And join him nam'd 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 height
Of godlike pow'r? for likest gods they seem'd, Stood they or mov'd, in stature, motion, arms, Fit to decide the empire of great heav'n. Now wav'd 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 retir'd, Where erst was thickest fight, th' 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, and their jarring spheres confound. Together both with next to almighty arm Up-lifted imminent, one stroke they aim'd That might determine, and not need repeat, As not of pow'r at once; and 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 ent'ring shar'd A his right side: then Satan first knew pain, And writh'd him to and fro convolv'd: so sore The griding sword with discontinuous wound Pass'd through him; but th' etherial substance clos'd, Not long divisible; and from the gash
A stream of nect'rous humour, issuing flow'd
Sanguine, such as celestial spirits may bleed, And all his armour stain'd erewhile so bright. Forthwith on all sides to his aid was run
By angels many and strong, who interpos'd Defence, while others bore him on their shields Back to his chariot, where it stood retir'd
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 pow'r.
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 pierc'd 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 heav'n 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 Ramial, 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 heav'n, 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 heav'n and sacred
memory, Nameless in dark oblivion let them dwell. For strength from truth divided and from just, Ilaudable naught 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 gor'd; 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'er-wearied, through the faint satanic host Defensive scarce, or with pale fear surpris'd, Then first with fear surpris'd 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 th' inviolable saints In cubic phalanx firm advanc'd 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 mov' Now night her course began, and over heav'n Inducing darkness, grateful truce impos'd,
And silence on the odious din of war: Jnder her cloudy covert both retir'd,
Victor and vanquish'd; on the foughten field
Michael and his angels prevalent
Encamping, plac'd in guard their watches round, Cherubic waving fires: on th' 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 overpow'r'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 heav'n's Lord had pow'rfullest to send Against us from about his throne, and judg'd 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 endur'd, 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 pierc'd 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 th' assembly next upstood Nisroch, of principalities the prime: As one he stood escap'd from cruel fight,
Sore toil, his riven arms to havoc hewn, And cloudy in aspect thus answering spake: Deliverer from new lords, leader to free Enjoyment of our rights 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
Valour 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. Wheretc with look compos'd Satan reply'd: Not uninvented that, which thou aright Believ'st so main to our success, I bring Which of us who beholds the bright surface Of this etherous mould whereon we stand, 'I his continent of spacious heav'n adorn'd With plant, fruit, flow'r ambrosial, geins and gold; Whose eye so superficially surveys
hese things, as not to mind from whence they grow eep under ground, materials dark and crude,
f 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
Shali yield us pregnant with infernal flame, Which into hollow engines long and round Thick-ramin'd, at th' other bore with touch of fire Dilated and infuriate, shall send forth
cora far with thund'ring roise among our foes
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