Divided, and to either flank retired,
571
Which to our eyes discovered, new and strange,
572
A triple mounted row of pillars laid
573
On wheels ( for like to pillars most they seemed,
574
Or hollowed bodies made of oak or fir,
575
With branches lopped, in wood or mountain felled)
576
Brass, iron, stony mould,3983 had not their mouths
577
With hideous orifice3984 gaped on us wide,
578
Portending hollow truce. At each, behind,
579
A Seraph stood, and in his hand a reed
580
Stood waving, tipped with fire, while we, suspense, 3985
581
Collected stood, within our thoughts amused.3986
582
Not long, for sudden all at once their reeds
583
Put forth, and to a narrow vent 3987 applied
584
With nicest 3988 touch. Immediate in a flame,
585
But soon obscured with smoke all Heav’n appeared,
586
From those deep-throated engines belched,3989 whose roar
587
Emboweled3990 with outrageous3991 noise the air
588
And all her entrails tore, disgorging foul
589
Their devilish glut,3992 chained thunderbolts and hail
590
Of iron globes which, on the victor host
591
Levelled, with such impetuous3993 fury smote
592
That, whom they hit, none on their feet might stand,
593
Though standing else as rocks, but down they fell
c
595
The sooner for 3994 their arms.3995 Unarmed, they might
596
Have easily, as Spirits, evaded swift
597
By quick contraction or remove, but now
598
Foul dissipation3996 followed, and forced rout,
599
Nor served it to relax3997 their serried 3998 files.3999
600
What should they do? If on they rushed, repulse
601
Repeated, and indecent 4000 overthrow
602
Doubled, would render them yet more despised,
603
And to their foes a laughter, for in view
604
Stood ranked of Seraphim another row,
605
In posture to displode4001 their second tire4002
606
Of thunder. Back defeated to return
607
They worse abhorred. Satan beheld their plight,
608
And to his mates thus in derision called:
609
“‘O friends! Why come not on, these victors proud?
610
Erewhile they fierce were coming, and when we,
611
To entertain them fair, with open front
612
And breast (what could we more?), propounded terms
613
Of composition, straight they changed their minds,
614
Flew off, and into strange vagaries4003 fell,
615
As they would dance. Yet for a dance they seemed
616
Somewhat extravagant and wild—perhaps
617
For joy of offered peace. But I suppose,
618
If our proposals once again were heard,
619
We should compel them to a quick result.
620
To whom thus Belial, in like gamesome mood:
621
“‘Leader! the terms we sent were terms of weight,
622
Of hard contents, and full of force urged home,
623
Such as we might perceive amused 4004 them all,
624
And stumbled 4005 many. Who receives them right
625
Had need from head to foot well understand.4006
626
Not understood, this gift they have besides,
627
They show us when our foes walk not upright.
628
“So they among themselves in pleasant vein
629
Stood scoffing, heightened 4007 in their thoughts beyond
630
All doubt of victory. Eternal Might
631
To match with their inventions they presumed
632
So easy, and of His thunder made a scorn,
633
And all His host derided, while they stood
634
A while in trouble. But they 4008 stood not long.
635
Rage prompted them at length, and found them arms
636
Against such hellish mischief fit t’ oppose.
637
Forthwith (behold the excellence, the power,
638
Which God hath in His mighty Angels placed!
639
Their arms away they threw, and to the hills
640
(For earth hath this variety from Heav’n,
641
Of pleasure situate4009 in hill and dale)
642
Light 4010 as the lightning glimpse they ran, they flew.
643
From their foundations loos’ning to and fro,
644
They plucked the seated hills, with all their load,
645
Rocks, waters, woods, and by the shaggy tops
646
Up-lifting bore them in their hands. Amaze,
647
Be sure, and terror, seized the rebel host,
648
When coming towards them so dread they saw4011
649
The bottom of the mountains upward turned,
650
Till on those cursed engines’ triple-row
651
They saw them whelmed,4012 and all their confidence
652
Under the weight of mountains buried deep,
653
Themselves invaded 4013 next, and on their heads
654
Main4014 promontories4015 flung, which in the air
655
Came shadowing, and oppressed 4016 whole legions armed.
656
Their armor helped their harm, crushed in and bruised
657
Into their substance pent,4017 which wrought them pain
658
Implacable, 4018 and many a dolorous groan,
659
Long struggling underneath, ere they could wind
660
Out of such prison, though Spirits of purest light,
661
Purest at first, now gross by sinning grown.
662
The rest, in imitation, to like arms
663
Betook them, and the neighboring hills uptore.
664
So hills amid the air encountered hills,
665
Hurled to and fro with jaculation4019 dire, 4020
666
That under ground they fought in dismal shade.
667
Infernal noise! War seemed a civil game
668
To this uproar. Horrid confusion heaped
669
Upon confusion rose.
“And now all Heav’n
670
Had gone to wrack,4021 with ruin overspread,
671
Had not th’Almighty Father, where He sits
672
Shrined in His sanctuary of H
eav’n secure,
673
Consulting on the sum of things, foreseen
674
This tumult, and permitted all, advised,4022
675
That His great purpose He might so fulfil,
676
To honor His anointed Son avenged
677
Upon his enemies, and to declare
678
All power on him transferred. Whence to His Son,
679
The assessor 4023 of His throne, He thus began:
680
“‘Effulgence4024 of my glory, Son belov’d,
681
Son, in whose face invisible is beheld
682
Visibly, what by Deity I am,
683
And in whose hand what by decree I do,
684
Second Omnipotence! Two days are past,
685
Two days, as we compute the days of Heav’n,
686
Since Michael and his Powers went forth to tame
687
These disobedient. Sore hath been their fight,
688
As likeliest was, when two such foes met armed,
689
For to themselves I left them, and thou know’st
690
Equal in their creation they were formed,
691
Save what sin hath impaired, which yet hath wrought
692
Insensibly, for I suspend their doom.4025
693
Whence in perpetual fight they needs must last 4026
694
Endless, and no solution will be found.
695
War wearied hath performed what war can do,
696
And to disordered rage let loose the reins
697
With mountains, as with weapons, armed, which makes
698
Wild work in Heav’n, and dangerous to the main.4027
699
Two days are therefore past, the third is thine,
700
For thee I have ordained it, and thus far
701
Have suffered 4028 that the glory may be thine
702
Of ending this great war, since none but thou
703
Can end it. Into thee such virtue and grace
704
Immense I have transfused,4029 that all may know
705
In Heav’n and Hell thy power above compare
706
And, this perverse4030 commotion4031 governed 4032 thus,
707
To manifest thee worthiest to be heir
708
Of all things, to be heir, and to be King
709
By sacred unction,4033 thy deservèd right.
710
Go then, thou mightiest, in thy Father’s might.
711
Ascend my chariot, guide the rapid wheels
712
That shake Heav’n’s basis, bring forth all my war,
713
My bow and thunder. My almighty arms
714
Gird on, and sword upon thy puissant thigh.
715
Pursue these sons of darkness, drive them out
716
From all Heav’n’s bounds into the utter deep.
717
There let them learn, as likes them,4034 to despise
718
God, and Messiah his anointed King.
719
“He said, and on His Son with rays direct
720
Shone full. He all his Father full expressed
721
Ineffably 4035 into his face received,
722
And thus the Filial Godhead, answering, spoke:
723
“‘O Father, O Supreme of Heav’nly Thrones,
724
First, Highest, Holiest, Best! Thou always seek’st
725
To glorify Thy Son, I always Thee,
726
As is most just. This I my glory account,4036
727
My exaltation, and my whole delight,
728
729
Fulfilled, which to fulfil is all my bliss.
730
Scepter and power, Thy giving, I assume,
731
And gladlier shall resign, when in the end
732
Thou shalt be all in all, and I in Thee
733
Forever, and in me all whom Thou lov’st.
734
But whom Thou hat’st, I hate, and can put on
735
Thy terrors, as I put Thy mildness on,
736
Image of Thee in all things, and shall soon,
737
Armed with Thy might, rid Heav’n of these rebelled,
738
To their prepared ill mansion driven down,
739
To chains of darkness, and th’ undying worm,4037
740
That from Thy just obedience could revolt,
741
Whom to obey is happiness entire.
742
Then shall Thy Saints unmixed,4038 and from th’ impure
743
Far separate, circling Thy holy mount,
744
Unfeignèd Halleluiahs to Thee sing,
745
Hymns of high praise, and I among them chief.
746
“So said, he o’er his scepter bowing, rose
747
From the right hand of Glory where he sat.
748
And the third sacred morn began to shine,
749
Dawning through Heav’n. Forth rushed with whirlwind sound
750
The chariot of paternal Deity,
751
Flashing thick flames, wheel within wheel undrawn,4039
752
Itself instinct 4040 with Spirit, but convoyed4041
753
By four Cherubic shapes. Four faces each
754
Had wondrous. As with stars, their bodies all
755
And wings were set with eyes, with eyes the wheels
756
Of beryl, and careering 4042 fires between.
757
Over their heads a crystal firmament,
758
Whereon a sapphire throne, inlaid with pure
759
Amber, and colors of the showery4043 arch.4044
760
He in celestial panoply all armed
761
Of radiant Urim,4045 work divinely wrought,
762
Ascended. At his right hand victory
763
Sat eagle-winged; beside him hung his bow
764
And quiver with three-bolted thunder stored,
765
And from about him fierce effusion4046 rolled
766
Of smoke, and bickering 4047 flame, and sparkles dire.
767
Attended with ten thousand thousand Saints,
768
He onward came. Far off his coming shone,
769
And twenty thousand (I their number heard)
770
Chariots of God, half on each hand, were seen.
771
He on the wings of Cherub rode sublime4048
772
On the crystalline sky, in sapphire throned,
773
Illustrious4049 far and wide, but by his own
774
First seen. Them unexpected joy surprised,
775
When the great ensign of Messiah blazed
776
Aloft, by Angels borne, h
is sign in Heav’n,
777
Under whose conduct Michael soon reduced 4050
778
His army, circumfused 4051 on either wing,
779
Under their head 4052 embodied 4053 all in one.