by John Milton
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And good he made thee, but to persevere
He left it in thy power, ordaind thy will
By nature free, not over-rul’d by Fate
Inextricable, or strict necessity;
Our voluntarie service he requires,
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Not our necessitated, such with him
Finds no acceptance, nor can find, for how
Can hearts, not free, be tri’d whether they serve
Willing or no, who will but what they must
By Destinie, and can no other choose?
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My self and all th’ Angelic Host that stand
In sight of God enthron’d, our happie state
Hold, as you yours, while our obedience holds;
On other surety none; freely we serve,
Because wee freely love, as in our will
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To love or not; in this we stand or fall:
And som are fall’n, to disobedience fall’n,
And so from Heav’n to deepest Hell; O fall
From what high state of bliss into what woel
To whom our great Progenitor. Thy words
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Attentive, and with more delighted ear,
Divine instructer, I have heard, then when
Cherubic Songs by night from neighbouring Hills
Aereal Music send: nor knew I not
To be both will and deed created free;
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Yet that we never shall forget to love
Our maker, and obey him whose command
Single, is yet so just, my constant thoughts
Assur’d me, and still assure: though what thou tellst
Hath past in Heav’n, som doubt within me move,
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But more desire to hear, if thou consent,
The full relation, which must needs be strange,
Worthy of Sacred silence to be heard;
And we have yet large day, for scarce the Sun
Hath finisht half his journey, and scarce begins
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His other half in the great Zone of Heav’n.
Thus Adam made request, and Raphael
After short pause assenting, thus began.
High matter thou injoinst me, O prime of men,
Sad task and hard, for how shall I relate
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To human sense th’ invisible exploits
Of warring Spirits; how without remorse
The ruin of so many glorious once
And perfet while they stood; how last unfould
The secrets of another world, perhaps
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Not lawful to reveal? yet for thy good
This is dispenc’t, and what surmounts the reach
Of human sense, I shall delineate so,
By lik’ning spiritual to corporal forms,
As may express them best, though what if Earth
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Be but the shaddow of Heav’n,36 and things therein
Each t’ other like, more then on earth is thought?
As yet this world was not, and Chaos wild
Reign’d where these Heav’ns now rowl, where Earth now rests
Upon her Center pois’d, when on a day
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(For Time, though in Eternitie, appli’d
To motion, measures all things durable
By present, past, and future) on such day
As Heav’ns great Year37 brings forth, th’ Empyreal Host
Of Angels by Imperial summons call’d,
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Innumerable before th’ Almighties Throne
Forthwith from all the ends of Heav’n appeerd
Under thir Hierarchs in orders bright;
Ten thousand thousand Ensignes high advanc’d,
Standards, and Gonfalons38 twixt Van and Rear
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Stream in the Air, and for distinction serve
Of Hierarchies, of Orders, and Degrees;
Or in thir glittering Tissues bear imblaz’d
Holy Memorials, acts of Zeal and Love
Recorded eminent. Thus when in Orbs
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Of circuit inexpressible they stood,
Orb within Orb, the Father infinite,
By whom in bliss inbosom’d sat the Son,
Amidst as from a flaming Mount, whose top
Brightness had made invisible, thus spake.
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Hear all ye Angels, Progenie of Light,
Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Vertues, Powers,
Hear my Decree, which unrevok’t shall stand.
This day I have begot39 whom I declare
My onely Son, and on this holy Hill
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Him have anointed, whom ye now behold
At my right hand; your Head I him appoint;
And by my Self have sworn to him shall bow
All knees in Heav’n, and shall confess him Lord:
Under his great Vice-gerent Reign abide
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United as one individual40 Soul
For ever happie: him who disobeys
Mee disobeys, breaks union, and that day
Cast out from God and blessed vision, falls
Into utter darkness, deep ingulft, his place
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Ordaind without redemption, without end.
So spake th’ Omnipotent, and with his words
All seemd well pleas’d, all seem’d, but were not all.
That day, as other solemn dayes, they spent
In song and dance about the sacred Hill,
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Mystical dance, which yonder starrie Sphear
Of Planets and of fixt in all her Wheels
Resembles nearest, mazes intricate,
Eccentric, intervolv’d, yet regular
Then most, when most irregular they seem:
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And in thir motions harmonie Divine
So smooths her charming tones, that Gods own ear
Listens delighted. Eevning now approach’d
(For wee have also our Eevning and our Morn,
Wee ours for change delectable, not need)
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Forthwith from dance to sweet repast they turn
Desirous; all in Circles as they stood,
Tables are set, and on a sudden pil’d
With Angels Food, and rubied Nectar flows:
In Pearl, in Diamond, and massie Gold
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Fruit of delicious Vines, the growth of Heav’n.
On flowrs repos’d, and with fresh flowrets crownd,
They eat, they drink, and in communion sweet
Quaff immortalitie and joy, secure
Of surfet where full measure onely bounds
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Excess, before th’ all-bounteous King, who showrd
With copious hand, rejoycing in thir joy.
Now when ambrosial Night with Clouds exhal’d
From that high mount of God, whence light and shade
Spring both, the face of brightest Heav’n had chang’d
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To grateful Twilight (for Night comes not there
In darker veil) and roseat Dews dispos’d
All but th’ unsleeping eyes of God to rest,
Wide over all the Plain, and wider farr
Then all this globous Earth in Plain outspred,
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(Such are the Courts of God) th’ Angelic throng
Disperst in Bands and Files thir Camp extend
By living Streams among the Trees of Life,
Pavilions numberless, and sudden reard,
Celestial Tabernacles, where they slept
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Fannd with cool Winds, save those who in thir course
Melodious Hymns about the sovran Throne
Alternate all night long: but not so wak’d
Satan, so call him now, his former name
Is heard n
o more in Heav’n; he of the first,
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If not the first Arch-Angel, great in Power,
In favour and in præeminence, yet fraught
With envie against the Son of God, that day
Honourd by his great Father, and proclaimd
Messiah King anointed, could not bear
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Through pride that sight, and thought himself impaird.
Deep malice thence conceiving and disdain,
Soon as midnight brought on the duskie hour
Friendliest to sleep and silence, he resolv’d
With all his Legions to dislodge, and leave
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Unworshipt, unobey’d the Throne supream
Contemptuous, and his next subordinate41
Awak’ning, thus to him in secret spake.
Sleepst thou Companion dear, what sleep can close
Thy eye-lids? and remembrest what Decree
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Of yesterday, so late hath past the lips
Of Heav’ns Almightie. Thou to me thy thoughts
Wast wont, I mine to thee was wont t’ impart;
Both waking we were one; how then can now
Thy sleep dissent? new Laws thou seest impos’d;
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New Laws from him who reigns, new minds may raise
In us who serve, new Counsels, to debate
What doubtful may ensue, more in this place
To utter is not safe. Assemble thou
Of all those Myriads which we lead the chief;
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Tell them that by command, ere yet dim Night
Her shadowie Cloud withdraws, I am to haste,
And all who under me thir Banners wave,
Homeward with flying march where we possess
The Quarters of the North, there to prepare
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Fit entertainment to receive our King
The great Messiah, and his new commands,
Who speedily through all the Hierarchies
Intends to pass triumphant, and give Laws.
So spake the false Arch-Angel, and infus’d
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Bad influence into th’ unwarie brest
Of his Associate; hee together calls,
Or several one by one, the Regent Powers,
Under him Regent, tells, as he was taught,
That the most High commanding, now ere Night,
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Now ere dim Night had disincumberd Heav’n,
The great Hierarchal Standard was to move;
Tells the suggested cause, and casts between
Ambiguous words and jealousies, to sound
Or taint integritie; but all obey’d
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The wonted signal, and superior voice
Of thir great Potentate; for great indeed
His name, and high was his degree in Heav’n;
His count’nance, as the Morning Starr that guides
The starrie flock, allur’d them, and with lyes
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Drew after him the third part of Heav’ns Host:42
Mean while th’ Eternal eye, whose sight discerns
Abstrusest thoughts, from forth his holy Mount
And from within the golden Lamps that burn
Nightly before him, saw without thir light
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Rebellion rising, saw in whom, how spred
Among the sons of Morn, what multitudes
Were banded to oppose his high Decree;
And smiling to his onely Son thus said.
Son, thou in whom my glory I behold
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In full resplendence, Heir of all my might,
Neerly it now concerns us to be sure
Of our Omnipotence, and with what Arms
We mean to hold what anciently we claim
Of Deitie or Empire, such a foe
725
Is rising, who intends t’ erect his Throne
Equal to ours, throughout the spacious North;
Nor so content, hath in his thought to try
In battel, what our Power is, or our right.
Let us advise, and to this hazard draw
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With speed what force is left, and all imploy
In our defence, lest unawares we lose
This our high place, our Sanctuarie, our Hill.
To whom the Son with calm aspect and cleer
Light’ning Divine, ineffable, serene,
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Made answer. Mightie Father, thou thy foes
Justly hast in derision,43 and secure
Laugh’st at thir vain designes and tumults vain,
Matter to mee of Glory, whom thir hate
Illustrates, when they see all Regal Power
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Giv’n me to quell thir pride, and in event
Know whether I be dextrous44 to subdue
Thy Rebels, or be found the worst in Heav’n.
So spake the Son, but Satan with his Powers
Farr was advanc’t on winged speed, an Host
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Innumerable as the Starrs of Night,
Or Starrs of Morning, Dew-drops, which the Sun
Impearls on every leaf and every flower.
Regions they pass’d, the mightie Regencies
Of Seraphim and Potentates and Thrones
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In thir triple Degrees,45 Regions to which
All thy Dominion, Adam, is no more
Then what this Garden is to all the Earth,
And all the Sea, from one entire globose46
Stretcht into Longitude; which having pass’d
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At length into the limits of the North
They came, and Satan to his Royal seat
High on a Hill, far blazing, as a Mount
Rais’d on a Mount, with Pyramids and Towrs
From Diamond Quarries hew’n, and Rocks of Gold,
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The Palace of great Lucifer (so call
That Structure in the Dialect of men
Interpreted), which not long after, he
Affecting all equality with God,
In imitation of that Mount whereon
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Messiah was declar’d in sight of Heav’n,
The Mountain of the Congregation call’d;
For thither he assembl’d all his Train,
Pretending so commanded to consult
About the great reception of thir King,
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Thither to come, and with calumnious Art
Of counterfeted truth thus held thir ears.
Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Vertues, Powers,
If these magnific Titles yet remain
Not meerly titular, since by Decree
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Another now hath to himself ingross’t
All Power, and us eclipst under the name
Of King anointed, for whom all this haste
Of midnight march, and hurried meeting here,
This onely to consult how we may best
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With what may be devis’d of honours new
Receive him coming to receive from us
Knee-tribute yet unpaid, prostration vile,
Too much to one, but double how endur’d,
To one and to his image now proclaim’d?
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But what if better counsels might erect
Our minds and teach us to cast off this Yoke?
Will ye submit your necks, and chuse to bend
The supple knee? ye will not, if I trust
To know ye right, or if ye know your selves
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Natives and Sons of Heav’n possest before
By none, and if not equal all, yet free,
Equally free; for Orders and Degrees
Jarr not with liberty, but well consist.
Who can in reason then or right assume
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Monarch
ic over such as live by right
His equals, if in power and splendor less,
In freedom equal? or can introduce
Law and Edict on us, who without law
Err not, much less for this to be our Lord,
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And look for adoration to th’ abuse
Of those Imperial Titles which assert
Our being ordain’d to govern, not to serve?
Thus farr his bold discourse without controul
Had audience, when among the Seraphim
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Abdiel, then whom none with more zeal ador’d
The Deitie, and divine commands obei’d,
Stood up, and in a flame of zeal severe
The current of his fury thus oppos’d.
O argument blasphemous, false and proud!
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Words which no ear ever to hear in Heav’n
Expected, least of all from thee, ingrate
In place thy self so high above thy Peers.
Canst thou with impious obloquie condemn
The just Decree of God, pronounc’t and sworn,
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That to his only Son by right endu’d
With Regal Scepter, every Soul in Heav’n
Shall bend the knee, and in that honour due
Confess him rightful King? unjust thou saist
Flatly unjust, to bind with Laws the free,
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And equal over equals to let Reigne,
One over all with unsucceeded power.
Shalt thou give Law to God, shalt thou dispute
With him the points of libertie, who made
Thee what thou art, and formd the Pow’rs of Heav’n
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Such as he pleas’d, and circumscrib’d thir being?
Yet by experience taught we know how good,
And of our good, and of our dignitie
How provident he is, how farr from thought
To make us less, bent rather to exalt
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Our happie state under one Head more neer
United. But to grant it thee unjust,
That equal over equals Monarch Reigne:
Thy self though great and glorious dost thou count,