Tormented all the air; all air seem'd then Conflicting fire: long time in even scale The battle hung; till Satan, who that day Prodigious power had shewn, 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
Squadrons at once; with huge two-handed sway
Brandisht aloft the horrid edge came down Wide wasting; such destruction to withstand He hasted, and oppos'd the rocky orb Of tenfold adamant, his ample shield,
A vast circumference: at his approach
The great archangel from his warlike toil Surceas'd, and glad as hoping here to end Intestine war in Heav'n, the Arch-foe subdu'd Or captive dragg'd in chains, with hostile frown And visage all inflam'd first thus began:
""Author of evil, unknown till thy revolt, Unnam'd in Heav'n, now plenteous, as thou seest These acts of hateful strife, hateful to all, Though heaviest by just measure on thyself
And thy adherents; how hast thou disturb'd Heav'ns blessed peace, and into nature brought Misery, uncreated till the crime
Of thy rebellion? how hast thou instill'd
Thy malice into thousands, once upright
And faithful, now prov'd false? But think not here
To trouble holy rest; Heav'n casts thee out From all her confines. Heav'n 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 Q
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 Unvanquisht, easier to transact with me
That thou shouldst hope, imperious, and 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 Heav'n itself into the Hell Thou fablest; here however to dwell free, If not to reign: meanwhile 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 addrest for fight Unspeakable; for who, though with the tongue Of angels, can relate, or to what things Liken on Earth conspicuous, that may lift Human imagination to such highth
Of godlike power? for likest gods they seem'd, Stood they or mov'd; in stature, motion, arms Fit to decide the empire of great Heav'n. Now wav'd 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 retir'd
Where erst was thickest fight, th' 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, and 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 entring shar'd All his right side. Then Satan first knew pain, And writh'd him to and fro convolv'd; so sore The griding sword with discontinuous wound Pass'd through him, but th' ethereal substance clos'd, 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 erewhile so bright. Forthwith on all sides to his aid was run By angels many and strong who interpos'd Defence; while others bore him on their shields Back to his chariot, where it stood retir'd 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 Humbľ'd 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 defi'd,
And at his chariot-wheels to drag him bound Threatn'd nor from the Holy One of Heav'n Refrain'd his tongue blasphemous; but anon Down clov'n 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,
Mangl'd with ghastly wounds through plate and mail, Nor stood unmindful Abdiel to annoy
The atheist crew, but with redoubl'd blow Ariel and Arioch, and the violence Of Ramiel scorcht and blasted overthrew. I might relate of thousands and their names Eternize here on earth; but those elect Angels contented with their fame in Heav'n 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 Cancell'd from Heav'n 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
Vainglorious, 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 gor'd; 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 surpris'd 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 th' inviolable saints In cubic phalanx firm advanc't 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 mov'd.
'Now Night her course began, and over Heav'n
Inducing darkness, grateful truce impos'd,
And silence on the odious din of war:
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 tri'd, now known in arms 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 judg'd Sufficient to subdue us at 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 endur'd, and pain,
Till now not known, but known as soon contemn'd, Since now we find this our empyreal form
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