Cherubic waving fires: on the other part,
Satan with his rebellious disappear'd,
Far in the dark dislodg'd: and void of rest,
His potentates, to council call'd by night,
And in the midst, thus undismay'd began.
"O now in danger try'd, now known in arms
Not to be overpower'd, companions dear,
Found worthy, not of liberty alone,
Too mean pretence, but what we more affect,
Honour, dominion, glory, and renown;
Who have sustain'd one day in doubtful fight,
And if one day, why not eternal days?
What Heaven's Lord hath powerfullest to send
Against us, from about his throne, and judged
Sufficient to subdue us to his will;
But proves not so: then fallible, it seems,
Of future we may deem him, though till now
Omniscient thought. True is, less firmly arm'd,
Some disadvantage we endured, and pain,
Till now not known, but known, as soon contemn'd,
Since now, we find this our empyreal form
Incapable of mortal injury,
Imperishable; and though pierced with wound,
Soon closing, and by native vigour heal'd.
Of evil then so small, as easy think
The remedy; perhaps more valid arms,
Weapons more violent, when next we meet,
May serve to better us, and worse our foes,
Or equal what between us made the odds,
In nature none: if other hidden cause
Left them superior, while we can preserve
Unhurt our minds and understanding sound,
Due search and consultation will disclose.
"He sat; and in the assembly next upstood
Nisroch, of principalities the prime;
As one he stood escaped from cruel fight,
Sore toil'd, his riven arms to havoc hewn,
And cloudy in aspect, thus answ'ring spake.
"Deliverer from new lords, leader to free
Enjoyment of our right as gods; yet hard
For gods, and too unequal work we find,
Against unequal arms to fight in pain,
Against unpain'd, impassive; from which evil
Ruin must needs ensue for what avails [pain
Valour or strength, though matchless, quell'd with
Which all subdues, and makes remiss the hands
Of mightiest? Sense of pleasure we may well
Spare out of life, perhaps, and not repine,
But live content, which is the calmest life:
But pain is perfect misery, the worst
Of evils, and excessive, overturns
All patience. He who therefore can invent,
With what more forcible we may offend
Our yet unwounded enemies, or arm
Ourselves with like defence, to me deserves
No less, than for deliverance what we owe.'
"Whereto, with look composed, Satan replied. 'Not uninvented, that, which thou aright Believest so main to our success, I bring. Which of us, who beholds the bright surface Of this ethereous mould, whereon we stand, This continent of spacious Heaven, adorn'd With plant, fruit, flower ambrosial, gems, and Whose eye so superficially surveys [gold; These things, as not to mind from whence they grow, Deep under ground, materials dark and crude, Of spirituous and fiery spume, till touch'd With Heaven's ray, and temper'd, they shoot forth So beauteous, opening to the ambient light? These, in their dark nativity the deep, Shall yield us, pregnant with infernal flame; Which into hollow engines, long and round, Thick-ramm'd, at the other bore, with touch of fire Dilated, and infuriate, shall send forth From far, with thundering noise among our foes, Such implements of mischief, as shall dash To pieces, and o'erwhelm whatever stands Adverse; that they shall fear we have disarm'd The thunderer of his only dreaded bolt. Nor long shall be our labour; yet ere dawn, Effect shall end our wish. Meanwhile revive; Abandon fear; to strength and counsel join'd, Think nothing hard, much less to be despair'd.' "He ended; and his words their drooping cheer Enlighten'd, and their languish'd hope reviv'd. The invention all admir'd, and each, how he To be the inventor miss'd; so easy it seem'd, Once found, which, yet unfound, most would have Impossible yet haply, of thy race, [thought In future days, if malice should abound, Some one, intent on mischief, or inspired With devilish machination, might devise Like instrument, to plague the sons of men For sin, on war and mutual slaughter bent.
Forthwith from council to the work they flew;
None arguing stood; innumerable hands
Were ready; in a moment up they turned
Wide the celestial soil, and saw beneath
The originals of nature, in their crude
Conception; sulphurous and nitrous foam
They found, they mingled, and with subtle art
Concocted and adusted, they reduced
To blackest grain, and into store convey'd:
Part hidden veins digg'd up; nor hath this earth
Entrails unlike, of mineral and stone,
Whereof to found their engines, and their balls
Of missive ruin; part incentive reed
Provide, pernicious, with one touch to fire.
So all, ere day-spring, under conscious night,
Secret they finish'd, and in order set,
With silent circumspection unespied.
"Now when fair morn, orient in Heaven, appear'd,
Up rose the victor angels, and to arms
The matin trumpet sung in arms they stood
Of golden panoply, refulgent host,
Soon banded; others, from the dawning hills,
Look'd round, and scouts each coast light-armed
Each quarter, to descry the distant foe, [scour,
Where lodged, or whither fled, or if for fight,
In motion, or in halt: him soon they met,
Under spread ensigns, moving nigh, in slow,
But firm battalion. Back with speediest sail,
Zophiel, of cherubim the swiftest wing,
Came flying, and, in mid air, aloud thus cried.
"Arm, warriors, arm for fight; the foe at hand,
Whom fled we thought, will save us long pursuit;
This day, fear not his flight; so thick a cloud
He comes; and settled in his face, I see
Sad resolution and secure. Let each
His adamantine coat gird well, and each
Fit well his helm, gripe fast his orbed shield,
Borne even or high; for this day will pour down,
If I conjecture ought, no drizzling shower,
But rattling storm of arrows, barb'd with fire.'
"So warn'd he them, aware themselves; and soon
In order, quit of all impediment,
Instant without disturb, they took alarm,
And onward move embattled: when behold,
Not distant far, with heavy pace, the foe
Approaching gross and huge, in hollow cube,
Training his devilish enginery, impailed
On every side, with shadowy squadrons deep,
To hide the fraud. At interview both stood
A while; but suddenly at head appear'd
Satan, and thus was heard commanding loud.
"Vanguard, to right and left the front unfold;
That all may see who hate us, how we seek
Peace and composure, and, with open breast,
Stand ready to receive them, if they like
Our overture, and turn not back perverse:
But that I doubt: however, witness Heaven,
Heaven witness thou anon, while we discharge
Freely our part; ye who appointed stand,
Do as you have in charge, and briefly touch
What we propound, and loud, that all may hear.'
"So scoffing, in ambiguous words, he scarce
Had ended, when to right and left the front
Divided, and to either flank retir'd:
Which to our eyes discover'd, new and strange,
A triple-mounted row of pillars, laid
On wheels, for like to pillars most they seem'd,
Or hollow'd bodies, made of oak or fir,
With branches lopt, in wood or mountain fell'd;
Brass, iron, stony mould, had not their mouths,
With hideous orifice, gaped on us wide,
Portending hollow truce: at each behind
A seraph stood, and in his hand a reed
Stood waving, tipt with fire; while we suspense
Collected stood, within our thoughts amus'd;
Not long, for sudden all at once their reeds
Put forth and to a narrow vent applied
With nicest touch. Immediate in a flame,
But soon obscured with smoke, all Heaven appeared,
From those deep-throated engines belch'd, whose roar
Embowell'd with outrageous noise the air,
And all her entrails tore; disgorging foul
Their devilish glut, chain'd thunderbolts, and hail
Of iron globes; which on the victor host
Levell'd, with such impetuous fury smote,
That whom they hit, none on their feet might stand,
Though standing else as rocks, but down they fell
By thousands, angel on arch-angel roll'd;
The sooner for their arms: unarm'd they might
Have easily, as spirits, evaded swift
By quick contraction or remove; but now
Foul dissipation follow'd, and forc'd rout;
Nor served it to relax their serried files.
What should they do? if on they rush'd, repulse
Repeated, and indecent overthrow
Doubled, would render them yet more despis'd,
And to their foes a laughter; for in view
Stood rank'd of seraphim another row,
In posture to displode their second tire
Of thunder: back defeated to return
They worse abhorr'd. Satan beheld their plight,
And to his mates thus in derision call'd.
"O friends, why come not on these victors proud?
Erewhile they fierce were coming; and when we,
To entertain them fair, with open front
And breast, what could we more? propounded terms
Of composition, straight they chang❜d their minds,
Flew off, and into strange vagaries fell,
As they would dance; yet, for a dance, they seem'd
Somewhat extravagant and wild, perhaps
For joy of offer'd peace: but I suppose,
If our proposals once again were heard,
We should compel them to a quick result."
"To whom thus Belial, in like gamesome mood. 'Leader, the terms we sent were terms of weight, Of hard contents, and full of force urged home, Such, as we might perceive amused them all, And stumbled many; who receives them right, Had need, from head to foot, well understand: Not understood, this gift they have besides, They show us when our foes walk not upright.'
"So they, among themselves, in pleasant vein,
Stood scoffing, heighten'd in their thoughts, beyond
All doubt of victory; eternal Might
To match with their inventions, they presumed
So easy, and of his thunder made a scorn,
And all his host derided, while they stood
A while in trouble: but they stood not long.
Rage prompted them at length, and found them arms,
Against such hellish mischief, fit to oppose.
Forthwith, behold the excellence, the power,
Which God hath in his mighty angels plac'd,
Their arms away they threw; and to the hills,
For earth hath this variety from Heaven,
Of pleasure situate in hill and dale,
Light as the lightning-glimpse they ran, they flew ;
From their foundations loosening to and fro,
They pluck'd the seated hills, with all their load,
Rocks, waters, woods; and, by the shaggy tops
Uplifting, bore them in their hands. Amaze,
Be sure, and terror, seiz'd the rebel host,
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