thir bright Legions, to the soundOf instrumental Harmonie that breath’d
Heroic Ardor to advent’rous deeds
Under thir God-like Leaders, in the Cause
Of God and his Messiah. On they move Indissolubly firm; nor obvious Hill, Nor streit’ning Vale, nor Wood, nor Stream divides Thir perfet ranks; for high above the ground Thir march was, and the passive Air upbore Thir nimble tread; as when the total kind Of Birds in orderly array on wing Came summond over Eden to receive Thir names of thee; so over many a tract Of Heav’n they march’d, and many a Province wide Tenfold the length of this terrene: at last Farr in th’ Horizon to the North appeer’d From skirt to skirt a fierie Region, stretcht In battailous aspect, and neerer view Bristl’d with upright beams innumerable Of rigid Spears, and Helmets throng’d, and Shields Various, with boastful Argument portraid, The banded Powers of Satan hasting on With furious expedition; for they weend That self same day by fight, or by surprize To win the Mount of God, and on his Throne To set the envier of his State, the proud Aspirer, but thir thoughts prov’d fond and vain In the mid way: though strange to us it seemd At first, that Angel should with Angel warr, And in fierce hosting meet, who wont to meet So oft in Festivals of joy and love Unanimous, as sons of one great Sire Hymning th’ Eternal Father: but the shout Of Battel now began, and rushing sound Of onset ended soon each milder thought. High in the midst exalted as a God Th’ Apostat in his Sun-bright Chariot sate Idol of Majestie 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 cloudie Van, On the rough edge of battel ere it joyn’d, Satan with vast and haughtie strides advanc’t, Came towring, armd in Adamant and Gold; Abdiel that sight endur’d not, where he stood Among the mightiest, bent on highest deeds, And thus his own undaunted heart explores.
O Heav’n! that such resemblance of the Highest
Should yet remain, where faith and realtie
Remain not; wherfore should not strength & might
There fail where Vertue fails, or weakest prove
Where boldest; though to sight unconquerable?
His puissance, trusting in th’ Almightie’s aide,
I mean to try, whose Reason I have tri’d
Unsound and false; nor is it aught 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 foule,
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
Incens’t, and thus securely him defi’d.
Proud, art thou met? thy hope was to have reacht
The highth of thy aspiring unoppos’d,
The Throne of God unguarded, and his side
Abandond at the terror of thy Power
Or potent tongue; fool, not to think how vain
Against th’ Omnipotent to rise in Arms;
Who out of smallest things could without end
Have rais’d incessant Armies to defeat
Thy folly; or with solitarie hand
Reaching beyond all limit, at one blow
Unaided could have finisht thee, and whelmd
Thy Legions under darkness; but thou seest
All are not of thy Train; there be who Faith
Prefer, and Pietie to God, though then
To thee not visible, when I alone
Seemd in thy World erroneous to dissent
From all: my Sect thou seest, now learn too late
How few somtimes may know, when thousands err.
Whom the grand foe with scornful eye askance
Thus answerd. Ill for thee, but in wisht houre
Of my revenge, first sought for thou returnst
From flight, seditious Angel, to receave
Thy merited reward, the first assay
Of this right hand provok’t, since first that tongue
Inspir’d with contradiction durst oppose
A third part of the Gods, in Synod met
Thir Deities to assert, who while they feel
Vigour Divine within them, can allow
Omnipotence to none. But well thou comst
Before thy fellows, ambitious to win
From me som Plume, that thy success may show
Destruction to the rest: this pause between
(Unanswerd least thou boast) to let thee know;
At first I thought that Libertie and Heav’n
To heav’nly Soules had bin all one; but now
I see that most through sloth had rather serve,
Ministring Spirits, traind up in Feast and Song;
Such hast thou arm’d, the Minstrelsie of Heav’n,
Servilitie with freedom to contend,
As both thir deeds compar’d this day shall prove.
To whom in brief thus Abdiel stern repli’d. Apostat, still thou errst, nor end wilt find Of erring, from the path of truth remote: Unjustly thou deprav’st 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 excells Them whom he governs. This is servitude, To serve th’ unwise, or him who hath rebelld Against his worthier, as thine now serve thee, Thy self not free, but to thy self enthrall’d; Yet leudly dar’st our ministring upbraid. Reign thou in Hell thy Kingdom, let mee serve In Heav’n God ever blessed, and his Divine Behests obey, worthiest to be obey’d, Yet Chains in Hell, not Realms expect: mean while From mee returnd, 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
