361
Down cloven to the waist, with shattered arms
362
And uncouth3866 pain, fled bellowing. On each wing3867
363
Uriel and Raphael his3868 vaunting3869 foe,
364
Though huge and in a rock of diamond armed,
365
Vanquished Adramelech3870 and Asmadai,3871
366
Two potent Thrones,3872 that to be less than gods
367
Disdained, but meaner 3873 thoughts learned in their flight,
368
Mangled 3874 with ghastly wounds through plate and mail.
369
Nor stood unmindful Abdiel to annoy
370
The atheist crew, but with redoubled blow
371
Ariel,3875 and Arioch,3876 and the violence
372
Of Ramiel 3877 scorched and blasted, overthrew.
373
“I might relate of thousands, and their names
374
Eternize here on earth, but those elect
375
Angels, contented with their fame in Heav’n,
376
Seek not the praise of men. The other sort,
377
In might though wondrous and in acts of war,
378
Nor of renown less eager, yet by doom3878
379
Cancelled from Heav’n and sacred memory,
380
Nameless in dark oblivion let them dwell.
381
For strength from truth divided, and from just,3879
382
Illaudable, 3880 nought merits but dispraise
383
And ignominy, 3881 yet to glory aspires,
384
Vain-glorious, and through infamy seeks fame.
385
Therefore eternal silence be their doom.3882
386
“And now, their mightiest quelled,3883 the battle swerved,3884
387
With many an inroad 3885 gored. 3886 Deformèd 3887 rout
388
Entered, and foul disorder, all the ground
389
With shivered armor strewn, and on a heap
390
Chariot and charioteer lay overturned,
391
And fiery-foaming steeds. What stood, recoiled
392
O’er-wearied, through the faint3888 Satanic host
393
Defensive scarce, or with pale3889 fear surprised 3890
394
(Then first with fear surprised, and sense of pain)
395
Fled ignominious, to such evil brought
396
By sin of disobedience, till that hour
397
Not liable to fear, or flight, or pain.
398
Far otherwise th’ inviolable3891 Saints,
399
In cubic phalanx3892 firm, advanced entire,3893
400
Invulnerable, impenetrably armed,
401
Such high advantages their innocence
402
Gave them above their foes, not to have sinned,
403
Not to have disobeyed. In fight they stood
404
Unwearied, unobnoxious3894 to be pained
405
By wound, though from their place by violence moved.
406
“Now Night her course began and, over Heav’n
407
Inducing darkness, grateful truce imposed,
408
And silence on the odious3895 din of war.
409
Under her cloudy covert both retired,
410
Victor and vanquished. On the foughten field
411
Michael and his Angels prevalent3896
412
Encamping, placed in guard their watches round,3897
413
Cherubic3898 waving fires. On th’ other part,3899
414
Satan with his rebellious disappeared,
415
Far in the dark dislodged 3900 and, void 3901 of rest,
416
His potentates to council called by night,
417
And in the midst thus, undismayed, began:
418
“‘O now in danger tried, now known in arms
419
Not to be overpowered, companions dear,
420
Found worthy not of liberty alone,
421
Too mean pretence! 3902 but what we more affect,3903
422
Honor, dominion, glory, and renown,
423
Who have sustained one day in doubtful 3904 fight
424
(And if one day, why not eternal days?
425
What Heaven’s Lord had powerfullest to send
426
Against us from about His throne, and judged
427
Sufficient to subdue us to His will,
428
But proves not so. Then fallible, it seems,
429
Of future we may deem Him, though till now
430
Omniscient thought. True is, less firmly armed,
431
Some disadvantage we endured and pain,
432
Till now not known, but known, as soon contemned,3905
433
Since now we find this our empyreal 3906 form
434
Incapable of mortal injury,
435
Imperishable, and though pierced with wound,
436
Soon closing, and by native vigor healed.
437
Of evil then so small, as easy think 3907
438
The remedy. Perhaps more valid 3908 arms,
439
Weapons more violent, when next we meet,
440
May serve to better us, and worse our foes,
441
Or equal what between us made the odds,
442
In Nature none. If other hidden cause
443
Left them superior, while we can preserve
444
Unhurt our minds, and understanding sound,
445
Due search and consultation will disclose.
446
“He sat; and in the assembly next upstood
447
Nisroch,3909 of Principalities3910 the prime. 3911
448
As one he stood escaped from cruel fight,
449
Sore toiled,3912 his riven3913 arms3914 to havoc3915 hewn,
450
And cloudy 3916 in aspect 3917 thus answering spoke:
451
“‘Deliverer from new Lords, leader to free
452
Enjoyment of our right as gods! Yet hard
453
For gods, and too unequal work we find,
454
Against unequal arms to fight in pain,
455
Against unpained, impassive, 3918 from which evil
456
Ruin must needs ensue. For what avails
457
Valor or strength, though matchless, quelled 3919 with pain
458
Which all subdues, and makes remiss3920 the hands
459
Of mightiest? Sense of pleasure we may well
460
Spare 3921 out of life, perhaps, and not repine, 3922
461
But live content, which is the calmest life.
462
But pain is perfect misery, the worst
463
Of evils and, excessive, overturns
464
All pa
tience. He who therefore can invent3923
465
With what more forcible we may offend 3924
466
Our yet unwounded enemies, or arm
467
Ourselves with like defence, to me deserves
468
No less than for deliverance what we owe.
469
Whereto with look composed Satan replied:
470
“‘Not uninvented that, which thou aright 3925
471
Believ’st so main3926 to our success, I bring.
472
Which of us who beholds the bright surface
473
Of this ethereous 3927 mould 3928 whereon we stand,
474
This continent of spacious Heav’n, adorned
475
With plant, fruit, flow’r ambrosial, gems, and gold—
476
Whose eye so superficially 3929 surveys
477
These things, as not to mind 3930 from whence they grow
478
Deep under ground, materials dark and crude,
479
Of spiritous and fiery spume, 3931 till touched
480
With Heav’n’s ray, and tempered,3932 they shoot forth
481
So beauteous, opening to the ambient 3933 light?
482
These in their dark nativity3934 the deep
483
Shall yield us, pregnant with infernal flame,
484
Which into hollow engines, long and round,
485
Thick rammed,3935 at th’ other bore 3936 with touch of fire
486
Dilated 3937 and infuriate, shall send forth
487
From far, with thund’ring noise, among our foes
488
Such implements of mischief as shall dash
489
To pieces and o’erwhelm whatever stands
490
Adverse, 3938 that they shall fear we have disarmed
491
The Thunderer of His only dreaded bolt.
492
Nor long shall be our labor: yet ere dawn,
493
Effect 3939 shall end our wish. Meanwhile revive,
494
Abandon fear, to strength and counsel joined
495
Think nothing hard, much less to be despaired.
496
“He ended, and his words their drooping cheer 3940
497
Enlightened,3941 and their languished 3942 hope revived.
498
Th’ invention all admired, and each, how he
499
To be the inventer missed, so easy it seemed
500
Once found, which yet unfound most would have thought
501
Impossible. Yet, haply, 3943 of thy race
502
In future days, if malice should abound,
503
Someone intent on mischief, or inspired
504
With devilish machination,3944 might devise
505
Like 3945 instrument to plague the sons of men
506
For sin, on war and mutual slaughter bent.
507
Forthwith from council to the work they flew.
508
None arguing stood; innumerable hands
509
Were ready. In a moment up they turned
510
Wide the celestial soil, and saw beneath
511
The originals3946 of Nature in their crude
512
Conception. Sulphurous and nitrous foam
513
They found, they mingled and, with subtle art,
514
Concocted 3947 and adjusted,3948 they reduced
515
To blackest grain,3949 and into store conveyed.
516
Part 3950 hidden veins digged up (nor hath this earth
517
Entrails unlike) of mineral and stone,
518
Whereof to found3951 their engines and their balls
Of missive ruin;3952 part incentive 3953 reed
520
Provide, pernicious3954 with one touch to fire.
521
So all ere day-spring, under conscious Night,3955
522
Secret they finished, and in order set,
523
With silent circumspection,3956 unespied.
524
“Now when fair morn orient 3957 in Heav’n appeared,
525
Up rose the victor-Angels, and to arms
526
The matin trumpet sung. In arms they stood
527
Of golden panoply, 3958 refulgent3959 host,3960
528
Soon banded.3961 Others from the dawning hills
529
Look round, and scouts each coast light-armèd scour,
530
Each quarter to descry 3962 the distant foe,
531
Where lodged, or whither fled, or if for fight,
532
In motion or in halt. Him soon they met
533
Under spread ensigns moving nigh, in slow
534
But firm battalion. Back with speediest sail
535
Zophiel,3963 of Cherubim the swiftest wing,
536
Came flying, and in mid air aloud thus cried:
537
“‘Arm, warriors, arm for fight! The foe at hand,
538
Whom fled we thought, will save us long pursuit
539
This day. Fear not his flight: so thick a cloud
540
He comes, and settled in his face I see
541
Sad 3964 resolution, and secure. 3965 Let each
542
His adamantine coat gird 3966 well, and each
543
Fit well his helm, grip fast his orbèd shield,
544
Borne ev’n3967 or high, for this day will pour down,
545
If I conjecture 3968 aught, no drizzling shower,
546
But rattling storm of arrows barbed with fire.
547
“So warned he them, aware themselves, and soon
548
In order, quit of all impediment,
549
Instant without disturb they took alarm,3969
550
And onward moved embattled.3970 When behold!
551
Not distant far with heavy 3971 pace the foe
552
Approaching, gross3972 and huge, 3973 in hollow cube
553
Training 3974 his devilish enginery, impaled 3975
554
On every side with shadowing squadrons deep,
555
To hide the fraud. At interview 3976 both stood
556
A while, but suddenly at head appeared
557
Satan, and thus was heard commanding loud:
558
“‘Vanguard, to right and left the front unfold,3977
559
That all may see, who hate us, how we seek
560
Peace and composure, 3978 and with open breast
561
Stand ready to receive them, if they like
562
Our overture, 3979 and turn not back perverse. 3980
563
But that I doubt. However, witness, Heav’n!
564
Heav’n, witness thou anon! 3981 while we discharge
565
Freely our part. Ye who appointed stand
566
Do as you
have in charge, and briefly touch
567
What we propound,3982 and loud that all may hear!
568
“So scoffing in ambiguous words, he scarce
569
Had ended, when to right and left the front
570