"Servant of God, well done, well hast thou fought The better fight, who single hast maintain'd

Against revolted multitudes the cause

Of truth, in word mightier than they in arms;
And for the testimony' of truth hast borne
Universal reproach, far worse to bear
Than violence; for this was all thy care

To stand approv'd in sight of God, though worlds
Judge thee perverse: the easier conquest now
Remains thee, aided by this host of friends,
Back on thy foes more glorious to return
Than scorn'd thou didst depart, and to subdue
By force, who reason for their law refuse,
Right reason for their law, and for their king
Messiah, who by right of merit reigns.
Go, Michael, of celestial armies prince,
And thou, in military prowess next,

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Gabriel, lead forth to battle these my sons
Invincible, lead forth my armed Saints,

By thousands and by millions rang'd for fight,
Equal in number to that Godless crew
Rebellious; them with fire and hostile arms
Fearless assault, and to the brow of Heaven
Pursuing, drive them out from God and bliss
Into their place of punishment, the gulf

Of Tartarus, which ready opens wide
His fiery Chaos to receive their fall.'

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"So spake the Sov'reign voice, and clouds began

To darken all the hill, and smoke to roll

In dusky wreaths, reluctant flames, the sign

Of wrath awak'd; nor with less dread the loud

Ethereal trumpet from on high 'gan blow:

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At which command the Powers militant,
That stood for Heav'n, in mighty quadrate join'd
Of union irresistible, mov'd on,

In silence, their bright legions to the sound
Of instrumental harmony, that breath'd

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Heroic ardour to advent'rous deeds,

Under their God-like leaders, in the cause
Of God and his Messiah. On they move,
Indissolubly firm; nor obvious hill,

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Nor strait'ning vale, nor stream, divides
Their perfect ranks; for high above the ground
Their march was, and the passive air uphore
Their nimble tread; as when the total kind
Of birds, in orderly array on wing,
Came, summon'd over Eden, to receive
Their names of thee; so over many a tract
Of Heav'n they march'd, and many a province wide,
Tenfold the length of this terrene. At last,
Far in th' horizon to the north, appear'd
From skirt to skirt a fiery region, stretch'd
In battailous aspect, and nearer view
Bristled with upright beams innumerable
Of rigid spears, and helmets throng'd, and shields
Various, with boastful argument portray'd,
The banded Pow'rs of Satan, hasting on
With furious expedition; for they ween'd
That self-same day by fight, or by surprise,
To win the mount of God, and on his throne
To set the envier of his state, the proud
Aspirer; but their thoughts prov'd fond and vain
In the midway: though strange to us it seem'd
At first, that Angel should with Angel war,
And in fierce hosting meet, who wont to meet
So oft in festivals of joy and love
Unanimous, as sons of one great Sire,
Hymning th' eternal Father. But the shout
Of battle now began, and rushing sound
Of onset ended soon each milder thought.
High in the midst, exalted as a God,
Th' Apostate in his sun-bright chariot sat,
Idol of majesty divine, enclos'd

With flaming Cherubim and golden shields;

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Then lighted from his gorgeous throne, for now
'Twixt host and host but narrow space was left,
A dreadful interval, and front to front
Presented stood in terrible array

Of hideous length: before the cloudy van
On the rough edge of battle ere it join'd,
Satan, with vast and haughty strides advanc'd,
Came tow'ring, arm'd in adamant and gold.
Abdiel that sight endur'd not, where he stood
Among the mightiest, bent on highest deeds,
And thus his own undaunted heart explores.
"O Heav'n! that such resemblance of the Highest
Should yet remain, where faith and reality

Remain not. Wherefore should not strength and might
There fail where virtue fails, or weakest prove
Where boldest, though to sight unconquerable?
His puissance, trusting in th' Almighty's aid,
I mean to try, whose reason I have try'd
Unsound and false; nor is it ought but just,
That he who in debate of truth hath won,
Should win in arms, in both disputes alike
Victor; though brutish that contest and foul,
When reason hath to deal with force, yet so
Most reason is that reason overcome.'

"So pondering, and from his armed peers
Forth stepping opposite, half way he met
His daring foe, at this prevention more
Incens'd, and thus securely him defy'd.

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Proud, art thou met? thy hope was to have reach'd

The height of thy aspiring unoppos'd,

The throne of God unguarded, and his side
Abandon'd at the terror of thy power

Or potent tongue: fool, not to think how vain
Against the Omnipotent to rise in arms;
Who cut of smallest things could without end
Have rais'd incessant armies to defeat
Thy folly; or with solitary hand,

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Reaching beyond all limit, at one blow
Unaided could have finish'd thee, and whelm'd
Thy legions under darkness. But thou seest
All are not of thy train; there be who faith
Prefer, and piety to God, though then
To thee not visible, when I alone
Seem'd in thy world erroneous to dissent
From all my sect thou seest; now learn too late
How few sometimes may know, when thousands err.'
"Whom the grand foe, with scornful eye askance,
Thus answer'd. 'Ill for thee, but in wish'd hour
Of my revenge, first sought for, thou return'st
From flight, seditious angel, to receive

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Thy merited reward, the first assay

Of this right hand provok'd, since first that tongue,
Inspir'd with contradiction durst oppose

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A third part of the Gods, in synod met

Their deities to assert, who, while they feel

Vigour divine within them, can allow

Omnipotence to none. But well thou com'st

Before thy fellows, ambitious to win

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From me some plume, that thy success may show

Destruction to the rest: this pause between

(Unanswer'd lest thou boast) to let thee know;
At first I thought that Liberty and Heaven
To heav'nly souls had been all one; but now
I see that most through sloth had rather serve,
Minist'ring Spirits, train'd up in feast and song;
Such hast thou arm'd, the minstrelsy of Heaven,
Servility with freedom to contend,

As both their deeds compar'd this day shall prove.'
"To whom in brief thus Abdiel stern reply'd.
'Apostate, still thou err'st, nor end will find
Of erring, from the path of truth remote:
Unjustly thou deprav’st it with the name
Of servitude, to serve whom God ordains,
Or Nature; God and Nature bid the same,

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When he who rules is worthiest, and excels
Them whom he governs. This is servitude,
To serve th' unwise, or him who hath rebell'd“
Against his worthier, as thine now serve thee,
Thyself not free, but to thyself inthrall'd;'

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Yet lewdly dar'st our minist'ring upbraid. Licentienstruen

Reign thou in Hell, thy kingdom; let me serve

In Heav'n God ever blest, and his divine
Behests obey, worthiest to he obey'd;

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Yet chains in Hell, not realms expect: meanwhile
From me return'd, as erst thou saidst, from flight,
This greeting on thy impious crest receive.'

"So say'ing, a noble stroke he lifted high,

Which hung not, but so swift with tempest fell

On the proud crest of Satan, that no sight,

Nor motion of swift thought, less could his shield,
Such ruin intercept: ten paces huge

He back recoil'd; the tenth on bended knee
His massy spear upstay'd; as if on earth
Winds under ground, or waters forcing way,
Sidelong had push'd a mountain from his seat,
Half sunk with all his pines. Amazement seiz'd
The rebel Thrones, but greater rage to see

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Thus foil'd their mightiest; ours joy fill'd, and shout,
Presage of victory, and fierce desire

Of battle: whereat Michaël bid sound

Th' Archangel trumpet; through the vast of Heaven
It sounded, and the faithful armies rung
Hosannah to the High'est; nor stood at gaze
The adverse legions, nor less hideous join'd
The horrid shock. Now storming fury rose,
And clamour such as heard in Heav'n till now
Was never; arms on armour clashing bray'd
Horrible discord, and the madding wheels
Of brazen chariots rag'd; dire was the noise,
Of conflict; over head the dismal hiss
Of fiery darts in flaming vollies flew,

Vaincu

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braine