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God's indignation on these godless poured
By me; not you, but me they have despised
Yet envied; against me is all their rage,

Because the Father, to whom in Heaven supreme
Kingdom, and power, and glory appertains,
Hath honored me according to his will.
Therefore to me their doom he hath assigned;
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 vouchsafe.'

"So spake the Son, and into terror changed
His countenance, 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 rolled, 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 empyréan shook throughout,
All but the throne itself of God.
Full soon

Among them he arrived, in his right hand
Grasping ten thousand thunders, which he sent
Before him, such as in their souls infixed

Plagues; they, astonished, all resistance lost,

815

820

825

830

835

All courage; down their idle weapons dropped ;
O'er shields and helms and helmèd heads he rode 840
Of thrones, and mighty seraphim prostráte,

That wished the mountains now might be again

815. See Matt. vi. 13.

827. the Four. See line 752. 828. contiguous, so near as to

meet.

842. That wished. "They shall say to the mountains, Cover us and to the hills, Fall on us. Hosea x 8

[graphic]

Thrown on them as a shelter from his ire.
Nor less on either side tempestuous fell
His arrows from the fourfold-visaged Four
Distinct with eyes, and from the living whe
Distinct alike with multitude of eyes;
One spirit in them ruled, and every eye
Glared lightning and shot forth pernicious fi
Among the accursed, that withered all their
And of their wonted vigor left them drained
Exhausted, spiritless, afflicted, fallen.

Yet half his strength he put not forth, but cl
His thunder in mid volley; for he meant
Not to destroy, but root them out of Heaven
The overthrown he raised, and as a herd
Of goats or timorous flock together thronged
Drove them before him thunder-struck, pursu
With terrors and with furies to the bounds
And crystal wall of Heaven, which opening
Rolled inward, and a spacious gap disclosed
Into the wasteful deep: the monstrous sight
Struck them with horror backward, but far w
Urged them behind; headlong themselves the
Down from the verge of Heaven; eternal wr
Burned after them to the bottomless pit.

"Hell heard the unsufferable noise, Hell sa Heaven ruining from Heaven, and would hav Affrighted; but strict Fate had cast too deep Her dark foundations, and too fast had bound Nine days they fell; confounded Chaos roared And felt tenfold confusion in their fall

Through his wild anarchy, so huge a rout
Encumbered him with ruin: Hell at last

846. Distinct, spotted; marked.
-with eyes.
And their whole
body, and their backs, and their
hands, and their wings, and the

wheels, were full of ey about." Ezekiel x. 12.

868. ruining, failing w 867-877. See I. 44-53.

876

Yawning received them whole, and on them closed; Hell, their fit habitation, fraught with fire Unquenchable, the house of woe and pain. Disburdened Heaven rejoiced, and soon repaired Her mural breach, returning whence it rolled.

"Sole victor, from the expulsion of his foes
Messiah his triumphal chariot turned :
To meet him all his saints, who silent stood
Eye-witnesses of his almighty acts,
With jubilee advanced; 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 given,
Worthiest to reign: he celebrated rode
Triumphant through mid Heaven into the courts
And temple of his mighty Father throned
On high; who into glory him received,

Where now he sits at the right hand of bliss.

880

885

890

"Thus, measuring things in Heaven by things on Earth,

At thy request and that thou may'st beware
By what is past, to thee I have revealed
What might have else to human race been hid ;
The discord which befel, and war in Heaven
Among the angelic powers, and the deep fall
Of those too high aspiring, who rebelled
With Satan; he who envies now thy state,
Who now is plotting how he may seduce
Thee also from obedience, that with him
Bereaved of happiness thou may'st partake
His punishment, eternal misery:

888. celebrated, attended in 900. he, him. procession.

892. at the right hand. See

Hebrews i. 3.

895

900

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 listen not to his temptations; warn
Thy weaker; let it profit thee to have hear
By terrible example, the reward

Of disobedience; firm they might have stoo
Yet fell. Remember, and fear to transgress

909. Thy weaker. "Giving weaker vessel." 1 Pet honor unto the wife, as unto the

BOOK VII.

THE ARGUMENT.

RAPHAEL, at the request of Adam, relates how and wherefore this world was first created; that God, after the expelling of Satan and his angels out of Heaven, declared his pleasure to create another world, and other creatures to dwell therein; sends his Son with glory and attendance of angels to perform the work of creation in six days the angels celebrate with hymns the performance thereof, and his reascension into Heaven.

DESCEND from Heaven, Urania (by that name
If rightly thou art called), whose voice divine
Following, above the Olympian hill I soar,
Above the flight of Pegaséan wing!

The meaning, not the name, I call for thou
Nor of the Muses nine, nor on the top
Of old Olympus dwell'st; but, heavenly born,
Before the hills appeared or fountain flowed,
Thou with eternal Wisdom didst converse,
Wisdom thy sister, and with her didst play

1. Urania was one of the nine Muses; she presided over Astronomy, the meaning of that name being heavenly. Milton applies it to the heavenly Muse whom he had invoked at first. See I. 6.

3 the Olympian hill, Mount Olympus, the seat of the gods.

4. Pegasean wing. The winged horse Pegasus was said to have ascended to the seat of the immortals.

5. The meaning, not the name I call. See line 1. I invoke not any heathen muse, whose highest flight could never reach the heaven of heavens, though I ap

10

ply the name, to signify the source of the inspiration which I seek.

8. Before the hills appeared or fountain flowed. "When there were no depths, I (Wisdom) was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth." Proverbs viii. 24, 25.

9. converse, associate.

10. with her didst play. "I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him." Proverbs viii. 30.

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