The rebel thrones, but greater rage, to fee
Thus foil'd their mightieft; ours joy fill'd, and shout,
Prefage of victory, and fierce defire
Of battle: whereat Michaël bid found
Th' archangel trumpet; thro' the vaft of heaven
It founded, and the faithful armies rung
Hofanna to the High'eft: nor ftood at gaze
The adverfe legions, nor lefs hideous join'd
The horrid fhock. Now ftorming fury rose,
And clamour fuch as heard in heaven till now
Was never; arms on armour clashing bray'd
Horrible difcord, and the madding wheels
Of brazen chariots rage'd; dire was the noise
Of conflict; over head the dismal hifs.
Of fiery darts in flaming vollies flew,
And flying vaulted either host with fire.
So under fiery cope together rufh'd
Both battles main,, with ruinous affault
And inextinguishable rage: all heaven
Refounded; and had earth been then, all earth
Had to her centre fhook. What wonder? when
Millions of fierce encount'ring angels fought 220
On either fide, the leaft 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 combuftion warring, and disturb,
Though not deftroy, their happy native feat;
Had not the eternal King omnipotent,
From his ftrong hold of heaven,, high over-rul'd
And limited their might; tho' number'd fuch
As each divided legion might have feem'd
A numerous hoft, in strength each armed hand
A legion, led in fight, yet leader feem'd
Each warriour fingle as in chief, expert
When to advance, or ftand, or turn the fway
Of battle, open when, and when to close
The ridges of grim war: no thought of flight,
None of retreat, no unbecoming deed
That argu'd fear; each on himfelf rely'd,
As only in his arm the moment lay
Of victory: deeds of eternal fame
Were done, but infinite; for wide was fpread
That war, and various, fometimes on firm ground
A ftanding fight, then foaring 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 fhown, and met in arms.
No equal, ranging thro' the dire attack
Of fighting Seraphim confus'd, at length:
Saw where the fword of Michael fmote, and fell'd
Squadrons at once; with huge two-handed fway
Brandish'd aloft, the horrid edge came down
Wide wafting; fuch deftruction to withstand.
He hafted, and oppos'd the rocky orb
Of tenfold adamant, his ample shield,
A vaft circumference. At his approach
The great archangel from his warlike toil
Surceas'd, and glad, as hoping here to end
Inteftine war in heaven, th' arch-foe fubdu'd
Or captive dragg'd in chains, with hoftile frown 260.
And visage all inflam'd first thus began.
Author of ev'il, unknown till thy revolt,
Unnam'd in heaven, now plenteous, as thou feest
Thefe acts of hateful ftrife, hateful to all,
Though heavieft by just measure on thyself,
And thy adherents: how haft thou disturb'd
Heaven's bleffed peace, and into nature brought
Mifery, uncreated till the crime.
Of thy rebellion? how haft thou instill'd
Thy malice into thousands, once upright
And faithful, now prov'd falfe? But think not here
To trouble holy reft; heaven cafts thee out
From all her confines. Heaven the feat of blifs,
Brooks not the works of violence and war.
Hence then, and evil go with thee along,
Thy offspring, to the place of evil, hell,
Thou and thy wicked crew; there mingle broils,
Ere this avenging fword begin thy doom,
Or some more fudden vengeance wing'd from God
Precipitate thee with augmented pain.
So fpake the prince of angels; to whom thus
The adverfary. Nor think thou with wind
Of airy threats to awe whom yet with deeds
Thou can't not. Haft thou turn'd the least of these To flight, or if to fall, but that they rife Unvanquifh'd, cafier to tranfact with me
That thou fhould'ft hope, imperious, and with threats
To chase me hence? Err not, that fo fhall end
The ftrife which thou call'ft evil, but we ftyle
The ftrife of glory; which we mean to win,
Or turn this heaven itself into the hell
Thou fableft; here however to dwell free,
If not to reign: mean while thy utmost force,
And join him nam'd Almighty to thy aid,
I fly not, but have fought thee far and nigh.
They ended parle, and both addrefs'd for fight
Unfpeakable; for who, though with the tongue
Of angels, can relate, or to what things
Liken on earth confpicuous, that may lift
Human imagination to fuch height
Of Godlike power? for likeft gods they feem'd,
Stood they or mov'd, in ftature, motion, arms; % Fit to decide the empire of great Heaven,
Now wav'd their fiery fwords, and in the air
Made horrid circles; two broad funs their fhields 305
Blaz'd oppofite, while Expectation stood
In horrour: from each hand with speed retir'd,
Where erft was thickest fight, th' angelic throng,
And left large field, unfafe within the wind
Of fuch commotion; fuch as, to fet forth
Great things by fmall, if nature's concord broke,
Among the conftellations war were sprung,
Two planets, rufhing from afpéct malign
Of fierceft oppofition, in mid fky,
Should combat, and their jarring spheres confound.
Together both, with next to th' Almighty arm
Uplifted imminent, one ftroke they aim'd
That might determine, and not need repeat,
As not of power at once; nor odds appear'd
In might or fwift prevention: but the fword
Of Michael from the armoury of God
Was given him temper'd so, that neither keen
Nor folid might refift that edge; it met
The fword of Satan, with fteep force to fimite
Defcending, and in half cut fleer; nor ftay'd, 325
But with fwift wheel reverfe, deep ent'ring, fhar'd
All his right fide: then Satan first knew pain,
And writh'd him to and fro convolv'd; fo fore
The griding fword with discontinuous wound
Pafs'd thro' him: but th' ethereal fubftance clos'd,
Not long divifible; and from the gash
A ftream of necta'rous humour iffuing flow'd
Sanguine, fuch as celestial spi'rits may bleed,.
And all his armour stain'd, ere while fo bright.
Forthwith on all fides to his aid was run
By angels many and strong, who interpos'd
Defence; while others bore him on their fhields
Back to his chariot, where it ftood retif3¿9b^
to one of airbart!
From off the files of war: there they him laid
Gnashing for anguifh, and defpite, and fhame,
To find himself not matchlefs, and his pride
Humbled by fuch rebuke, fo far beneath
His confidence to equal God in power.
Yet foon he heal'd; for fpi'rits that live throughout Vital in every part, not as frail man
In intrails, heart, or head, liver or reins,
Cannot but by annihilating die;
Nor in their liquid texture mortal wound
Receive, no more than can the fluid air:
All heart they live, all head, all eye, all ear,
All intellect, all fenfe; and as they please,
They limb themselves, and colour, shape, or fize
Affume, as likes them beft, condense or rare.
Meanwhile in other parts like deeds deferv'd
Memorial, where the might of Gabriel fought, 355
And with fierce enfigns pierc'd the deep array
Of Moloch, furious king; who him defy'd,
And at his chariot-wheels to drag him bound
Threaten'd, nor from the Holy One of heaven
Refrain'd his tongue blafphémous; but anon
Down cloven to the waift, with shatter'd arms
And uncouth pain-fled bellowing. On each wing
Uriel and Raphaël, his vaunting foe,
Tho' huge, and in a rock of diamond arm'd,
Vanquish'd Adramalech, and Afmadai,
Two potent thrones, that to be less than gods.
Disdain'd, but meaner thoughts learn'd in their flight,
Mangled with ghaftly wounds thro' plate and mail.
Nor ftood unmindful Abdiel to annoy
The athiest crew, but with redoubled blow
Ariel and Arioch, and the violence
Of Ramiel fcorch'd and blafted, overthrew.
I might relate of thousands, and their names
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