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.'

66

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:

66

"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

To trouble holy rest; Heaven casts thee out
From all her confines. Heaven, the seat of bliss,
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 sword begin thy doom,
Or some more sudden vengeance wing'd from God,
Precipitate thee with augmented pain.'

"So spake the prince of angels; to whom thus
The adversary. 'Nor think thou, with wind
Of airy threats, to awe whom yet with deeds
Thou canst not. Hast thou turn'd the least of these
To flight, or if to fall, but that they rise
Unvanquish'd, easier to transact with me
That thou shouldst hope, imperious, & with threats
To chase me hence? err not, that so shall end
The strife, which thou call'st evil, but we style
The strife of glory; which we mean to win,
Or turn this Heaven itself into the Hell
Thou fablest; here however to dwell free,
If not to reign: meanwhile thy utmost force,
And join him named Almighty to thy aid,
I fly not, but have sought thee far and nigh.'

"They ended parle, and both address'd for fight Unspeakable; for who, though with the tongue Of angels, can relate, or, to what things Liken, on earth conspicuous, that may lift Human imagination to such highth

Of Godlike power? for likest Gods they seem'd,
Stood they or moved; in stature, motion, arms,
Fit to decide the empire of great Heaven.
Now waved their fiery swords, and in the air
Made horrid circles; two broad suns their shields
Blaz'd opposite, while expectation stood
In horror: from each hand, with speed retired,
Where erst was thickest fight, the angelic throng,
And left large field, unsafe within the wind
Of such commotion; such as, to set forth
Great things by small, if nature's concord broke,
Among the constellations war were sprung,
Two planets, rushing from aspect malign
Of fiercest opposition, in mid-sky
Should combat, & their jarring spheres confound.
Together both, with next to almighty arm
Uplifted imminent, one stroke they aim'd,
That might determine and not need repeat

As not of power at once; nor odds appear'd
In might or swift prevention: but the sword
Of Michael, from the armoury of God,
Was given him, temper'd so, that neither keen
Nor solid might resist that edge: it met
The sword of Satan with steep force to smite
Descending, and in half cut sheer; nor stay'd,
But with swift wheel reverse, deep entering, shared,
All his right side. Then Satan first knew pain,
And writhed him to and fro convolved; so sore
The grinding sword, with discontinuous wound,
Pass'd through him: but the ethereal substance
Not long divisible; and, from the gash, [clos'd,
A stream of nectarous humour issuing flow'd
Sanguine, such as celestial spirits may bleed,
And all his armour stain'd, ere while so bright.
Forthwith on all sides to his aid was run
By angels many and strong, who interposed
Defence; while others bore him on their shields,
Back to his chariot, where it stood retired,
From off the files of war: there they him laid,
Gnashing for anguish, and despite, and shame,
To find himself not matchless, and his pride
Humbled by such rebuke, so far beneath
His confidence to equal God in power.
Yet soon he heal'd; for spirits, that live throughout
Vital in every part, not as frail man,
In entrails, 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 sense; and as they please,
They limb themselves, and colour, shape or size
Assume, as likes them best, condense or rare.

Meanwhile, in other parts, like deeds deserv'd Memorial, where the might of Gabriel fought, And, with fierce ensigns, pierced 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 blasphemous; but anon, Down cloven to the waist, with shatter'd arms, And uncouth pain, fled bellowing. On each wing Uriel and Raphael, his vaunting foe, Though huge, and in a rock of diamond arm'd Vanquish'd, Adramalech, and Aşmadai;

Two potent thrones, that to be less than gods
Disdain'd, but meaner thoughts learn'd in their flight,
Mangled with ghastly wounds, through plate and
Nor stood unmindful Abdiel, to annoy [mail.
The atheist crew; but with redoubled blow,
Ariel and Arioch, and the violence
Of Ramiel, scorch'd and blasted, overthrew.
I might relate of thousands, and their names
Eternize here on earth; but those elect
Angels, contented with their fame in Heaven
Seek not the praise of men: the other sort,
In might though wondrous, and in acts of war,
Nor of renown less eager, yet by doom
Cancel'd from Heaven and sacred memory,
Nameless, in dark oblivion let them dwell.
For strength, from truth divided and from just,
Illaudable, nought merits but dispraise
And ignominy; yet to glory aspires,
Vain glorious, and through infamy seeks fame:
Therefore, eternal silence be their doom.

"And now their mightiest quell'd, the battle swerv'd,
With many an inroad gored; deformed rout
Enter'd, and foul disorder: all the ground
With shiver'd armour strown, and, on a heap,
Chariot and charioteer lay overturn'd,

And fiery foaming steeds; what stood, recoil'd
O'erwearied, through the faint Satanic host,
Defensive scarce, or, with pale fear surpris'd,
Then first with fear surprised, and sense of pain,
Fled ignominious; to such evil brought
By sin of disobedience, till that hour
Not liable to fear, or flight, or pain.
Far otherwise the inviolable saints,
In cubic phalanx firm, advanced entire,
Invulnerable, impenetrably arm'd:

Such high advantages their innocence
Gave them above their foes; not to have sinn'd,
Not to have disobey'd; in fight they stood
Unwearied, unobnoxious to be pain'd

By wound, though from their place by violence moved.
"Now night her course began, and over Heaven
Inducing darkness, grateful truce imposed,
And silence, on the odious din of war:
Under her cloudy covert both retired,
Victor and vanquish'd: on the foughten field
Michael and his angels, prevalent,

Encamping, placed in guard their watches round,