Levéll'd, with such impetuous fury amote, That, whom they hit, none on their feet might stand,

Though standing e.se as rocks, but down they fell By thousands, ange on archangel roll'd;

The sooner for their arms; unarm'd, they might
Have easily, as spirits, evaded swift

By quick contraction or remove; but now
Foul dissipation follow'd, and fore'd ront;
Nor serv'd it to relax their serried files. 97
What should they do? if on they rush'd, repulse
Repeated, and indécent overthrow

Doubled, would render them yet more despis'd,
And to their foes a laughter; for in view \
Stood rank'd of seraphim another row,
In posture to displode their second tire
Of thunder: back defeated to return
They worse abhorr'd. Satan beheld their plight,
And to his mates thus in derision call'd ; [proud ?
*** * O friends !! why come not on these victors
Ere while they fierce were coming; and when we,
To entertain them fair with open front [terms
And breast, (what could we more ?) propounded
Of composition, straight they chang'd their minds,
Flew off, and into strange vagaries fell,

As they would dance; yet for a dance they seem'
Somewhat extravagant and wild; perhaps
For joy of offer'd peace but I suppose, %
If our proposals once again were heard, about
We should compel them to a quick result.'

"To whom thus Belial, in like gamesome mood:
'Leader! the terms we sent were terms of weight,
Of hard contents, and full of force urg'd hone
Such as we might perceive amus'd them all,
And stumbled many: who receives them right
Had need from head to foot well understand,
Not understood, this gift they have besides, kuni
They shew as when our foes walk not upright."

“So they among themselves in pleasant voisaa

Stood coming, highten'd in their thoughts beyond
All doubt of victory: Eternal Might

To match with their inventions they presum'd
So easy, and of his thunder made a scorn,
And all his host derided, while they stood
A while in trouble: but they stood not long ;
Rage prompted them at length, and found there

artis

Against such hellish mischief fit to oppose.
Forthwith (behold the excellence, the power,
Which God hath in his mighty angels plac'd!)
Their arms away they threw, and to the hills,
(For earth hath this variety from heaven,
Of pleasure situate in hill and dale,)

1

Light as the lightning glimpse they ran, they flew
From their foundations loosening to and fro,
They pluck'd the seated hills, with all thei: oad,
Rocks, waters, woods, and by the shaggy tops
Uplifting hore them in their hands: amaze,
Be sure, and terror, seiz'd the rebel hoss,
When coming towards them so dread they W
The bottom of the mountains upward turn'd;
Till on those cursed engines' triple row
They saw them whelm'd, and all their confidence
Under the weight of mountains buried deep;
Themselves invaded next, and on their heads
Main promontories flung, which in the air
James shadowing, and oppress'd - whole legions
arm'd ;
Ebruis d
Their armour help'd the'. harm, crush'd in atte
Into their substance pent, which wrought them
Implacable, and many a dolorous groan a Epair
Long struggling underneath, ere they could wind
Out of such prison, though spirits of purest light,"
Purest at first, now gross by sinuing grown.
The rest, in imitation, to like arms

Betook them, and the neighbouring hills uptore a
So hills amid the air encounter'd hilis,

Hurl'd to and fro with jaculation dire ş

That under ground they fought in dismal shade ș
Infernal noise! war seem'd a civil game.
To this uproar; horrid confusion heap'd
Upon confusion rose. And now all heaven wee
Had gone to wrack, with ruin overspread ;
Had not the Almighty Father, where he sits
Shrin'd in his sanctuary of heaven secure,
Consulting on the sum of things, foreseen re
This tumult, and permitted all, advis'd;
That his great purpose he might so fulfil,
To honour his anointed Son aveng'd
Upon his enemies, and to declare

All power on him transferr'd: whence to his Son
The assessor of his throne, he thus began :
"Effulgence of my glory, Son belov'd,
Son, in whose face invisible is beheld
Visibly, what by Deity I am;

And in whose hand what by decree I do,
Second Omnipotence! two days are past,
Two days, as we compute the days of heaven,
Since Michael and his powers went forth to tame
These disobedien sore hath been their fight,
As likeliest was, when two such foes met arm'd ;
For to themselves I left them; and thou know'st,
Equal in their creation they were form'd,
Save what sin hath impair'd; which yet hath
Insensibly, for I suspend their doom: [wrought
Whence in perpetual fight they needs must last
Endless, and no solution will be found:
War wearied hath perform'd what war can do,
And to disorder'd rage let loose the reins,

With mountains, as with weapons, arm'd; which makes

t

Wild work in heaven, and dangerous to the main.
Two days are therefore past, the third is thine;
For thee I have ordain'd it; and thus far.
Have suffer'd, that the glory may be thine
Of ending this great war, since none but thou
Can end it. Into thee such virtue and grace

Immense I have transfus'd, that all may know
In heaven and hell thy power above compare;
And, this perverse commotion govern'd thus,
To manifest thee worthiest to be Heir
Of all things; to be Heir, and to be King
By sacred unction, thy deserved right.
Go then, thou Mightiest, in thy Father's might /
Ascend my chariot, guide the rapid wheels

That shake heaven's basis, bring forth all my war,
My bow and thunder, my almighty arms
Gird on, and sword upon thy puissant thigh;
Pursue these sons of darkness, drive them out
From all heaven's bounds into the utter deep:
There let them learn, as likes them, to despise
God, and Messiah, his anointed King."

"He said, and on his Son with rays direct Shone full; he all his Father full express'd Ineffably into his face receiv'd ;

And thus the filial Godhead answering spake :
"O Father, O Supreme of heavenly thrones
First, Highest, Holiest, Best: thou always seek'st ›
To glorify thy Son; I always thee,

As is most just: this I my glory account,
My exaltation, and my whole delight,

That thou in me, well pleas'd, declarest thy wil
Fulfill'd, which to fulfil is all my bliss.
Sceptre and power, thy giving, I assume,
And gladlier shall resign, when in the end
Thou shalt be all in all, and I in thee
For ever; and in me all whom thou lov'st:
But whom thou hat'st, I hate, and can put on
Thy terrors, as I put thy mildness on,

Image of thee in all things; and shall soon, Arm'd with thy might, rid heaven of these rei bell'd;

To their prepar'd ill mansion driven down,
To chains of darkness, and the undying worm ?
That from thy just obedience could revolt,
Whom to obey is happiness entire.

Then skall thy saints unmix'd, and from the ini:
Far separate, circling thy holy mount,"
Unfeigned hallelujahs to thee sing,

66

Ipure Hymns of high praise, and I among them chief So said, he, o'er his sceptre bowing, rosé From the right hand of glory where he sat : And the third sacred morn began to shine, Dawning through heaven. Forth rush'd with whirlwind sound

The chariot of Paternal Deity,

Flashing thick flames, wheel within wheel un-
Itself instinct with spirit, but convoy'dTM ^ [drawn
By four cherubic shapes; four faces each
Had wondrous; as with stars, their bodies all,
And wings, were set with eyes; with eyes the
wheeb
Of beryl, and careering fires between;
Over their heads a crystal firmament,
Whereon a sapphire throne, inlaid with pure
Amber, and colours of the showery arch:
He, in celestial panoply all arm'd

Of radiant Urim, work divinely wrought,
Ascended; at his right hand. Victory
Sat eagle-wing'd ; beside him hung his bow
And quiver with three-bolted thunder stor’di
And from about him fierce effusion roll'a
Of smoke, and bickering flame, and sparkles de
Attended with ten thousand thônsand saints,
He onward came; far off his coming thone;
And twenty thousand (1 their number heard'
Chariots of God, half on each hand, were seet
He on the wings of cherub rode sublime
On the crystalline sky; in sapphire throne;
Illustrious far and wide; but by his own
First seen them unexpected joy surpris'd,
When the great ensign of Messiah blaz á
Aloft by angels borne, his sight in heaven;
Under whose conduct Michael soon reduc'd
His army, circumfus'd on either wing,
Under their head embodied all in one-