Judged thee perverse: the easier conquest now Remains thee, aided by this host of friends, Back on thy foes more glorious to return; Than scorn'd thou didst depart, and to subdue By force, who reason for their law refuse; Right reason for their law, and for their king, Messiah, who by right of merit reigns. Go, Michael, of celestial armies prince, And thou, in military prowess next, Gabriel, lead forth to battle these my sons Invincible, lead forth thy armed saints, By thousands and by millions ranged for fight; Equal in number to that godless crew Rebellious; them with fire and hostile arms Fearless assault, and, to the brow of Heaven Pursuing, drive them out from God and bliss, Into their place of punishment, the gulf Of Tartarus; which ready opens wide His fiery Chaos, to receive their fall.'
"So spake the sovereign voice; & clouds began To darken all the hill, and smoke to roll In dusky wreaths, reluctant flames, the sign Of wrath awaked; nor with less dread the loud Ethereal trumpet from on high 'gan blow: At which command the powers militant, That stood for Heaven, in mighty quadrate join'd Of union irresistible, mov'd on
In silence their bright legions, to the sound Of instrumental harmony, that breath'd Heroic ardour to adventurous deeds, Under their God-like leaders, in the cause Of God and his Messiah. On they move, Indissolubly firm; nor obvious hill,
Nor straitening vale, nor wood, nor stream divides Their perfect ranks; for high above the ground Their march was, and the passive air upbore Their nimble tread: as when the total kind Of birds, in orderly array on wing, Came summon'd over Eden, to receive Their names of thee: so over many a tract Of Heaven they march'd, and many a province wide, Tenfold the length of this terrene at last, Far in the horizon, to the north, appear'd From skirt to skirt a fiery region, stretch'd In battailous aspect, and, nearer view, Bristled with upright beams innumerable Of rigid spears, and helmets throng'd, and shields
Various, with boastful argument portray'd, The banded pow'rs of Satan hasting on With furious expedition; for they ween'd That self-same day, by fight, or by surprise, To win the mount of God, and on his throne To set the envier of his state, the proud Aspirer: but their thoughts proved fond and vain, In the midway: though strange to us it seem'd At first, that angel should with angel war, And in fierce hosting meet, who wont to meet So oft in festivals of joy and love Unanimous, as sons of one great Sire, Hymning the eternal Father. But the shout
Of battle now began, and rushing sound Of onset ended soon each milder thought. High in the midst, exalted as a god, The apostate in his sun-bright chariot sat, 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, ere it join'd, Satan, with vast and haughty strides advanced, Came towering, arm'd in adamant and gold: Abdiel that sight endured not, where he stood Among the mightiest, bent on highest deeds, And thus his own undaunted heart explores :
"O Heaven! that such resemblance of the Highest Should yet remain, where faith and reälty Remain not: wherefore should not strength and might There fail, where virtue fails, or weakest prove, Where boldest, though to sight unconquerable? His puissance, trusting in the Almighty's aid, I mean to try, whose reason I have tried, Unsound and false nor is it ought but just, That he, who in debate of truth hath won, Should win in arms, in both disputes alike Victor; though brutish that contest and foul, When reason hath to deal with force, yet so Most reason is, that reason overcome.'
"So pondering, and from his armed peers Forth stepping opposite, half way he met. His daring foe, at this prevention more Incensed, and thus securely him defied
"Proud, art thou met? thy hope was to have reach'd The height of thy aspiring, unopposed, The throne of God unguarded, and his side Abandon'd, 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 finish'd thee, and whelm'd 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
Seem'd 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 wish'd hour Of my revenge, first sought for, thou return'st From flight, seditious angel, to receive Thy merited reward, the first essay
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 Vigour 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 Unanswer'd lest thou boast, to let thee know; At first I thought that liberty and Heaven To heavenly souls, had been all one; but now see, that most through sloth had rather serve Ministering spirits, trained up in feast and song Such hast thou arm'd, the minstrelsy of Heaven, Servility with freedom to contend,
As both their deeds compar'd 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 truth remote : Unjustly thou depravest 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 rebell'd Against his worthier, as thine now serve thee, Thyself not free, but to thyself enthrall'd; Yet lewdly darest our ministering upbraid. Reign thou in Hell, thy kingdom; let me serve In Heaven, God ever blest, and his divine Behests obey, worthiest to be obey'd: Yet chains in Hell, not realms, expect; meanwhile, From me return'd, 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 quick thought, less could his shield Such ruin intercept: ten paces huge He back recoil'd; the tenth, on bended knee, His massy spear up-stay'd; as if on earth Winds under ground, or waters forcing way Sidelong, had push'd a mountain from his seat, Half sunk with all his pines. Amazement seiz'd The rebel thrones, but greater rage, to see Thus foil'd their mightiest : ours joy fill'd, and shout, Presage of victory, and fierce desire
Of battle: whereat, Michael bid sound The archangel trumpet; through the vast of Heaven It sounded, and the faithful armies rung Hosannah to the Highest: nor stood at gaze The adverse legions, nor less hideous join'd The horrid shock. Now storming fury rose, And clamour, such as heard in Heaven till now Was never; arms, on armour clashing, bray'd Horrible discord, and the madding wheels Of brazen chariots rag'd; dire was the noise Of conflict; overhead, the dismal hiss Of fiery darts in flaming vollies flew, And flying, vaulted either host with fire. So under fiery cope together, rush'd Both battles main, with ruinous assault, And inextinguishable rage; all Heaven Resounded, and had earth been then, all earth Had to her centre 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 power, Army against army numberless, to raise
Dreadful combustion warring, and disturb, Though not destroy, their happy native seat; Had not the Eternal King, omnipotent, From the strong hold of Heaven high, over-rul'd And limited their might; though number'd such, As each divided legion might have seem'd, A numerous host; in strength, each armed hand A legion; led in fight, yet leader seem'd, 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 rely'd As only in his arm the moment lay Of victory. Deeds of eternal fame Were done, but infinite; for wide was spread That war, & various; sometimes on firm ground, A standing fight, then soaring on main wing, Tormented all the air; all air seem'd 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 confus'd, at length 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 hasted, and oppos'd the rocky orb Of tenfold adamant, his ample shield, A vast circumference: at his approach The great arch-angel, from his warlike toil Surceased, and glad, as hoping here to end Intestine war in Heaven, the arch-foe subdu'd, Or captive dragg'd in chains, with hostile frown, And visage all inflam'd, first thus began: Author of evil, unknown till thy revolt, Unnam'd 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 disturb'd Heaven's blessed peace, and into nature brought Misery, uncreated till the crime
Of thy rebellion? how hast thou instill'd Thy malice into thousands, once upright And faithful, now prov'd false? But think not here
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