To trouble holy rest; Heaven casts thee out From all her confines. Heaven, the seat of bliss, 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 sword begin thy doom, Or some more sudden vengeance wing'd from God, Precipitate thee with augmented pain.'
"So spake the prince of angels; to whom thus The adversary. Nor think thou, with wind Of airy threats, to awe whom yet with deeds Thou canst not. Hast thou turn'd the least of these To flight, or if to fall, but that they rise Unvanquish'd, easier to transact with me That thou shouldst hope, imperious, & with threats To chase me hence? err not, that so shall end The strife, which thou call'st evil, but we style The strife of glory; which we mean to win, Or turn this Heaven itself into the Hell Thou fablest; here however to dwell free, If not to reign: meanwhile thy utmost force, And join him named 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 Human imagination to such highth Of Godlike power? for likest Gods they seem'd, Stood they or moved; in stature, motion, arms, Fit to decide the empire of great Heaven. Now waved 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 retired, Where erst was thickest fight, the 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, & their jarring spheres confound. Together both, with next to almighty arm Uplifted imminent, one stroke they aim'd, That might determine and not need repeat
As not of power at once; nor 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 entering, shared, All his right side. Then Satan first knew pain, And writhed him to and fro convolved; so sore The grinding sword, with discontinuous wound, Pass'd through him: but the ethereal substance clos'd, 330 Not long divisible; and, from the gash,
A stream of nectarous humour issuing flow'd Sanguine, such as celestial spirits may bleed, And all his armour stain'd, ere while so bright. Forthwith on all sides to his aid was run By angels many and strong, who interposed Defence; while others bore him on their shields, Back to his chariot, where it stood retired, 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 power. 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, pierced 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 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, Adramalech, 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 Ramiel, 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 Heaven 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 Heaven and sacred memory, Nameless, in dark oblivion let them dwell. For strength, from truth divided and from just, Illaudable, nought 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 gored; 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'erwearied, through the faint Satanic host, Defensive scarce, or, with pale fear surpris'd, Then first with fear surprised, 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 the inviolable saints,
In cubic phalanx firm, advanced 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 moved.
"Now night her course began, and over Heaven
Inducing darkness, grateful truce imposed,
And silence, on the odious din of war:
Under her cloudy covert both retired,
Victor and vanquish'd on the foughten field Michael and his angels, prevalent,
Encamping, placed in guard their watches round,
Cherubic waving fires: on the 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 armɛ Not to be overpower'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 Heaven's Lord hath powerfullest to send Against us, from about his throne, and judged 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 endured, 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 pierced 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 the assembly next upstood Nisroch, of principalities the prime; As one he stood escaped from cruel fight, Sore toil'd, his riven arms to havoc hewn, And cloudy in aspect, thus answ'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, 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.' "Whereto, with look composed, Satan replied. 'Not uninvented, that, which thou aright Believest so main to our success, I bring. Which of us, who beholds the bright surface Of this ethereous mould, whereon we stand, This continent of spacious Heaven, adorn'd With plant, fruit, flower ambrosial, gems, and gold; Whose eye so superficially surveys
These things, as not to mind from whence they grow, Deep under ground, materials dark and crude, Of 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, Shall yield us, pregnant with infernal flame; Which into hollow engines, long and round, Thick-ramm'd, at the other bore, with touch of fire Dilated, and infuriate, shall send forth From far, with thundering noise among our foes, Such implements of mischief, as shall dash To pieces, and o'erwhelm whatever stands Adverse; that they shall fear we have disarm'd The thunderer of his only dreaded bolt. Nor long shall be our labour; yet ere dawn, Effect shall end our wish. Meanwhile revive; Abandon fear; to strength and counsel join'd, Think nothing hard, much less to be despair'd.' "He ended; and his words their drooping cheer Enlighten'd, and their languish'd hope reviv'd. The invention all admir'd, and each, how he To be the inventor miss'd; so easy it seem'd, Once found, which, yet unfound, most would have Impossible yet haply, of thy race, In future days, if malice should abound, Some one, intent on mischief, or inspired With devilish machination, might devise Like instrument, to plague the sons of men For sin, on war and mutual slaughter bent.
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