Of Battle now began, and rushing Sound Of Onset ended foon each milder Thought. High in the midst, exalted as a God, Th'Apostate in his Sun-bright Chariot fate, Idol of Majesty Divine, enclos'd 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, e'er it joyn'd, Satan, with vast and haughty Strides advanc'd, Came tow'ring, arm'd in Adamant and Gold.
A noble Stroke Abdiel lifted high,
Which hung not, but so swift with Tempest fell On the proud Crest of Satan, that no Sight, No Motion of quick Thought, less cou'd his Shield
Such Ruin intercept: Ten Paces huge He back recoil'd, the Tenth on bended Knee His massy Spear upstay'd. As if on Earth Winds underground, or Waters, forcing way Sidelong, had push'd a Mountain from his Seat, Half funk with all his Pines. Nor stood in gaze The adverse Legions, nor less hideous joyn'd The horrid Shock: Now storming Fury rose, Arms on Armour clashing, bray'd Horrible Discord, and the madding Wheels Of brazen Chariots rag'd; dire was the Noise Of Conflict: Over-head the dismal Hifs Of fiery Darts in flaming Vollies flew, And flying vaulted either Host with Fire; So under fiery Cope together rush'd Both Battels main, with ruinous Affault, And inextinguishable Rage : All Heav'n Resounded, and had Earth been then, all Earth Had to her Centre shook. Deeds of Eternal Fame Were done, but infinite; for wide was spread The War and various: Sometimes on firm Ground A standing Fight; then, soaring on main Wing, Tormented all the Air: All Air seem'd then
Their Arms away some threw, and to the Hills Swift as the Lightning Glimpse they ran, they flew From the Foundations loos'ning to and fro,
They pluck'd the seated Hills with all their Load,
Rocks, Waters, Woods, and by the shaggy Tops Up-lifting, bore them in their Hands.
Main Promontories flung, which in the Air
Came shadowing, and oppress'd whole Legions arm'd. Their Armour help'd their Harm, crush'd in and bruis'd, Into their Substance pent, which wrought them Pain Implacable, and many a dolorous Groan; Long struggling underneath, c'er they could wind Out of fuch Prifon.
The rest, in Imitation, to like Arms Betook them, and the neighbouring Hills up-tore: So Hills amid the Air encounter'd Hills, Hurl'd to and fro with Jaculation dire, That underground they fought in dismal Shade. Infernal Noife! War seem'd a civil Game To this Uproar; horrid Confusion heap'd Upon Confufion rose. Long time in even Scale The Battle hung; till Satan
Saw where the Sword of Michael smote, and fell'd Squadrons at once; with huge two-handed Sway Brandish'd aloft the horrid Edge came down Wide wasting: Such Destruction to withstand He hafted, and oppos'd the rocky Orb Of ten-fold Adamant, his ample Shield : A vast Circumfrence! Then both address'd for Fight Unspeakable: For like two Gods they seem'd, Stood they, or mov'd; in Stature, Motion, Arms, Fit to decide the Empire of great Heav'n. Now wav'd their fiery Swords, and in the Air Made horrid Circles: Two broad Suns, their Shields Blaz'd opposite: While Expectation stood In Horrour. From each Hand with speed retir'd Th'Angelick Throng, unsafe within the Wind Of such Commotion: But the Sword of Michael met The Sword of Satan, and in half cut sheer; nor stay'd, But with swift Wheel reverse, deep entring shar'd All his Right-fide: Then Satan first knew Pain, And writh'd him to and fro convolv'd; so fore The griding Sword with discontinuous Wound Pass'd thro' him.
And now their Mightiest quell'd, the Battle swerv'd, With many an Inrode gor'd: Deformed Rout Enter'd and foul Disorder: All the Ground With shiver'd Armour strown; and on a Heap Chariot and Charioteer lay overturn'd,
And fiery foaming Steeds: What stood, recoil'd
O'erwearied, or with pale Fear surpriz'd, Fled ignominious.
Now Night her Course began,
And grateful Truce impos'd,
And Silence on the odious Din of War.
BEAR. See Deformity.
The Cubs of Bears a living Lump appear, When whelp'd, and no determin'd Figure wear: Their Mother licks 'em into Shape, and gives As much of Form, as the herself receives.
BEAUTY. See Eyes, Fair, Looks, Love. Beauty, thou wild fantastick Ape,
Who do'st in ev'ry Country change thy Shape: Here Black, there Brown, here Tawny, and there White: Thou Flatt'rer, who comply'st with ev'ry Sight. Who haft no certain what, nor where ;
But vary'st still, and do'st thy self declare Inconstant as thy She Professors are.
The Gause of Love can never be affign'd, 'Tis in no Face, but in the Lover's Mind. Beauty is seldom fortunate when great; A vast Estate, but over-charg'd with Debt. Beauty, like Ice, our Footing does betray : Who can tread sure on the smooth flipp'ry Way? Pleas'd with the Passage we slide swiftly on, And see the Dangers which we cannot shun.
For Beauty, like White Powder, makes no Noise,
And yet the silent Hypocrite destroys.
Beauty with a bloodless Conquest finds,
A welcome Sov'raignty in rudest Minds. Beauty, thou art a fair, but fading Flow'r, The tender Prey of every coming Hour : In Youth, thou, Comet-like, art gaz'd upon,
But art portentous to thy self alone:
Unpunish'd thou to few wert ever given,
Nor art a Blessing, but a Mark from Heaven: Sedl. Ant.& Cleop.
Merab the First, Michael the younger nam'd:
Both equally for diff'rent Glories fam'd: Merab with spacious Beauty fill'd the Sight; But too much Awe chastis'd the bold Delight. Like a calm Sea, which to th'enlarged View, Gives Pleasure, but gives Fear and Rev'rence too; Michael's sweet Looks clear and free Joys did move, And no less strong, tho' much more gentle Love : Like virtuous Kings, whom Men rejoyce t'obey; Tyrants themselves less absolute than they. Merab appear'd like some fair Princely Tow'r: Michael, some Virgin Queen's delicious Bow'r.
All Beauties strove in little and in great, But the contracted Brows shot fiercest Heat. From Merab's Eyes, fierce and quick Lightnings came; From Michal's, the Sun's mild, yet active Flame. Merab; with comely Majesty and State, Bore high th'Advantage of her Worth and Fate. Such humble Sweetness did soft Michal shew, That none who reach so high e'er stoop so low, Merab rejoyc'd in her rack'd Lover's Pain, And fortify'd her Virtue with Disdain: The Grief she gave, gave gentle Michal Grief; She wish'd her Beauties less for their Relief.
CLEOPATRA in her G ALLY.
Her Gally down the silver Cydnos row'd, The tackling Silk, the Streamers wav'd with Gold: The gentle Winds were lodg'd in purple Sails : Her Nymphs, like Nereids, round her Couch were plac'd, Where she, another Sea-born Venus, lay:
She lay, and lean'd her Cheek upon her Hand, And cast a Look so languishingly sweet, As if secure of all Beholders Hearts, Neglecting she could take 'em. Boys, like Cupids, Stood fanning with their painted Wings the Winds That play'd about her Face: But if she smil'd, A darting Glory seem'd to blaze abroad, That Mens defiring Eyes were never weary'd, But hung upon the Object. To soft Flutes The filver Oars kept Time; and while they play'd, The Hearing gave new Pleasure to the Sight, And both to Thought. 'Twas Heav'n or fomew hat more! For she so charm'dall Hearts, that gazing Crouds Stood panting on the Shore, and wanted Breath To give their welcome Voice.
(Dryd. All for Love, and Shak. Ant. & Cleop
Her Eyes have Pow'r beyond Theffalian Charms To draw the Moon from Heav'n: For Eloquence, The Sea-green Syrens taught her Voice their Flatt'ry, And while she speaks Night steals upon the Day, Unmark'd of those that hear! Then she's so charming, Age buds at fight of her, and swells to Youth: The holy Priests gaze on her when she smiles, And with heav'd Hands, forgetting Gravity, They bless her wanton Eyes: Ev'n I, who hate her, With a malignant Joy behold such Beauty,
And, while I curse, defire it.
Dryd. All for Love
(Spoken of Cleopatra, by Ventidius.
As harmless as a Turtle of the Woods?
Fair as the Summer Beauty of the Fields?
As op'ning Flowers untainted yet with Winds? The Pride of Nature, and the Joy of Sense ? Otw.Cai, Mar.
The Bloom of op'ning Flow'rs, unfully'd Beauty,
Softness and sweetest Innocence she wears;
And looks like Nature in the World's first Spring. Row. Tamerl.
Is she not more than Painting can express,
Or youthful Poets fancy when they love? A lavish Planet reign'd when she was born, And made her of such kindred Mould to Heaven,
She feems more Heav'n's than ours.
Is she not brighter than a Summer's Morn, When all the Heav'n is streak'd with dappled Fires, And fleck'd with Blushes, like a rifled Maid?
Belinda's sparkling Wit and Eyes,
United, cast so fierce a Light, As quickly flashes, quickly dies, Wounds not the Heart, but burns the Sight. Love is all Gentleness, all Joy, Smooth are his Looks, and soft his Pace : Her Cupid is a Black-guard Boy,
That runs his Link full in your Face.
Mark her majestick Fabrick! She's a Temple,
Sacred by Birth, and built by Hands divine : Her Soul's the Deity that lodges there; Nor is the Pile unworthy of the God.
Oh she has Beauty might ensnare
A Conqu'ror's Soul, and make him leave his Crown At Random, to be scuffled for by Slaves.
Oh she has Beauty that might shake the Leagues
Of mighty Kings, and set the World at odds. Her Beauties Charms alone, without her Crown, From Ind and Meroe drew the distant Vows Of fighing Kings; and at her Feet were laid The Sceptres of the Earth, expos'd on Heaps, To chuse where she would reign.
Behold her stretch'd upon a flow'ry Bank, With her foft Sorrows lull'd into a Slumber; The Summer's Heat had to her nat'ral Blush Added a brighter and more tempting Red : The Beauties of her Neck, and naked Breasts, Lifted by inward Starts. did rise and fall With Motion that might put a Soul in Statues : The matchless Whiteness of her folded Arms, That seem'd t'embrace the Body whence they grew,
Fix'd me to gaze o'er all that Field of Love.
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