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His will who bound us? Let him surer bar
His iron gates, if he intends our stay

In that dark durance. Thus much what was The rest is true, they found me where they sa But that implies not violence or harm."

Thus he in scorn. The warlike angel move
Disdainfully half-smiling, thus replied:
"O loss of one in Heaven to judge of wise,
Since Satan fell! whom folly overthrew,
And now returns him from his prison scaped,
Gravely in doubt whether to hold them wise
Or not, who ask what boldness brought him hit
Unlicensed from his bounds in Hell prescribed
So wise he judges it to fly from pain

However, and to scape his punishment !
So judge thou still, presumptuous, till the wrath
Which thou incurr'st by flying, meet thy flight
Sevenfold, and scourge that wisdom back to He
Which taught thee yet no better, that no pain
Can equal anger infinite provoked.

But wherefore thou alone? wherefore with thee
Came not all Hell broke loose? is pain to them
Less pain, less to be fled? or thou than they
Less hardy to endure? Courageous chief!
The first in flight from pain, hadst thou alleged
To thy deserted host this cause of flight,
Thou surely hadst not come sole fugitive."

To which the Fiend thus answered, frowning "Not that I less endure, or shrink from pain, Insulting angel; well thou know'st I stood

899. what, for what; in reply to what.

902. moved, stirred in spirit; excited.

904. of wise, who are wi 911. However, in any whatever.

916. equal, be equal to.

930

935

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 behooves,
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,

940

945

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,

927. Thy fiercest, thy fiercest attack; the fiercest thou couldst do.

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against, dare to attempt against

us.

943. were, would be.

945. And practised distances, such distances as courtiers practise in their obeisances. - with seems to govern distances.

948. Wise, that it is wise.

949. traced, tracked; found out; clearly shown.

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Your military obedience, to dissolve

Allegiance to the acknowledged power suprer
And thou, sly hypocrite, who now wouldst se
Patron of liberty, who more than thou

Once fawned and cringed, and servilely adore
Heaven's awful monarch? wherefore, but in h
To dispossess him, and thyself to reign?
But mark what I arreed thee now- Avaunt
Fly thither whence thou fledd'st: if from this
Within these hallowed limits thou appear,
Back to the infernal pit I drag thee chained,
And seal thee so, as henceforth not to scorn
The facile gates of Hell, too slightly barred."

So threatened he; but Satan to no threats Gave heed, but waxing more in rage replied:

"Then when I am thy captive talk of chair Proud limitary Cherub! but ere then Far heavier load thyself expect to feel From my prevailing arm, though Heaven's kin Ride on thy wings, and thou with thy compee Used to the yoke, draw'st his triumphant whee In progress through the road of Heaven star-p

While thus he spake, the angelic squadron 1 Turned fiery red, sharpening in moonèd horns Their phalanx, and began to hem him round With ported spears, as thick as when a field Of Ceres ripe for harvest waving bends Her bearded groves of ears which way the wir

962. arreed, direct; appoint. 966. seal. See Revelation xx. 3. 967. facile, easy to be opened. 971. limitary, set to guard the limits.

978. in mooned horns, in the

form of a crescent, like

moon.

980. ported, borne wi points towards him.

981. Ceres (see line : the goddess of agricultu

Sways them; the careful ploughman doubting stands, Lest on the threshing-floor his hopeful sheaves

Prove chaff.

On the other side, Satan alarmed, 985

Collecting all his might, dilated stood,
Like Teneriffe or Atlas unremoved :
His stature reached the sky, and on his crest
Sat horror plumed; nor wanted in his grasp
What seemed both spear and shield.

deeds

Might have ensued, nor only Paradise
In this commotion, but the starry cope
Of heaven perhaps, or all the elements

Now dreadful

At least had gone to wrack, disturbed and torn
With violence of this conflict, had not soon
The Eternal, to prevent such horrid fray,
Hung forth in heaven his golden scales, yet seen
Betwixt Astréa and the Scorpion sign,
Wherein all things created first he weighed,

990

995

The pendulous round earth with balanced air 1000
In counterpoise, now ponders all events,
Battles and realms: in these he put two weights,
The sequel each of parting and of fight;

The latter quick up flew and kicked the beam,
Which Gabriel spying thus bespake the Fiend: 1005

66

Satan, I know thy strength, and thou know'st

mine,

985. alarmed, roused.

987. Teneriffe is a high peak of one of the Canary Islands. Atlas is a range of mountains in the north of Africa.-unremoved, immovable.

989. wanted, was wanting. 997. his golden scales, yet seen. The sign Libra, or the Balance, between Virgo and Scorpio.

998. Astrea was the goddess of justice, who, when men became

from

depraved, was removed
earth to heaven, where she shines
as the constellation Virgo.

999. first he weighed. "Weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance." Isaiah xl. 12.

1001. In counterpoise, weighed against each other.- - ponders, weighs.

1003. The sequel, as showing the consequence or event.

Neither our own, but given; what folly then To boast what arms can do! since thine, no mo Than Heaven permits, nor mine, though double To trample thee as mire: for proof look up, And read thy lot in yon celestial sign,

Where thou art weighed, and shown how ligh weak,

If thou resist." The Fiend looked up, and kne His mounted scale aloft: nor more; but fled Murmuring, and with him fled the shades of nig

1008. Since thine, since thine can do.

1009. nor mine, nor can mine. - though, though it were.

1

1010. trample thee as mire. Isaiah x. 6.

See

1012. Where thou art w "Thou art weighed in t ances, and art found wa Dan. v. 27.

1014. nor more, nor more, or for more.

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