515 "To blackest grain, and into store convey'd: "Part, hidden veins digg'd up (nor hath this earth "Whereof to found their engines, and their balls "Now when fair morn orient in heaven appear'd, 525"Up rose the victor-angels, and to arms "Of golden panoply, refulgent host! "Soon banded: others from the dawning hills "Look'd round, and scouts each coast light-armed scour530 "Each quarter, to descry the distant foe"Where lodg'd, or whither fled, or if for fight, "In motion, or in halt: him soon they met "Under spread ensigns moving nigh, in slow "But firm battalion. Back with speediest sail Zophiel, of Cherubim the swiftest wing, "Came flying, and in mid air aloud thus cried: 535 "Arm, warriors-arm for fight! the foe at hand, "Whom fled we thought, will save us long pursuit "This day fear not his flight; so thick a cloud 540 "He comes, and settled in his face I see "Sad resolution, and secure. Let each "His adamantine coat gird well, and each "Fit well his helm, gripe fast his orbed shield, "Borne even, or high; for this day will pour down, 545 "If I conjecture aught, no drizzling shower, "But rattling storm of arrows barb'd with fire.' "So warn'd he them, aware themselves; and soon "In order, quit of all impediment, "Instant without disturb they took alarm, 550 "And onward mov'd embattled: when, behold! "Not distant far with heavy pace the foe 66 Approaching gross, and huge, in hollow cube 66 Training his devilish engin'ry, impal'd "On every side with shadowing squadrons deep 555" To hide the fraud. At interview both stood "A while; but suddenly at head appear'd "Satan, and thus was heard commanding loud: 66 6 Vanguard! to right and left the front unfold; "That all may see who hate us, how we seek 560 "Peace and composure: and, with open breast, "Stand ready to receive them, if they like “Our overture, and turn not back perverse; "But that I doubt: however, witness heaven, "Heaven witness thou anon, while we discharge "Freely our part! Ye, who appointed stand, "Do as you have in charge, and briefly touch "What we propound, and loud that all may hear.' "So scoffing in ambiguous words, he scarce "Had ended; when to right and left the front 570"Divided, and to either flank retir'd: 565 "Which to our eyes discover'd, new and strange, "On wheels, (for like to pillars most they seem'd, 575" With branches lopt, in wood or mountain fell'd,) "Portending hollow truce: at each behind "A Seraph stood, and in his hand a reed 580 "Stood waving tipt with fire; while we, suspense, "Collected stood within our thoughts amus'd; "Not long, for sudden all at once their reeds "Put forth, and to a narrow vent applied "With nicest touch. Immediate in a flame, 585 "But soon obscur'd with smoke, all heaven appear'd, "From those deep-throated engines belch'd, whose roar "Embowell'd with outrageous noise the air, "And all her entrails tore, disgorging foul "Their devilish glut-chain'd thunderbolts and hail 590 "Of iron globes, which, on the victor host 595 600 "Levell'd, with such impetuous fury smote, "That, whom they hit, none on their feet might stand, "The sooner for their arms: unarm'd, they might "By quick contraction, or remove; but now "What should they do? if on they rush'd, repulse "Doubled, would render them yet more despis'd, "Stood rank'd of Seraphim another row, 605 "In posture to displode their second tire "Of thunder: back defeated to return 610 "They worse abhorred. Satan beheld their plight, ""O friends! why come not on these victors proud? "And breast, (what could we more?) propounded terms 615 "As they would dance; yet for a dance they seem'd 620 "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 home; "Such as we might perceive amus'd them all, "And stumbled many: who receives them right, 625"Had need from head to foot well understand; "Not understood, this gift they have besides"They show us when our foes walk not upright.' "So they amongst themselves in pleasant vein 630 635 640 645 650 655 660 665 "Stood scoffing, heighten'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, Rage prompted them at length, and found them arms "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 66 (For earth hath this variety from heaven "Of pleasure, situate in hill and dale,) 66 Light as the light'ning glimpse they ran-they flew; From their foundations loos'ning to and fro, "They pluck'd the seated hills, with all their load"Rocks, waters, woods; and, by the shaggy tops 66 Uplifting, bore them in their hands. Amaze, 66 They saw them whelm'd, and all their confidence "Came shadowing, and oppress'd whole legions arm'd : 66 Long struggling underneath, ere they could wind "Out of such prison, though spirits of purest light— "Purest at first, now gross by sinning grown. "The rest, in imitation, to like arms "Betook them, and the neighbouring hills uptore: Hurl'd to and fro with jaculation dire; "That underground they fought in dismal shade: "Infernal noise! war seem'd a civil game 66 Upon confusion rose. And now all heaven 670"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 "This tumult, and permitted all, advis'd; 675"That his great purpose he might so fulfil, "To honour his anointed Son, aveng'd "Upon his enemies, and to declare 680 685 690 "All power on him transferr'd: whence to his Son, 66 6 Effulgence of my glory, Son belov'd! "And in whose hand what by decree I do: (Two days, as we compute the days of heaven,) Since Michael, and his Powers, went forth to tame "These disobedient: 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 wrought Insensibly, for I suspend their doom: 666 "Whence in perpetual fight they needs must last 66 6 695"War wearied hath perform'd what war can do, "And to disorder'd rage let loose the reins, 700 "With mountains, as with weapons, arm'd; which makes |