Less hardy to endure? Courageous chief, The first in flight from pain, hadst thou alleged To thy deserted host this cause of flight, Thou surely hadst not come sole fugitive."
To which the Fiend thus answered, frowning stern:
"Not that I less endure, or shrink from pain, Insulting Angel! well thou know'st I stood Thy fiercest, when in battle to thy aid The blasting volleyed thunder made all speed And seconded thy else not dreaded spear. But still thy words at random, as before, Argue thy inexperience what behoves, From hard assays and ill successes past, A faithful leader not to hazard all Through ways of danger by himself untried. I, therefore, I alone, first undertook To wing the desolate Abyss, and spy This new-created World, whereof in Hell Fame is not silent, here in hope to find Better abode, and my afflicted Powers To settle here on Earth, or in mid Air; Though for possession put to try once more What thou and thy gay legions dare against; Whose easier business were to serve their Lord High up in Heaven, with songs to hymn his throne, And practised distances to cringe, not fight."
To whom the Warrior-Angel soon replied: "To say and straight unsay, pretending first Wise to fly pain, professing next the spy, Argues no leader, but a liar traced,
Satan; and couldst thou 'faithful' add? O name, 950 O sacred name of faithfulness profaned!
Faithful to whom? to thy rebellious crew?
Army of fiends, fit body to fit head!
Was this your discipline and faith engaged, Your military obedience, to dissolve Allegiance to the ackowledged Power Supreme? And thou, sly hypocrite, who now wouldst seem Patron of liberty, who more than thou
Once fawned, and cringed, and servilely adored Heaven's awful Monarch? wherefore, but in hope 960 To dispossess him, and thyself to reign? But mark what I areed thee now: Avaunt!
Fly thither whence thou fledd'st. If from this hour Within these hallowed limits thou appear, Back to the Infernal Pit I drag thee chained, And seal thee so as henceforth not to scorn The facile gates of Hell too slightly barred." So threatened he; but Satan to no threats Gave heed, but waxing more in rage, replied:
"Then, when I am thy captive, talk of chains, 970 Proud limitary Cherub! but ere then
Far heavier load thyself expect to feel
From my prevailing arm, though Heaven's King Ride on thy wings, and thou with thy Compeers, Used to the yoke, draw'st his triumphant wheels In progress through the road of Heaven star-paved." While thus he spake, the angelic squadron bright Turned fiery red, sharpening in moonèd horns Their phalanx, and began to hem him round With ported spears, as thick as when a field Of Ceres ripe for harvest waving bends Her bearded grove of ears which way the wind Sways them; the careful ploughman doubting stands Lest on the threshing-floor his hopeful sheaves Prove chaff. On the other side, Satan, alarmed, Collecting all his might, dilated stood,
Like Teneriff or Atlas, unremoved:
His stature reached the sky, and on his crest
Sat Horror plumed; nor wanted in his grasp What seemed both spear and shield.
Might have ensued; nor only Paradise, In this commotion, but the starry cope Of Heaven perhaps, or all the Elements
At least, had gone to wrack, disturbed and torn With violence of this conflict, had not soon The Eternal, to prevent such horrid fray, Hung forth in Heaven his golden scales, yet seen Betwixt Astræa and the Scorpion sign, Wherein all things created first he weighed, The pendulous round Earth with balanced air In counterpoise, now ponders all events, Battles and realms. In these he put two weights, The sequel each of parting and of fight:
The latter quick up flew, and kicked the beam; Which Gabriel spying thus bespake the Fiend: "Satan, I know thy strength, and thou know'st mine,
Neither our own, but given; what folly then
To boast what arms can do! since thine no more Than Heaven permits, nor mine, though doubled now, To trample thee as mire. For proof look up, And read thy lot in yon celestial sign,
Where thou art weighed, and shown how light, how
The Fiend looked up, and knew His mounted scale aloft: nor more; but fled Murmuring; and with him fled the shades of Night.
Morning approached, Eve relates to Adam her troublesome dream; he likes it not, yet comforts her: they come forth to their day labours: their morning hymn at the door of their bower. God, to render Man inexcusable, sends Raphael to ad
monish him of his obedience, of his free estate, of his enemy near at hand, who he is, and why his enemy, and whatever else may avail Adam to know. Raphael comes down to Paradise; his appearance described; his coming discerned by Adam afar off, sitting at the door of his bower; he goes out to meet him, brings him to his lodge, entertains him with the choicest fruits of Paradise, got together by Eve; their discourse at table. Raphael performs his message, minds Adam of his state and of his enemy; relates, at Adam's request, who that enemy is, and how he came to be so, beginning from his first revolt in Heaven, and the occasion thereof; how he drew his legions after him to the parts of the North, and there incited them to rebel with him, persuading all but only Abdiel, a seraph, who in argument dissuades and opposes him, then forsakes him.
Raphael_continues to relate how Michael and Gabriel were sent forth to battle against Satan and his Angels. The first fight described: Satan and his Powers retire under night. He calls a council; invents devilish engines, which, in the second day's fight, put Michael and his Angels to some disorder; but they at length, pulling up mountains, overwhelmed both the force and machines of Satan. Yet, the tumult not so ending, God, on the third day, sends Messiah his Son, for whom he had reserved the glory of that victory. He, in the power of his Father, coming to the place, and causing all his legions to stand still on either side, with his chariot and thunder driving into the midst of his enemies, pursues them, unable to resist, towards the wall of Heaven; which opening, they leap down with horror and confusion into the place of punishment prepared for them in the Deep. Messiah returns with triumph to his Father.
"All night the dreadless Angel, unpursued,
Through Heaven's wide champaign held his way, till Morn,
Waked by the circling Hours, with rosy hand Unbaried the gates of Light. There is a cave Within the Mount of God, fast by his Throne,
Where Light and Darkness in perpetual round Lodge and dislodge by turns-which makes through Heaven
Grateful vicissitude, like day and night; Light issues forth, and at the other door
Obsequious Darkness enters, till her hour
To veil the heaven, though darkness there might well Seem twilight here. And now went forth the Morn Such as in highest heaven, arrayed in gold Empyreal; from before her vanished Night,
Shot through with orient beams; when all the plain Covered with thick embattled squadrons bright, Chariots, and flaming arms, and fiery steeds,
Reflecting blaze on blaze, first met his view. War he perceived, war in procinct, and found Already known what he for news had thought To have reported. Gladly then he mixed Among those friendly Powers, who him received With joy and acclamations loud, that one, That of so many myriads fallen yet one, Returned not lost. On to the sacred Hill They led him, high applauded, and present Before the Seat supreme; from whence a voice, From midst a golden cloud, thus mild was heard: "Servant of God, well done! Well hast thou fought
The better fight, who single hast maintained Against revolted multitudes the cause
Of truth, in word mightier than they in arms, And for the testimony of truth hast borne Universal reproach, far worse to bear
Than violence; for this was all thy care
To stand approved in sight of God, though worlds Judged thee perverse. The easier conquest now Remains thee-aided by this host of friends, Back on thy foes more glorious to return Than scorned thou didst depart; and to subdue By force who reason for their law refuse Right reason for their law, and for their King Messiah, who by right of merit reigns. Go, Michael, of celestial armies prince, And thou, in military prowess next, Gabriel; lead forth to battle these my sons Invincible; lead forth my armèd Saints, By thousands and by millions ranged for fight, Equal in number to that godless crew Rebellious. Them with fire and hostile arms Fearless assault; and, to the brow of Heaven
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