When he who rules is worthiest, and excels
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 bless'd, 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.'

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 swift thought, less could his shield,
Such ruin intercept: Ten paces huge
He back recoil'd; the tenth on bended knee
His massy spear upstaid; 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 seized
The rebel thrones, but greater rage, to see
Thus foil'd their mightiest; ours joy fill'd, and shout,
Presage and victory, and fierce desire

Of battle: Whereat Michael bid sound

The Arch-Angel trumpet; through the vast of Heaven
It sounded, and the faithful armies rung
Hosanna to the Highest: Nor stood at gaze
The adverse legions, nor less hideous join'd
The horrid shock. Now storming fury rose,
And clamor such as heard in Heaven till now
Was never; arms on armor clashing bray'd
Horrible discord, and the madding wheels
Of brazen chariots raged; dire was the noise
Of conflict; overhead the dismal hiss

Of fiery darts in flaming volleys 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 his strong hold of Heaven, high overrul'd
And limited their might; though numer'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 relied,
As only in his arm the moment lay

Of, victory: Deeds of eternal fame

Were done, but infinite; for wide was spread
That war, and 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 scraphim confused, 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 opposed the rocky orb
Oftenfold 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 archfoe subdued
Or Captive dragg'd in chains, with hostile frown
And visage all inflamed first thus began:

Author of evil unknown till thy revolt,

Unnamed 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 in thousands, once upright

And faithful, now proved 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 thy 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 aery threats to awe whom yet with deeds Thou canst not, Hast thou turned the least of these

To flight, or if to fall, but that they rise
Unvanquish'd the easier to transact with me

That thou shouldst hope, imperious, and 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'd him named Almighty to thy aid
I fly not, but have sought thee far and nigh.

They ended parle, and both addressed 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 heighth

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 wav'd their fiery swords, and in the air
Made horrid circles; two broad suns their shields
Blazed opposite, while expectation stood

In horror: from each hand with speed retired,
Where erst was thickest fight, the Angelic throng,
And left arge 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, and 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 armory 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 staid,
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 griding sword with discontinuons wound
Pass'd through him: but the ethereal substance closed,
Not long divisible; and from the gash

A stream of nectarous humor issuing flow'd
Sanguine, such as celestial spirits may bleed,
And all his armour stained, erewhile 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 peslea
They limb themselves, and color, shape, or size
Assume, as likes them best, condense or rare.

Meanwhile in other parts like deeds deserved
Memorial, where the might of Gabriel fought,
And with fierce ensigns pierced the deep array
Of Moloch, furious King; who him defied,
And at his chariot-wheels to drag him bound