Raphael continues to relate how Michael and Gabriel were sent forth to battle against Satan and his angels. The first fight described. Satan and his powers retire under night. He calls a council, in. vents devilish engines, which in the second day's fight put Michael and his angels to some disorder; but they at length, pulling up mountains, overwhelmed both the force and machines of Satan. Yet the tumult not so ending, God, on the third day sends Messiah, his son, for whom he had reserved the glory of that victory: He, in the power of his Father, coming to the place, and causing all his legions to stand still on either side, with his chariot and thunder driving into the midst of his enemies, pursues them, unable to resist, towards the wall of Heaven; which, opening, they leap down with horror and confusion into the place of punishment prepared for them in the deep. Messiah returns with triumph to his Father.
"ALL night the dreadless Angel, unpursued, Through Heaven's wide champaign held his way; till Waked by the circling hours, with rosy hand, [morn, Unbarr'd the gates of light. There is a cave, Within the mount of God, fast by his throne, Where light and darkness, in perpetual round, Lodge and dislodge by turns, which makes through Grateful vicissitude, like day and night:
[Heaven Light issues forth, and, at the other door, Obsequious darkness enters, till her hour To veil the Heaven; though darkness there might well Seem twilight here. And now went forth the morn, Such as in highest Heaven array'd in gold. Empyreal; from before her vanish'd night, Shot through with orient beams; when all the plain, Cover'd with thick embattled squadrons bright, Chariots and flaming arms, and fiery steeds, Reflecting blaze on blaze, first met his view. War he perceived, war in procinct, and found Already known, what he for news had thought To have reported: gladly then he mix'd Among those friendly pow'rs, who him receiv'd With joy and acclamations loud, that one, That of so many myriads fall'n, yet one Return'd not lost. On to the sacred hill They led him high applauded, and present Before the seat supreme; from whence a voice From midst a golden cloud, thus mild was heard. "Servant of God, well done, well hast thou fought The better fight, who single hast maintain'd, Against revolted multitudes, the cause Of truth, in word mightier than they in arms; And for the testimony of truth hast borne Universal reproach, far worse to bear Than violence; for this was all thy care, To stand approved in sight of God, though worlds
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 askanc
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
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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