Because the Father t' whom in Heav'n supreme
Kingdom and power and glory appertains,
Hath honour'd me according to his will.
Therefore to me their doom he hath assign'd;
That they may have their wish, to try with me
In battle which the stronger proves, they all,
Or I alone against them, since by strength
They measure all, of other excellence
Not emulous, nor care who them excels;
Nor other strife with them do I voutsafe."
'So spake the Son, and into terror chang'd
His count'nance too severe to be beheld,
And full of wrath bent on his enemies.
At once the four spread out their starry wings
With dreadful shade contiguous, and the orbs
Of his fierce chariot roll'd, as with the sound
Of torrent floods, or of a numerous host.
He on his impious foes right onward drove,
Gloomy as night; under his burning wheels
The steadfast empyrean shook throughout,
All but the throne itself of God. Full soon
Among them he arriv'd; in his right hand
Grasping ten thousand thunders, which he sent
Before him, such as in their souls infix'd

815

820

825

830

835

Plagues; they astonisht, all resistance lost,

All courage; down their idle weapons dropp'd:

O'er shields and helms, and helmed heads he rode

840

Of Thrones and mighty seraphim prostrate,

That wisht the mountains now might be again

Thrown on them as a shelter from his ire.

Nor less on either side tempestuous fell

His arrows, from the fourfold-visag'd four,

845

Distinct with eyes, and from the living wheels,
Distinct alike with multitude of eyes,

One spirit in them rul'd, and every eye

Glar'd lightning, and shot forth pernicious fire

Among th' accurst, that wither'd all their strength,
And of their wonted vigour left them drain'd,

850

Exhausted, spiritless, afflicted, fall'n.

Yet half his strength he put not forth, but check'd

His thunder in mid volley, for he meant

Not to destroy, but root them out of Heav'n:

855

The overthrown he rais'd, and as a herd
Of goats or timorous flock together throng'd,
Drove them before him thunder-struck, pursu'd
With terrors and with furies to the bounds
And crystal wall of Heav'n, which op'ning wide,
Roll'd inward, and a spacious gap disclos'd
Into the wasteful Deep; the monstrous sight
Struck them with horror backward, but far worse

860

Urg'd them behind; headlong themselves they threw
Down from the verge of Heav'n; eternal wrath
Burnt after them to the bottomless pit.

865

'Hell heard th' unsufferable noise, Hell saw
Heav'n ruining from Heav'n, and would have fled
Affrighted; but strict Fate had cast too deep
Her dark foundations, and too fast had bound.
Nine days they fell; confounded Chaos roar'd,
And felt tenfold confusion in their fall
Through his wild anarchy, so huge a rout
Encumber'd him with ruin: Hell at last

870

Yawning receiv'd them whole, and on them clos'd:
Hell their fit habitation fraught with fire
Unquenchable, the house of woe and pain.
Disburd'nd Heav'n rejoic'd, and soon repair'd
Her mural breach, returning whence it roll'd.

875

Sole victor from th' expulsion of his foes

880

Messiah his triumphant chariot turn'd:

To meet him all his saints, who silent stood
Eye-witnesses of his almighty acts,

With jubilee advanc'd; and as they went,

Shaded with branching palm, each order bright,
Sung triumph, and him sung victorious King,
Son, Heir, and Lord, to him dominion giv'n,
Worthiest to reign: he celebrated rode
Triumphant through mid Heav'n, into the courts

R

885

And temple of his mighty Father thron'd

On high: who into glory him receiv'd,

890

Where now he sits at the right hand of bliss.

'Thus measuring things in Heav'n by things on Earth At thy request, and that thou may'st beware

By what is past, to thee I have reveal'd

895

What might have else to human race been hid;

The discord which befell, and war in Heav'n
Among th' angelic powers, and the deep fall
Of those too high aspiring, who rebell'd
With Satan, he who envies now thy state,
Who now is plotting, how he may seduce
Thee also from obedience, that with him
Bereav'd of happiness thou may'st partake
His punishment, eternal misery;

Which would be all his solace and revenge,
As a despite done against the Most High,
Thee once to gain companion of his woe.
But list'n not to his temptations, warn
Thy weaker; let it profit thee to have heard
By terrible example the reward

900

905

910

Of disobedience; firm they might have stood,
Yet fell; remember, and fear to transgress.'

NOTES.

Of the following Notes, the greater portion has been selected from those appended to the best editions of Milton, but illustrations have also been drawn from other sources. I have endeavoured to carry out the recommendation of Mr. Abbott in his Essay on the Teaching of English, and to set before the student condensed and suggestive information upon salient points, rather than a complete and detailed commentary. Those who require a fuller exposition should consult the notes on the Early Poems by Warton, valuable for their array of parallel passages, or those to the Poetical Works, by Mr. Keightley, from which latter the following pages have frequently been enriched. It is an agreeable duty to acknowledge the assistance which I, and all lovers of Milton's poetry, have received from the labours of the accomplished editor.

To the illustrative passages from the Bible, Homer, Virgil, Horace, Ovid's Metamorphoses, Shakespeare, and the First and Second Books of the Faery Queene (already published in this Series), references only, for the most part, are given in these Notes. Quotations from other classical writers, and from the later books of Spenser, are given (when necessary) in full.

R. C. B.