory, whom their hate
› Illustrates, when they fee all regal power
Giv'n me to quell their pride, and in event
Know whether I be dextrous to fubdue
Thy rebels, or be found the worst in heav'n.
So fpake the fon, but Satan with his powers
Far was advanc't on winged speed, an hoft
Innumerable as the stars of night,
Or stars of morning, dew-drops, which the fun
Impearls on every leaf and every flour.
Regions they pafs'd, the mighty regencies
Of 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 fea, from one entire globose
Stretcht into longitude; which having pass'd
At length into the limits of the north
They came, and Satan to his royal feat
High on a hill, får blazing, as a mount
Rais'd on a mount, with pyramids and towrs
From diamond quarries hew'n, and rocks of gold,
The palace of great Lucifer, (fo 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 declar'd in fight of heav'n,
The mountain of the congregation call'd;
For thither he afsembl'd all his train,
Pretending so commanded to confult
About the great reception of their king,
Thither to come, and with calumnious art
Of counterfered truth thus held their ears.
Thrones, dominations, princedomes, vertues, powers,
If these magnific titles yet remain
Not meerely titular, since by decree
Another now hath to himself ingross't
All power, and us eclipst under the name
Of king anointed, for whom all this hafte
Of midnight march, and hurried meeting here,
This onely to confult how we may best
With what may be devis'd of honours new
Receive him coming to receive from us
Knee tribute yet unpaid, prostration vile,
Too much to one, but double how endur'd,
To one and to his image now proclaim'd ?
But what if better counsels might erect
Our minds and teach us to cast off this yoke ?
Will ye submit your necks, and chuse to bend
The supple knee? ye will not, if I trust
To know ye right, or if ye know yourselves
Natives and fons of heav'n possest before
By none, and if not equal all, yet free,
Equally free; for orders and degrees
Jar not with liberty, but well confift.
Who can in reason then or right assume !
Monarchie over such as live by right
His equals, if in power and splendor less,
In freedom equal? or can introduce
Law and edict on us, who without law
Erre not, much less for this to be our lord,
And look for adoration to th'abuse
Of those imperial titles which affert
Our being ordain'd to govern, not to serve?
Thus far his bold discourse without controule Had audience, when among the seraphim Abdiel, than whom none with more zeale ador'd The deitie, and divine commands obey'd, Stood up, and in a flame of zeale fevere The current of his fury thus oppos'd. O argument blafphemous, false and proud! Words which no eare ever to hear in heav'n Expected, least of all from thee, ingrate, In place thyself so high above thy peeres. Canst thou with impious obliquie condemn: The just decree of God, pronounc't and sworn, That to his only son by right endu'd With regal scepter, every foul in heavin Shall bend the knee, and in that honour due Confefs him rightful king? unjust thou faidst Flatly unjust, to bind with laws the free, And equal over equals to let reigne, One over all with unfucceeded power. Shalt thou give law to God, shalt thou dispute With him the points of libertie, who made Thee what thou art, and form'd the pow'rs of heav'n Such as he pleas'd, and circumscrib'd their being my Yet by experience taught we know how good, And of our good, and of our dignitie... How provident he is, how far from thought. To make us less, bent rather to exalt Our happie state under one head more neer United. But to grant it thee unjust, That equal over equals monarch reigne: Thyself though great and glorious dost thou count,
Or all angelic nature join'd in one,
Equal to him begotten son, by whom
As by his word the mighty father made
All things, ev'n thee, and all the spirits of heav'n
By him created in their bright degrees,
Crown'd them with glory, and to their glory nam'd
Thrones, dominations, princedomes, vertues, powers,
Essential powers, nor by his reign obscur'd,
But more illustrious made, since he the head
One of our number thus reduc't becomes,
His laws our laws, all honour to him done
Returns our own. Cease then this impious rage,
And tempt not these; but hast'n to appease
Th'incensed Father, and th'incensed Son,
While pardon may be found in time besought.
So spake the fervent angel, but his zeale
None seconded, as out of season judg'd,
Or fingular and rash, whereat rejoic'd
• Th'apostat, and more haughty thus repli'd.
That we were form'd then saist thou? and the work
Of secondarie hands, by task transfer'd
From father to his son
Doctrin which we would
strange point and new!
know whence learnt: who saw
When this creation was remembrest thou
Thy making, while the Maker gave thee being
We know no time when we were not as now;
Know none before us, self-begot, felf-rais'd
By our own quick'ning power, when fatal course
Had circl'd his full orbe, the birth mature
Of this our native heav'n, ethereal fons.
Our puissance is our own, our own right hand
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