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And ignominy, yet to glory' afpires

Vain-glorious, and through infamy seeks fame:
Therefore eternal filence be their doom.

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And now their mightiest quell'd, the battel fwerv'd,

With many an inroad gor'd; deformed rout
Enter'd, and foul diforder; all the ground
With shiver'd armour ftrown, and on a heap
Chariot and charioteer lay overturn'd,
And fiery foaming steeds; what ftood, recoil'd
O'er-wearied, through the faint Satanic host
Defenfive fcarce, or with pale fear furpriz`d,
Then first with fear furpriz'd and sense of pain,

Fled ignominious, to fuch evil brought
By fin of difobedience, till that hour
Not liable to fear or flight or pain.
Far otherwife 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 finn'd,

Not to have difobey'd; in fight they stood

Unwearied, unobnoxious to be pain'd

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By wound, though from their place by violence mov'd.
Now night her courfe began, and over Heaven
Inducing darknefs, grateful truce impos'd,
And filence on the odious din of war;

Under her cloudy covert both retir'd,

Victor and vanquish'd; on the foughten field 410 "Michaël and his Angels prevalent

Incamping, plac'd in guard their watches round,

Cherubic

Cherubic waving fires: on th' other part
Satan with his rebellious difappear'd,

Far in the dark diflodg'd: and void of rest,
His potentates to council call'd by night;
And in the midst thus undifmay'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,

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Too mean pretence, but what we more affect,
Honor, dominion, glory and renown;
Who have fuftain'd one day in doubtful fight
(And if one day, why not eternal days?)
What Heaven's Lord had pow'rfulleft to fend
Against us from about his throne, and judg'd
Sufficient to fubdue us to his will,
But proves not fo: then fallible, it feems,
Of future we may deem him, though till now
Omnifcient thought. True is, lefs firmly arm'd, 430
Some difadvantage we indur'd and pain,

Till now not known, but known as foon contemn'd ;
Since now we find this our empyreal form

Incapable of mortal injury,

Imperishable, and though pierc'd with wound,

Soon clofing, and by native vigor heal'd.
Of evil then fo fmall as cafy think
The remedy; perhaps more valid arms,
Weapons more violent, when next we meet,
May ferve to better us, and worfe our foes,
Or equal what between us made the odds,
In nature none; if other hidden caufe

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Left

Left them fuperior, while we can preserve
Unhurt our minds and understanding sound,
Due fearch and confultation will difclofe.

He fat; and in th' affembly next upstood
Nifroch, of Principalities the prime;
As one he stood escap'd from cruel fight,
Sore toil'd, his riven arms to havoc hewn,
And cloudy in aspéct thus anfw'ring spake.
Deliverer from new Lords, leader to free
Enjoyment of our right as Gods; yet hard
For Gods, and too unequal work we find,
Against unequal arms to fight in pain,

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Against unpain'd, impaffive; from which evil

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Ruin must needs enfue; for what avails

Valor or ftrength, though matchlefs, quell'd with pain
Which all fubdues, and makes remifs the hands

Of mightieft? Senfe of pleasure we may well
Spare out of life perhaps, and not repine,
But live content, which is the calmeft life:
But pain is perfect mifery, the worst
Of evils, and exceffive, overturns

All patience. He who therefore can invent
With what more forcible we may offend
Our yet unwounded enemies, or arm
Ourselves with like defenfe, to me deferves
No lefs than for deliverance what we owe.

Whereto with look compos'd Satan reply'd.
Not uninvented that, which thou aright
Believ'ft fo main to our fuccefs, I bring.
Which of us who beholds the bright surface

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of

Of this ethereous mold whereon we stand,

This continent of fpacious Heav'n, adorn'd

With plant, fruit, flow'r ambrofial, gems and gold;
Whofe eye fo fuperficially furveys

These things, as not to mind from whence they grow
Deep under ground, materials dark and crude,
Of fpiritous and fiery fpume, till touch'd

With Heaven's ray, and temper'd they fhoot forth 480
So beauteous, opening to the ambient light?
Thefe in their dark nativity the deep

Shall yield us pregnant with infernal flame;
Which into hollow engins long and round
Thick-ramm'd, at th' other bore with touch of fire
Dilated and infuriate, fhall fend forth
From far with thund'ring noife among our foes
Such implements of mifchief, as fhall dash
To pieces, and o'erwhelm whatever ftands
Adverfe, that they fhall fear we have difarm'd
The Thund'rer of his only dreaded bolt.
Nor long fhall be our labor; yet ere dawn,
Effect thall end our wifh. Mean while revive;
Abandon fear; to ftrength and counsel join'd
Think nothing hard, much lefs to be defpair'd.

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He ended, and his words their drooping chear Inlighten'd, and their languifh'd hope reviv'd. Th' invention all admir'd, and each, how he To be th' inventor mifs'd; fo eafy' it feem'd Once found, which yet unfound moft would have thought Impotlible yet haply of thy race

In future days, if malice fhould abound,

Some

Some one intent on mischief, or infpir'd
With devilish machination, might devise
Like inftrument to plague the fons of men
For fin, on war and mutual slaughter bent.
Forthwith from council to the work they flew:
None arguing ftood; innumerable hands
Were ready; in a moment up they turn'd
Wide the celeftial foil, and faw beneath

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Th' originals of nature in their crude

Conception; fulphurous and nitrous foam

They found, they mingled, and with fubtle art,
Concocted and adufted they reduc'd

To blackest grain, and into store convey'd :

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Part hidden veins digg'd up (nor hath this earth

Entrails unlike) of mineral and stone,

Whereof to found their engins and their balls

Of miffive ruin; part incentive reed

Provide, pernicious with one touch to fire.

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So all ere day-fpring, under confcious night,

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Look'd round, and fcouts each coaft light-armed fcour,

Each quarter, to defcry the diftant foe,

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Where lodg'd, or whither fled, or if for fight,

In motion or in halt: him foon they met

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