Paradise Lost

  637. communion: fellowship.

  652. streams among the trees of life: See Rev. 22.2.

  658. former name: his original, prerebellion name, now blotted out from the heavenly records (1.362–63). One tradition, derived from Isa. 14.12, took the former name to be Lucifer, but Raphael does not confirm this directly until 5.760.

  664. Messiah: Hebrew, meaning “anointed.”

  669. dislodge: break camp.

  671. subordinate: His fallen name is Beëlzebub (1.81).

  673. Sleep’st thou: An epic formula for awakening someone, found in Homer (Il. 2.560), Vergil (Aen. 4.560, 7.421), and Milton’s On the Fifth of November, 92.

  680. minds: purposes.

  685. by command: a lie, since God has not commanded their departure.

  689. north: where Satan’s throne was traditionally located (Isa. 14.13).

  695. Bad influence: perhaps with an astrological undertone.

  700. Night’s removal of darkness and the stars is made to seem an echo of Satan moving his troops.

  710. the third part: See Rev. 12.4.

  712. Abstrusest: most secret.

  718. smiling: alerting us to the mocking tone of the forthcoming speech, where the omnipotent Father speaks as a Shakespearean monarch alarmed by the threat of rebellion.

  721. Nearly: “closely,” “intimately,” as in Shakespeare’s “something nearly that concerns yourselves” (MND 1.1.126).

  725–26. Cp. Isa. 14.12–13.

  736. Justly hast in derision: Ps. 2.4: “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: The Lord shall have them in derision.”

  739. Illustrates: makes illustrious (by defeating them in battle).

  740. in event: by the outcome.

  741. dextrous: both “skillful” and “right-handed” (the Son sits on God’s right hand [1. 606], and is, so to speak, his right-hand man).

  746. Or stars of morning, dewdrops: The sudden shift of magnitude from stars to dewdrops recalls the similes of Book 1.

  748. regencies: dominions.

  750. triple degrees: The nine orders of angels were often arranged in three groups of three; see Spenser’s “trinal triplicities” in FQ 1.39.

  750–54. regions … longitude: Again the issue is magnitude: the planet Earth, spread on a flat plane, is to the regions traversed by the rebel angels as Eden is to the entire earth.

  758. pyramids: Milton’s association of pyramids with pomp and immortal longings can be discerned as early as On Shakespeare. See also RCG (Yale 1:790).

  763. Affecting: aspiring to, making an ostentatious display of.

  764. that mount: referring to the mount of line 598.

  766. Mountain of the Congregation: See Isa. 14.13.

  775. engrossed: monopolized.

  786. this yoke: Christ maintains that his yoke is “easy” in Matt. 11.29–30.

  799. this: this entity placed over us only by improper law and edict.

  805. Abdiel: Hebrew meaning “Servant of God.” Milton’s most important addition to the traditional cast of Judeo-Christian angels; see West 154 on the origins of the name. zeal: a trait admired by Protestants and by Milton, who defined it as “an eager desire to sanctify the divine name, together with a feeling of indignation against things which tend to the violation or contempt of religion” (CD 2.6 in MLM 1146; see also Apology in Yale 1:900–901).

  821. unsucceeded: without successor, unending.

  835–40. Based on Col. 1.16–17: “By him were all things created, … whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.”

  842–45. But … own: “The argument seems to be that Christ, by becoming the head of the angels, became in a measure one of them, and so ennobled their nature” (Verity). Such, of course, is precisely the effect of his Incarnation on humankind.

  856–58. See Augustine’s Confessions 1.6 on how we do not remember our beginnings but cannot suppose that we fabricated ourselves, and therefore honor our Maker. Adam at his awakening follows this line of thought (8.270–82). Milton might have derived the idea of the rebel angels denying their creation from Dante, Par. 29.58–60.

  860. self-begot, self-raised: The sudden eruption of the word self recalls Shakespeare’s R3, 5.3.183–204, and glances at the despairing hell of selfhood at 4.73–113.

  864. own right hand: as opposed to God’s (see 741n). Cp. Ps. 45.4.

  868. Address: dutiful approach, with also a military sense of skillful engagement.

  869. Beseeching or besieging: Out of supplication comes, treacherously, a new way of approaching the throne of God; besieging only sounds like beseeching. Cp. 1.642n.

  883. those indulgent laws: alluding to the laws of line 693.

  890. devoted: doomed.

  899. Similar effects with the prefix un-occur at 2.185, 3.231. In describing Abdiel’s solitary steadfastness, Milton may also have had in mind his own position at the Restoration.

  906. retorted scorn: Abdiel’s physical gesture of scornfully turning his back on the scornful rebel angels enacts the etymology of retorted, from the Latin retortus, “turned back.”

  BOOK VI

  THE ARGUMENT

  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 forces 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 angel1 unpursued

  Through Heav’n’s wide champaign2 held his way, till Morn,

  Waked by the circling Hours, with rosy hand

  Unbarr’d 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 Heav’n

  Grateful vicissitude, like day and night;

  Light issues forth, and at the other door

  Obsequious10 darkness enters, till her hour

  To veil the Heav’n, though darkness there might well

  Seem twilight here; and now went forth the Morn

  Such as in highest Heav’n, 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 procinct19, 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 fall’n, 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,29 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 testimony33 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 reason42 for their law, and for their King

  Messiah, who by right of merit reigns.

  Go Michael44 of celestial armies prince,

  And thou in military prowess next

  Gabriel46, lead forth to battle these my sons

  Invincible, lead forth my armèd Saints

  By thousands and by millions ranged for fight;

  Equal49 in number to that godless crew

  Rebellious, them with fire and hostile arms

  Fearless assault, and to the brow of Heav’n

  Pursuing drive them out from God and bliss,

  Into their place of punishment, the gulf

  Of Tartarus54, which ready opens wide

  His fiery chaos55 to receive their fall.’

  “So spake56 the sov’reign voice, and clouds began

  To darken all the hill, and smoke to roll

  In dusky wreaths, reluctant58 flames, the sign

  Of wrath awaked: nor with less dread the loud

  Ethereal trumpet from on high gan60 blow:

  At which command the powers militant,

  That stood for Heav’n62, in mighty quadrate joined

  Of union irresistible63, moved on

  In silence their bright legions, to the sound

  Of instrumental harmony that breathed

  Heroic ardor to advent’rous deeds

  Under their godlike leaders, in the cause

  Of God and his Messiah. On they move

  Indissolubly firm; nor obvious69 hill,

  Nor strait’ning vale, nor wood, nor stream divides

  Their perfect ranks; for high above the ground

  Their march was, and the passive air upbore

  Their nimble tread73, as when the total kind

  Of birds in orderly array on wing

  Came summoned over Eden to receive

  Their names of thee; so over many a tract

  Of Heav’n they marched, and many a province wide

  Tenfold the length of this terrene78: at last

  Far in th’ horizon79 to the north appeared

  From skirt to skirt a fiery region125, stretched

  In battailous aspect, and nearer view

  Bristled with upright beams innumerable

  Of rigid spears, and helmets thronged, and shields

  Various, with boastful argument84 portrayed,

  The banded powers of Satan hasting on

  With furious expedition86; for they weened

  That selfsame day by fight, or by surprise

  To win the Mount of God, and on his throne

  To set the envier of his state, the proud

  Aspirer, but their thoughts proved fond90 and vain

  In the mid way91: though strange to us it seemed

  At first, that angel should with angel war,

  And in fierce hosting93 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 battle now began, and rushing sound

  Of onset ended soon each milder thought.

  High in the midst exalted as a god

  Th’ Apostate100 in his sun-bright chariot sat

  Idol of majesty divine, enclosed

  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 van107,

  On the rough edge of battle ere it joined,

  Satan with vast and haughty strides advanced,

  Came tow’ring, armed 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 Heav’n! That such resemblance of the Highest

  Should yet remain, where faith and realty115

  Remain not; wherefore should not strength and might

  There fail where virtue fails, or weakest prove

  Where boldest118; though to sight unconquerable?

  His puissance, trusting in th’ Almighty’s aid,

  I mean to try, whose reason I have tried120

  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 foul,

  When reason hath to deal with force, yet so

  Most reason is that reason overcome.’

  “So pondering, and from his armèd peers

  Forth stepping opposite, half way he met

  His daring foe, at this prevention129 more

  Incensed, and thus securely130 him defied.

  “ ‘Proud131, art thou met? Thy hope was to have reached

  The highth of thy aspiring unopposed,

  The throne of God unguarded, and his side

  Abandoned at the terror of thy power

  Or potent tongue; fool, not to think how vain

  Against th’ Omnipotent to rise in arms;

  Who137 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 finished thee, and whelmed

  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

  Seemed in thy world erroneous to dissent

  From all: my sect147 thou seest, now learn too late

  How few sometimes may know, when thousands err.’

  “Whom the grand foe with scornful eye askance149

  Thus answered. ‘Ill for thee, but in wished hour

  Of my revenge, first sought for thou return’st

  From flight, seditious angel, to receive

  Thy merited reward, the first assay153

  Of this right hand provoked, since first that tongue

  Inspired with contradiction durst oppose

  A third part of the gods, in synod156 met

  Their deities to assert, who while they feel

  Vigor 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 success161 may show

  Destruction to the rest: this pause between

  (Unanswered lest thou boast163) to let thee know;

  At first I thought that liberty and Heav’n

  To Heav’nly souls had been all one; but now

  I see that most through sloth had rather serve,166

  Minist’ring spirits, trained up in feast and song;

  Such hast thou armed, the minstrelsy of Heav’n,

  Servility with freedom169 to contend,

  As both their deeds compared 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 deprav’st174 it with the name

  Of servitude to serve whom God ordains,

  Or Nature; God176 and Nature bid the same,

  When he who rules is worthiest, and excels

  Them whom he governs. This is
servitude,

  To serve th’ unwise, or him who hath rebelled

  Against his worthier, as thine now serve thee,

  Thyself not free, but to thyself enthralled;

  Yet lewdly182 dar’st our minist’ring upbraid.

  Reign183 thou in Hell thy kingdom, let me serve

  In Heav’n God ever blest, and his divine

  Behests obey, worthiest to be obeyed,

  Yet chains in Hell, not realms expect: meanwhile

  From me returned, 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 swift thought, less could his shield

  Such ruin intercept: ten paces huge

  He back recoiled; the tenth on bended knee194

  His massy spear upstayed; as195 if on Earth

  Winds under ground or waters forcing way

  Sidelong, had pushed a mountain from his seat

  Half sunk with all his pines. Amazement seized

  The rebel Thrones199, but greater rage to see

  Thus foiled their mightiest, ours joy filled, and shout,

  Presage of victory and fierce desire

  Of battle: whereat Michael bid sound

  Th’ archangel trumpet; through the vast of Heaven

  It sounded, and the faithful armies rung

  Hosanna to the Highest: nor stood at gaze

  The adverse legions, nor less hideous joined

  The horrid shock: now storming fury rose,

  And clamor such as heard in Heav’n till now

  Was never, arms on armor clashing brayed

  Horrible discord, and the madding210 wheels

  Of brazen chariots raged; dire was the noise

  Of conflict; overhead the dismal hiss

  Of fiery213 darts in flaming volleys flew,

  And flying vaulted either host with fire.

  So under fiery cope together rushed

  Both battles main216, with ruinous assault

  And inextinguishable rage; all Heav’n

  Resounded, and had Earth been then, all Earth

  Had to her center shook. What wonder? When

  Millions of fierce encount’ring angels fought

  On either side, the least of whom could wield

  These elements222, and arm him with the force

  Of all their regions: how much more of power