Of victory. Deeds of eternal fame
Were done, but infinite; for wide was fpread
That war, and various: fometimes on firm ground,
A ftanding fight; then, foaring on main wing,
Tormented all the air; all air feem'd then
Conflicting fire. Long time in even scale
The battel hung; till Satan, (who that day
Prodigious pow'r had shewn, and met in arms
No equal) ranging through the dire attack
Of fighting Seraphim confus'd, at length
Saw where the fword of Michael smote, and fell'd
Squadrons at once; with huge two-handed fway 251
Brandish'd aloft, the horrid edge came down
Wide-wafting! fuch deftruction to withstand
He hafted, and oppos'd the rocky orb
Of ten-fold adamant, his ample fhield,
A vaft circumference! At his approach
The great Arch-Angel from his war-like toil
Surceas'd; and glad, as hoping here to end
Intestine war in heav'n, th' arch-foe fubdu'd,
Or captive drag'd in chains, with hoftile frown, 260
And vifage all inflam'd, firft thus began.
Author of evil! un-known 'till thy revolt,
Un-nam'd in heav'n, now plenteous, (as thou seeft)
Thefe acts of hateful ftrife; hateful to all,
Though heaviest (by just measure) on thy felf, 265
And thy adherents: how haft thou difturb'd
Heav'n's bleffed peace, and into nature brought
Mifery, un-created 'till the crime
Of thy rebellion! how haft thou instill'd
Thy malice into thousands, once upright
And faithful, Low prov'd falfe! But think not here
To trouble holy reft: heav'n cafts thee out
From all her confines: heav'n, the feat 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;
E’er this avenging sword begin thy doom;
Or fome more fudden vengeance, wing'd from God,
Precipitate thee with augmented pain.
289
So fpake the Prince of Angels! to whom thus
The Adversary. Nor think thou with wind
Of aery threats to awe, whom yet with deeds
Thou canst not. Haft thou turn'd the leaft of thefe
To flight? or if to fall, but that they rise
Un-vanquish'd; easier to transact with me
That thou should't hope, imperious! and with threats
To chafe me hence? Err not that fo fhall
The ftrife which thou call'ft evil, but we style
The ftrife of glory: which we mean to win, 290
Or turn this heav'n it self into the hell
Thou fableft; here, however, to dwell free,
If not to reign: mean-while thy utmost force
(And join Him nam'd Almighty to thy aid,)
I fly not; but have fought thee far, and nigh. 295
They ended parle, and both addreft for fight
Un-fpeakable: for who, though with the tongue
Of Angels, can relate? or to what things
Liken on earth confpicuous, that may lift
Human imagination to fuch height
Of God-like pow'r? For likeft God, they feem'd,
Stood they, or mov'd; in ftature, motion, arms,
Fit to decide the empire of great heav'n!
Now wav'd their fiery fwords, and in the air
Made horrid circles; two broad funs their shields
Blaz'd oppofite, while expectation stood
In horror: from each hand with speed retir'd,
Where erft was thickest fight, th'angelic throng;
And left large field, unfafe within the wind
Of fuch commotion: fuch as (to fet forth
Great things by fmall) if nature's concord broke,
Among the conftellations war were fprung,
Two planets, rushing from aspect malign
Of fiercest oppofition, in mid-sky,
Should combat, and their jarring spheres confound.
Together both, with next t'Almighty arm
Up-lifted imminent, one stroke they aim'd
That might determine, and not need repeat,
(As not of pow'r, at once) nor odds appear'd
In might, or fwift prevention: but the sword 320
Of Michael, from the armory of God
Was giv'n him temper'd fo, that neither keen,
Nor folid, might refift that edge: it met
The fword of Satan, with fteep force to fmite
Defcending, and in half cut sheer; nor ftaid, 325
But with swift wheel reverfe, deep entring fhar'd
All his right fide: then Satan first knew pain,
And writh'd him to and fro convolv'd; fo fore
The griding sword with discontinuous wound
Pafs'd thro' him! But th' ethereal substance clos'd, Not long divisible; and from the gash
A ftream of nectarous humour iffuing flow'd,
Sanguin (fuch as cœleftial spirits may bleed,)
And all his armor ftain'd, e'er-while fo bright.
Forthwith on all fides to his aid was run
By Angels many, and strong, who interpos'd
Defense; 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, 349
To find himself not matchlefs, and his pride
Humbled by fuch rebuke, so far beneath
His confidence to equal God in pow'r.
Yet foon he heal'd; for, fpirits 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, 350
All intellect, all fenfe; and as they please,
They limb themselves, and color, shape, and fize
Affume, as likes them beft, condenfe, or rare.
Mean-while in other parts like deeds deferv'd
Memorial, where the might of Gabriel fought,
And with fierce enfigns pierc'd the deep array 356
Of Moloc, furious King! who him defy'd,
And at his chariot wheels to drag him bound
Threaten'd, not from the Holy One of heav'n
Refrain'd his tongue blafphemous: but anon
Down cloven to the waist, with fhatter'd arms, And uncouth pain, fled bellowing. On each wing Uriel, and Raphael, his vaunting foe
(Tho' huge, and in a rock of diamond arm'd) Vanquish'd, Adramelec, and Afmadai,
Two potent Thrones! that to be less than Gods Difdain'd; but meaner thoughts learn'd in their flight, Mangled with gaftly wounds thro' plate, and mail. Nor ftood unmindful Abdiel, to annoy
The atheist-crew; but, with redoubled blow, 370
Ariel, and Arioc, and the violence
Of Ramiel fcorch'd, and blafted, overthrew.----
I might relate of thousands, and their names
Eternize here on earth; but those elect
Angels, contented with their fame in heav'n, 375
Seek not the praise of men: the other fort
In might though wondrous, and in acts of war,
Nor of renown lefs eager, yet by doom
Cancel'd from heav'n, and facred memory,
Nameless in dark oblivion let them dwell.
For ftrength from truth divided, and from just,
And ignominy; yet to glory afpires,
Illaudable, nought merits but difpraife,
Vain-glorious, and through infamy seeks fame :
Therefore eternal filence be their doom!
And now, their mightiest quell'd, the battel swerv'd,
With many an in-rode gor'd; deformed rout
Enter'd, and foul diforder: all the ground
With shiver'd armour strown, and on a heap
|