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

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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

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"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

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Of this right hand, provoked, since first that tongue,
Inspired with contradiction, durst oppose

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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

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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
I 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

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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

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Thus foil'd their mightiest : ours joy fill'd, and shout,
Presage of victory, and fierce desire

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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

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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

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And faithful, now prov'd false? But think not here