The Complete Poems (Penguin Classics)

  That war and various; sometimes on firm ground

  A standing fight, then soaring on main wing

  Tormented all the air; all air seemed then

  245 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 confused, at length

  250 Saw where the sword of Michael smote, and felled

  Squadrons at once, with huge two–handed sway

  Brandished aloft the horrid edge came down

  Wide wasting; such destruction to withstand

  He hasted, and opposed the rocky orb

  255 Of tenfold adamant, his ample shield

  A vast circumference: at his approach

  The great Archangel from his warlike toil

  Surceased, and glad as hoping here to end

  Intestine war in Heav’n, the Arch–foe subdued

  260 Or captive dragged in chains, with hostile frown

  And visage all inflamed first thus began.

  Author of evil, unknown till thy revolt,

  Unnamed in Heav’n, now plenteous, as thou seest

  These acts of hateful strife, hateful to all,

  265 Though heaviest by just measure on thyself

  And thy adherents: how hast thou disturbed

  Heav’n’s blessèd peace, and into Nature brought

  Misery, uncreated till the crime

  Of thy rebellion? how hast thou instilled

  270 Thy malice into thousands, once upright

  And faithful, now proved false. But think not here

  To trouble holy rest; Heav’n casts thee out

  From all her confines. Heav’n the seat of bliss

  Brooks not the works of violence and war.

  275 Hence then, and evil go with thee along

  Thy offspring, to the place of evil, Hell,

  Thou and thy wicked crew; there mingle broils,

  Ere this avenging sword begin thy doom,

  Or some more sudden vengeance winged from God

  280 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 turned the least of these

  285 To flight, or if to fall, but that they rise

  Unvanquished, 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

  290 The strife of glory: which we mean to win,

  Or turn this Heav’n 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,

  295 I fly not, but have sought thee far and nigh.

  They ended parle, and both addressed for fight

  Unspeakable; for who, though with the tongue

  Of angels, can relate, or to what things

  Liken on earth conspicuous, that may lift

  300 Human imagination to such heighth

  Of godlike power: for likest gods they seemed,

  Stood they or moved, in stature, motion, arms

  Fit to decide the empire of great Heav’n.

  Now waved their fiery swords, and in the air

  305 Made horrid circles; two broad suns their shields

  Blazed opposite, while Expectation stood

  In horror; from each hand with speed retired

  Where erst was thickest fight, th’ angelic throng,

  And left large field, unsafe within the wind

  310 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 aspéct malign

  Of fiercest opposition in mid sky,

  315 Should combat, and their jarring spheres confound.

  Together both with next to Almighty arm,

  Uplifted imminent one stroke they aimed

  That might determine, and not need repeat,

  As not of power, at once; nor odds appeared

  320 In might or swift prevention; but the sword

  Of Michael from the armoury of God

  Was giv’n him tempered so, that neither keen

  Nor solid might resist that edge: it met

  The sword of Satan with steep force to smite

  325 Descending, and in half cut sheer, nor stayed,

  But with swift wheel reverse, deep ent’ring shared

  All his right side; then Satan first knew pain,

  And writhed him to and fro convolved; so sore

  The griding sword with discontinuous wound

  330 Passed through him, but th’ ethereal substance closed

  Not long divisible, and from the gash

  A stream of nectarous humour issuing flowed

  Sanguine, such as celestial Spirits may bleed,

  And all his armour stained erewhile so bright.

  335 Forthwith on all sides to his aid was run

  By angels many and strong, who interposed

  Defence, while others bore him on their shields

  Back to his chariot, where it stood retired

  From off the files of war; there they him laid

  340 Gnashing for anguish and despite and shame

  To find himself not matchless, and his pride

  Humbled by such rebuke, so far beneath

  His confidence to equal God in power.

  Yet soon he healed; for Spirits that live throughout

  345 Vital in every part, not as frail man

  In entrails, heart or head, liver or reins,

  Cannot but by annihilating die;

  Nor in their liquid texture mortal wound

  Receive, no more than can the fluid air:

  350 All heart they live, all head, all eye, all ear,

  All intellect, all sense, and as they please,

  They limb themselves, and colour, shape or size

  Assume, as likes them best, condense or rare.

  Meanwhile in other parts like deeds deserved

  355 Memorial, where the might of Gabriel fought,

  And with fierce ensigns pierced the deep array

  Of Moloch furious king, who him defied,

  And at his chariot wheels to drag him bound

  Threatened, nor from the Holy One of Heav’n

  360 Refrained his tongue blasphémous; but anon

  Down cloven to the waist, with shattered arms

  And uncouth pain fled bellowing. On each wing

  Uriel and Raphaël his vaunting foe,

  Though huge, and in a rock of diamond armed,

  365 Vanquished Adramelech, and Asmadai,

  Two potent Thrones, that to be less than gods

  Disdained, but meaner thoughts learned in their flight,

  Mangled with ghastly wounds through plate and mail.

  Nor stood unmindful Abdiel to annoy

  370 The atheist crew, but with redoubled blow

  Ariel and Arioch, and the violence

  Of Ramiel scorched and blasted overthrew.

  I might relate of thousands, and their names

  Eternize here on earth; but those elect

  375 Angels contented with their fame in Heav’n

  Seek not the praise of men: the other sort

  In might though wondrous and in acts of war,

  Nor of renown less eager, yet by doom

  Cancelled from Heav’n and sacred memory,

  380 Nameless in dark oblivion let them dwell.

  For strength from Truth divided and from Just,

  Illaudable, naught merits but dispraise

 
And ignominy, yet to glory aspires

  Vainglorious, and through infamy seeks fame:

  385 Therefore eternal silence be their doom.

  And now their mightiest quelled, the battle swerved,

  With many an inroad gored; deformèd rout

  Entered, and foul disorder; all the ground

  With shivered armour strewn, and on a heap

  390 Chariot and charioteer lay overturned

  And fiery foaming steeds; what stood, recoiled

  O’er–wearied, through the faint Satanic host

  Defensive scarce, or with pale fear surprised,

  Then first with fear surprised and sense of pain,

  395 Fled ignominious, to such evil brought

  By sin of disobedience, till that hour

  Not liable to fear or flight or pain.

  Far otherwise th’ inviolable saints

  In cubic phalanx firm advanced entire,

  400 Invulnerable, impenetrably armed:

  Such high advantages their innocence

  Gave them above their foes, not to have sinned,

  Not to have disobeyed; in fight they stood

  Unwearied, unobnoxious to be pained

  405 By wound, though from their place by violence moved.

  Now night her course began, and over Heav’n

  Inducing darkness, grateful truce imposed,

  And silence on the odious din of war:

  Under her cloudy covert both retired,

  410 Victor and vanquished: on the foughten field

  Michaæl and his angels prevalent

  Encamping, placed in guard their watches round,

  Cherubic waving fires: on th’ other part

  Satan with his rebellious disappeared,

  415 Far in the dark dislodged, and void of rest,

  His Potentates to council called by night;

  And in the midst thus undismayed began.

  O now in danger tried, now known in arms

  Not to be overpowered, companions dear,

  420 Found worthy not of liberty alone,

  Too mean pretence, but what we more affect,

  Honour, dominion, glory, and renown,

  Who have sustained one day in doubtful fight

  (And if one day, why not eternal days?)

  425 What Heaven’s Lord had powerfullest to send

  Against us from about his throne, and judged

  Sufficient to subdue us to his will,

  But proves not so: then fallible, it seems,

  Of future we may deem him, though till now

  430 Omniscient thought. True is, less firmly armed,

  Some disadvantage we endured and pain,

  Till now not known, but known as soon contemned,

  Since now we find this our empyreal form

  Incapable of mortal injury

  435 Imperishable, and though pierced with wound,

  Soon closing, and by native vigour healed.

  Of evil then so small as easy think

  The remedy; perhaps more valid arms,

  Weapons more violent, when next we meet,

  440 May serve to better us, and worse our foes,

  Or equal what between us made the odds,

  In nature none: if other hidden cause

  Left them superior, while we can preserve

  Unhurt our minds, and understanding sound,

  445 Due search and consultation will disclose.

  He sat; and in th’ assembly next upstood

  Nisroch, of Principalities the prime;

  As one he stood escaped from cruel fight,

  Sore toiled, his riven arms to havoc hewn,

  450 And cloudy in aspéct thus answering spake.

  Deliverer from new Lords, leader to free

  Enjoyment of our right as gods; yet hard

  For gods, and too unequal work we find

  Against unequal arms to fight in pain,

  455 Against unpained, impassive; from which evil

  Ruin must needs ensue; for what avails

  Valour or strength, though matchless, quelled with pain

  Which all subdues, and makes remiss the hands

  Of mightiest. Sense of pleasure we may well

  460 Spare out of life perhaps, and not repine,

  But live content, which is the calmest life:

  But pain is perfect misery, the worst

  Of evils, and excessive, overturns

  All patience. He who therefore can invent

  465 With what more forcible we may offend

  Our yet unwounded enemies, or arm

  Ourselves with like defence, to me deserves

  No less than for deliverance what we owe.

  Whereto with look composed Satan replied.

  470 Not uninvented that, which thou aright

  Believ’st so main to our success, I bring;

  Which of us who beholds the bright surfáce

  Of this ethereous mould whereon we stand,

  This continent of spacious Heav’n, adorned

  475 With plant, fruit, flow’r ambrosial, gems and gold,

  Whose eye so superficially surveys

  These things, as not to mind from whence they grow

  Deep under ground, materials dark and crude,

  Of spiritous and fiery spume, till touched

  480 With Heav’n’s ray, and tempered they shoot forth

  So beauteous, op’ning to the ambient light.

  These in their dark nativity the deep

  Shall yield us, pregnant with infernal flame,

  Which into hollow engines long and round

  485 Thick-rammed, at th’ other bore with touch of fire

  Dilated and infuriate shall send forth

  From far with thund’ring noise among our foes

  Such implements of mischief as shall dash

  To pieces, and o’erwhelm whatever stands

  490 Adverse, that they shall fear we have disarmed

  The Thunderer of his only dreaded bolt.

  Nor long shall be our labour, yet ere dawn,

  Effect shall end our wish. Meanwhile revive;

  Abandon fear; to strength and counsel joined

  495 Think nothing hard, much less to be despaired.

  He ended, and his words their drooping cheer

  Enlightened, and their languished hope revived.

  Th’ invention all admired, and each, how he

  To be th’ inventor missed, so easy it seemed

  500 Once found, which yet unfound most would have thought

  Impossible: yet haply of thy race

  In future days, if malice should abound,

  Someone intent on mischief, or inspired

  With dev’lish machination might devise

  505 Like instrument to plague the sons of men

  For sin, on war and mutual slaughter bent.

  Forthwith from council to the work they flew,

  None arguing stood, innumerable hands

  Were ready; in a moment up they turned

  510 Wide the celestial soil, and saw beneath

  Th’ originals of nature in their crude

  Conception; sulphurous and nitrous foam

  They found, they mingled, and with subtle art,

  Concocted and adusted they reduced

  515 To blackest grain, and into store conveyed:

  Part hidden veins digged up (nor hath this earth

  Entrails unlike) of mineral and stone,

  Whereof to found their engines and their balls

  Of missive ruin; part incentive reed

  520 Provide, pernicious with one touch to fire.

  So all ere day-spring, under conscious night

  Secret they finished, and in order set,

  With silent circumspection unespied.

  Now when fair morn orient in Heav’n appeared

  525 Up rose the victor angels, and to arms

  The matin trumpet sung: in arms they stood

  Of golden panoply, refulgent host
,

  Soon banded; others from the dawning hills

  Looked round, and scouts each coast light-armèd scour,

  530 Each quarter, to descry the distant foe,

  Where lodged, or whither fled, or if for fight,

  In motion or in halt: him soon they met

  Under spread ensigns moving nigh, in slow

  But firm battalion; back with speediest sail

  535 Zophiel, of Cherubim the swiftest wing,

  Came flying, and in mid air aloud thus cried.

  Arm, warriors, arm for fight, the foe at hand,

  Whom fled we thought, will save us long pursuit

  This day, fear not his flight; so thick a cloud

  540 He comes, and settled in his face I see

  Sad resolution and secure: let each

  His adamantine coat gird well, and each

  Fit well his helm, grip fast his orbèd shield,

  Borne ev’n or high, for this day will pour down,

  545 If I conjecture aught, no drizzling show’r,

  But rattling storm of arrows barbed with fire.

  So warned he them aware themselves, and soon

  In order, quit of all impediment;

  Instant without disturb they took alarm,

  550 And onward move embattled; when behold

  Not distant far with heavy pace the foe

  Approaching gross and huge; in hollow cube

  Training his devilish enginery, impaled

  On every side with shadowing squadrons deep,

  555 To hide the fraud. At interview both stood

  A while, but suddenly at head appeared

  Satan: and thus was heard commanding loud.

  Vanguard, to right and left the front unfold;

  That all may see who hate us, how we seek

  560 Peace and composure, and with open breast

  Stand ready to receive them, if they like

  Our overture, and turn not back perverse;

  But that I doubt; however witness Heaven,

  Heav’n witness thou anon, while we discharge

  565 Freely our part; ye who appointed stand

  Do as you have in charge, and briefly touch

  What we propound, and loud that all may hear.

  So scoffing in ambiguous words, he scarce

  Had ended; when to right and left the front

  570 Divided, and to either flank retired.

  Which to our eyes discovered new and strange,

  A triple-mounted row of pillars laid

  On wheels (for like to pillars most they seemed

  Or hollowed bodies made of oak or fir

  575 With branches lopped, in wood or mountain felled),

  Brass, iron, stony mould, had not their mouths

  With hideous orifice gaped on us wide,

  Portending hollow truce; at each behind

  A Seraph stood, and in his hand a reed

  580 Stood waving tipped with fire; while we suspense,