The rebel thrones, but greater rage to see
Thus foil'd their mightiest; ours joy fill'd, and shout, Presage of victory, and fierce desire
Of battle: whereat Michael bid sound The arch-angel trumpet; through the vast of heaven It sounded, and the faithful armies rung Hosanna to the Highest: nor stood at gaze The adverse legions, nor less hideous join'd The horrid shock. Now storming fury rose, And clamour, such as heard in heaven till now Was never; arms on armour clashing bray'd Horrible discord, and the madding wheels Of brazen chariots rag'd; dire was the noise Of conflict; over head the dismal hiss Of fiery darts in flaming vollies flew, And flying vaulted either host with fire. So under fiery cope together rush'd Both battles main, with ruinous assault And inextinguishable rage; all heaven Resounded, and had earth been then, all earth Had to her centre shook. What wonder? when 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 Dreadful combustion warring, and disturb, Though not destroy, their happy native seat; Had not the eternal King omnipotent From his strong hold of heaven high overrul'd
And limited their might; though number'd such, As each divided legion might have seem'd A numerous host; in strength each armed hand A legion; led in fight, yet leader seem'd Each warrior single as in chief, expert When to advance, or stand, or turn the sway Of battle, open when, and when to close The ridges of grim war; no thought of flight, None of retreat, no unbecoming deed That argu'd fear; each on himself rely'd, As only in his arm the moment lay Of victory deeds of eternal fame
Were done, but infinite; for wide was spread That war and various; sometimes on firm ground A standing fight; then soaring on main wing Tormented all the air; all air seem'd then 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 confus'd, at length
Saw where the sword of Michael smote, and fell'd Squadrons at once; with huge two-handed sway Brandish'd aloft the hofrid edge came down
244 Tormented] Tempested. Bentl. MS.
Lod. Bryskett's M. Muse of Thestylis.
'Who, letting loose the winds,
Tost, and tormented the air.' Newton.
245 even scale] v. Eurip. Suppl. v. 706. Tasso, G. Lib. can.xx.st. 50. Spens. F. Qu. iv. iii. 37. Todd.
Wide wasting such destruction to withstand
He hasted, and oppos'd the rocky orb Of tenfold adamant, his ample shield,, A vast circumference. At his approach The great arch-angel from his warlike toil Surceas'd; and glad, as hoping here to end Intestine war in heaven, th' arch-foe subdu'd Or captive drag'd in chains, with hostile frown 260 And visage all inflam'd, first thus began.
Author of evil, unknown till thy revolt, Unnam'd in heaven, now plenteous as thou seest These acts of hateful strife, hateful to all, Though heaviest by just measure on thyself And thy adherents: how hast thou disturb'd Heaven's blessed peace, and into nature brought Misery, uncreated till the crime
Of thy rebellion? how hast thou instill'd Thy malice into thousands, once upright And faithful, now prov'd false? But think not here To trouble holy rest; heaven casts thee out From all her confines: heaven the seat of bliss Brooks not the works of violence and war. 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 wing'd from GOD Precipitate thee with augmented pain.
So spake the prince of angels; to whom thus The adversary. Nor think thou with wind
Of aery threats to awe whom yet with deeds Thou canst not. Hast thou turn'd the least of these To flight, or if to fall, but that they rise
Unvanquish'd, 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 The strife of glory: which we mean to win, Or turn this heaven itself into the hell Thou fablest; here however to dwell free, If not to reign: meanwhile thy utmost force, And join him nam'd Almighty to thy aid, I fly not, but have sought thee far and nigh. They ended parle, and both address'd for fight Unspeakable; for who, though with the tongue Of angels, can relate, or to what things Liken on earth conspicuous, that may lift Human imagination to such height
Of godlike power? for likest gods they seem'd, Stood they or mov'd, in stature, motion, arms, Fit to decide the empire of great heaven. Now wav'd their fiery swords, and in the air Made horrid circles; two broad suns their shields Blaz'd opposite, while expectation stood
296 address'd] Spens. F. Qu. v. ii. 12.
And streight himselfe unto the fight addrest.' Todd.
306 expectation] So Shakesp. Hen. V.
'For now sits expectation in the air.'
And Beaum. and Fletch. Boadicea, act iii. scene i.
'And expectation like the Roman eagle
In horror; from each hand with speed retir'd, Where erst was thickest fight, th' angelic throng, And left large field, unsafe within the wind 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 aspect malign Of fiercest opposition, in mid sky
Should combat, and their jarring spheres confound. Together both, with next to Almighty arm, Uplifted imminent, one stroke they aim'd That might determine, and not need repeat, As not of power, at once; nor odds appear'd In might or swift prevention; but the sword Of Michael from the armoury of GOD
Was giv'n him temper'd so, that neither keen Nor solid might resist that edge: it met The sword of Satan with steep force to smite Descending, and in half cut sheer; nor stay'd, 325 But with swift wheel reverse, deep ent'ring, shar'd All his right side; then Satan first knew pain, And writh'd him to and fro convolv'd; so sore The griding sword with discontinuous wound
317 imminent] Virg. Æn. vi. 602
'Quos super atra silex, jam jam lapsura, cadentique Imminet assimilis.'
329 griding] Spens. F. Q. ii. viii. 36.
'That through his thigh the mortal steel did gride.'
320 discontinuous wound] Oceano dissociabili.'
Compare an expression of Horace, Ode iii. b. i. A. Dyce.
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