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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 sense; and as they please,
They limb themselves, and color, shape orfize
Affume, aslikes them beft, condense or rare.
Mean while in other parts like deeds deferv'd
Memorial, where the might of Gabriel

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And with fierce enfigns pierc'd the deep array
Of Moloch furious king! who him defy'd,
And at his chariot wheels to drag him bound
Threaten'd, nor from the Holy One of Heav'n
Refrain'd his tongue blafphemous; but anon 360
Down cloven to the waste, with shatter'd arms
And uncouth pain fled bellowing, On each wing
Uriel and Raphaël, his vaunting foe,

Though huge, and in a rock of diamond arm'd,
Vanquifh'd Adramelech, and Asmadai, 365
Two potent thrones! that to be less than Gods
Difdain'd: but meaner thoughts learn'd in
their flight,

Mangl'd with ghaftly wounds through plate and mail.

Nor stood unmindful Abdiel to annoy

The atheist crew, but with redoubl'd blow 370 Ariel, and Arioch, and tho violence:

Of Kamiel feorch'd and blasted overthrew.

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I might relate of thousands, and their names Eternize here on earth; but thofe 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. 380 For ftrenght from truth divided, and from just, Illaudable, nought merits but difpraise And ignominy; yet to glory afpires

Vain glorious, and through infamy feeks fame: Therefore eternal filence be their doom!

385

And now, their mightiest quell'd, the battel
fwerv'd,

With many au inrode gor'd; deformed rout
Enter'd, aud foul disorder; all the ground
With fhiver'd armor ftrown, and on a heap
Chariot and charioteer lay overturn'd,

390

And fiery foaming steeds: what stood, recoil'd

O'er-wearied, thro' the faint Satanic host Defensive scarce, or with pale fear furpriz'd,

Then first with fear furpriz'd and fenfe of pain,

395

Fled ignominious: to such evil brought
By fin of difobedience, till that hour
Not liable to fear, or flight, or pain.
Far otherwife th' inviolable Saints,
In cubic phalanx firm, advanc'd entire,
Invulnerable, impenetrably arm'd:

400 Such

Such high advantages their innocence

Gave them above their foes, not to have finn'd. Not to have difobey'd; in fight they stood Unwearied, unobnoxious to be pain'd

By wound, tho' from their place by violence

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Now night her course began, over Heav'n Inducing darkness, grateful truce impos'd, And filence on the odious din of war: Under her cloudy covert both retir'd, Victor and vanquifh'd. On the foughten field 410 Michael and his, Angels prevalent

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Cherubic waving fires: on th' other part,
Satan with his rebellious disappear'd,

Par in the eark diflodg'd, and void of rest, 415
His Potentates to council call'd by night:
And in the midst thus undismay'd began.

420

O now in danger try'd, now known in arms Not to be overpower'd, Companions dear! Found worthy not of liberty alone, Too mean pretence, but what we more affect, Honor, dominion, glory, and renown; Who have sustain'd one day in doubtful fight, And if one day, why not eternal days? What Heaven's Lord hath powerfuileft to

fend

1

425

Against us from about his throne, and judg'd

Sufficient to fubdue us to his will,

But proves not fo!, then fallible, it seems, Of future we may deem him, though till now Omnifcient thought. True 'tis, lefs firmly

armid,

Some disadvantage we indur'd, and pain,

430

Till now not known, but known as soon con

temn'd;

Since now we find this our empyreal form
Incapable of mortal injury,

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Soon clofing, and by native vigor heal'd.
Of evil then fo fmall as eafy think
The remedy: perhaps more valid arms,
Weapons more violent, when next we meet,
May serve to better us, and worse our foes, 440
Or equal what between us made the odds,
In nature none; if other hidden caufe
Left them fuperior, while we can preferve
Unhurt our minds, and understanding found,
Due fearch and confultation will disclose. 445
He fat; and in th' allembly next upstood
Nifroch, of princidalities the prime ;

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As one he stood escap'd from cruel fight,
Sore toif'd, his riven arms to havoc hewn,
And cloudy in afpect thus anfwering 1pake. 450
Deliverer from new Lords, leader to free
Enjoyment of our right as Gods; yet hard

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For Gods, and too unequal work we find,
Against unequal arms to fight in pain.
Against unpain'd, impaffive: from which evil 455
Ruin must needs enfue: for, what avails
Valor or strength, tho' matchlefs, quell'd with
pain

Which all fubdués, and makes remifs the hands
Of mightieft? Sense of pleasure we may well
Spare out of life perhaps, and not repine, 460
But live content, which is the calmeft life:
But pain is perfect mifery, the worst
Of evils, and exceffive, overturns
All patience. He who therefore can invent
With what more forcible we may offend
Our yet unwounded enemies, or arm
Ourselves with like defence, to me deserves
No lefs than for deliverance what we owe.

465

Whereto with look compos'd Satan reply'd. Not uninvented that, which thou aright, 470 Believ'ft fo main to our fuccefs, I bring. Which of us who beholds the bright surface Of this ethereous mould, whereon we stand, This continent of spacious Heav'n, adorn'd With plant, fruit, flow'r ambrofial, gems, and gold; 475

Whofe eye fo fuperficially furveys

These things, as not to mind from whence

they grów,

Deep under ground; materials dark and crude,

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