His mighty ftandard: that proud honour claim'd
AZAZEL as his right, a Cherub tall;
Who forthwith from the glittering staff unfurl'd
Th' imperial enfign; which, full high advanc'd,
Shone like a meteor ftreaming to the wind,
With gems and golden luftre rich imblaz'd,
Seraphic arms and trophies; all the while
Sonorous metal blowing martial founds :
At which the univerfal hoft up
fent
A fhout that tore hell's concave; and beyond
Frighted the reign of CHAOS and old NIGHT.
All in a moment thro' the gloom were seen
Ten thousand banners rife into the air,
With orient colours waving: with them rofe
A foreft huge of fpears; and thronging helms
Appear'd, and ferried fhields in thick array,
Of depth immeasurable: anon they move
In perfect Phalanx, to the DORIAN mood
Of flutes, and foft recorders; fuch as rais'd
To height of nobleft temper Heroes old
Arming to battle; and instead of rage,
Deliberate valour breath'd, firm and unmov'd
With dread of death to flight, or foul retreat
Nor wanting pow'r to mitigate and fwage,
With foleinn touches, troubled thoughts, and chafe
Anguish, and doubt, and fear, and forrow, and pain,
From mortal or immortal minds. Thus they
Breathing united force, with fixed thought
Mov'd on in filence to foft pipes, that charm'd
Their painful steps o'er the burnt foil: and now
Advanc'd in view, they ftand, a horrid front
Of dreadful length, and dazling arms, in guife
Of warriors old with order'd fpear and shield,
Awaiting what command their mighty Chief
Had to impofe he thro' the armed files
Darts his experienc'd eye, and foon traverse
The whole battalion views their order due ;
Their vifages and flature as of Gods;
Their number laft he fums. And now his heart
Diftends with pride, and hard'ning in his strength-
Glories for never fince created man,
Met fuch imbodied force, as nam'd with these
Could merit more than that small infantry
Warr'd on by cranes; tho' all the Giant brood
Of PHLEGRA with th' Heroic race were join'd,
That fought at THEBES and ILIUM, on each fide
Mix'd with auxiliar Gods: and what resounds
In fable or romance of UTHER's fon,
Begirt with BRITISH and ARMORIC Knights;
And all who fince, baptiz'd or infidel,
Joufted in ASPRAMONT, or MONTALBAN,
DAMASCO, or MOROCCO, or TREBISOND;
Or whom BISERTA fent from AFRIC fhoar,
When CHARLEMAIN with all his peerage fell
By FONTARABBIA. Thus far these beyond
Compare of mortal prowefs, yet obferv'd
Their dread Commander: he, above the rest
In fhape and gefture proudly eminent,
Stood like a tow'r his form had yet not loft
All her original brightness, nor appear'd
Lefs than Arch-Angel fuin'd, and th' excess
Of glory obfcur'd: as when the fun new-ris'n
Looks thro' the horizontal misty air,
Shorn of his beams; or from behind the moon,
In dim eclipfe, difaftrous twilight sheds
On half the Nations, and with fear of change
Perplexes monarchs; darken'd fo, yet shone
Above them all th' Arch-angel: but his face
Deep scars of thunder had intrench'd, and care
Sat on his faded cheek, but under brows
Of dauntless courage, and confid'rate pride
Waiting revenge: cruel his eye, but cast
Signs of remorfe and passion, to behold
The fellows of his crime, the followers rather,
(Far other once beheld in blifs! condemn'd
For ever now to have their lot in pain;
Millions of fpirits, for his fault amerc'd
Of heav'n, and from eternal fplendors flung
For his revolt; yet faithful how they ftood,
Their glory wither'd: as when heav'es fire
Hath fcath'd the foreft oaks, or mountain pines,
With finged top, their fingled growth, tho' bare,
Stands on the blafted heath. He now prepar'd
To fpeak, whereat their doubled ranks they bend
From wing to wing, and half inclose him round
With all hi、 Peers: attention held them mute :
Thrice he affay'd, and thrice in spight of fcorn,
Tears, fuch as Angels weep, burst forth; at last
Words interwove with fighs found out their way:
O myriads of immortal fpirits! O Pow'rs
Matchlefs, but with th'Almighty! and that ftrife
Was not inglorious, tho' th' event was dire,
As this place teftifies, and this dire change,
Hateful to utter but what pow'r of mind,
Foreseeing, or prefaging, from the depth,
Of knowledge paft or prefent, could have fear'd,
How fuch united force of Gods, how fuch
As flood like thefe, could ever know repulfe?
For who can yet believe, tho' after loss,
That all these puiffant legions, whofe exile
Hath emptied heav'n, fhall fail to re-ascend,
Self-rais'd, and repoffefs their native feat?
For me be witness all the hoft of heav'n,
If counfels different, or danger fhun'd
By me, have loft our hopes: But He who reigns
Monarch in heav'n, 'till then as one fecure
Sat on His throne, upheld by old repute,
Confent, or custom, and His regal state
Put forth at full, but ftill His ftrength conceal'd,
Which tempted our attempt, and wrought our fall.
Henceforth His might we know, and know our own;
So as not either to provoke, or dread
New war, provok'd. Our better part remains
To work in clofe defign, by fraud or guile,
What force effected not: that, He no lefs
At length from us may find, who overcomes
By force, hath overcome but half his foe.
Space may produce new worlds; whereof fo rife
There went a fame in heav'n, that He ere-long
Intended to create; and therein plant
A generation, whom His choice regard
Should favor equal to the fons of heav'n:
Thither, if but to pry, fhall be perhaps
Our firft eruption, thither or elsewhere:
For this infernal pit shall never hold
Cœleftial spirits in bondage, nor th' Abyss
Long under darkness cover. -But thefe thoughts
Full counsel muft mature: peace is despair'd,
For who can think fubmiffion? War then, war,
Open or understood, must be refolv'd.
Againft the Higheft, and fierce with grasped arms
Clash'd on their founding fhields the din of War,
Hurling defiance towards the vault of heav'n.
He fpake: and to confirm his words out-flew
Millions of flaming fwords, drawn from the thighs
Of mighty Cherubim: the fudden blaze
Far round illumin'd hell; highly they rag'd
There ftood a hill not far, whofe grifly top
Belch'd fire and rowling fmoke; the reft entire,
Shone with a gloffy fcurf; (undoubted fign
That in his womb was hid metallick ore,
The work of fulphur) thither wing'd with speed
A numerous brigade haften'd: as when bands
Of pioneers, with spade and pickax arm'd,
Forerun the royal camp, to trench a field,
Or cast a rampart! MAMMON led them on,
MAMMON, the leaft erected spirit that fell
From heav'n; for ev'n in heav'n his looks, and thoughts,
Were always downward bent; admiring more
The riches of heav'ns pavement, troden gold,
Than ought divine or holy elfe, enjoy'd
In vifion beatific: by him first
Men alfo, and by his fuggeftion taught,
Ranfack'd the centre, and with impious hands
Rifled the bowels of their mother earth,
For treasures better hid. Soon had his crew
Open'd into the hill a fpacious wound,
And digg'd out ribs of gold. (Let none admire
That riches grow in hell; that foil may best
Deferve the precious bane.) And here let those
Who boast in mortal things, and wond'ring tell
Of BABEL, and the works of MEMPHIAN Kings,
Learn how their greatest monuments of fame,
And strength, and art, are eafily out-done
By fpirits reprobate, and in an hour,
What in an age they with inceffant toil,
And hands innumerable, fcarce perform.
Nigh on the plain in many cells prepar'd,
That underneath had veins of liquid fire
Sluc'd from the lake, a second multitude
With wond'rous art found out the maffy ore;
Severing each kind, and fcumm'd the bullion drofs:
A third as foon had form'd within the ground
A various mold; and from the boiling cells
By strange conveyance fill'd each hollow nook:
As in an Organ, from one blaft of wind,
To many a row of pipes the found-board breathes.
Anon out of the earth a fabric huge
Rofe like an exhalation, with the found
Of dulcet fymphonies, and voices sweet;
Built like a temple, where pilafters round
Were fet, and Doric pillars, overlaid
With golden architrave: nor did there want
Cornice, or freeze, with boffy fculptures grav'n;
The roof was fretted gold. Not BABYLON,
Nor great ALCARIO, fuch magnificence
Equall'd in all their glories, to infhrine
BELUS, OF SERAPIS, their Gods; or feat
Their Kings, when ÆGYPT with ASSYRIA ftrove
In wealth and luxury. Th' afcending pile
Stood fixt her ftately height: and ftraight the doors
Op'ning their brazen folds, discover wide
Within, her ample spaces, o'er the smooth
And level pavement: from the arched roof,
Pendant by fubtle magic, many a row
Of ftarry lamps, and blazing creffets, fed
With Naphtha and Afphaltus, yielded light
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