Celestial tabernacles, where they slept
Fann'd with cool winds; fave those who, in their course, Melodious hymns about the fov'reign throne:
Alternate all night long. But not fo wak'd Satan; fo call him now, his former name
Is heard no more in heaven; he of the firft, If not the first archangel, great in power, In favour and preeminence, yet fraught
With envy' against the Son of God, that day Honour'd by his great Father, and proclaim'd Meffiah King anointed, could not bear
Through pride that fight, and thought himself im-` Deep malice thence conceiving, and disdain, [pair'd.... Soon as midnight brought on the dusky hour,
Friendlieft to fleep and filence, he refolv'd With all his legions to diflodge, and leave Unworshipp'd, unobey'd, the throne fupreme, Contemptuous; and his next fubordinate Awak'ning, thus to him in fecret spake.
Sleep't thou, companion dear, what fleep can clofe Thy eyelids and remember'ft what decree Of yesterday, fo late hath pass'd the lips Of heaven's Almighty. Thou to me thy thoughts Waft wont, I mine to thee was wont to' impart ; Both waking we were one; how then can now Thy fleep diffent? New laws thour feeft impos'd; New laws from him who reigns, new minds may raife In us who ferve, new counfels, to debate What doubtful may enfue: more in this place To utter is not fafe. Affemble thou
Of all thofe myriads which we lead the chief;
Tell them, that by command, ere yet dim night 685 Her fhadowy cloud withdraws, I am to hafte,
And all who under me their banners wave, Homeward, with flying march, where we poffefs
The quarters of the north; there to prepare Fit entertainment to receive our King, The great Meffiah, and his new commands, Who speedily through all the hierarchies Intends to pass triumphant, and give laws. So fpake the falfe archangel, and infus'd Bad influence into th' unwary breast Of his affociate he together calls,
Or feveral one by one, the regent powers, Under him regent; tells, as he was taught,
That the Moft High commanding, now ere night, Now ere dim night had difincumber'd heaven, The great hierarchal standard was to move; Tells the fuggefted caufe, and cafts between. Ambiguous words and jealoufies, to found. Or taint integrity: but all obey'di The wonted fignal, and fuperiour voice Of their great potentate; for great indeed His name, and high was his degree in heaven ; His count'nance, as the morning-ftar that guides. The starry flock, allur'd them, and with lies Drew after him the third part of heaven's host. Mean while th' eternal Eye, whofe fight difcerns Abftrufeft thoughts, from forth his holy mount, And from within the golden lamps that burn Nightly before him, faw, without their light,. Rebellion rifing; faw in whom, how fpread Among the fons of morn, what multitudes Were banded, to oppose his high decree; And, fmiling to his only Son, thus faid. Son, thou in whom my glory I behold In full refplendence, heir of all my might, Nearly it now concerns us to be fure Of our omnipotence, and with what arms We mean to hold what anciently we claim
Of deity or empire: fuch a foe
Is rifing, who intends to' erect his throne Equal to ours, throughout the spacious north; Nor fo content, hath in his thought to try In battle, what our power is, or our right. Let us advise, and to this hazard draw With speed what force is left, and all employ In our defence; left unawares we lose This our high place, our fanctuary, our hill, To whom the Son with calm aspéct, and clear, Lightning divine, ineffable, ferene,
Made anfwer, Mighty Father, thou thy foes 733 Juftly haft in derifion, and fecure
Laugh'ft at their vain defigns and tumults vain; Matter to me of glory, whom their hate Illuftrates, when they fee all regal power Given me to quell their pride, and in event Know whether I be dextrous to fubdue Thy rebels, or be found the worst in heaven. So ipake the Son; but Satan, with his powers, Far was advanc'd on winged speed, an host Innumerable as the ftars of night,
Or ftars of morning, dew-drops, which the fun Impearls on every leaf and every flower. Regions they pafs'd, the mighty regencies Or Seraphim, and Potentates, and Thrones, In their triple degrees; regions to which All thy dominion, Adam, is no more Than what this garden is to all the earth,
And all the fea, from one entire globofe
Stretch'd into longitude; which having pafs'd,
At length into the limits of the north
They came; and Satan to his royal feat
High on a hill, far blazing, as a mount
Rais'd on a mount, with pyramids and towers
From diamond quarries hewn, and rocks of gold;
The palace of great Lucifer, (fo call.
That ftructure in the dialect of men Interpreted), which not long after, he Affecting all equality with God,
In imitation of that mount whereon Meffiah was declar'd in fight of heaven, The mountain of the congregation call'd;. For thither he affembled all his tram, Pretending fo commanded to confult About the great reception of their King, Thither to come; and with calumnious art Of counterfeited truth thus held their ears. Thrones, dominations, princedoms, virtues, powers, If these magnific titles yet remain
Not merely, titular, fince by decree
Another now hath to himself ingrofs'd
All power, and us eclips'd under the name.
Of King anointed; for whom all this hafte
Of midnight-march, and hurried meeting here, This only to confult how we may best, With what may be devis'd of honours new, Receive him, coming to receive from us Knee-tribute yet unpaid, proftration vile, Too much to one, but double how endur'd, To one and to his image now proclaim'd?. But what if better counfels might erect
Our minds, and teach us to caft off this yoke? Will ye fubmit your necks, and chufe to bend The fupple knee? Ye will not, if I trust To know ye right, or if ye know yourselves Natives and fons of heaven poffefs'd before By none; and if not equal all, yet free, Equally free; for orders and degrees Jar not with liberty, but well confift
Who can in reafon then, or right, affume Monarchy over fuch as live by right His equals, if in power and fplendour lefs, In freedom equal or can introduce Law and edict on us, who without law Err not? much less for this to be our Lord, And look for adoration, to th' abufe Of thofe imperial titles, which affert Our being ordain'd to govern, not to serve. ·Thus far his bold difcourfe without controul Had audience; when among the Seraphim Abdiel, than whom none with more zeal'ador'd The Deity', and divine commands obey'd, Stood up, and, in a flame of zeal fevere, The current of his fury, thus oppos'd.
O argument blafphémous, falfe and proud! Words which no ear ever to hear in heaven Expected, leaft of all from thee, ingrate, In place thy felf fo high above thy peers, Canft thou with impious obloquy condemn
The juft decree of God,, pronounc'd and fworn, That to his only Son, by right endu'd
With regal fceptre, every foul in heaven.
Shall bend the knee, and in that honour due
Confefs him rightful King? Unjuft, thou fay'ft, Flatly unjuft, to bind with laws the free,
And equal over equals to let reign,
One over all with unfucceeded power.
Shalt thou give law to God, fhalt thou difpute With him the points of liberty, who made
Thee what thou art, and form'd the powers of heaven Such as he pleas'd, and circumfcrib'd their being? Yet, by experience taught, we know how good, 826 And of our good and of our dignity
How provident he is; how far from thought
« ՆախորդըՇարունակել » |