Less hardy to endure? Courageous chief, stern: "Not that I less endure, or shrink from pain, Insulting Angel! well thou know'st I stood Thy fiercest, when in battle to thy aid The blasting volleyed thunder made all speed And seconded thy else not dreaded spear. But still thy words at random, as before, Argue thy inexperience what behoves, From hard assays and ill successes past, A faithful leader not to hazard all Through ways of danger by himself untried. I, therefore, I alone, first undertook To wing the desolate Abyss, and spy This new-created World, whereof in Hell Fame is not silent, here in hope to find Better abode, and my afflicted Powers To settle here on Earth, or in mid Air; Though for possession put to try once more What thou and thy gay legions dare against; Whose easier business were to serve their Lord High up in Heaven, with songs to hymn his throne, And practised distances to cringe, not fight." To whom the Warrior-Angel soon replied: "To say and straight unsay, pretending first Wise to fly pain, professing next the spy, Argues no leader, but a liar traced, 920 930 940 Satan; and couldst thou 'faithful' add? O name, 950 O sacred name of faithfulness profaned! Faithful to whom? to thy rebellious crew? Army of fiends, fit body to fit head! Was this your discipline and faith engaged, Allegiance to the ackowledged Power Supreme? Once fawned, and cringed, and servilely adored Heaven's awful Monarch? wherefore, but in hope 960 To dispossess him, and thyself to reign? But mark what I areed thee now: Avaunt! If from this hour appear, Fly thither whence thou fledd'st. Far heavier load thyself expect to feel From my prevailing arm, though Heaven's King His stature reached the sky, and on his crest 980 Sat Horror plumed; nor wanted in his grasp deeds Might have ensued; nor only Paradise, Now dreadful 990 At least, had gone to wrack, disturbed and torn 1000 The latter quick up flew, and kicked the beam; Which Gabriel spying thus bespake the Fiend: "Satan, I know thy strength, and thou know'st mine, Neither our own, but given; what folly then To boast what arms can do! since thine no more Than Heaven permits, nor mine, though doubled now, To trample thee as mire. For proof look up, And read thy lot in yon celestial sign, 1010 Where thou art weighed, and shown how light, how weak If you resist." The Fiend looked up, and knew His mounted scale aloft: nor more; but fled Murmuring; and with him fled the shades of Night. BOOK V THE ARGUMENT Morning approached, Eve relates to Adam her troublesome dream; he likes it not, yet comforts her: they come forth to their day labours: their morning hymn at the door of their bower. God, to render Man inexcusable, sends Raphael to ad monish him of his obedience, of his free estate, of his enemy near at hand, who he is, and why his enemy, and whatever else may avail Adam to know. Raphael comes down to Paradise; his appearance described; his coming discerned by Adam afar off, sitting at the door of his bower; he goes out to meet him, brings him to his lodge, entertains him with the choicest fruits of Paradise, got together by Eve; their discourse at table. Raphael performs his message, minds Adam of his state and of his enemy; relates, at Adam's request, who that enemy is, and how he came to be so, beginning from his first revolt in Heaven, and the occasion thereof; how he drew his legions after him to the parts of the North, and there incited them to rebel with him, persuading all but only Abdiel, a seraph, who in argument dissuades and opposes him, then forsakes him. BOOK VI THE ARGUMENT Yet, Raphael_continues to relate how Michael and Gabriel were sent forth to battle against Satan and his Angels. The first fight described: Satan and his Powers retire under night. He calls a council; invents devilish engines, which, in the second day's fight, put Michael and his Angels to some disorder; but they at length, pulling up mountains, overwhelmed both the force and machines of Satan. the tumult not so ending, God, on the third day, sends Messiah his Son, for whom he had reserved the glory of that victory. He, in the power of his Father, coming to the place, and causing all his legions to stand still on either side, with his chariot and thunder driving into the midst of his enemies, pursues them, unable to resist, towards the wall of Heaven; which opening, they leap down with horror and confusion into the place of punishment prepared for them in the Deep. Messiah returns with triumph to his Father. "All night the dreadless Angel, unpursued, Through Heaven's wide champaign held his way, till Waked by the circling Hours, with rosy hand Where Light and Darkness in perpetual round Grateful vicissitude, like day and night; Light issues forth, and at the other door Obsequious Darkness enters, till her hour 10 To veil the heaven, though darkness there might well Shot through with orient beams; when all the plain 20 Reflecting blaze on blaze, first met his view. The better fight, who single hast maintained Of truth, in word mightier than they in arms, Than violence; for this was all thy care To stand approved in sight of God, though worlds 30 40 50 |