Of erring, from the path of truth remote:
Unjustly thou depravʼst it with the name
Of fervitude to ferve whom God ordains,
Or Nature: God and Nature bid the fame,
When he who rules is worthieft, 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 serve thee,
Thyfelf not free, but to thyself inthrall'd;
Yet lewdly dar'ft our miniftring upbraid.
Reign thou in Hell thy kingdom; let me serve
In Heav'n God ever bleft, and his divine
Behefts obey, worthiest to be obey'd;
Yet chains in Hell, not realms expect: mean while
From me return'd, as erst thou faidft, from flight,
This greeting on thy impious crest receive.
So faying, a noble stroke he lifted high,
Which hung not, but fo swift with tempeft fell 190
On the proud crest of Satan, that no fight,
Nor motion of swift thought, lefs could his fhield
Such ruin intercept: ten paces huge
He back recoil'd; the tenth on bended knee
His maffy fpear 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
Thus foil'd their mightieft; ours joy fill'd, and shout, Prefage of victory, and fierce defire
Of battel; whereat Michael bid found
Th' Arch-Angel trumpet; through the vast 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 fhock: now ftorming fury rofe, And clamor fuch as heard in Heav'n till now Was never; arms on armour clashing bray'd Horrible difcord, and the madding wheels Of brazen chariots rag'd; dire was the noise Of conflict; over head the difmal 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 assault And inextinguifhable 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 leaft of whom could wield Thefe elements, and arm him with the force Of all their regions: how much more of power Army' againft army numberless to raise Dreadful combuftion warring, and disturb, Though not destroy, their happy native seat; Had not th' eternal King omnipotent
From his strong hold of Heav'n high over-rul'd
And limited their might; though number'd fuch
As each divided legion might have feem'd
A numerous host, in strength each armed hand
A legion, led in fight yet leader seem'd
Each warrior fingle as in chief, expert
When to advance, or stand, or turn the fway
Of battel, open when, and when to close
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 shown, and met in arms
No equal, ranging through the dire attack
Of fighting Seraphim confus'd, at length
Saw where the sword of Michael smote, and fell'd 250
Squadrons at once; with huge two-handed fway
Brandish'd aloft the horrid edge came down
Wide wafting; such 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
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,
Unnam'd in Heav'n, now plenteous, as thou seest
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
And faithful, now prov'd falfe? But think not here
To trouble holy reft; Heav'n cafts thee out
From all her confines. Heav'n the feat of blifs
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.
So fpake the Prince of Angels; to whom thus The Adversary. 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, easier to tranfact with me
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 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
If not to reign: mean while thy utmost force,
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 confpicuous, that may lift
Human imagination to fuch highth
Of Godlike pow'r? for likest Gods they feem'd,
Stood they or mov'd, in stature, motion, arms,
Fit to decide the empire of great Heaven.
Now wav'd their fiery fwords, and in the air
Made horrid circles; two broad funs their fhields 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 set forth
Great things by small, if nature's concord broke,
Among the conftellations war were fprung,
Two planets rufhing from afpéct malign
Of fierceft oppofition in mid fky
Should combat, and their jarring spheres confound.
Together both with next to' almighty arm
Up-lifted imminent, one stroke they aim'd
That might determin, and not need repeat,
As not of pow'r at once; nor odds appear'd
In might or fwift prevention: but the sword
Of Michael from the armoury of God
Was given him temper'd fo, that neither keen
|