With all his legions to diflodge, and leave
Unworshipt, unobey'd the throne fupreme
Contemptuous, and his next fubordinate
Awak'ning, thus to him in fecret spake.
Sleep'ft thou, Companion dear, what fleep can clofe
Thy eye-lids? and rememb'reft what decree
Of yesterday, fo late hath pass'd the lips
Of Heaven's Almighty. Thou to me thy thoughts
Waft wont, I mine to thee was wont to' impart ;
Both waking we were one; how then can now
Thy fleep diffent? New laws thou feeft impos'd;
New laws from him who reigns, new minds may raise
In us who serve, new counfels, to debate
What doubtful may enfue: more in this place
To utter is not fafe. Affemble thou
Of all those myriads which we lead the chief;
Tell them that by command, ere yet dim night 685
Her fhadowy cloud withdraws, I am to haste,
And all who under me their banners wave,
Homeward with flying march where we poffefs
The quarters of the north; there to prepare
Fit entertainment to receive our king
The great Meffiah, and his new commands,
Who fpeedily through all the hierarchies
Intends to pass triumphant, and give laws.
So fpake the falfe Arch-Angel, and infus'd
Bad influence into th' unwary breast
Of his affociate; he together calls,
Or feveral one by one, the regent Powers,
Under him regent; tells, as he was taught,
That the moft High commanding, now ere night,
Now ere dim night had difincumber'd Heaven, 700
The great hierarchal standard was to move;
Tells the fuggefted caufe, and cafts between
Ambiguous words and jealoufies, to found
Or taint integrity: but all obey'd
The wonted fignal, and fuperior voice
Of their great potentate; for great indeed
His name, and high was his degree in Heaven;
His count'nance, as the morning ftar that guides
The ftarry flock, allur'd them, and with lies
Drew after him the third part of Heav'n's hoft. 710
Mean while th' eternal eye, whose fight difcerns
Abstrusest thoughts, from forth his holy mount
And from within the golden lamps that burn
Nightly before him, faw without their light
Rebellion rifing, faw in whom, how spread
Among the fons of morn, what multitudes
Were banded to oppofe his high decree;
And smiling to his only Son thus faid.
Son, thou in whom my glory I behold
In full refplendence, 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; fuch a foe
Is rifing, who intends to' ere& his throne
Equal to ours, throughout the fpacious north;
Nor fo content, hath in his thought to try
In battle, what our pow'r is, or our right.
Let us advise, and to this hazard draw
With speed what force is left, and all employ
In our defense, left unawares we lose
This our high place, our fanctuary, our hill.
To whom the Son with calm afpect and clear,
Lightning divine, ineffable, ferene,
Made answer. Mighty Father, thou thy foes 735
Juftly haft in derifion, and fecure
Laugh'ft at their vain designs and tumults vain, Matter to me of glory, whom their hate
Illuftrates, 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 fpake the Son; but Satan with his Powers
Far was advanc'd on winged fpeed, an hoft
Innumerable as the ftars of night,
Or ftars of morning, dew-drops, which the fun
Impearls on every leaf and every flower.
Regions they pafs'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 globose
Stretch'd into longitude; which having pass'd
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;
The palace of great Lucifer, (fo call
That ftructure in the dialect of men
Interpreted) which not long after, he
Affecting all equality with God,
In imitation of that mount whereon
Meffiah was declar'd in fight of Heaven,
The Mountain of the Congregation call'd;
For thither he affembled all his train,
Pretending fo commanded to confult
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 thefe magnific titles yet remain
Not merely titular, fince by decree
Another now hath to himfelf ingrofs'd
All pow'r, and us eclips'd under the name
Of King anointed, for whom all this hafte
Of midnight march, and hurried meeting here,
This only to confult how we may best
With what may be devis'd of honors new
Receive him coming to receive from us
Knee-tribute yet unpaid, proftration vile,
Too much to one, but double how indur'd,
To one and to his image now proclaim'd?
But what if better counfels might erect
Our minds, and teach us to caft off this yoke?
Will ye fubmit your necks, and choose to bend
The fupple knee? ye will not, if I trust
To know ye right, or if ye know yourselves
Natives and fons of Heav'n poffefs'd before
By none, and if not equal all, yet free,
Equally free; for orders and degrees
Jar not with liberty, but well confift.
Who can in reafon then or right affume
Monarchy over fuch as live by right-
His equals, if in pow'r and fplendor less,
In freedom equal? or can introduce
Law and edict on us, who without law
Err not? much lefs for this to be our Lord,
And look for adoration to th? abufe
Of thofe impérial titles, which affert
Our being ordain'd to govern, not to serve.
Thus far his bold difcourfe without controll
Had audience, when among the Seraphim
Abdiel, than whom none with more zeal ador'd
The Deity', and divine commands obey'd,
Stood up,
and in a flame of zeal fevere
The current of his fury thus oppos'd.
O argument blafphemous, falfe and proud!
Words which no ear ever to hear in Heaven
Expected, leaft of all from thee, Ingrate,
In place thyself fo high above thy peers.
Canst thou with impious obloquy condemn
The just decree of God, pronounc'd and fworn,
That to his only Son by right indued
With regal fcepter, every foul in Heaven
Shall bend the knee, and in that honor due
Confefs him rightly king? unjuft, thou fay'ft,
Flatly unjust, to bind with laws the free,
And equal over equals to let reign,
One over all with uníucceeded power.
Shalt thou give law to God, fhalt thou dispute
With him the points of liberty, who made
Thee what thou art, and form'd the Pow'rs of Heaven
Such as he pleas'd, and circumfcrib'd their being?
Yet by experience taught we know how good, 825
And of our good and of our dignity
How provident he is, how far from thought
To make us lefs, bent rather to exalt
Our happy state under one head more near
United. But to grant it thee unjust,
That equal over equals monarch reign:
Thyfelf though great and glorious doft thou count,
Or all angelic nature join'd in one,
Equal to him begotten Son? by whom
As by his Word the mighty Father made
All things, ev'n thee; and all the Spirits of Heaven By him created in their bright degrees,
Crown'd them with glory', and to their glory nam'd
Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Virtues, Powers,
Effential Pow'rs; nor by his reign obfcur'd,
But more illuftrious made; fince he the head
One of our number thus reduc'd becomes;
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