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The throne of God unguarded, and his side

Abandon'd at the terror of thy power

Or potent tongue : fool, not to think how vain

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Against th' Omnipotent to rise in arms;

Who ought of smallest things could without end
Have rais'd incessant armies to defeat

Thy folly; or with solitary hand

Reaching beyond all limit, at one blow

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Unaided could have finish'd thee, and whelm'd
Thy legions under darkness: but thou seest

All are not of thy train; there be who faith

Prefer, and piety to God, though then

To thee not visible, when I alone

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Seem'd in thy world erroneous to dissent

From all my sect thou seest; now learn too late

How few sometimes may know, when thousands err.

WHOм the grand foe with scornful eye askance Thus answer'd. Ill for thee, but in wish'd hour

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Of my revenge, first sought for thou return'st

From flight, seditious Angel, to receive

Thy merited reward, the first assay

Of this right hand provok'd, since first that tongue
Inspir'd with contradiction durst oppose

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A third part of the Gods, in synod met

Their deities to assert, who while they feel
Vigour divine within them, can allow

Omnipotence to none. But well thou com'st

Before thy fellows, ambitious to win

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From me some plume, that thy success may show

Destruction to the rest: this pause between

(Unanswer'd lest thou boast) to let thee know;
At first I thought that Liberty and Heaven
To heav'nly souls had been all one; but now
I see that most through sloth had rather serve,
Minist'ring Spi'rits, train'd up in feast and song;
Such hast thou arm'd, the minstrelsy of Heaven,
Servility with freedom to contend,

As both their deeds compar'd this day shall prove.
To whom in brief thus Abdiel stern reply'd,
Apostate, still thou err'st, nor end wilt find
Of erring, from the path of truth remote :
Unjustly thou deprav'st it with the name
Of servitude to serve whom God ordains,
Or nature; God and Nature bid the same,
When he who rules is worthiest, and excels
Them whom he governs. This is servitude,
To serve th' unwise, or him who hath rebell'd
Against his worthier, as thine now serve thee,
Thyself not free, but to thyself inthrall'd;
Yet lewdly dar'st our minist'ring upbraid.
Reign thou in Hell thy kingdom; let me serve
In Heav'n God ever blest, and his divine
Behests obey, worthiest to be obey'd;

Yet chains in Hell, not realms expect: meanwhile
From me return'd, as erst thou saidst, from flight,
This greeting on thy impious crest receive.

So saying, a noble stroke he lifted high,
Which hung not, but so swift with tempest fell
On the proud crest of Satan, that no sight,
Nor motion of swift thought, less could his shield

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Such ruin intercept: ten paces huge

He back recoil'd; the tenth on bended knee
His massy spear upstay'd; as if on earth
Winds under ground, or waters forcing way
Sidelong had push'd a mountain from his seat
Half sunk with all his pines. Amazement seiz'd
The rebel Thrones, but greater rage to see

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Thus foil'd their mightiest : ours joy fill'd and shout, Presage of victory, and fierce desire

Of battle: whereat Michaël bid sound

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Th' Arch-Angel trumpet; through the vast of Heav'n
It sounded, and the faithful armies rung
Hosanna to the High'st: 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 Heav'n 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

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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

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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

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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 th' eternal King omnipotent

From his strong hold of Heav'n high over-rul'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 scem'd
Each warrior single as in chief, expert

When to advance, or stand, or turn the sway 1
Of battle, open when, and when to close
The ridges of grim war: no thought of flight,
None of retreat, no unbecoming deed

That argued 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

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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 pow'r had shown, and met in arms
No equal, ranging through the dire attack
Of fighting Seraphim confus'd, at length

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Saw where the sword of Michael smote, and fell'd 250 Squadrons at once; with huge two-handed sway

Brandish'd aloft the horrid edge came down

Wide wasting such destruction to withstand
He hasted, and oppos'd the rocky orb
Oftenfold 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 Heav'n, th' arch-foe subdu'd,

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Or captive dragg'd in chains, with hostile frown

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And visage all inflam'd first thus began.

AUTHOR of evil, unknown till thy revolt,

Unnam'd in Heav'n, 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
Heav'n's blessed peace, and into nature brought
Misery, uncreated till the crime

Of thy rebellion? How hast thou instill'd

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Thy malice into thousands, once upright

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And faithful, now prov'd false? But think not here
To trouble holy rest; Heav'n casts thee out
From all her confines. Heav'n the seat of bliss

Brooks not the works of violence and war.

Hence then, and evil go with thee along,

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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

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