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 Adramelech, and Asmadai,
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 mail. Nor stood unmindful Abdiel to annoy
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 wonderous and in acts of war For of renown less eager, yet by doom Cancell'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.
their mightiest quell'd, the battle swerved, With many an inroad gored; deformed rout Enter'd, and foul disorder; all the ground With shiver'd armor strown, and on a heap Chariot and charioteer lay overturn'd, And fiery-foaming steeds; what stood, recoil'd O'er wearied, through the faint Satanic host Defensive scarce, or with pale fear surprised, 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 foughton field Michael and his Angels prevalent
Encamping, placed in guard their watches round, Cherubic waving fires: On the other part, Satan with his rebellious disappear'd,
Far in the dark dislodged; and void of rest, His Potentates to council call'd by night; And in the midst thus undismay'd began:
"O now in danger tried, now known in arms Not to be overpower'd, companions dear, Found worthy not of liberty alone,
Too mean pretence! but what we more effect, Honor, 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 had 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, Offuture 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 vigor 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 answering spake ; 'Deliverer from new Lords, leader to free Enjoyment of our right to 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
Valor or strength, though matchless, quell'd with pain, 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 wherein we stand, This continent of spacious Heaven, adorn'd With plant, fruit, flower ambrosial, gems, and gold; Whose eyes so superficially surveys
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 labor; 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 lanquish'd hope revived. The invention all admired, and each, how he To be the inventor miss'd; so easy it seem'd Once found, which yet unfound most would have thought Impossible: Yet haply of thy race
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 turn'd 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 adjusted, they reduced
To blackest grain, and into store convey'd : Part hidden vains digged 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 dayspring, 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 round, and scouts each coast light-arm'd scour, Each quarter to descry the distant foe,
Where lodged, or whither fled, or if for fight, In motion or in halt: Him soon they met Under spread ensigns moving high, in slow By firm battalion; back with speediest sail Zophiel, or 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,
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