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That of fo many myriads fall'n, yet one
Return'd not loft. On to the facred hill-
They led him high applauded, and present
Before the feat fupreme; from whence a voice,,
From midst a golden cloud, thus mild was heard.
Servant of God, well done, well haft thou fought
The better fight, who fingle haft maintain'd
Against revolted multitudes the caufe

Of truth, in word mightier than they in arms;
And for the testimony' of truth haft borne
Univerfal reproach, far worfe to bear
Than violence; for this was all thy care,
To ftand approv'd in fight of God, tho' worlds
Judge'd thee perverfe. The easier conqueft now
Remains thee, aided by this hoft of friends,
Back on thy foes more glorious to return,
Than fcorn'd thou didst depart; and to subdue
By force, who reason for their law refuse,
Right reafon for their law, and for their King
Meffiah, who by right of merit reigns.
Go, Michael, of celeftial armies prince;
And thou in military prowefs next,
Gabriel, lead forth to battle thefe my fons
Invincible, lead forth my armed faints,

By thousands and by millions, rang'd for fight,
Equal in number to that godless crew
Rebellious: them with fire and hoftile arms
Fearlefs affault; and to the brow of heaven
Pursuing, drive them out from God and blifs,
Into their place of punishment, the Gulf
Of Tartarus, which ready opens wide
His fiery chaos to receive their fall.

So fpake the Sov'reign Voice, and clouds began

To darken all the hill, and fmoke to roll
In dusky wreaths, reluctant flames, the fign

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Of wrath awak'd; nor with lefs dread the loud
Ethereal trumpet from on high 'gan blow:
At which command the powers militant,
That flood for heaven, in mighty quadrate join'd
Of union irrefiftible, mov'd on

In filence their bright legions, to the found
Of inftrumental harmony, that breath'd
Heroic ardour to advent'rous deeds,
Under their godlike leaders, in the cause
Of God and his Meffiah. On they move
Indiffolubly firm; nor obvious hill,

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Nor strait'ning vale, nor wood, nor ftream divides 70. Their perfect ranks; for high above the ground

Their march was, and the paffive air upbore

Their nimble tread; as when the total kind
Of birds, in orderly array on wing,

Came fummon'd over Eden, to receive.
Their names of thee; fo over many a tract

Of heaven they march'd, and many a province wide,
Tenfold the length of this terrene: at last
Far in th' horrizon to the north appear'd
From skirt to skirt a fiery region, stretch'd
In battailous afpéct, and nearer view
Bristled with upright beams innumerable
Of rigid fpears, and helmets throng'd, and fhields
Various, with boaftful argument portray'd,
The banded powers of Satan hafting on
With furious expedition; for they ween'd
That felf-fame day, by fight, or by furprise,
To win the mount of God, and on his throne
To fet the envier of his ftate, the proud

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Afpirer; but their thoughts prov'd fond and vain 90
In the mid-way: though ftrange to us it feem'd
At first, that angel fhould with angel war,
And in fierce hofting meet, who wont to meet

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So oft in feftivals of joy and love
Unanimous, as fons of one great Sire,
Hymning th' eternal Father: but the fhout
Of battle now began, and rufhing found
Of onfet ended foon each milder thought.
High in the midft exalted as a god
Th' apoftate in his fun-bright chariot fat,
Idol of majesty divine, inclos'd

With flaming Cherubim and golden fhields;
Then lighted from his gorgeous throne, for now
"Twixt hoft and host but narrow fpace was left,
A dreadful interval, and front to front
Prefented ftood in terrible array

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Of hideous length: before the cloudy van,
On the rough edge of battle ere it join'd,
Satan with vaft and haughty strides advance'd
Came tow'ring, arm'd in adamant and gold;
Abdiel that fight endur'd not, where he stood
Among the mightieft, bent on highest deeds,
And thus his own undaunted heart explores.
O Heaven! that fuch resemblance of the Highest
Should yet remain, where faith and reälty 115
Remain not: wherefore fhould not ftrength and might
There fail where virtue fails, or weakest prove
Where boldest, tho' to fight unconquerable?
His puiffance, trufting in th' Almighty's aid,
I mean to try, whose reason I have try'd
Unfound and falfe; nor is it aught but juft,
That he who in debate of truth hath won,
Should win in arms, in both disputes alike
Victor; tho' brutish that contéft, and foul,
When reafon hath to deal with force, yet fo
Most reafon is that reafon overcome.

So pondering, and from his armed peers
Forth ftepping oppofite, half-way he met

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His daring foe, at this prevention more

Incens'd, and thus fecurely him defy'd..

Proud, art thou met? thy hope was to have reach'd

The height of thy afpiring unoppos'd,

The throne of God unguarded, and his fide..
Abandon'd at the terrour of thy power

Or potent tongue: fool, not to think how vain

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Against th' Omnipotent to rife in arms;

Who out of smallest things could, without end
Have rais'd inceffant armies to defeat

Thy folly; or with folitary hand

Reaching beyond all limit, at one blow,,

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Unaided could have finish'd thee, and whelm'd
Thy legions under darkness: but thou feest
All are not of thy train; there be who faith.
Prefer, and piety to God, though then
To thee not vifible, when I alone

Seem'd in thy world erroneous to diffent

:

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From all my fect thou feeft; now learn too late
How few fometimes may know, when thousands err..
Whom the grand foe, with fcornful eye afkance,
Thus answer'd. Ill for thee, but in wifh'd hour 150
Of my revenge, first fought, for thou return'ft
From flight, feditious angel, to receive

Thy merited reward, the firft affay

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Of this right hand provok'd; fince first that tongue,
Infpir'd with contradiction, durft oppose.
A third part of the gods, in fynod met
Their deities to affert, who while they feel
Vigour divine within them, can allow
Omnipotence to none. But well thou com'ft
Before thy fellows, ambitious to win

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From me fome plume, that thy fuccefs

may

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fhow

Destruction to the reft: this pause between
(Unanswer'd left thou boaft) to let thee know;

At first I thought that liberty and heaven
To heavenly fouls had been all one; but now
I fee that most through floth had rather serve,
Minist'ring fpi'rits, train'd up in feast and fong;
Such haft thou arm'd, the minftrelfy of heaven,
Servility with freedom to contend,

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As both their deeds compar'd this day fhall prove. 170
To whom in brief thus Abdiel stern reply'd,
Apoftate! ftill thou err'ft, nor end wild find
Of erring; from the path of truth remote:
Unjustly thou deprav'ft it with the name
Of fervitude, to serve whom God ordains,
Or Nature; God and Nature bid the fame,
When he who rules is worthieft, and excells
Them whom he governs. This is fervitude,
To ferve th' unwife, or him who hath rebell'd
Against his worthier, as thine now serve thee,
Thyfelf not free, but to thyfelf inthrall'd;
Yet lewdly dar'ft our minift'ring upbraid.
Reign thou in hell, thy kingdom; let me ferve
In heaven God ever blefs'd, and his divine.
Beheits obey, worthieft to be obey'd;

Yet chains in hell, not realms, expect: mean while
From me return'd, as erft thou faidft, from flight,
This greeting on thy impious crest receive.

So fay'ing, a noble stroke he lifted high,

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Which hung not, but fo fwift with tempeft fell 190
On the proud creft of Satan, that no fight
Nor motion of fwift thought, lefs could his field,
Such ruin intercept: ten paces huge

He back recoil'd; the tenth on bended knee
His mafly spear upftay'd; as if on earth
Winds under ground, or waters forcing way,
Sidelong had pufh'd a mountain from his feat,
Half funk with all his pines. Amazement feiz'd

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