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"From his strong hold of Heaven, high overruled
"And limited their might; though numbered such,
"As each divided legion might have seemed
“A numerous host; in strength each armèd hand
"A legion; led in fight, yet leader seemed
"Each warrior single, as in chief, expert

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"When to advance, or stand, or turn the sway "Of battle, open when, and when to close

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"The ridges of grim war:1 no thought of flight

"None of retreat-no unbecoming deed

"That argued fear; each on himself relied,

"As only in his arm the moment lay2

"Of victory. Deeds of eternal fame

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"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;3 all air seemed 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 confused, at length

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"Saw where the sword of Michael smote, and felled 250

66

Squadrons at once; with huge two-handed sway 4 "Brandished aloft, the horrid edge came down

"Wide-wasting! Such destruction to withstand
"He hasted, and opposed the rocky orb
"Of tenfold adamant, his ample shield,―
"A vast circumference. At his approach,
"The great archangel from his warlike toil

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1 The ridges of grim war,-metaphor taken from a ploughed field: the ranks of warriors corresponding to the ridges; the intervals between them to the furrows.

2 As only in his arm the moment lay,-as though on his single arm depended the moment of victory; the weight that turns the scale.

3 Tormented all the air,-filled the air as with missile weapons sent from engines, which were called in Latin tormenta.

4 Sway, the swing or sweep of a weapon in the act of inflicting a blow Many of the heroes of romance used two-handed swords, and Milton exalts our ideas of Michaelis prowess by the size and weight of his weapon.

"Surceased; and, glad, as hoping here to end
"Intestine war in Heaven, the arch-foe subdued
"Or captive dragged in chains, with hostile frown
"And visage all inflamed, first thus began :
"Author of evil, unknown till thy revolt,
"Unnamed 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 disturbed

"Heaven's blessed peace, and into nature brought

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Misery, uncreated till the crime

"Of thy rebellion! how hast thou instilled

"Thy malice into thousands, once upright

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265

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"And faithful-now proved 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.

86 Hence, then! and evil go with thee along,

275

66 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, "Precipitate thee with augmented pain.'

280

"So spake the prince of angels; to whom thus

"The adversary:1 Nor think thou with wind

"Of airy threats to awe, whom yet with deeds

"Thou canst not. Hast thou turned the least of these
"To flight; or if to fall, but that they rise
"Unvanquished; easier to transact with me

285

"That thou shouldst hope, imperious, and with threats "To chase me hence? Err not,2 that so shall end "The strife which thou callst 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,

1 The Adversary:-Satan-the Hebrew meaning of his name. 2 Err not,-Do not falsely suppose.

290

"If not to reign: meanwhile thy utmost force
“(And join him named Almighty to thy aid)
"I fly not; but have sought thee far and nigh.'
"They ended parle,1 and both addressed for fight
Unspeakable; for who, though with the tongue
“Of angels, can relate, or to what things

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295

"Liken on earth conspicuous, that may lift "Human imagination to such height

300

"Of godlike power? for likest Gods they seemed,

"Stood they or moved, in stature, motion, arms,— "Fit to decide the empire of great Heaven. "Now waved their fiery swords, and in the air "Made horrid circles; two broad suns their shields 305 "Blazed opposite, while expectation stood

“In horror: from each hand with speed retired,

"Where erst was thickest fight, the angelic throng,
"And left large field, unsafe within the wind
"Of such commotion; such as (to set forth

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"Great things by small), if, nature's concord broke,
"Among the constellations war were sprung,
"Two planets, rushing from aspéct maligna
"Of fiercest opposition, in mid sky

“Should combat, and their jarring spheres confound. 315 "Together both, with next to almighty arm

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Uplifted imminent, one stroke they aimed "That might determine,3 and not need repeat "As not of power at once; nor odds appeared "In might or swift prevention:* but the sword "Of Michael from the armoury of God "Was given him tempered so, that neither keen, "Nor solid," might resist that edge: it met

1 Parle,-debate, discourse: addressed,-prepared for. 2 Aspéct malign,-See note b. x. 659-661.

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3 That might determine,-That might end the strife: and not need to be repeated as being not of power at once to decide.

♦ Prevention,—anticipation, parrying a blow and giving one instead. 5 That neither keen nor solid,—the adjectives used as substantives, as just for justice, 1. 381, in the classical fashion, for keen edge of weapon; or solid mass of metal in armour.

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