Standards and gonfalons 'twixt van and rear
Stream in the air, and for diftinction ferve
Of hierarchies, of orders and degrees;
Or in their glittering tissues bear imblaz'd
Holy memorials, acts of zeal and love
Recorded eminent. Thus when in orbs
Of circuit inexpressible they stood,
Orb within orb, the father infinite
By whom in bliss imbosom'd fat the Son
Amidst as from a flaming mount, whose top
Brightness had made invisible, thus spake.

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Hear all ye Angels, progeny of light, Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Virtues, Powers,

Hear my decree, which unrevok'd shall stand.

This day I have begot whom I declare

My only Son, and on this holy hill

605

Him have anointed, whom you now behold
At my right hand; your head I him appoint;
And by himself have fworn to him shall bow
All knees in Heaven, and shall confefs him Lord:
Under his great vice-gerent reign abide
United as one individual foul

610

For ever happy: Him who disobeys,
Me disobeys, breaks union, and that day.
Cast out from God and blessed vifion, falls
Into' utter darkness, deep ingulf'd, his place
Ordain'd without redemption, without end.

615

So fpake th' Omnipotent, and with his words All feem'd well pleas'd; all feem'd, but were not all. That day, as other folemn days, they spent In fong and dance about the facred hill; Myftical dance, which yonder starry sphere Of planets and of fix'd in all her wheels Resembles nearest, mazes intricate,

Eccentric, intervolv'd, yet regular

Then moft, when most irregular they seem;

620

اب

625

And in their motions harmony divinen
So fmooths her charming tones, that God's own ear
Liftens delighted. Evening now approach'd
(For we have also' our evening and our mornel
We ours for change delectable, not need)

Forthwith from dance to sweet repaft they turn 630
Defirous; all in circles as they stood,

Tables are fet, and on a fudden pil'delleri

With Angels food, and rubied nectariflows

In pearl, in diamond, and massy gold, bqidnows
Fruit of delicious vines, the growth of Heaven. 635
On flowers repos'd, and with fresh flow'rets crown'd,
They eat, they drink. and in communion fweet

Quaff immortality and joy, fecure
Of furfeit where full measure only bounds
Excess, before th' all-bounteous King, who show'rd 643
With copious hand, rejoicing in their joy. 30
Now when ambrofial night with clouds exhal'd
From that high mount of God, whence light and shade
Spring both, the face of brightest Heav'n had chang'd
To grateful twilight (for night comes not there 645
In darker veil) and rose at dews dispos'd
All but th' unsleeping eyes of God to reft;
Wide over all the plain, and wider far
Than all this globous earth in plain outspread,
(Such are the courts of God) th' angelic throne, 650
Difpers'd in bands and files, their camp extend
By living streams among the trees of life,
Pavilions numberless, and fudden rear'd,
Celestial tabernacles, where they slept

Fann'd with cool winds; save those who in their course

Melodious hymns about the sovran throne
Alternate all night long: but not fo wak'd
Satan; fo call him now, his former name
Is heard no more in heaven; he of the first,
If not the first Arch-Angel, great in power,...

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660 666

In favour and pre-eminence, yet fraught
With envy' against the Son of God, that day
Honour'd by his great Father, and proclaim'd
Meffiah King anointed, could not bear
Through pride that fight, and thought himselfimpair'd.
Deep malice thence conceiving and disdain,
Soon as midnight brought on the dufky hour
Friendliest to neep and filence, he refolv'd
With all his legions to diflodge, and leave
Unworship'd, unobey'd the throne fupreme
Contemptuous, and his next fubordinate
Awak'ning, thus to him in secret spake.

670

Sleep'st thou, Companion dear, what fleep can clofe

675

Thy eyelids? and remember'st what decree
Of yesterday, fo late hath pass'd the lips
Of Heav'n's Almighty. Thou to me thy thoughts
Waft wont, I mine to thee was wont to' impart;
Both waking were one; how then can now
Thy leep dissent? New laws thou seest impos'd;
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

681

Of all those myriads which we lead the chief;
Tell them that by command, ere yet dim night 685
Her shadowy cloud withdraws, I am to hafte,
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 Meffiah, and his new commands,
Who speedily through all the hierarchies
Intends to pass triumphant, and give laws.
So spake the false Arch-Angel, and infus'd

Bad influence into th' unwary breast
Of his affociate: he together calls,

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Or several one by one, the regent Powers, aut OT
Under him regent; tells, as he was taught,

That the Most High commanding, now ere night,
Now ere dim night had difencumber'd Heav'n, 700
The great hierarchal standard was to move;pa
Tells the suggested cause, and cafts between
Ambiguous words and jealousies, to found
Or taint integrity: but all obey'd de lompotom av
The wonted fignal, and superior voice

Of their great potentate; for greatindeed aldan d
His name, and high washis degree in Heaven; op
His count'nance, as the morning-star that guides w
The starry flock, allur'd them, and with liesមភាពនិ
Drew after him the third part of Heav'n's hoft.
710
Mean while th' eternal eye, whose fight difcerns مان
Abstrusest thoughts, from forth his holy mount
And from within the golden lamps that burnod 10
Nightly before him, faw without their light in oils a
Rebellion rifing, faw in whom, how spread
Among the fons of morn, what multitudes
Were banded to oppose his high decree;
And fmilling to his only Son thus said.

Son, thou in whom my glory I behold
In full refplendance, Heir of all my might,
Nearly in now concerns us to be fure
Of our omnipotence, and what arms

720

We mean to hold what antiently we clamerom nort Of deity or empire; fuch a foemary to conley sd T Is rifing, who intends to erect his throne

725

Equal to ours, throughout the spacious north;
Nor fo content, hath in his thought to tryRTA
In battel, what our pow'r is, or our right. nomine al

Let us advise, and to this hazard draw

730

In our defence, lest unawares we lose

With speed what force is left, and all employ

This our high place, our fanctuary, our hill.

To whom the Son with calm aspect and clear,
Light'ning divine, ineffable, serene,
Made answer. Mighty Father, thou thy foes
Justly haft in derision, and secure
Laugh'st at their vain designs 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 Heaven.

So spake the Son; but Satan with his Powers
Far was advanc'd 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 flower.
Regions they pass'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 globofe
Stretch'd into longitude; which having pass'd

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750

At length into the limits of the north
They came, and Satan to his royal feat
High on a hill, far blazing, as a mount
Rais'd on a mount, with pyramids and towers
From diamond quarries hewn, and rocks of gold;

755

The palace of great Lucifer (fo call
That structure in the dialect of men

760

Interpreted) which not long after, he
Affecting all equality with God,

In imitation of that mount whereon
Messiah was declar'd in sight of Heaven,
The mountain of the Congregation call'd;
For thither he assembled all his train,

765

Pretending so commanded to confult