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: Ill 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
Vigor divine within them, can allow
Omnipotence to none. But well thou com'st
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, Minist'ring 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 true remote. Unjustly thou deprav'st 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 dar'st our minist'ring 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 upstaid-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
Thus foiled their mightiest; ours joy filled, and shout, Presage of victory, and fierce desire
Of battle whereat Michaël bid sound
The 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 clamor, such as heard in Heaven till now Was never; arms on armor clashing brayed Horrible discord, and the madding wheels Of brazen chariots raged; dire was the noise Of conflict; overhead the dismal hiss 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 center 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 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 Surceased, and glad, as hoping here to end Intestine war in Heaven, the arch-foe subdued, Or captive dragged in chains, with hostile frown And visage all inflamed, first thus began:
Author of evil unknown till thy revolt,
Unnamed in Heaven, now plenteous, as thou seest These acts of hateful strife, hateful to all, Though heaviest, by just measure, on thyself And thy adherents; how hast thou disturbed Heaven's blessed peace, and into nature brought Misery, uncreated till the crime
Of thy rebellion? How hast thou instilled
Thy malice into thousands, once upright
And faithful, now proved false? But think not here
To trouble holy rest. Heaven casts thee out
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, Precipitate thee with augmented pain.
So spake the prince of Angels; to whom thus The Adversary: Nor think thou with wind
Of airy threats to awe whom yet with deeds
Thou canst not. Hast thou turned the least of these
To flight, or if to fall, but that they rise Unvanquished, easier to transact with me,
That thou shouldst hope, imperious, and with threats To chase me hence? Err not that so shall end The strife which thou call'st 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 list 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
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