Of my revenge, firft fought for, thou return'
From flight, feditious Angel! to receive
Thy merited reward, the first affay
Of this right hand provok'd, fince firft that Tongue,
Infpir'd with contradiction, durft oppose
A third part of the Gods, in fynod met
Their Deities t'affert : who, while they feel
Vigour divine within them, can allow
Omnipotence to none. But, well thou com'st
Before thy Fellows, ambitious to win
From me fome plume; that thy fuccefs may show
Destruction to the reft: this pause between,
(Unanswer'd least thou boast) to let thee know,
At first I thought that liberty, and heav'n,
To heav'nly fouls had been all one; but now
I fee that most through floth had rather serve,
Miniftring spirits train'd up in feast and fong!
Such haft thou arm'd, the minstrelfy of heav'n,
Servility with freedom to contend,
As both their deeds compar'd this day fhall prove. 170
To whom in brief thus ABDIEL ftern reply'd.
Apoftate ftill thou err'ft, nor end wilt find
Of erring, from the path of truth remote :
Unjustly thou deprav'ft it with the name
Of Servitude, to ferve 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 ferve thee,
Thyself not free, but to thyfelf inthrall'd;
Yet leudly dar'ft our miniftring upbraid.
Reign thou in Hell, thy kingdom; let me ferve
In heav'n God ever blest, and his divine
Behefts obey, worthieft to be obey'd!
Yet chains in hell, not realms, expect mean while
From me return'd, as e'rft thou faidft, from flight,
This greeting on thy impious creft receive.
So faying, a noble stroke he lifted high,
Which hung not, but fo fwift with tempest fell
On the proud creft of SATAN, that no fight,
Nor motion of fwift thought, lefs could his fhield,
Such ruin intercept : ten paces huge
He back recoil'd; the tenth on bended knee,
His maffy Spear up-ftaid: as if on earth
Winds under-ground, or waters, forcing way,
Side-long had pufh'd a mountain from his feat
Half-funk with all his pines. Amazement seiz'd
The rebel thrones, but greater rage, to fee
Thus foil'd their mightiest : ours joy fill'd, and fhout,
Prefage of Victory, and fierce defire
Of battle: whereat MICHAEL bid found
Th'Archangel trumpet ; through the Vaft of heav'n
It founded, and the faithful armies rung
Hofanna to the Highest: nor ftood at gaze
The adverse legions, nor lefs hideous join'd
The horrid shock. 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-head 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 battles main, with ruinous affault,
And inextinguishable rage: all heav'n
Refounded; and had earth been then, all earth
Had to her centre shook. What wonder? when
Millions of fierce encountring Angels fought
On either fide, the least of whom could wield
These elements, and arm him with the force
Of all their regions: how much more of power
Army 'gainft army, numberless, to raise
Dreadful combuftion warring, and disturb,
Though not deftroy their happy native seat !
Had not th'eternal King omnipotent,
From his ftrong hold of Heav'n, high over-rul'd
And limited their might though number'd fuch,
As each divided legion might have feem'd
A numerous hoft; in ftrength, each armed hand,
A legion; led in fight, yet Leader feem'd
Each Warrior, fingle, as in chief, expert
When to advance, or ftand, or turn the fway
Of battel, open when, and when to close
The ridges of grim war; no thought of flight,
None of retreat, no unbecoming deed
That argu'd fear: each on himself rely'd,
As only in his arm the moment lay
Were done, but infinite; for wide was spread
That war, and various: fometimes on firm ground,
A ftanding fight; then, foaring on main wing,
Tormented all the air; all air feem'd then
Conflicting fire. Long time in even scale
The battel hung; till SATAN, (who that day
Prodigious pow'r had fhewn, and met in arms
No equal) ranging through the dire attack
Of fighting Seraphim confus'd, at length
Saw where the fword of MICHAEL fmote, and fell'd
Squadrons at once; with huge two-handed sway
Brandifh'd aloft, the horrid edge came down
Wide-wafting! fuch deftruction to withstand
He hafted, and oppos'd the rocky orb
Of ten-fold adamant, his ample fhield,
A vast circumference! At his approach
The great Arch-Angel from his warlike toil
Surceas'd; and glad, as hoping here to end
Inteftine war in heav'n, th' arch-foe fubdu'd,
Or captive drag'd in chains, with hoftile frown,
And vifage all inflam'd, firft thus began.
Author of ill un-known till thy revolt,
Un-nam'd in heav'n, now plenteous, (as thou fceft)
Thefe acts of hateful ftrife; hateful to all,
Though heaviest (by just measure) on thy felf,
And thy adherents: how haft thou disturb'd
Heav'n's bleffed peace, and into nature brought
Mifery, un-created 'till the crime
Of thy rebellion! how haft thou inftill'd
Thy malice into thousands, once upright
And faithful, now prov'd falfe! But think not here
To trouble holy reft: heav'n cafts thee out
From all her confines heav'n, the seat of bliss,
Brooks not the works of violence and war.
Hence then! and evil go with thee along,
Thy offspring, to the place of evil, hell;
Thou and thy wicked crew! there mingle broils
Ere this avenging fword begin.thy doom;
Or fome more fudden vengeance, wing'd from GOD,
Precipitate thee with augmented pain.
So fpake the Prince of Angels: to whom thus
The Adverfary. Nor think thou with wind
Of aery threats to awe, whom yet with deeds
Thou canst not. Haft thou turn'd the leaft of thefe
To flight? or if to fall, but that they rife
Un-vanquifh'd; either to tranfact with me
That thou shouldst hope, imperious! and with threats
To chafe me hence? Err not that fo fhall end
That ftrife which thou call'ft evil, but we style
The ftrife of glory: which we mean to win,
Or turn this heav'n it felf into the hell
Thou fableft; here, however, to dwell free,
If not to reign: mean-while thy utmost force
(And join Him nam'd ALMIGHTY to thy aid,)
I fly not; but have fought thee far and nigh.
They ended parle, and both addreft for fight
Un-fpeakable for who, though with the tongue
Of Angels, can relate ? or to what things
Liken on earth confpicuous, that may lift
Human imagination to fuch height
Of God-like pow'r? for likeft Gods they seem'd,
Stood they, or mov'd; in ftature, motion, arms,
Fit to decide the empire of great heav'n!
Now way'd their fiery fwords, and in the air
Made horrid circles; two broad funs their shields
Blaz'd oppofite, while expectation stood
In horror: from each hand with speed retir'd,
Where erft-was thick eft fight, th' angelic throng;
And left large field, unfafe within the wind
Offuch commotion: fuch as (to set forth
Great things by fmall) if nature's concord broke,
Among the conftellations war were sprung,
Two planets, rushing from afpect malign
Of fierceft oppofition, in mid-sky,
Should combat, and their jarring spheres confound.
Together both, with next t'Almighty arm
Up-lifted imminent, one ftroke they aim'd
That might determine, and not need repeat,
(As not of pow'r, at once) nor odds appear'd
In might, or fwift prevention: but the fword
Of MICHAEL, from the armory of Goa
Was giv'n him temper'd fo, that neither keen,
Nor folid, might refift that edge: it met
The sword of SATAN, with fteep force to fmite
Defcending, and in half cut sheer; nor ftaid,
But with swift wheel reverse, deep entring, fhar'd
All his right fide: then SATAN first knew pain,
And writh'd him to and fro convolv'd ; fo fore
The griding fword with discontinuous wound
Pafs'd thro' him! But th' ethereal fubftance clos'd,
Not long divisible; and from the gafh
A ftream of nectarous humour issuing flow'd,
Sanguin (fuch as cœleftial Spirits may bleed)
And all his Armor ftain'd, ere-while fo bright.
Forthwith on all fides to his aid was run
By Angels many, and strong, who interpos'd
Defenfe; while others bore him on their fhields-
Back to his chariot; where it stood retir'd
From off the files of war: there they him laid
Gnafhing for anguish, and despite and shame,
To find himself not matchiefs, and his pride
Humbled by fuch rebuke, fo far beneath
His confidence to equal GoD in pow'r.
Yet foon he heal'd; for Spirits that live throughout
Vital in every part, (not, as frail man,
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