So oft in festivals of joy and love
Unanimous, as sons of one great Sire,
Hymning the eternal Father. But the shout
Of battle now began, and rushing sound
Of onset ended soon each milder thought.
High on the midst, exalted as a god,
The apostate in his sun-bright chariot sat.
Idol of majesty divine, enclos'd

With flaming cherubim, and golden shields;
Then lighted from his gorgeous throne, for now,
"Twixt host and host but narrow space was left,
A dreadful interval, and front to front
Presented stood, in terrible array

Of hideous length. Before the cloudy van,
On the rough edge of battle, ere it join'd,
Satan, with vast and haughty strides advanced,
Came towering, arm'd in adamant and gold:
Abdiel that sight endured not, where he stood
Among the mightiest, bent on highest deeds,
And thus his own undaunted heart explores :

"O Heaven! that such resemblance of the Highest Should yet remain, where faith and reälty

Remain not: wherefore should not strength and might
There fail, where virtue fails, or weakest prove,
Where boldest, though to sight unconquerable?
His puissance, trusting in the Almighty's aid,
I mean to try, whose reason I have tried,
Unsound and false nor is it ought 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 reason hath to deal with force, yet so
Most reason is, that reason overcome.'

"So pondering, and from his armed peers
Forth stepping opposite, half way he met
His daring foe, at this prevention more
Incensed, and thus securely him defied

"Proud, art thou met? thy hope was to have reach'd The height of thy aspiring, unopposed,

The throne of God unguarded, and his side

Abandon'd, at the terror of thy power

Or potent tongue: fool, not to think how vain
Against the Omnipotent to rise in arms!
Who out of smallest things, could without end
Have raised incessant armies to defeat

Thy folly; or with solitary hand,

Reaching beyond all limit, at one blow,
Unaided, could have finish'd thee, and whelm'd
Thy legions under darkness; but thou seest
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 dissent
From all my sect thou seest; now learn, too late,
How few sometimes may know, when thousands err.'
"Whom the grand foe, with scornful eye askance
Thus answered: Ill for thee, but in wish'd hour
Of my revenge, first sought for, thou return'st
From flight, seditious angel, to receive
Thy merited reward, the first essay

Of this right-hand, provoked, since first that tongue,
Inspired with contradiction, durst oppose

A third part of the Gods in synod met,
Their deities to assert, 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 some plume, that thy success may show
Destruction to the rest: this pause between
Unanswer'd lest thou boast, to let thee know;
At first I thought that liberty and Heaven
To heavenly souls, had been all one; but now
I see, that most through sloth had rather serve
Ministering spirits, trained up in feast and song
Such hast thou arm'd, the minstrelsy of Heaven,
Servility with freedom to contend,

As both their deeds compar'd this day shall prove.'
"To whom in brief thus Abdiel stern replied.
'Apostate, still thou err'st; nor end wilt find
Of erring, from the path of truth remote :
Unjustly thou depravest it with the name
Of servitude, to serve whom God ordains,
Or nature; God and nature bid the same,
When he who rules is worthiest, and excels
Them whom he governs. This is servitude,
To serve the unwise, or him who hath rebell'd
Against his worthier, as thine now serve thee,
Thyself not free, but to thyself enthrall'd;
Yet lewdly darest our ministering upbraid.
Reign thou in Hell, thy kingdom; let me serve
In Heaven, God ever blest, and his divine
Behests obey, worthiest to be obey'd:

Yet chains in Hell, not realms, expect; meanwhile,
From me return'd, as erst thou saidst, from flight,
This greeting on thy impious crest receive.'

"So saying, a noble stroke he lifted high,
Which hung not, but so swift with tempest fell,
On the proud crest of Satan, that no sight,
Nor motion of quick thought, less could his shield
Such ruin intercept: ten paces huge

He back recoil'd; the tenth, on bended knee,
His massy spear up-stay'd; as if on earth
Winds under ground, or waters forcing way
Sidelong, had push'd a mountain from his seat,
Half sunk with all his pines. Amazement seiz'd
The rebel thrones, but greater rage, to see

Thus foil'd their mightiest : ours joy fill'd, and shout,
Presage of victory, and fierce desire

Of battle whereat, Michael bid sound

The archangel trumpet; through the vast of Heaven
It sounded, and the faithful armies rung
Hosannah to the Highest: nor stood at gaze
The adverse legions, nor less hideous join'd
The horrid shock. Now storming fury rose,
And clamour, such as heard in Heaven till now
Was never; arms, on armour clashing, bray'd
Horrible discord, and the madding wheels
Of brazen chariots rag'd; dire was the noise
Of conflict; overhead, the dismal hiss
Of fiery darts in flaming vollies flew,
And flying, vaulted either host with fire.
So under fiery cope together, rush'd
Both battles main, with ruinous assault,
And inextinguishable rage; all Heaven
Resounded, and had earth been then, all earth
Had to her centre shook. What wonder? when
Millions of fierce encountering angels fought
On either side, the least of whom could wield
These elements, and arm him with the force
Of all their regions: how much more of power,
Army against army numberless, to raise
Dreadful combustion warring, and disturb,
Though not destroy, their happy native seat,
Had not the Eternal King, omnipotent,

From the strong hold of Heaven high, over-rul'd
And limited their might; though number'd such,
As each divided legion might have seem'd,
A numerous host; in strength, each armed hand

A legion; led in fight, yet leader seem'd,
Each warrior single, as in chief; expert
When to advance, or stand, or turn the sway
Of battle; open when, and when to close
The ridges of grim war; no thought of flight,
None of retreat, no unbecoming deed
That argued fear; each on himself relv'd
As only in his arm the moment lay
Of victory. Deeds of eternal fame

Were done, but infinite; for wide was spread
That war, and various; sometimes on firm ground,
A standing fight, then soaring on main wing,
Tormented all the air; all air seem'd then
Conflicting fire: long time in even scale
The battle hung; till Satan, who that day
Prodigious power had shown, and met in arms
No equal, ranging through the dire attack
Of fighting seraphim confus'd, at length

Saw where the sword of Michael smote, and fell'd
Squadrons at once; with huge two-handed sway
Brandish'd aloft, the horrid edge came down,
Wide wasting; such destruction to withstand
He hasted, and oppos'd the rocky orb
Of tenfold adamant, his ample shield,
A vast circumference: at his approach
The great arch-angel, from his warlike toil
Surceased, and glad, as hoping here to end
Intestine war in Heaven, the arch-foe subdu'd,
Or captive dragg'd in chains, with hostile frown.
And visage all inflam'd, first thus began:

"Author of evil, unknown till thy revolt,
Unnam'd in Heaven, now plenteous, as thou seest
These acts of hateful strife, hateful to all,
Though heaviest by just measure on thyself,
And thy adherents; how hast thou disturb'd
Heaven's blessed peace, and into nature brought
Misery, uncreated till the crime

Of thy rebellion? how hast thou instill'd
Thy malice into thousands, once upright

And faithful, now prov'd false? But think not here
To trouble holy rest; Heaven casts thee out

From all her confines. Heaven, 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 mingie broils,

Ere this avenging sword begin thy doom,
Or some more sudden vengeance wing'd from God,
Precipitate thee with augmented pain.'

"So spake the prince of angels; to whom thus The adversary. Nor think thou, with wind

Of airy threats, to awe whom yet with deeds

Thou canst not. Hast thou turn'd the least of these
To flight, or if to fall, but that they rise
Unvanquish'd, easier to transact with me

That thou shouldst hope, imperious, and with threats
To chase me hence? err not, that so shall end
The strife, which thou call'st evil, but we style
The strife of glory; which we mean to win,
Or turn this Heaven itself into the Hell
Thou fablest; here however to dwell free,
If not to reign: meanwhile thy utmost force,
And join him named Almighty to thy aid,
I fly not, but have sought thee far and nigh.'
"They ended parle, and both address'd for fight
Unspeakable; for who, though with the tongue
Of angels, can relate, or, to what things
Liken, on earth conspicuous, that may lift
Human imagination to such highth

Of Godlike power? for likest Gods they seem'd,
Stood they or moved; in stature, motion, arms,
Fit to decide the empire of great Heaven.
Now waved their fiery swords, and in the air
Made horrid circles; two broad suns their shields
Blaz'd opposite, while expectation stood

In horror: from each hand, with speed retired,
Where erst was thickest fight, the angelic throng,
And left large field, unsafe within the wind

Of such commotion; such as, to set forth
Great things by small, if nature's concord broke,
Among the constellations war were sprung,
Two planets, rushing from aspect malign
Of fiercest opposition, in mid-sky

Should combat, and their jarring spheres confound.
Together both, with next to almighty arm
Uplifted imminent, one stroke they aim'd,
That might determine and not need repeat
As not of power at once; nor odds appear'd
In might or swift prevention: but the sword
Of Michael, from the armoury of God,
Was given him, temper'd so, that neither keen
Nor solid might resist that edge: it met