Not distant far with heavy pace the foe
Approaching gross and huge; in hollow cube
Training his devilish enginery, impal'd
On every side with shadowing squadrons deep,
To hide the fraud. At interview both stood
A while; but suddenly at head appear'd
Satan; and thus was heard commanding loud.
Vanguard, to right and left the front unfold;
That all may see, who hate us, how we seek
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
So scoffing in ambiguous words, he scarce
Had ended, when to right and left the front
Divided, and to either flank retir'd:
Which to our eyes discover'd, new and strange,
A triple mounted row of pillars, laid
On wheels, (for like to pillars most they seem'd,
Or hollow'd bodies made of oak or fir
With branches lop'd, in wood or mountain fell❜d,) 575
Brass, iron, stony mould, had not their mouths
With hideous orifice gap'd on us wide,
Portending hollow truce; at each behind
552 cube] Tubes, 483. Bentl. MS.
574 hollow'd bodies] Pallisadoes, 483. Bentl. MS.
A seraph stood, and in his hand a reed
Stood waving tip'd with fire; while we suspense 580 Collected stood within our thoughts amus'd;
Not long, for sudden all at once their reeds
Put forth, and to a narrow vent apply'd
With nicest touch. Immediate in a flame,
But soon obscur'd with smoke, all heaven appear'd,
From those deep-throated engines belch'd, whose roar
Embowel'd with outrageous noise the air,
And all her entrails tore, disgorging foul
Their devilish glut, chain'd thunderbolts and hail
Of iron globes, which on the victor host
Level'd with such impetuous fury smote,
That whom they hit, none on their feet might stand, Though standing else as rocks; but down they fell By thousands, angel on archangel roll'd,
The sooner for their arms; unarm'd they might 595
Have easily as spirits evaded swift
By quick contraction or remove: but now
Foul dissipation follow'd and forc'd rout:
Nor serv'd it to relax their serried files.
What should they do? if on they rush'd, repulse
Repeated, and indecent overthrow
Doubled, would render them yet more despis'd,
580 Stood waving] This is certainly an error, 'stood' occurs in the line before and after. Bentley would read 'Held;' but wishing to keep as close to the text as I can, I propose 'shone.' Mr. Dyce proposes 'shook.'
586 belch'd] See Beaumont's Psyche, c. xx. st. 103.
'But oft it gap'd and belch'd, whence upwards broke
Black volumes of contagious stink and smoke.'
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.
O friends, why come not on these victors proud?
Ere while they fierce were coming; and when we,
To entertain them fair with open front.
And breast (what could we more?) propounded terms
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'd
Somewhat extravagant and wild; perhaps
For joy of offer'd peace: but I suppose,
If our proposals once again were heard,
We should compel them to a quick result.
To whom thus Belial in like gamesome mood. 620 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, Had need from head to foot well understand; Not understood, this gift they have besides, They shew us when our foes walk not upright. So they among themselves in pleasant vein
625 understand] This equivocation adopted from Shakespeare's Two G. of Verona, ii. 5.
'My staff understands me,' &c. Johnson. 626 understood] under-stoop. Bentl. MS.
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,
And all his host derided, while they stood
A while in trouble; but they stood not long;
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,
(For earth hath this variety from heaven
Of pleasure situate in hill and dale,)
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
Up lifting bore them in their hands. Amaze,
Be sure, and terror seiz'd the rebel host,
When coming towards them so dread they saw
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
642 light'ning] See Nonni Dionysiaca, ii. 293, xiv. 55.
644 pluck'd] Compare Statii Theb. ii. 559.
'Saxum ingens, quod vix plena cervice gementes
Vertere humo, murisque valent inferre juvenci,
Rupibus avellit: dein toto sanguine nixus
Sustinet,' &c.
Main promontories flung, which in the air
Came shadowing, and opprest whole legions arm'd;
Their armour help'd their harm, crush'd in and bruis'd
Into their substance pent, which wrought them pain
Implacable, and many a dolorous groan,
Long struggling underneath, ere they could wind
Out of such prison, though spirits of purest light, 660
Purest at first, now gross by sinning grown.
The rest in imitation to like arms
Betook them, and the neighbouring hills uptore;
So hills amid the air encounter'd hills,
Hurl'd to and fro with jaculation dire,
That under ground they fought in dismal shade;
Infernal noise! war seem'd a civil game
To this uproar; horrid confusion heap'd
Upon confusion rose and now all heav'n
Had gone to wrack, with ruin overspread,
Had not th' 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:
That his great purpose he might
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
Th' assessor of his throne he thus began.
Effulgence of my glory, Son belov'd,
Son in whose face invisible is beheld
674 advis'd] A participle adverbial, and very elegant; it means advisedly, as Hor. Ode I. iii. 21. Richardson.
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