700

For thee I have ordain'd it, and thus far
Have suffer'd, that the glory may be thine
Of ending this great war, since none but thou
Can end it. Into thee such virtue and grace
Immense I have transfus'd, that all
may know
In heav'n and hell thy power above compare, 703
And this perverse commotion govern'd thus,
To manifest thee worthiest to be heir

Of all things, to be heir and to be king
By sacred unction, thy deserved right.

Go then, thou Mightiest, in thy Father's might, 710
Ascend my chariot, guide the rapid wheels
That shake heav'n's basis, bring forth all my war,
My bow and thunder, my almighty arms
Gird on, and sword upon thy puissant thigh;
Pursue these sons of darkness, drive them out 715
From all heav'n's bounds into the utter deep:
There let them learn, as likes them, to despise
GOD and Messiah his anointed king.

He said, and on his Son with rays direct
Shone full, he all his Father full exprest
Ineffably into his face receiv'd,

And thus the filial Godhead answering spake.

720

O Father, O Supreme of heav'nly thrones, First, Highest, Holiest, Best, thou always seek'st To glorify thy Son, I always thee,

As is most just; this I my glory account,
My exaltation, and my whole delight,

That thou in me well pleas'd declar'st thy will
Fulfill'd, which to fulfill is all

VOL. II.

my

bliss.

F

725

Scepter, and power, thy giving, I assume,
And gladlier shall resign, when in the end
Thou shalt be all in all, and I in thee
For ever, and in me all whom thou lov'st:
But whom thou hat'st, I hate, and can put on
Thy terrors, as I put thy mildness on,

730

725

Image of thee in all things; and shall soon,
Arm'd with thy might, rid heav'n of these rebell'd,
To their prepar'd ill mansion driven down
To chains of darkness and th' undying worm ;
That from thy just obedience could revolt,
Whom to obey is happiness entire.

740

Then shall thy saints unmix'd, and from th' impure Far separate, circling thy holy mount

Unfained hallelujahs to thee sing,

Hymns of high praise, and I among them chief. 715
So said, he, o'er his sceptre bowing, rose
From the right hand of glory where he sat,
And the third sacred morn began to shine,
Dawning through heav'n: forth rush'd with whirl-
The chariot of paternal Deity,

[wind sound Flashing thick flames, wheel within wheel undrawn, Itself instinct with spirit, but convoy'd

By four cherubic shapes; four faces each
Had wondrous, as with stars their bodies all
And wings were set with eyes, with eyes the wheels
Of beril, and careering fires between ;
Over their heads a crystal firmament,
Whereon a saphire throne, inlaid with

758 Whereon] Fenton reads Where, on.'

pure

Todd.

756

760

765

Amber, and colours of the show'ry arch.
He, in celestial panoply all arm'd
Of radiant Urim work divinely wrought,
Ascended; at his right hand Victory
Sate eagle-wing'd, beside him hung his bow
And quiver with three-bolted thunder stor'd,
And from about him fierce effusion roll'd
Of smoke, and bickering flame, and sparkles dire.
Attended with ten thousand thousand saints
He onward came, far off his coming shone,
And twenty thousand, I their number heard,
Chariots of GOD, half on each hand were seen. 770
He on the wings of Cherub rode sublime,
On the crystalline sky, in saphire thron'd.
Illustrious far and wide, but by his own
First seen, them unexpected joy surpris'd,
When the great ensign of Messiah blaz'd,
Aloft by angels borne, his sign in heav'n:
Under whose conduct Michael soon reduc'd
His army, circumfus'd on either wing,
Under their head embodied all in one.
Before him power divine his way prepar'd;
At his command the uprooted hills retir'd
Each to his place, they heard his voice and went
Obsequious; Heav'n his wonted face renew'd,
And with fresh flow'rets hill and valley smil❜d.
This saw his hapless foes, but stood obdur'd,

775

780

759 show'ry arch] A. Ramsæi, P. Sacr. ed. Lauder, 1. 5. ⚫ Cœlo sicut Thaumantias udo,

Cum picturatum dat mille coloribus arcum.'

And to rebellious fight rallied their powers
Insensate, hope conceiving from despair:

790

In heav'nly spirits could such perverseness dwell?
But to convince the proud what signs avail,
Or wonders move the obdurate to relent?
They harden'd more by what might most reclaim,
Grieving to see his glory, at the sight
Took envy, and, aspiring to his highth,
Stood reimbattell'd fierce, by force or fraud
Weening to prosper, and at length prevail
Against God and Messiah, or to fall
In universal ruin last; and now

To final battel drew, disdaining flight,

Or faint retreat; when the great Son of GoD
To all his host on either hand thus spake.

done

795

800

805

Stand still in bright array, ye saints, here stand, Ye angels arm'd, this day from battel rest; Faithful hath been your warfare, and of GoD Accepted, fearless in his righteous cause, And as ye have receiv'd, so have ye Invincibly but of this cursed crew The punishment to other hand belongs; Vengeance is his, or whose he sole appoints: Number to this day's work is not ordain'd,

787] hope] Virg. Æn. ii. 354.

Una salus victis, nullam sperare salutem.'

and Q. Curt. L. v. c. iv.

810

815

820

Nor multitude, stand only and behold
GOD's indignation on these godless pour'd
By me; not you, but me they have despis'd,
Yet envied against me is all their rage,
Because the Father, t' whom in heav'n supreme
Kingdom, and power, and glory appertains,
Hath honour'd me according to his will..
Therefore to me their doom he hath assign'd;
That they may have their wish, to try with me
In battel which the stronger proves, they all,
Or I alone against them; since by strength
They measure all, of other excellence
Not emulous, nor care who them excels;
Nor other strife with them do I vouchsafe.
So spake the Son, and into terror chang'd
His count'nance, too severe to be beheld
And full of wrath bent on his enemies.
At once the four spread out their starry wings
With dreadful shade contiguous, and the orb3
Of his fierce chariot roll'd, as with the sound
Of torrent floods, or of a numerous host.
He on his impious foes right onward drove,
Gloomy as night; under his burning wheels
The steadfast empyrean shook throughout,
All but the throne itself of GOD.

Full soon

Among them he arriv'd, in his right hand
Grasping ten thousand thunders, which he sent
Before him, such as in their souls infix'd
Plagues: they astonish'd all resistance lost,
All courage; down their idle weapons dropp'd;

895

830

835