Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Virtues, Powers; Hear my decree, which unrevoked shall stand. This day I have begot whom I declare
My only Son, and on this holy hill
Him have anointed, whom ye now behold
At my right hand; your head I him appoint; And by myself have sworn, to him shall bow All knees in Heaven, and shall confess him Lord: Under his great viceregent reign abide United, as one individual soul,
For ever happy. him who disobeys,
Me disobeys, breaks union; and that day, Cast out from God and blessed vision, falls Into utter darkness, deep engulfed, his place Ordained without redemption, without end.
So spake the Omnipotent, and with his words All seemed well pleased—all seemed, but were not all. That day, as other solemn days, they spent In song and dance about the sacred hill: Mystical dance, which yonder starry sphere Of planets, and of fixed, in all her wheels Resembles nearest, mazes intricate, Eccentric, intervolved, yet regular
Then most, when most irregular they seem; And in their motions harmony divine
So smoothes her charming tones, that God's own ear Listens delighted. Evening now approached— For we have also our evening and our morn,
We ours for change delectable not need— Forthwith from dance to sweet repast they turn
Desirous. All in circles as they stood,
Tables are set, and on a sudden piled
With angels' food; and rubied nectar flows
In pearl, in diamond, and massy gold,
Fruit of delicious vines, the growth of Heaven.
On flowers reposed, and with fresh flowerets crowned,
They eat, they drink; and in communion sweet Quaff immortality and joy, secure
Of surfeit, where full measure only bounds
Excess, before the all-bounteous King, who showered With copious hand, rejoicing in their joy.
Now when ambrosial night with clouds exhaled
From that high mount of God, whence light and shade Spring both, the face of brightest Heaven had changed To grateful twilight, for night comes not there
All but the unsleeping eyes of God to rest; Wide over all the plain, and wider far
Than all this globous earth in plain outspread, – Such are the courts of God,— the angelic throng, Dispersed in bands and files, their camp extend By living streams among the trees of life,
Pavilions numberless, and sudden reared,
Celestial tabernacles, where they slept
Fanned with cool winds - save those, who, in their course,
Melodious hymns about the sovereign throne
Alternate all night long. But not so waked
so call him now, his former name
Is heard no more in Heaven. He of the first, If not the first Archangel, great in power, In favor and pre-eminence, yet fraught
With envy against the Son of God, that day Honored by his great Father, and proclaimed
Messiah, king anointed, could not bear
Through pride that sight, and thought himself impaired. Deep malice thence conceiving and disdain, Soon as midnight brought on the dusky hour Friendliest to sleep and silence, he resolved With all his legions to dislodge, and leave Unworshiped, unobeyed, the throne supreme, Contemptuous: and his next subordinate Awakening, thus to him in secret spake:
Sleepest thou, companion dear? What sleep can close
Thy eyelids? and rememberest what decree
Of yesterday, so late hath passed the lips
Of Heaven's Almighty? Thou to me thy thoughts Was wont, I mine to thee was wont to impart;
Both waking we were one; how then can now Thy sleep dissent? New laws thou seest imposed; New laws from Him who reigns, new minds may raise In us who serve, new counsels, to debate What doubtful may ensue- more in this place To utter is not safe. Assemble thou,
Of all those myriads which we lead, the chief; Tell them that by command, ere yet dim night Her shadowy clouds withdraws, I am to haste, And all who under me their banners wave, Homeward, with flying march, where we possess The quarters of the North; there to prepare Fit entertainment to receive our King, The great Messiah, and his new commands, Who speedily through all the Hierarchies Intends to pass triumphant, and give laws.
So spake the false Archangel, and infused Bad influence into the unwary breast Of his associate. He together calls,
Or several one by one, the regent powers, Under him regent; tells, as he was taught, That the Most High commanding, now ere night Now ere dim night had disencumbered Heaven, The great hierarchal standard was to move; Tells the suggested cause, and casts between Ambiguous words and jealousies, to sound Or taint integrity. But all obeyed
The wonted signal and superior voice Of their great potentate; for great indeed
His name, and high was his degree in Heaven. His countenance, as the morning star that guides
The starry flock, allured them, and with lies Drew after him the third part of Heaven's host. Meanwhile the Eternal eye, whose sight discerns Abstrusest thoughts, from forth His holy mount, And from within the golden lamps that burn Nightly before Him, saw without their light Rebellion rising; saw in whom, how spread Among the sons of morn, what multitudes Were banded to oppose His high decree; And, smiling, to His only Son thus said:
Son, thou in whom my glory I behold In full resplendence, heir of all my might, Nearly it now concerns us to be sure Of our omnipotence, and with what arms We mean to hold what anciently we claim. Of deity or empire. Such a foe
Is rising, who intends to erect his throne Equal to ours, throughout the spacious North; Nor so content, hath in his thought to try 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 employ In our defense; lest unawares we lose
This our high place, our sanctuary, our hill.
To whom the Son, with calm aspect and clear, Lightning divine, ineffable, serene,
Made answer: Mighty Father, Thou thy foes Justly hast in derision, and, secure,
Laugh'st at their vain designs and tumults vain, Matter to me of glory, whom their hate Illustrates, when they see all regal power Given me to quell their pride, and in event Know whether I be dextrous to subdue Thy rebels, or be found the worst in Heaven.
So spake the Son: but Satan with his powers,
Far was advanced on winged speed; a host
Innumerable as the stars of night,
Or stars of morning dewdrops which the sun Impearls on every leaf and every flower. Regions they passed, 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 sea, from one entire globose Stretched into longitude - which having passed, At length into the limits of the North They came; and Satan to his royal seat, High on a hill, far blazing, as a mount
Raised on a mount, with pyramids and towers From diamond quarries hewn, and rocks of gold, The palace of great Lucifer
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 declared in sight of Heaven, The Mountain of the Congregation called. For thither he assembled all his train, Pretending so commanded to consult About the great reception of their King, Thither to come; and with calumnious art Of counterfeited truth thus held their ears.
Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Virtues, Powers;
If these magnetic titles yet remain
Not merely titular, since by decree
Another now hath to himself engrossed
All power, and us eclipsed, under the name
Of King anointed, for whom all this haste
Of midnight march, and hurried meeting here, This only to consult how we may best, With what may be devised of honors new,
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