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Each warrior fingle as in chief, expert

When to advance, or ftand, or turn the fway
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 fpread
That war and various, fometimes on firm ground
A ftanding 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

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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 deftruction to withstand
He hafted, and oppos'd the rocky orb
Of tenfold adamant, his ample fhield,
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
Or captive dragg'd in chains, with hoftile frown 260
And vifage all inflam'd first thus began.

Author of evil, unknown till thy revolt,

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Unnam'd in Heav'n, now plenteous, as thou feeft
Thefe acts of hateful ftrife, hateful to all,
Though heaviest by just measure on thyself
And thy adherents: how haft thou disturb'd
Heav'n's bleffed peace, and into nature brought
Mifery, uncreated till the crime

Of thy rebellion? how hast 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 casts thee out
From all her confines. Heav'n the feat of blifs
Brooks not the works of yiolence 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.

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.

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Haft thou turn'd the least of these:

To flight, or if to fall, but that they rise
Unvanquish'd, eafier to tranfact with me

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That thou shouldft hope, imperious, and with threats
To chace me hence? err not that fo fhall end
The ftrife which thou call'ft evil, but we stile
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 address'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 seem'd,
Stood they or mov'd, in stature, motion, arms,
Fit to decide the empire of great Heaven.
Now way'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 erst was thickest fight, th' angelic throng,
And left large field, unfafe within the wind
Of fuch commotion; fuch as, to fet forth
Great things by small, if nature's concord broke,
Among the conftellations war were fprung,
Two planets rushing from aspéct malign
Of fierceft oppofition in mid fky

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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 fword
Of Michael from the armoury of God
Was given him temper'd fo, that neither keen

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Nor folid might refift that edge: it met

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The fword of Satan with steep force to finite
Defcending, and in half cut sheer; nor stay'd,
But with fwift wheel reverfe, deep entring fhar'd
All his right fide: then Satan first knew pain,
And writh'd him to and fro convolv'd; fo fore
The griding fword with difcontinuous wound
Pafs'd through him: but th' ethereal substance clos'd,
Not long divifible; and from the gafl

A ftream of necta'rous humor iffuing flow'd
Sanguin, fuch as celeftial Spi'rits may bleed,
And all his armour ftain'd ere while fo bright.
Forthwith on all fides to his aid was run
By Angels many and strong, who interpos'd
Defense, while others bore him on their fhields
Back to his chariot, where it stood retir'd
From off the files of war; there they him laid
Gnafhing for anguifh and defpite and shame,

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To find himself not matchlefs, and his pride

Humbled by fuch rebuke, fo far beneath
His confidence to equal God in power.

Yet foon he heal'd; for Spi'rits that live throughout Vital in every part, not as frail man

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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 fenfe; and as they please,
They limb themselves, and color, shape or size

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Affume,

Affume, as likes them best, condense or rare.
Mean while in other parts like deeds deferv'd
Memorial, where the might of Gabriel fought,
And with fierce enfigns 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 Heaven
Refrain'd his tongue blafphémous; but anon
Down cloven to the wafte, with fhatter'd arms
And uncouth pain fled bellowing. On each wing
Uriel and Raphaël his vaunting foe,

Though huge, and in a rock of diamond arm'd,
Vanquish'd Adramelech, and Afmadai,

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Two potent thrones, that to be less than Gods Disdain'd, but meaner thoughts learn'd in their flight, Mangled with ghaftly wounds through plate and mail. Nor stood unmindful Abdiel to annoy

The atheist crew, but with redoubled blow

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Ariel and Arioch, and the violence

Of Ramiel fcorch'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,

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Seek not the praise of men: the other fort,

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In might though wondrous and in acts of war,
Nor of renown less eager, yet by doom

Cancel'd. from Heav'n and facred memory,

Nameless in dark oblivion let them dwell.

For ftrength from truth divided and from just,
Illaudable, nought merits but difpraise

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And

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