Level'd, with such impetuous fury smote,
That, whom they hit, none on their feet might stand, Though standing else as rocks, but down they fell By thousands, Angel on Archangel roll'd; The sooner for their arms; unarm'd, they might Have easily, as Spirits, evaded swift
By quick contraction or remove; but now Foul dissipation follow'd, and forced rout; Nor served it to relax their serried files. What should they do? if on they rush'd, repulse Repeated, and indecent overthrow
Doubled, would render them yet more despised, And to their foes a laughter; for in view Stood rank'd of Seraphim another row, In posture to displode their second tire Of thunder: Back defeated to return
They worse abhorr'd. Satan beheld their plight, And to his mates thus in derision call'd:
O Friends! why come not on these victors proud? Ere while they fierce were coming; and when we To entertain them fair with open front
And breast, (what could we more?) propounded terms Of composition, straight they changed their minds, Flew off, and into strange vagaries fell,
As they would dance; yet for a dance they seem'd Somewhat extravagant and wild; perhaps For joy of offer'd peace: But I suppose If our proposals once again were heard, We should compel them to a quick result.
To whom thus Belial, in like gamesome mood: Leader! the terms we sent were terms of weight, Of hard contents, and full of force urged home; Such as we might perceive amused them all, And stumbled many: Who receives them right Had need from head to foot well understand; Not understood, this gift they have besides, They show us when our foes walk not upright. So they among themselves in pleasant vein
Stood scoffing, heighten'd in their thoughts beyond All doubt of victory: Eternal Might
To match with their inventions they presumed So easy, and of his thunder made a scorn, And all his host derided, while they stood Awhile in trouble: But they stood not long; Rage prompted them at length, and found them arms Against such bellish mischief fit to oppose. Forthwith (behold the excellence, the power, Which God hath in his mighty Angels placed !) Their arms away they threw, and to the hills (For Earth hath this variety from Heaven Of pleasure situate in hill and dale),
Light as the lightning glimpse they ran, they flew ; From their foundations loosening to and fro, They pluck'd the seated hills, with all their load, Rocks, waters, woods, and by the shaggy tops Uplifting bore them in their hands: Amaze, Be sure, and terror seized the rebel host, When coming towards them so dread they saw The bottom of the mountains upward turn'd; Till on those cursed engines' triple-row They saw them whelm'd, and all their confidence Under the weight of mountains buried deep; Themselves invaded next, and on their heads Main promontories flung, which in the air
Came shadowing, and oppress'd whole legions arm'd ; Their armour helped their harm, crush'd in and bruised Into their substance pent, which wrought them pain Implacable, and many a dolorous groan;
Long struggling underneath, ere they could wind Out of such prison, though Spirits of purest light, Purest at first, now gross by sinning grown. The rest, in imitation, to like arms
Betook them, and the neighbouring hills uptore: So hills amid the air encounter'd hills, Hurl'd to and fro with jaculation dire;
That under ground they fought in dismal shade;
Infernal noise! war seem'd a civil game To this uproar; horrid confusion heap'd Upon confusion rose and now all Heaven Had gone to wrack, with ruin overspread ; Had not the Almighty Father, where he sits Shrined in his sanctuary of Heaven secure, Consulting on the sum of things, foreseen This tumult, and permitted all, advised: That his great purpose he might so fulfil, To honour his anointed Son avenged Upon his enemies, and to declare
All power on him transferr'd: whence to his Son, The Assessor of his throne, he thus began:
Effulgence of my glory, Son beloved,
Son, in whose face invisible is beheld Visibly what by Deity I am;
And in whose hand what by decree I do, Second Omnipotence! two days are pass'd, Two days, as we compute the days of Heaven, Since Michael and his Powers went forth to tame These disobedient: sore hath been their fight, As likeliest was, when two such foes met arm'd ; For to themselves I left them; and thou know'st, Equal in their creation they were form'd,
Save what sin hath impair'd; which yet hath wrought Insensibly, for I suspend their doom;
Whence in perpetual fight they needs must last Endless, and no solution will be found:
War wearied hath perform'd what war can do,
And to disorder'd rage let loose the reins,
With mountains, as with weapons, arm'd; which makes Wild work in Heaven, and dangerous to the main. Two days are therefore pass'd, the third is thine; For thee I have ordain'd it; and thus far Have suffer'd, that the glory may be thine Of ending this great war, since none but Thou Can end it. Into thee such virtue and grace Immense I have transfused that all may know
In Heaven and Hell thy power above compare; And, this perverse commotion govern'd thus, To manifest thee worthiest to be Heir Of all things; to be Heir, and to be King By sacred unction, thy deserved right. Go then, Thou Mightiest, in thy Father's might; Ascend my chariot, guide the rapid wheels That shake Heaven's basis, bring forth all my war,. My bow and thunder, my almighty arms Gird on, and sword upon thy puissant thigh; Pursue these sons of darkness, drive them out From all Heaven's bounds into the utter deep: There let them learn, as likes them, to despise God, and Messiah his anointed King.
He said, and on his Son with rays direct Shone full; he all his Father full express'd Ineffably into his face received;
And thus the Filial Godhead answering spake :
O Father, O Supreme of heavenly Thrones, First, Highest, Holiest, Best; thou always seek'st To glorify thy Son, I always thee,
As is most just: this I my glory account,
My exaltation, and my whole delight,
That thou, in me well pleased, declarest thy will Fulfill'd, which to fulfill is all my bliss. Sceptre and power, thy giving, I assume, And gladlier shall resign, when in the end Thou shalt be all in all, and I in thee For ever; and in me all whom thou lovest: But whom thou hatest I hate, and can put on Thy terrors, as I put thy mildness on, Image of thee in all things; and shall soon,
Arm'd with thy might, rid Heaven of these rebell'd; To their prepared ill mansion driven down, To chains of darkness, and the undying worm'; That from thy just obedience could revolt, Whom to obey is happiness entire.
Then shall thy Saints unmix'd, and from the impure
Far separate, circling thy holy mount, Unfeigned Hallelujahs to thee sing,
Hymns of high praise, and I among them Chief. So said, he, o'er his sceptre bowing, rose From the right hand of Glory where he sat ; And the third sacred morn began to shine,
Dawning through Heaven. Forth rush'd with whirlwind The chariot of Paternal Deity,
Flashing thick flames, wheel within wheel undrawn, Itself instinct with Spirit, but convoy'd
By four Cherubic shapes; four faces each
Had wondrous; as with stars, their bodies all And wings were set with eyes; with eyes the wheels Of beryl, and careering fires between ;
Over their heads a crystal firmament,
Whereon a sapphire throne, inlaid with pure Amber, and colours of the showery arch. He, in celestial panoply all arm'd Of radiant Urim, work divinely wrought, Ascended; at his right hand Victory
Sat eagle-winged; beside him hung his bow And quiver with three-bolted thunder stored; And from about him fierce effusion roll'd
Of smoke and bickering flame and sparkles dire: Attended with ten thousand thousand Saints, He onward came; far off his coming shone; And twenty thousand (I their number heard) Chariots of God, half on each hand, were seen; He on the wings of Cherub rode sublime On the crystalline sky, in sapphire throned, Illustrious far and wide; but by his own First seen; them unexpected joy surprised, When the great ensign of Messiah blazed Aloft by Angels borne, his sign in Heaven; Under whose conduct Michael soon reduced His army, circumfused on either wing, Under their Head embodied all in one. Before him Power Divine his way prepared;
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