Right reason for their law, and for their king Messiah, who by right of merit reigns. Go, Michael, of celestial armies prince, And thou, in military prowess next, Gabriel, lead forth to battle these my sons Invincible; lead forth my armed saints,
By thousands and by millions, ranged for fight, Equal in number to that godless crew Rebellious; them with fire and hostile arms Fearless assault; and, to the brow of Heaven Pursuing, drive them out from God and bliss Into their place of punishment, the gulf Of Tartarus, which ready opens wide His fiery Chaos to receive their fall.'
"So spake the sovereign voice, and clouds began To darken all the hill, and smoke to roll In dusky wreaths, reluctant flames, the sign
Of wrath awaked; nor with less dread the loud Ethereal trumpet from on high 'gan blow: At which command the powers militant,
The apostate in his sunbright chariot sat, Idol of majesty divine, enclosed
With flaming cherubim and golden shields; 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; 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 fealty Remain not: wherefore should not strength and might
There fail where virtue fails, or weakest prove
That stood for Heaven, in mighty quadrate joined Where boldest, though to sight unconquerable?
Of union irresistible, moved on
In silence their bright legions, to the sound
Of instrumental harmony, that breathed
Heroic ardour to adventurous deeds
Under their godlike leaders, in the cause Of God and his Messiah. On they move, Indissolubly firm, nor obvious hill,
Nor straitening vale, nor wood, nor stream 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 wide
Tenfold the length of this terrene: at last, Far in th' horizon to the north appeared From skirt to skirt a fiery region, stretch 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 exhibition; 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 vain In the midway: 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,
His puissance, trusting in th' 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 contest 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 height 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: but thou seest 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. 'I'll for thee, but in wished hour, Of my revenge, first sought for, thou returnest From flight, seditious angel! to receive Thy merited reward, the first assay
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 comest Before thy fellows, ambitious to win
From me some plume, that thy success may show Destruction to the rest: this pause between (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 replied, 'Apostate! still thou err'st, nor end wilt find Of erring, from the path of truth remote: Unjustly thou depravest 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, Thyself not free, but to thyself inthralled; Yet lewdly darest 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; meanwhile 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 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
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 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 Dreadful combustion warring, and disturb, Though not destroy, their happy native seat; Had not the Eternal King omnipotent, From his strong hold of Heaven, high overruled And limited their might; though numbered such As each divided legion might have seemed A numerous host; in strength each armed hand A legion; led in fight, yet leader seemed Each warrior single as in chief, expert When to advance, or stand, or turn the sway Of battle, open when, and when to close The ridges of grim war: no thought of flight, None of retreat, no unbecoming deed That argued fear; each on himself relied, As only in his arm the moment lay Of victory: deeds of eternal fame Were done, but infinite; for wide was spread That war and various; sometimes on firm ground A standing fight, then, soaring on main wing, Tormented all the air; all air seemed then Conflicting fire. Long time in even scale The battle hung; till Satan, who that day Prodigious power had shown, and met in arms No equal, ranging through the dire attack Of fighting seraphim confused, at length Saw where the sword of Michael smote, and felled Squadrons at once; with huge two-handed sway Brandished aloft, the horrid edge came down Wide wasting; such destruction to withstand He hasted, and opposed the rocky orb Of tenfold adamant, his ample shield, A vast circumference. At his approach The great archangel from his warlike toil
Thus foiled their mightiest; ours joy filled, and Surceased, and glad, as hoping here to end shout,
Presage of victory, and fierce desire
Of battle: whereat Michael bid sound
Th' archangel trumpet; through the vast of heaven It sounded, and the faithful armies rung Hosanna 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; over head the dismal hiss
Intestine war in Heaven, the arch foe subdued, Or captive dragged in chains, with hostile frown, And visage all inflamed, first thus began.
Passed through him: but the ethereal substance closed,
Not long divisible; and from the gash A stream of nectarous humour issuing flowed Sanguine, such as celestial spirits may bleed, And all his armour stained, erewhile so bright. Forthwith on all sides to his aid was run
To trouble holy rest; Heaven casts thee out From all her confmes: Heaven, the seat of bliss, Brooks not the works of violence and war. Hence then, and evil go with thee along, Thy offspring, to the place of evil, hell; Thou and thy wicked crew! there mingle broils, Ere this avenging sword begin thy doom, Or some more sudden vengeance, winged from God, By angels many and strong, who interposed Precipitate thee with augmented pain!'
Defence, while others bore him on their shields Back to his chariot, where it stood retired From off the files of war; there they him laid Gnashing for anguish, and despite and shame, To find himself not matchless, and his pride Humbled by such rebuke, so far beneath His confidence to equal God in power.
That thou shouldst hope, imperious, and with Yet soon he healed; for spirits that live throughout threats
To chase me hence? err not, that so shall end The strife which thou callest evil, but we style The strife of glory; which we mean to win, Or turn this Heaven itself into the hell Thou fablest; here however to dwell free, If not to reign: meanwhile thy utmost force, And join him named Almighty to thy aid, I fly not, but have sought thee far and nigh.' "They ended parle, and both addressed for fight Unspeakable; for who, though with the tongue Of angels, can relate, or to what things Liken on earth conspicuous, that may lift Human imagination to such height
Of godlike power? for likest gods they seemed, Stood they or moved, in stature, motion, arms, Fit to decide the empire of great Heaven. Now waved their fiery swords, and in the air Made horrid circles; two broad suns their shields Blazed opposite, while expectation stood In horror; from each hand with speed retired, Where erst was thickest fight, the angelic throng, And left large field, unsafe within the wind Of such commotion; such as, to set forth Great things by small, if, nature's concord broke, Among the constellations war were sprung, Two planets, rushing from aspect malign Of fiercest opposition, in mid sky Should combat, and their jarring spheres confound. Together both with next to Almighty arm Uplifted imminent, one stroke they aimed That might determine, and not need repeat, As not of power at once; nor odds appeared In might or swift prevention; but the sword Of Michael, from the armoury of God, Was given him tempered so, that neither keen Nor solid might resist that edge: it met The sword of Satan, with steep force to smite Descending, and in half cut sheer; nor stayed, But with swift wheel reverse, deep entering, shared All his right side: then Satan first knew pain, And writhed him to and fro convolved; so sore The griding sword with discontinuous wound
Vital in every part, not as frail man In entrails, heart or head, liver or reins, Can not but by annihilating die; Nor in their liquid texture mortal wound Receive, no more than can the fluid air: All heart they live, all head, all eye, all ear, All intellect, all sense; and as they please, They limb themselves, and colour, shape, or size Assume as likes them best, condense or rare.
"Meanwhile in other parts like deeds deserved Memorial, where the might of Gabriel fought, And with fierce ensigns pierced the deep array Of Moloch, furious king; who him defied, And at his chariot wheels to drag him bound Threatened, nor from the Holy One of Heaven Refrained his tongue blasphemous; but anon, Down cloven to the waist, with shattered arms And uncouth pain fled bellowing. On each wing Uriel, and Raphael, his vaunting foe, Though huge, and in a rock of diamond armed Vanquished Adramelech and Asmadai, Two potent thrones, that to be less than Gods Disdained, but meaner thoughts learned in their flight,
Mangled with ghastly wounds through plate and mail.
Nor stood unmindful Abdiel to annoy The atheist crew, but with redoubled blow Ariel, and Arioch, and the violence Of Ramiel, scorched and blasted, overthrew. I might relate of thousands, and their names Eternize here on earth; but those elect Angels, contented with their fame in Heaven, Seek not the praise of men; the other sort, In might though wondrous, and in acts of war, Nor of renown less eager, yet by doom Cancelled from Heaven and sacred memory Nameless in dark oblivion let them dwell. For strength, from truth divided and from just, Illaudable, naught merits but dispraise And ignominy, yet to glory aspires Vain glorious, and through infamy seeks fame Therefore eternal silence be their doom.
"And now, their mightiest quelled, the battle In nature none; if other hidden cause
With many an inroad gored; deformed rout Entered, and foul disorder; all the ground With shivered armour strown, and on a heap Chariot and charioteer lay overturned, And fiery foaming steeds; what stood recoiled O'er wearied, through the faint satanic host Defensive scarce, or with pale fear surprised,
Left them superior, while we can preserve Unhurt our minds and understanding sound, Due search and consultation will disclose.'
"He sat; and in the assembly next upstood Nisroch, of principalities the prime:
As one he stood escaped from cruel fight, Sore toiled, his riven arms to havoc hewn, And cloudy in aspect thus answering spake.
Then first with fear surprised and sense of pain,Deliverer from new lords, leader to free
Fled ignominious, to such evil brought
By sin of disobedience; till that hour Not liable to fear, or flight, or pain. Far otherwise the inviolable saints, In cubic phalanx firm, advanced entire, Invulnerable, impenetrably armed; Such high advantages their innocence Gave them above their foes, not to have sinned, Not to have disobeyed; in fight they stood Unwearied, unobnoxious to be pained
By wound, though from their place by violence moved.
"Now night her course began, and over Heaven Inducing darkness, grateful truce imposed, And silence on the odious din of war: Under her cloudy covert both retired, Victor and vanquished: on the foughten field Michael and his angels prevalent Encamping, placed in guard their watches round, Cherubic waving fires: on the other part, Satan with his rebellious disappeared, Far in the dark dislodged; and, void of rest, His potentates to council called by night; And in the midst thus undismayed began.
"O now in danger tried, now known in arms Not to be overpowered, companions dear, Found worthy not of liberty alone,
Too mean pretence! but, what we more affect, Honour, dominion, glory, and renown; Who have sustained one day in doubtful fight (And if one day, why not eternal days?) What Heaven's Lord had power fullest to send Against us from about his throne, and judged Sufficient to subdue us to his will, But proves not so: then fallible, it seems, Of future we may deem him, though till now Omniscient thought. True is, less firmly armed, Some disadvantage we endured and pain,
Enjoyment of our rights as gods; yet hard For gods, and too unequal work we find, Against unequal arms to fight in pain, Against unpained, impassive; from which evil Ruin must needs ensue; for what avails Valour or strength, though matchless, quelled with pain
Which all subdues, and makes remiss the hands Of mightiest? Sense of pleasure we may well Spare out of life perhaps, and not repine, But live content, which is the calmest life: But pain is perfect misery, the worst Of evils, and excessive, overturns All patience. He who therefore can invent With what more forcible we may offend Our yet unwounded enemies, or arm Ourselves with like defence, to me deserves No less than for deliverance what we owe.'
"Whereto with look composed Satan replied. 'Not uninvented that, which thou aright Believest so main to our success, I bring. Which of us who beholds the bright surface Of this ethereous mould whereon we stand, This continent of spacious Heaven, adorned With plant, fruit, flower, ambrosial, gems, and gold;
Whose eye so superficially surveys
These things as not to mind from whence they grow Deep under ground, materials dark and crude, Of spirituous and fiery spume, till, touched With Heaven's ray, and tempered, they shoot forth So beauteous, opening to the ambient light? These in their dark nativity the deep Shall yield us, pregnant with infernal flame; Which into hollow engines long and round Thick rammed, at th' other bore with touch of fire Dilated and infuriate, shall send forth From far, with thundering noise, among our foes
Till now not known, but, known, as soon con- Such implements of mischief, as shall dash
Since now we find this our empyreal form Incapable of mortal injury,
Imperishable, and though pierced with wound, Soon closing, and by native vigour healed. Of evil then so small, as easy think The remedy; perhaps more valid arms, Weapons more violent, when next we meet, May serve to better us, and worse our foes, Or equal what between us made the odds,
To pieces, and o'erwhelm whatever stands Adverse, that they shall fear we have disarmed The Thunderer of his only dreaded bolt. Nor long shall be our labour; yet ere dawn, Effect shall end our wish. Meanwhile revive; Abandon fear; to strength and council joined Think nothing hard, much less to be despaired.'
"He ended, and his words their drooping cheer Enlightened, and their languished hope revived. Th' invention all admired, and each, how he
To be the inventor missed; so easy it seemed Once found, which, yet unfound, most would have thought
Impossible: yet, haply, of thy race
In future days, if malice should abound, Some one, intent on mischief, or inspired With devilish machination, might devise Like instrument to plague the sons of men For sin, on war and mutual slaughter bent. Forthwith from council to the work they flew; None arguing stood: innumerable hands Were ready; in a moment up they turned Wide the celestial soil, and saw beneath The originals of nature in their crude Conception; sulphurous and nitrous foam They found, they mingled, and with subtle art, Concocted and adjusted, they reduced To blackest grain, and into store conveyed : Part hidden veins digged up (nor hath this earth Entrails unlike) of mineral and stone, Whereof to found their engines and their balls Of missive ruin; part incentive reed Provide, pernicious with one touch to fire. So all, ere dayspring, under conscious night, Secret they finished, and in order set,
With silent circumspection, unespied.
|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 front unfold That all may see who hate us, how we seek Peace and composure, and with open breast 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!' "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 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
"Now when fair morn orient in Heaven ap- Stood waving tipt with fire; while we, suspense,
Up rose the victor angels, and to arms
The matin trumpet sung: in arms they stood Of golden panoply, refulgent host,
Soon banded; others from the dawning hills Look round, and scouts each coast light armed scour,
Each quarter to descry the distant foe, Where lodged, or whether fled, or if for fight, In motion or in halt: him soon they met Under spread ensigns moving nigh, in slow But firm battalion; back with speediest sail 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 Fit well his helm, gripe fast his orbed shield, Borne ev'n 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,
In order quit of all impediment; Instant without disturb they took alarm, And onward moved embattled; when, behold! Not distant far, with heavy pace the foe Approaching, gross and huge, in hollow cub Training his devilish enginery, impaled
Collected stood within our thoughts amused, 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
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,
Though standing else as rocks, but down they fell
By thousands, angel on archangel rolled; The sooner for their arms; unarmed, they might Have easily, as spirits, evaded swift 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 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 tier Of thunder: back defeated to return
They worse abhorred. Satan beheld their plight, And to his mates thus in derision called.
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