The Complete Poems (Penguin Classics)

  United. But to grant it thee unjust,

  That equal over equals monarch reign:

  Thyself though great and glorious dost thou count,

  Or all angelic nature joined in one,

  835 Equal to him begotten Son, by whom

  As by his Word the mighty Father made

  All things, ev’n thee, and all the Spirits of Heav’n

  By him created in their bright degrees,

  Crowned them with glory, and to their glory named

  840 Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Virtues, Powers,

  Essential Powers, nor by his reign obscured,

  But more illustrious made, since he the head

  One of our number thus reduced becomes,

  His laws our laws, all honour to him done

  845 Returns our own. Cease then this impious rage,

  And tempt not these; but hasten to appease

  Th’ incensèd Father, and th’ incensèd Son,

  While pardon may be found in time besought.

  So spake the fervent angel, but his zeal

  850 None seconded, as out of season judged,

  Or singular and rash, whereat rejoiced

  Th’ Apostate, and more haughty thus replied.

  That we were formed then say’st thou? and the work

  Of secondary hands, by task transferred

  855 From Father to his Son? strange point and new!

  Doctrine which we would know whence learnt: who saw

  When this creation was? remember’st thou

  Thy making, while the Maker gave thee being?

  We know no time when we were not as now;

  860 Know none before us, self–begot, self–raised

  By our own quick’ning power, when fatal course

  Had circled his full orb, the birth mature

  Of this our native Heav’n, ethereal sons.

  Our puissance is our own, our own right hand

  865 Shall teach us highest deeds, by proof to try

  Who is our equal: then thou shalt behold

  Whether by supplication we intend

  Address, and to begirt th’ Almighty throne

  Beseeching or besieging. This report,

  870 These tidings carry to th’ anointed King;

  And fly, ere evil intercept thy flight.

  He said, and as the sound of waters deep

  Hoarse murmur echoed to his words applause

  Through the infinite host, nor less for that

  875 The flaming Seraph fearless, though alone

  Encompassed round with foes, thus answered bold.

  O alienate from God, O Spirit accursed,

  Forsaken of all good; I see thy fall

  Determined, and thy hapless crew involved

  880 In this perfidious fraud, contagion spread

  Both of thy crime and punishment: henceforth

  No more be troubled how to quit the yoke

  Of God’s Messiah; those indulgent laws

  Will not be now vouchsafed, other decrees

  885 Against thee are gone forth without recall;

  That golden sceptre which thou didst reject

  Is now an iron rod to bruise and break

  Thy disobedience. Well thou didst advise,

  Yet not for thy advice or threats I fly

  890 These wicked tents devoted, lest the wrath

  Impendent, raging into sudden flame

  Distinguish not: for soon expect to feel

  His thunder on thy head, devouring fire.

  Then who created thee lamenting learn,

  895 When who can uncreate thee thou shalt know.

  So spake the Seraph Abdiel faithful found,

  Among the faithless, faithful only he;

  Among innumerable false, unmoved,

  Unshaken, unseduced, unterrified,

  900 His loyalty he kept, his love, his zeal;

  Nor number, nor example with him wrought

  To swerve from truth, or change his constant mind

  Though single. From amidst them forth he passed,

  Long way through hostile scorn, which he sustained

  905 Superior, nor of violence feared aught;

  And with retorted scorn his back he turned

  On those proud tow’rs to swift destruction doomed.

  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

  5 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

  10 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

  15 for them in the deep: Messiah returns with triumph to

  his Father.

  All night the dreadless angel unpursued

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

  Waked by the circling Hours, with rosy hand

  Unbarred the gates of light. There is a cave

  5 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

  10 Obsequious 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,

  15 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

  20 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

  25 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

  30 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

  35 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

  40 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,

  45 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

  50 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 Tartarus, which ready opens wide

  55 His fiery Chaos to receive their fall.

  So spake the sov’reign voice, and clouds began

  To darken all the hill, and smoke to roll

  In dusky wreaths, reluctant flames, the sign

  Of wrath awaked: nor with less dread the loud

  60 Ethereal trumpet from on high gan blow:

  At which command the powers militant,

  That stood for Heav’n, in mighty quadrate joined

  Of union irresistible, moved on

  In silence their bright legions, to the sound

  65 Of instrumental harmony that breathed

  Heroic ardour to advent’rous deeds

  Under their godlike leaders, in the cause

  Of God and his Messiah. On they move

  Indíssolúbly firm; nor obvious hill,

  70 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 tread; as when the total kind

  Of birds in orderly array on wing

  75 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 terrene: at last

  Far in th’ horizon to the North appeared

  80 From skirt to skirt a fiery region, stretched

  In battailous aspéct, and nearer view

  Bristled with upright beams innumerable

  Of rigid spears, and helmets thronged, and shields

  Various, with boastful argument portrayed,

  85 The banded powers of Satan hasting on

  With furious expedition; 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

  90 Aspirer, but their thoughts proved fond and vain

  In the mid way: though strange to us it seemed

  At first, that angel should with angel war,

  And in fierce hosting meet, who wont to meet

  So oft in festivals of joy and love

  95 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

  100 Th’ Apostate 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,

  105 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 joined

  Satan with vast and haughty strides advanced,

  110 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

  115 Should yet remain, where faith and realty

  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 th’ Almighty’s aid,

  120 I mean to try, whose reason I have tried

  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 contést and foul,

  125 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 prevention more

  130 Incensed, and thus securely him defied.

  Proud, art thou met? thy hope was to have reached

  The heighth of thy aspiring unopposed,

  The throne of God unguarded, and his side

  Abandoned at the terror of thy power

  135 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 raised incessant armies to defeat

  Thy folly; or with solitary hand

  140 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

  145 To thee not visible, when I alone

  Seemed 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

  150 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 assay

  Of this right hand provoked, since first that tongue

  155 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

  160 Before thy fellows, ambitious to win

  From me some plume, that thy success may show

  Destruction to the rest: this pause between

  (Unanswered lest thou boast) to let thee know;

  At first I thought that liberty and Heav’n

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

  I see that most through sloth had rather serve,

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

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

  Servility with freedom to contend,

  170 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’st it with the name

  175 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 th’ unwise, or him who hath rebelled

  180 Against his worthier, as thine now serve thee,

  Thyself not free, but to thyself enthralled;

  Yet lewdly dar’st our minist’ring upbraid.

  Reign thou in Hell thy Kingdom, let me serve

  In Heav’n God ever blest, and his divine

  185 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,

  190 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 knee

  195 His massy spear upstayed; as 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 Thrones, but greater rage to see

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

  Presage of victory and fierce desire

  Of battle: whereat Michaël bid sound

  Th’ Archangel trumpet; through the vast of Heav’n

  It sounded, and the faithful armies rung

  205 Hosanna to the Highest: nor stood at gaze

  The adverse legions, nor less hideous joined

  The horrid shock: now storming fury rose,

  And clamour such as heard in Heav’n till now

  Was never; arms on armour clashing brayed

  210 Horrible discord, and the madding wheels

  Of brazen chariots raged; dire was the noise

  Of conflict; overhead the dismal hiss

  Of fiery darts in flaming volleys flew,

  And flying vaulted either host with fire.

  215 So under fiery cope together rushed

  Both battles main, with ruinous assault

  And inextinguishable rage; all Heav’n

  Resounded, and had earth been then, all earth

  Had to her centre shook. What wonder? when

  220 Millions of fierce encount’ring 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

  225 Dreadful combustion warring, and disturb,

  Though not destroy, their happy native seat;

  Had not th’ Eternal King Omnipotent

  From his stronghold of Heav’n high overruled

  And limited their might; though numbered such

  230 As each divided legion might have seemed

  A numerous host, in strength each armèd hand

  A legion; led in fight, yet leader seemed

  Each warrior single as in chief, expért

  When to advance, or stand, or turn the sway

  235 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 relied,

  As only in his arm the moment lay

  240 Of victory; deeds of eternal fame

  Were done, but infinite: for wide was spread