The Complete Poems
Page 28
That equal over equals monarch reign:
Thyself though great and glorious dost thou count,
Or all angelic nature joined in one,
835 Equal to him begotten Son, by whom
As by his Word the mighty Father made
All things, ev’n thee, and all the Spirits of Heav’n
By him created in their bright degrees,
Crowned them with glory, and to their glory named
840 Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Virtues, Powers,
Essential Powers, nor by his reign obscured,
But more illustrious made, since he the head
One of our number thus reduced becomes,
His laws our laws, all honour to him done
845 Returns our own. Cease then this impious rage,
And tempt not these; but hasten to appease
Th’ incensèd Father, and th’ incensèd Son,
While pardon may be found in time besought.
So spake the fervent angel, but his zeal
850 None seconded, as out of season judged,
Or singular and rash, whereat rejoiced
Th’ Apostate, and more haughty thus replied.
That we were formed then say’st thou? and the work
Of secondary hands, by task transferred
855 From Father to his Son? strange point and new!
Doctrine which we would know whence learnt: who saw
When this creation was? remember’st thou
Thy making, while the Maker gave thee being?
We know no time when we were not as now;
860 Know none before us, self–begot, self–raised
By our own quick’ning power, when fatal course
Had circled his full orb, the birth mature
Of this our native Heav’n, ethereal sons.
Our puissance is our own, our own right hand
865 Shall teach us highest deeds, by proof to try
Who is our equal: then thou shalt behold
Whether by supplication we intend
Address, and to begirt th’ Almighty throne
Beseeching or besieging. This report,
870 These tidings carry to th’ anointed King;
And fly, ere evil intercept thy flight.
He said, and as the sound of waters deep
Hoarse murmur echoed to his words applause
Through the infinite host, nor less for that
875 The flaming Seraph fearless, though alone
Encompassed round with foes, thus answered bold.
O alienate from God, O Spirit accursed,
Forsaken of all good; I see thy fall
Determined, and thy hapless crew involved
880 In this perfidious fraud, contagion spread
Both of thy crime and punishment: henceforth
No more be troubled how to quit the yoke
Of God’s Messiah; those indulgent laws
Will not be now vouchsafed, other decrees
885 Against thee are gone forth without recall;
That golden sceptre which thou didst reject
Is now an iron rod to bruise and break
Thy disobedience. Well thou didst advise,
Yet not for thy advice or threats I fly
890 These wicked tents devoted, lest the wrath
Impendent, raging into sudden flame
Distinguish not: for soon expect to feel
His thunder on thy head, devouring fire.
Then who created thee lamenting learn,
895 When who can uncreate thee thou shalt know.
So spake the Seraph Abdiel faithful found,
Among the faithless, faithful only he;
Among innumerable false, unmoved,
Unshaken, unseduced, unterrified,
900 His loyalty he kept, his love, his zeal;
Nor number, nor example with him wrought
To swerve from truth, or change his constant mind
Though single. From amidst them forth he passed,
Long way through hostile scorn, which he sustained
905 Superior, nor of violence feared aught;
And with retorted scorn his back he turned
On those proud tow’rs to swift destruction doomed.
BOOK VI
The Argument
Raphael continues to relate how Michael and Gabriel were
sent forth to battle against Satan and his angels. The first
fight described: Satan and his powers retire under night: he
calls a council, invents devilish engines, which in the second
5 day’s fight put Michael and his angels to some disorder; but
they at length pulling up mountains overwhelmed both the
force and machines of Satan: yet the tumult not so ending,
God on the third day sends Messiah his Son, for whom he
had reserved the glory of that victory: he in the power of his
10 Father coming to the place, and causing all his legions to
stand still on either side, with his chariot and thunder driving
into the midst of his enemies, pursues them unable to resist
towards the wall of Heaven; which opening, they leap down
with horror and confusion into the place of punishment prepared
15 for them in the deep: Messiah returns with triumph to
his Father.
All night the dreadless angel unpursued
Through Heav’n’s wide champaign held his way, till Morn,
Waked by the circling Hours, with rosy hand
Unbarred the gates of light. There is a cave
5 Within the Mount of God, fast by his throne,
Where light and darkness in perpetual round
Lodge and dislodge by turns, which makes through Heav’n
Grateful vicissitude, like day and night;
Light issues forth, and at the other door
10 Obsequious darkness enters, till her hour
To veil the Heav’n, though darkness there might well
Seem twilight here; and now went forth the Morn
Such as in highest Heav’n, arrayed in gold
Empyreal; from before her vanished night,
15 Shot through with orient beams: when all the plain
Covered with thick embattled squadrons bright,
Chariots and flaming arms, and fiery steeds
Reflecting blaze on blaze, first met his view:
War he perceived, war in procinct, and found
20 Already known what he for news had thought
To have reported: gladly then he mixed
Among those friendly Powers who him received
With joy and acclamations loud, that one
That of so many myriads fall’n, yet one
25 Returned not lost: on to the sacred hill
They led him high applauded, and present
Before the seat supreme; from whence a voice
From midst a golden cloud thus mild was heard.
Servant of God, well done, well hast thou fought
30 The better fight, who single hast maintained
Against revolted multitudes the cause
Of truth, in word mightier than they in arms;
And for the testimony of truth hast borne
Universal reproach, far worse to bear
35 Than violence: for this was all thy care
To stand approved in sight of God, though worlds
Judged thee perverse: the easier conquest now
Remains thee, aided by this host of friends,
Back on thy foes more glorious to return
40 Than scorned thou didst depart, and to subdue
By force, who reason for their law refuse,
Right reason for their law, and for their King
Messiah, who by right of merit reigns.
Go Michael of celestial armies prince,
45 And thou in military prowess next,
Gabriel, lead forth to battle these my sons
By thousands and by millions ranged for fight;
Equal in number to that Godless crew
50 Rebellious, them with fire and hostile arms
Fearless assault, and to the brow of Heav’n
Pursuing drive them out from God and bliss,
Into their place of punishment, the gulf
Of Tartarus, which ready opens wide
55 His fiery Chaos to receive their fall.
So spake the sov’reign voice, and clouds began
To darken all the hill, and smoke to roll
In dusky wreaths, reluctant flames, the sign
Of wrath awaked: nor with less dread the loud
60 Ethereal trumpet from on high gan blow:
At which command the powers militant,
That stood for Heav’n, in mighty quadrate joined
Of union irresistible, moved on
In silence their bright legions, to the sound
65 Of instrumental harmony that breathed
Heroic ardour to advent’rous deeds
Under their godlike leaders, in the cause
Of God and his Messiah. On they move
Indíssolúbly firm; nor obvious hill,
70 Nor strait’ning vale, nor wood, nor stream divides
Their perfect ranks; for high above the ground
Their march was, and the passive air upbore
Their nimble tread; as when the total kind
Of birds in orderly array on wing
75 Came summoned over Eden to receive
Their names of thee; so over many a tract
Of Heav’n they marched, and many a province wide
Tenfold the length of this terrene: at last
Far in th’ horizon to the North appeared
80 From skirt to skirt a fiery region, stretched
In battailous aspéct, and nearer view
Bristled with upright beams innumerable
Of rigid spears, and helmets thronged, and shields
Various, with boastful argument portrayed,
85 The banded powers of Satan hasting on
With furious expedition; for they weened
That selfsame day by fight, or by surprise
To win the Mount of God, and on his throne
To set the envier of his state, the proud
90 Aspirer, but their thoughts proved fond and vain
In the mid way: though strange to us it seemed
At first, that angel should with angel war,
And in fierce hosting meet, who wont to meet
So oft in festivals of joy and love
95 Unanimous, as sons of one great Sire,
Hymning th’ Eternal Father: but the shout
Of battle now began, and rushing sound
Of onset ended soon each milder thought.
High in the midst exalted as a god
100 Th’ Apostate in his sun–bright chariot sat
Idol of majesty divine, enclosed
With flaming Cherubim, and golden shields;
Then lighted from his gorgeous throne, for now
’Twixt host and host but narrow space was left,
105 A dreadful interval, and front to front
Presented stood in terrible array
Of hideous length: before the cloudy van,
On the rough edge of battle ere it joined
Satan with vast and haughty strides advanced,
110 Came tow’ring, armed in adamant and gold;
Abdiel that sight endured not, where he stood
Among the mightiest, bent on highest deeds,
And thus his own undaunted heart explores.
O Heav’n! that such resemblance of the Highest
115 Should yet remain, where faith and realty
Remain not; wherefore should not strength and might
There fail where virtue fails, or weakest prove
Where boldest; though to sight unconquerable?
His puissance, trusting in th’ Almighty’s aid,
120 I mean to try, whose reason I have tried
Unsound and false; nor is it aught but just,
That he who in debate of truth hath won,
Should win in arms, in both disputes alike
Victor; though brutish that contést and foul,
125 When reason hath to deal with force, yet so
Most reason is that reason overcome.
So pondering, and from his armèd peers
Forth stepping opposite, half way he met
His daring foe, at this prevention more
130 Incensed, and thus securely him defied.
Proud, art thou met? thy hope was to have reached
The heighth of thy aspiring unopposed,
The throne of God unguarded, and his side
Abandoned at the terror of thy power
135 Or potent tongue; fool, not to think how vain
Against th’ Omnipotent to rise in arms;
Who out of smallest things could without end
Have raised incessant armies to defeat
Thy folly; or with solitary hand
140 Reaching beyond all limit, at one blow
Unaided could have finished thee, and whelmed
Thy legions under darkness; but thou seest
All are not of thy train; there be who faith
Prefer, and piety to God, though then
145 To thee not visible, when I alone
Seemed in thy world erroneous to dissent
From all: my sect thou seest, now learn too late
How few sometimes may know, when thousands err.
Whom the grand Foe with scornful eye askance
150 Thus answered. Ill for thee, but in wished hour
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 provoked, since first that tongue
155 Inspired with contradiction durst oppose
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
160 Before thy fellows, ambitious to win
From me some plume, that thy success may show
Destruction to the rest: this pause between
(Unanswered lest thou boast) to let thee know;
At first I thought that liberty and Heav’n
165 To Heav’nly souls had been all one; but now
I see that most through sloth had rather serve,
Minist’ring Spirits, trained up in feast and song;
Such hast thou armed, the minstrelsy of Heav’n,
Servility with freedom to contend,
170 As both their deeds compared this day shall prove.
To whom in brief thus Abdiel stern replied.
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
175 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 rebelled
180 Against his worthier, as thine now serve thee,
Thyself not free, but to thyself enthralled;
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
185 Behests obey, worthiest to be obeyed;
Yet chains in Hell, not realms expect: meanwhile
From me returned, as erst thou saidst, from flight,
This greeting on thy impious crest receive.
So saying, a noble stroke he lifted high,
190 Whi
ch 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
Such ruin intercept: ten paces huge
He back recoiled; the tenth on bended knee
195 His massy spear upstayed; as if on earth
Winds under ground or waters forcing way
Sidelong, had pushed a mountain from his seat
Half sunk with all his pines. Amazement seized
The rebel Thrones, but greater rage to see
200 Thus foiled their mightiest; ours joy filled, and shout,
Presage of victory and fierce desire
Of battle: whereat Michaël bid sound
Th’ Archangel trumpet; through the vast of Heav’n
It sounded, and the faithful armies rung
205 Hosanna to the Highest: nor stood at gaze
The adverse legions, nor less hideous joined
The horrid shock: now storming fury rose,
And clamour such as heard in Heav’n till now
Was never; arms on armour clashing brayed
210 Horrible discord, and the madding wheels
Of brazen chariots raged; dire was the noise
Of conflict; overhead the dismal hiss
Of fiery darts in flaming volleys flew,
And flying vaulted either host with fire.
215 So under fiery cope together rushed
Both battles main, with ruinous assault
And inextinguishable rage; all Heav’n
Resounded, and had earth been then, all earth
Had to her centre shook. What wonder? when
220 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
225 Dreadful combustion warring, and disturb,
Though not destroy, their happy native seat;
Had not th’ Eternal King Omnipotent
From his stronghold of Heav’n high overruled
And limited their might; though numbered such
230 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, expért
When to advance, or stand, or turn the sway
235 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 relied,
As only in his arm the moment lay
240 Of victory; deeds of eternal fame
Were done, but infinite: for wide was spread
That war and various; sometimes on firm ground