Of erring, from the path of truth remote :
Unjustly thou deprav'ft it with the name
Of fervitude to ferve whom God ordains,

Or Nature: God and Nature bid the fame,
When he who rules is worthiest, and excels
Them whom he governs. This is fervitude,
To ferve th' unwife, or him who hath rebell'd
Against his worthier, as thine now ferve thee,
Thyself not free, but to thyfelf inthrall'd;
Yet lewdly dar'ft our miniftring upbraid.
Reign thou in Hell thy kingdom; let me ferve
In Heav'n God ever blest, and his divine
Behefts obey, worthieft to be obey'd;

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Yet chains in Hell, not realms expect: mean while
From me return'd, as erft thou saidft, from flight,
This greeting on thy impious creft receive.

So faying, a noble stroke he lifted high,
Which hung not, but fo fwift with tempeft fell
On the proud creft of Satan, that no fight,
Nor motion of fwift thought, lefs could his shield
Such ruin intercept: ten paces huge

He back recoil'd; the tenth on bended knee
His maffy spear upstay'd ; as if on earth
Winds under ground, or waters forcing way
Sidelong had pufh'd a mountain from his feat
Half funk with all his pines. Amazement, feiz’d
The rebel 'Thrones, but greater rage to fee

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Thus foil'd their mightieft; ours joy fill'd, and fhout, Prefage of victory, and fierce defire

Of battel whereat Michäel bid found

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Th' Arch-Angel trumpet; through the vaft of Heaven
It founded, and the faithful armies rung
Hofannah to the High'ft: nor ftood at gaze
The adverse legions, nor less hideous join'd
The horrid shock: now ftorming fury rose,
And clamor fuch as heard in Heav'n 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; over head the dismal hifs
Of fiery darts in flaming volies flew,
And flying vaulted either hoft with fire.
So under fiery cope together rufh'd
Both battels main, with ruinous affault
And inextinguishable rage; all Heaven
Refounded, and had Earth been then, all Earth
Had to her center fhook. What wonder? when
Millions of fierce encountring Angels fought
On either fide, the least of whom could wield
Thefe elements, and arm him with the force
Of all their regions: how much more of power
Army' against army numberlefs to raise
Dreadful combuftion warring, and difturb,
Though not deftroy, their happy native feat;
Had not th' eternal King omnipotent

From his ftrong hold of Heav'n high over-rul'd
And limited their might; though number'd fuch
As each divided legion might have seem'd
A numerous hoft, in strength each armed hand
A legion, led in 'fight yet leader feem'd

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Each

Each warrior fingle as in chief, expert
When to advance, or ftand, or turn the sway
Of battel, open when, and when to clofe
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 and various, fometimes on firm ground
A standing fight, then foaring on main wing
Tormented all the air; all air feem'd then
Conflicting fire: long time in even scale
The battel hung; till Satan, who that day
Prodigious pow'r had fhown, and met in arms
No equal, ranging through the dire attack
Of fighting Seraphim confus'd, at length

f

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Saw where the fword of Michael fmote, and fell'd 250
Squadrons at once; with huge two-handed sway
Brandish'd aloft the horrid edge came down
Wide wafting; fuch destruction to withstand
He hafted, and oppos'd the rocky orb
Of tenfold adamant, his ample shield,
A vaft circumference: At his approach
The great Arch-Angel from his warlike toil
Surceas'd, and glad as hoping here to end
Inteftin war in Heav'n, th' arch-foe fubdu'd
Os captive dragg'd in chains, with hoftile frown 269
And visage all inflam'd firft thus began.

Author of evil, unknown till thy revolt,

Unnam'd in Heav'n, now plenteous, as thoù feest
These acts of hateful strife, hateful to all,
Though heavieft by juft measure on thyfelf
And thy adherents: how haft thou disturb'd
Heav'n's blessed peace, and into nature brought
Mifery, uncreated till the crime

Of thy rebellion! how haft thou instill'd
Thy malice into thousands, once upright

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And faithful, now prov'd falfe! But think not here
To trouble holy rest; Heav'n cafts thee out
From all her confines. Heav'n the feat 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 fword begin thy doom,
Or fome more fudden vengeance wing'd from God
Precipitate thee with augmented pain.
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So fpake the Prince of Angels; to whom thus
The Adverfary. Nor think thou with wind
Of aery threats to awe whom yet with deeds
Thou canst not. Haft thou turn'd the least of these
To flight, or if to fall, but that they rife
Unvanquish'd, eafier to tranfact with me

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That thou shouldft hope, imperious, and with threats
To chafe me hence? err not that fo fhall end
The strife which thou call'st evil, but we ftile
The ftrife of glory; which we mean to win,
Or turn this Heav'n itself into the Hell
Thou fableft, here however to dwell free

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If not to reign: mean while thy utmost force,
And join him nam'd Almighty to thy aid,
I fly not, but have fought thee far and nigh,
They ended parle, and both addrefs'd for fight
Unfpeakable; for who, though with the tongue
Of Angels, can relate, or to what things
Liken on earth confpicuous, that may lift
Human imagination to fuch highth

Of Godlike pow'r? for likeft Gods they feem'd,
Stood they or mov'd, in ftature, motion, arms,
Fit to decide the empire of great Heaven.
Now wav'd their fiery fwords, and in the air

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Made horrid circles; two broad funs their shields 305
Blaz'd oppofit, while expectation stood

In horror; from each hand with speed retir'd,
Where erft was thickest fight, th' angelic throng,
And left large field, unfafe within the wind
Of fuch commotion; such as, to set forth
Great things by small, if nature's concord broke,
Among the conftellations war were sprung,
Two planets rushing from afpéct malign
Of fiercest oppofition in mid sky

Should combat, and their jarring spheres confound.
Together both with next to' almighty arm
Up-lifted imminent, one ftroke they aim'd
That might determin, and not need repeat,
As not of pow'r 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
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Nor