They eat, they drink, and in communion sweet
Quaff immortality and joy, secure
Of surfeit where full measure only bounds
Excess, before th' all-bounteous King, who shower'd With copious hand, rejoicing in their joy.
Now when ambrosial night with clouds exhal'd
From that high mount of GOD, whence light and shade
Spring both, the face of brightest heaven had changed
To grateful twilight, (for night comes not there
In darker veil,) and roseate dews dispos'd
All but the unsleeping eyes of God to rest,
Wide over all the plain, and wider far
Than all this globous earth in plain out spread,
Such are the courts of GOD,) th' angelic throng 650 Dispers'd in bands and files their
camp extend By living streams among the trees of life,
Pavilions numberless and sudden rear'd,
Celestial tabernacles, where they slept
Fann'd with cool winds, save those who in their course
Melodious hymns about the sov'reign throne
Alternate all night long. But not so wak'd
Satan, (so call him now, his former name
Is heard no more in heaven;) he of the first,
637 In the first ed. the passage stood thus:
'They eat, they drink, and with refection sweet
Are filled, before the all-bounteous King,' &c.
642 ambrosial] Hom. Il. ii. 57. 'Außooolηv dià vízta. 646 roseate] roscid. Bentl. MS.
649 globous earth] So in the Doctrine of Divorce, p. 208, ed. Burnet. 'Circling upwards can make from the globy sea whereon she stands.'
If not the first arch-angel, great in power,
In favour and preeminence, yet fraught
With envy against the Son of God, that day
Honour'd by his great Father, and proclaim'd
Messiah King anointed, could not bear
Thro' pride that sight, and thought himself impair'd.
Deep malice thence conceiving and disdain,
Soon as midnight brought on the dusky hour,
Friendliest to sleep and silence, he resolv'd
With all his legions to dislodge, and leave
Unworship'd, unobey'd, the throne supreme,
Contemptuous, and his next subordinate
Awak'ning, thus to him in secret spake.
Sleep'st thou, companion dear, what sleep can close
Thy eyelids? and remember'st what decree
Of yesterday so late hath past the lips
Of heav'n's Almighty? Thou to me thy thoughts
Wast wont, I mine to thee was wont to impart :
Both waking we were one; how then can now
Thy sleep dissent? new laws thou see'st impos'd;
New laws from him who reigns new minds may raise
In us who serve, new counsels, to debate
What doubtful may ensue; more in this place
To utter is not safe. Assemble thou
Of all those myriads which we lead the chief;
Tell them, that by command, ere yet dim night 685
Her shadowy cloud withdraws, I am to haste,
And all who under me their banners wave,
673 Sleep'st thou] See Nonni Dionysiaca, lib. xxix. v. 328.
Homeward with flying march, where we possess
The quarters of the north, there to prepare
Fit entertainment to receive our King
The great Messiah, and his new commands;
Who speedily through all the hierarchies
Intends to pass triumphant, and give laws.
So spake the false arch-angel, and infus'd
Bad influence into th' unwary breast
Of his associate; he together calls,
Or several one by one, the regent powers,
Under him regent; tells, as he was taught,
That, the Most High commanding, now ere night,
Now ere dim night had disincumber'd heaven,
The great hierarchal standard was to move;
Tells the suggested cause, and casts between
Ambiguous words and jealousies, to sound
Or taint integrity: but all obey'd
The wonted signal, and superior voice
Of their great potentate ; for great
indeed
His name, and high was his degree in heaven;
His count'nance, as the morning star that guides
The starry flock, allur'd them, and with lies
Drew after him the third part of heaven's host. 710
Mean while th' eternal Eye, whose sight discerns
Abstrusest thoughts, from forth his holy mount,
And from within the golden lamps that burn
708 morning star] So in an Epigram of the elder Scaliger, Poemata, p. 120, ed. 1591;
'Lucifer, aurati pecoris cordate magister,
Coge gregem.'
Nightly before him, saw without their light
Rebellion rising, saw in whom, how spread
Among the sons of morn, what multitudes
Were banded to oppose his high decree;
And smiling to his only Son thus said.
Son, thou in whom my glory I behold
In full resplendence, heir of all my might,
Nearly it now concerns us to be sure
Of our omnipotence, and with what arms
We mean to hold what antiently we claim
Of deity or empire; such a foe
Is rising, who intends to erect his throne
Equal to ours, throughout the spacious north;
Nor so content, hath in his thought to try
In battle, what our power is, or our right.
Let us advise, and to this hazard draw
With speed what force is left, and all employ
In our defence, lest unawares we lose
This our high place, our sanctuary, our hill.
To whom the Son with calm aspect and clear Light'ning divine, ineffable, serene,
Made answer. Mighty Father, thou thy foes 735
Justly hast in derision, and secure
Laugh'st at their vain designs and tumults vain,
Matter to me of glory, whom their hate
Illustrates, when they see all regal power
716 sons of morn] So he calls the angels in H. on the Nativity, st. xii.
But when of old the sons of morning sung.'
See Isaiah, xiv. 12. Todd.
Given me to quell their pride, and in event
Know whether I be dextrous to subdue
Thy rebels, or be found the worst in heaven.
So spake the Son: but Satan with his powers
Far was advanc'd on winged speed, an host
Innumerable as the stars of night,
Or stars of morning, dewdrops, which the sun
Impearls on every leaf and every flower.
Regions they pass'd, the mighty regencies
Of Seraphim, and Potentates, and Thrones
In their triple degrees; regions to which
All thy dominion, Adam, is no more
Than what this garden is to all the earth,
And all the sea, from one entire globose
Stretch'd into longitude; which having pass'd,
At length into the limits of the north
They came, and Satan to his royal seat
High on a hill, far blazing, as a mount
Rais'd on a mount, with pyramids and tow'rs
From diamond quarries hewn, and rocks of gold,
The palace of great Lucifer, (so call
That structure in the dialect of men
Interpreted,) which not long after he,
Affecting all equality with GOD,
In imitation of that mount whereon
746 stars of morning] Casimir Sarb. Carm. ii. 4. 1. calls the dews, 'Stellulæ noctis decedentis.'
747 Impearls] Sylv. Du Bartas, p. 70.
'the flowery meads
Impearled with tears, which sweet Aurora sheds.' Todd.
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