Had circled his full orb, the birth mature3683
863
Of this our native Heav’n, ethereal3684 sons.
864
Our puissance3685 is our own: our own right hand
865
Shall teach us highest deeds, by proof to try
866
Who is our equal. Then thou shalt behold
867
Whether by supplication we intend
868
Address,3686 and to begirt 3687 th’ Almighty throne
869
Beseeching or besieging. This report,
870
These tidings carry to th’ anointed King,
871
And fly, 3688 ere evil intercept thy flight.
872
“He said, and as the sound of waters deep
873
Hoarse murmur echoed to his words applause, 3689
874
Through the infinite host. Nor less for that
875
The flaming Seraph fearless, though alone,
876
Encompassed round with foes, thus answered bold:
877
“‘O alienate3690 from God, O Spirit accursed,
878
Forsaken of all good! I see thy fall
879
Determined,3691 and thy hapless3692 crew involved
880
In this perfidious fraud, contagion spread
881
Both of thy crime and punishment. Henceforth
882
No more be troubled how to quit the yoke
883
Of God’s Messiah. Those indulgent 3693 laws
884
Will not be now vouchsafed;3694 other decrees
885
Against thee are gone forth without recall.
886
That golden scepter, which thou did’st reject,
887
Is now an iron rod to bruise3695 and break
888
Thy disobedience. Well thou didst advise. 3696
889
Yet not for thy advice or threats I fly
890
These wicked tents devoted,3697 lest the wrath
891
Impendent,3698 raging into sudden flame,
892
Distinguish not.3699 For soon expect to feel
893
His thunder on thy head, devouring fire.
894
Then who created thee lamenting learn,
895
When who can uncreate thee thou shalt know.
896
“So spoke the Seraph Abdiel, faithful found
897
Among the faithless, faithful only he,
898
Among innumerable false. Unmoved,
899
Unshaken, unseduced, unterrified,
900
His loyalty he kept, his love, his zeal,
901
Nor number, nor example, with him wrought 3700
902
To swerve from truth, or change his constant mind,
903
Though single. 3701 From amidst them forth he passed,
904
Long way through hostile scorn, which he sustained
905
Superior, nor of violence3702 feared aught,
906
And with retorted 3703 scorn, his back he turned
907
On those proud tow’rs to swift destruction doomed.
The End of the Fifth Book
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,3704 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 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 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.
1
“All night the dreadless3705 Angel,3706 unpursued,
2
Through Heav’n’s wide champaign3707 held his way, till morn,
3
Waked by the circling hours, with rosy hand
4
Unbarred the gates of light. There is a cave
5
Within the mount of God, fast by3708 His throne,
6
Where light and darkness in perpetual round
7
Lodge3709 and dislodge3710 by turns, which makes through Heav’n
8
Grateful 3711 vicissitude, 3712 like day and night.
9
Light issues forth, and at the other door
10
Obsequious3713 darkness enters, till her hour
11
To veil the Heav’n, though darkness there might well
12
Seem twilight here. And now went forth the morn
13
Such as3714 in highest Heav’n, arrayed in gold
14
Empyreal.3715 From before her vanished night,
15
Shot through with orient 3716 beams. When all the plain3717
16
Covered with thick embattled squadrons bright,
17
Chariots, and flaming arms, and fiery steeds,
18
Reflecting blaze on blaze, first met his3718 view,
19
War he perceived, war in procinct,3719 and found
20
Already known what he for news had thought
21
To have reported. Gladly then he mixed
22
Among those friendly Powers, who him received
23
With joy and acclamations loud—that one
24
That of so many myriads3720 fall’n—yet one
25
Returned not lost. On to the sacred hill
26
They led him, high applauded, and present3721
27
Before the seat supreme, from whence a voice,
28
From midst a golden cloud, thus mild was heard:
29
“‘Servant of God, well done, well hast thou fought
30
The better fight, who single hast maintained
31
Against revolted multitudes the cause
32
Of truth, in word mightier than they in arms,
33
And for the testimony of truth hast borne
34
Universal reproach, far worse to bear
35
Than violence. For this was all thy care,
36
To stand approved 3722 in sight of God, though worlds
37
Judged thee perverse. 3723 The easier conquest now
38
Remains3724 thee, aided by this host of friends,
39
Back on thy foes more glorious to return
40
Than, scorned, thou didst depart, and to subdue
41
By force, who reason for their law refuse,
42
Right reason for their law, and for their King
43
Messiah, who by right of merit reigns.
44
“‘Go, Michael, of celestial armies prince,
45
And thou, in military prowess next,
46
Gabriel, lead forth to battle these my sons
47
Invincible, lead forth my armèd Saints,
48
By thousands and by millions, ranged for fight,
49
Equal in number to that Godless crew
50
Rebellious. Them with fire and hostile arms
51
Fearless assault,3725 and to the brow 3726 of Heav’n
52
Pursuing, drive them out from God and bliss,
53
Into their place of punishment, the gulf
Of Tartarus,3727 which ready opens wide
55
His fiery chaos to receive their fall.
56
“So spoke the Sov’reign Voice, and clouds began
57
To darken all the hill, and smoke to roll
58
In dusky wreaths, reluctant 3728 flames, the sign
59
Of wrath awaked, nor with less dread 3729 the loud
60
Ethereal trumpet from on high ’gan blow.
61
At which command the Powers militant
62
That stood 3730 for Heav’n, in mighty quadrate3731 joined
63
Of union irresistible, moved on
64
In silence their bright legions, to the sound
65
Of instrumental harmony that breathed
66
Heroic ardor to advent’rous deeds
67
Under their godlike leaders, in the cause
68
Of God and His Messiah. On they move
69
Indissolubly firm, nor 3732 obvious3733 hill,
70
Nor straitening3734 vale, nor wood, nor stream, divides
71
Their perfect ranks, for high above the ground
72
Their march was, and the passive 3735 air upbore
73
Their nimble3736 tread. As when the total kind3737
74
Of birds, in orderly array on wing,
75
Came summoned over Eden to receive
76
Their names of thee, 3738 so over many a tract 3739
77
Of Heav’n they marched, and many a province wide,
78
Tenfold the length of this terrene. 3740 At last,
79
Far in the horizon to the north appeared
80
From skirt 3741 to skirt a fiery region, stretched
81
In battailous3742 aspect, and nearer view3743
82
Bristled with upright beams3744 innumerable
83
Of rigid spears, and helmets thronged,3745 and shields
84
Various, with boastful argument 3746 portrayed,3747
85
The banded Powers of Satan hasting on
86
With furious3748 expedition,3749 for they weened 3750
87
That self-same day, by fight or by surprise,
88
To win the mount of God, and on His throne
89
To set the envier of His state, the proud
90
Aspirer. But their thoughts proved fond 3751 and vain
91
In the mid way, 3752 though strange to us it seemed
92
At first, that Angel should with Angel war,
93
And in fierce hosting3753 meet, who wont to3754 meet
94
So oft in festivals of joy and love
95
Unanimous,3755 as sons of one great Sire,
96
Hymning th’ Eternal Father. But the shout
97
Of battle now began, and rushing sound
98
Of onset ended soon each milder thought.
99
High in the midst, exalted as a god,
100
Th’ apostate in his sun-bright chariot sat,
101
Idol of majesty divine, enclosed
102
With flaming Cherubim, and golden shields.
103
Then lighted 3756 from his gorgeous throne, for now
104
105
A dreadful 3757 interval,3758 and front to front
106
Presented stood in terrible array
107
Of hideous length. Before the cloudy 3759 van,3760
108
On the rough3761 edge of battle ere it joined,
109
Satan, with vast and haughty strides advanced,
110
Came tow’ring, armed in adamant and gold.
111
Abdiel that sight endured not, where he stood
112
Among the mightiest, bent on highest deeds,
113
And thus his own undaunted heart explores:
114
“‘O Heav’n! that such resemblance of the Highest
115
Should yet remain, where faith and realty3762
116
Remain not. Wherefore should not strength and might
117
There fail where virtue fails, or weakest prove
118
Where boldest, though to fight unconquerable?
119
His puissance, trusting3763 in th’Almighty’s aid,
120
I mean to try, 3764 whose reason I have tried
121
Unsound and false, nor is it aught but just
122
That he, who in debate of truth hath won,
123
Should win in arms, in both disputes alike
124
Victor, though brutish3765 that contest 3766 and foul,3767
125
When reason hath to deal with force, yet so
126
Most reason is that reason overcome.
127
So pondering, and from his armèd peers
128
Forth stepping opposite, half-way he met
129
His daring foe, at this prevention3768 more
130
Incensed,3769 and thus securely him3770 defied:
131
“‘Proud, art thou met? Thy hope was to have reached
132
The height of thy aspiring unopposed,
133
The throne of God unguarded, and His side
134
Abandoned, at the terror of thy power
135
Or potent tongue. Fool! Not to think how vain
136
Against the Omnipotent to rise in arms,
137
Who out of smallest things could, without end,
138
Have raised incessant armies to defeat
139
Thy folly, or with solitary hand,
140
Reaching beyond all limit, at one blow
141
Unaided could have finished thee, and whelmed 3771
142
Thy legions under darkness. But thou see’st
143
All are not of thy train.3772 There be who3773 faith
144
Prefer, and piety to God, though then
145
To thee not visible when I alone
146
Seemed in thy world erroneous3774 to dissent
147
From all. My sect 3775 thou see’st. Now learn too late
148
How few3776 sometimes may know, when thousands err.
149
Whom the grand 3777 foe, with scornful eye askance, 3778
150
Thus answered: “‘Ill for thee, but in wished hour
151
Of my revenge, first sought for. Thou return’st
152
From flight, seditious3779 Angel! to receive
153
Thy merited reward, the first assay3780