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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,

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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

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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,

power

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

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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

From all her confines.

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,

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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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