Than Violence: for this was all thy care
To ftand approv'd in fight of God, tho' Worlds
Judg'd thee perverse: the easier conquest now
Remains thee, aided by this hoft of friends,
Back on thy foes more glorious to return
Than fcorn'd thou didst depart, and to fubdue
By force, who reason for their Law refuse,
Right reason for their Law, and for their King
Meffiah, who by right of merit reigns.
Go Michael of Celestial Armies Prince,
And thou in Military Prowess next
Gabriel, lead forth to Battel these my Sons
Invincible, lead forth my armed Saints
By Thousands and by Millions rang'd for fight;
Equal in number to that Godless crew
Rebellious: them with Fire and hoftile Arms
Fearless affault, and to the brow of Heav'n
Pursuing drive them out from God and bliss
Into their place of Punishment, the Gulph
Of Tartarus which ready opens wide
His fiery Chaos to receive their fall.
So fpake the Sov'reign voice, and Clouds began
To darken all the Hill, and fmoak to rowl
In dusky wreathes, reluctant flames, the fign
Of wrath awak'd: nor with lefs dread the loud
Ethereal Trumpet from on high gan blow:
At which command the Powers Militant,
That food for Heav'n, in mighty Quadrate join'd
Of Union irrefiftible, mov'd on
In filence their bright Legions, to the found
Of inftrumental Harmony that breath'd
Heroic Ardor to adven'trous deeds
Under their God-like Leaders, in the Caufe
Of God and his Meffiah. On they move
Indiffolubly firm; nor obvious Hill,
Nor ftrait'ning Vale, nor Wood, nor Stream divides 70 Their perfect ranks; for high Above the ground
Their march was, and the paffive Air upbore
Their nimble tread. As when the total kind
Of Birds, in orderly array on wing,
Came fummon'd over Eden to receive
Their names of thee: So over many a tract
Of Heav'n they march'd, and many a Province wide
Tenfold the length of this terrene: at laft
Far in the Horizon to the North appear'd
From skirt to skirt a fiery Region, stretcht
In battailous afpect, and nearer view
Briftled with upright beams innumerable
Of rigid Spears, and Helmets throng'd, and Shields
Various, with boastful Argument portraid,
The banded Powers of Satan, hafting on
With furious expedition; for they ween'd
That self-fame day by fight, or by furprize
To win the Mount of God, and on his Throne
To fet the envier of his State, the proud!
Afpirer, but their thoughts prov'd fond and vain
In the mid way; though frange to us it seem'd
At first, that Angel should with Angel war,
And in fierce Hofting meet, who wont to meet
So oft in Festivals of joy and love
Unanimous, as Sons of one great Sire
Hymning th' Eternal Father: But the shout
Of Battel now began, and rushing found
Of onfet ended foon each milder thought.
High in the mid❜ft exalted as a God
Th' Apoftat, in his Sun-bright Chariot fat,
Idol of Majefty Divine, enclos'd
With flaming Cherubim, and golden Shields;
Then lighted from his gorgeous Throne, for now
'Twixt Hoft and Hoft but narrow space was left,
A dreadful interval, and Front to Front
Prefented ftood in terrible. array
Of hideous length. Before the cloudy Van,
On the rough edge of battel ere it joyn'd,
Satan, with vaft and haughty ftrides advanc'd,
Came tow'ring, arm'd in Adamant and Gold;
Abdiel that fight endur'd not, where he stood
Among the mightiest, bent on highest deeds,
And thus his own undaunted heart explores.
O Heav'n! that fuch Refemblance of the Highest
Should yet remain, where Faith and Realty
Remain not; wherefore should not Strength and Might
There fail where Virtue fails, or weakest prove
Where boldeft, though to fight unconquerable?
His puiffance, trusting in th' Almighty's aid,
I mean to try, whose Reason I have try'd
Unfound and false; nor is it aught but just,
That he who in debate of Truth hath won,
Should win in Arms, in both disputes alike
Victor; though brutish that contest and foul,
When Reafon hath to deal with Force, yer fo
Moft reafon is that Reafon overcome.
So pondering, and from his armed Peers
Forth stepping oppofite, half way he met
His daring foe, at this prevention more
Incens'd, and thus fecurely him defy'd.
Proud, art thou met? thy hope was to have reacht
The height of thy afpiring unoppos'd,
The Throne of God unguarded, and his fide
Abandon'd at the terror of thy Power
Or potent Tongue. Fool, not to think how vain
Against th' Omipotent to rife in Arms,
Who out of smallest things could without end
Have rais'd inceffant Armies to defeat
Thy folly; or with folitary hand
Reaching beyond all limit at one blow
Unaided could have finifht thee, and whelm'd
Thy Legions under darkness; but thou feeft
All are not of thy Train; there be who Faith
Prefer, and Piety to God, though then
To thee not visible, when I alone
Seem'd in thy World erroneous to diffent
From all my Sect thou feeft, now learn too late
How few fometimes may know, when thousands err.
Whom the grand Foe with fcornful eye askance
Thus anfwer'd. Ill for thee, but in wifht hour
Of my revenge, firft fought for thou return'st
From flight, feditious Angel, to receive
Thy merited reward, the firft affay
Of this right hand provokt, fince first that tongue
Infpir'd with contradiction durft oppose
A Third part of the Gods, in Synod met
Their Dieties to affert, who while they feel
Vigour Divine within them, can allow
Omnipotence to none. But well thou com'ft
Before thy fellows, ambitious to win
From me fome Plume, that thy fuccess may show
Destruction to the reft: this pause between
(Unanswer'd left thou boaft) to let thee know,
At first I thought that Liberty and Heav'n
To heav'nly Souls had been all one; but now
I fee that most through floth had rather serve,
Miniftring Spirits, train'd up in Feaft and Song ;
Such haft thou arm'd, the Minstrelfie of Heav'n,
Servility with freedom to contend,
As both their deeds compar❜d this day shall prove.
To whom in brief thus Abdiel, ftern reply'd.
Apoftat, ftill thou err't, nor end will find
Of erring, from the path of Truth remote:
Unjustly thou deprav'ft it with the name
Of Servitude to serve whom God ordains,
Or Nature; God and Nature bid the fame,
When he who rules is worthieft, and excels
Them whom he governs. This is fervitude,
To ferve th' Unwife, or him who hath rebell'd
Against his worthier, as thine now serve thee,
Thy felf not free, but to thy felf enthrall'd;
Yet leudly dar'ft our ministring upbraid.
Reign thou in Hell thy Kingdom, let me ferve
In Heav'n God ever bleft, and his Divine
Behefts obey, worthieft to be obey'd.
Yet Chains in Hell, not Realms expect: mean while
From me return'd, as erft thou faid't, from flight,
This greeting on thy impious Creft receive,
So faying, a noble ftroke he lifted high,
Which hung not, but fo fwift with tempeft fell
On the proud Creft of Satan, that no fight,
Nor motion of fwift thought, lefs could his Shield
Such ruin intercept: Ten paces huge
He back recoil'd; the tenth on bended knee
His maffie Spear upftaid; as if on Earth
Winds under ground, or waters forcing way
Sidelong, had push'd a Mountain from his feat
Half funk with all his Pines. Amazement feiz'd
The Rebel Thrones, but greater rage to fee
Thus foil'd their mightieft; ours joy fill'd, and shout,
Prefage of Victory and fierce defire,
Of Battel whereat Michael bid found
Th' Arch-Angel trumpet ; through the vaft of Heav'n It founded, and the faithful Armies rung Hofanna to the Highest: nor stood at gaze The adverse Legions, nor less hideous joyn'd The horrid fhock; now ftorming fury rose, And clamour, fuch as heard in Heav'n till now Was never, Arms on Armour clashing bray'd' Horrible difcord, and the madding Wheels Of brazen Chariots rag'd; dire was the noise Of Conflict; over-heard the difmal hifs Of fiery Darts in flaming vollies flew, And flying Vaulted either Hoft with fire. So under fiery Cope together rush'd Both Battels main, with ruinous affault And inextinguifhible rage; all Heaven
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