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