Satan; so 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, 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 Messiah King anointed, could not bear
Through pride that sight, and thought himself impair'd. Deep malice thence conceiving and disdain, Soon as midnight brought on the dusky hour Friendliest to sleep and silence, he resolv'd With all his legions to dislodge, and leave Unworshipt, unobey'd, the throne supreme, Contemptuous; and his next subordinate Awakening, thus to him in secret spake:
Sleep'st thou, Companion dear? What sleep can close Thy eye-lids? and remember'st what decree Of yesterday, so late hath pass'd the lips
Of Heaven's Almighty. Thou to me thy thoughts Wast wont, I mine to thee was wont to impart; Both waking we were one: how then can now Thy sleep 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
Of all those myriads which we lead the chief; Tell them, that by command, ere yet dim night Her shadowy cloud withdraws, I am to haste,
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 Messiah, 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 the unwary breast Of his associate: He together calls,
Or several one by one, the regent Powers, Under him Regent; tells, as he was taught, That the Most High commanding, now ere night, Now ere dim night had disencumber'd Heaven, The great hierarchal standard was to move; Tells the suggested cause, and casts between Ambiguous words and jealousies, to sound Or taint integrity: But all obey'd
The wonted signal, and superiour voice Of their great Potentate; for great indeed His name, and high was his degree in Heaven; His countenance, as the morning-star that guides The starry flock, allur'd them, and with lies Drew after him the third part of Heaven's host. Mean while the Eternal Eye, whose sight discerns Abstrusest thoughts, from forth his holy mount, And from within the golden lamps that burn Nightly before him, saw without their light Rebellion rising; saw in whom, how spread
Among the sons of morn, what multitudes Were banded to oppose his high decree; And, smiling, to his only Son thus said.
Son, thou in whom my glory I behold In full resplendence, 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; Such a foe
Is rising, who intends to erect his throne Equal to ours, throughout the spacious north: Nor so content, hath in his thought to try In battle, what our power is, or our right. Let us advise, and to this hazard draw With speed what force is left, and all employ In our defence; lest unawares we lose This our high place, our sanctuary, our hill.
To whom the Son with calm aspéct and clear Lightening divine, ineffable, serene,
Made answer. Mighty Father, thou thy foes Justly hast in derision, and, secure,
Laugh'st at their vain designs and tumults vain, Matter to me of glory, whom their hate Illustrates, when they see all regal power Given me to quell their pride, and in event Know whether I be dextrous to subdue 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 host
Innumerable as the stars of night,
Or stars of morning, dew-drops, which the sun 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 sea, 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 seat 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 (so call That structure in the dialect of men Interpreted,) which not long after, he, Affecting all equality with God,
'n 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, Pretending so commanded to consult 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 these magnifick titles yet remain
Not merely titular, since by decree Another now hath to himself engross'd
power, and us eclips'd under the name Of King anointed, for whom all this haste Of midnight-march, and hurried meeting here, This only to consult how we may best, With what may be devis'd of honours new, Receive him coming to receive from us Knee-tribute yet unpaid, prostration vile! Too much to one! but double how endur'd, and to his image now proclaim'd?
To one, But what if better counsels might erect Our minds, and teach us to cast off this yoke? Will ye submit your necks, and choose to bend The supple knee? Ye will not, if I trust To know ye right, or if ye know yourselves Natives and sons of Heaven possess'd before By none; and if not equal all, yet free, Equally free; for orders and degrees Jar not with liberty, but well consist. Who can in reason then, or right, assume Monarchy over such as live by right His equals, if in power and splendour less, In freedom equal? or can introduce
Law and edict on us, who without law Err not? much less for this to be our Lord.
And look for adoration, to the abuse Of those imperial titles, which assert Our being ordain'd to govern, not to serve.
« PreviousContinue » |