by John Milton
Or all Angelic Nature joind 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 thir bright degrees,
Crownd them with Glory, and to thir Glory nam’d
840
Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Vertues, Powers,
Essential Powers, nor by his Reign obscur’d,
But more illustrious made, since he the Head
One of our number thus reduc’t becomes,
His Laws our Laws, all honour to him done
845
Returns our own. Cease then this impious rage,
And tempt not these; but hast’n to appease
Th’ incensed Father, and th’ incensed Son,
While Pardon may be found in time besought
So spake the fervent Angel, but his zeal
850
None seconded, as out of season judg’d,
Or singular and rash, whereat rejoic’d
Th’ Apostat, and more haughty thus repli’d.
That we were formd then saist thou? and the work
Of secondarie hands, by task transferd
855
From Father to his Son? strange point and new!
Doctrin which we would know whence learnt: who saw
When this creation was? rememberst 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-rais’d
By our own quiek’ning power, when fatal course
Had circl’d 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 carrie to th’ anointed King;
And fly, ere evil intercept thy flight.
He said, and as the sound of waters deep
Hoarce murmur echo’d to his words applause
Through the infinite Host, nor less for that
875
The flaming Seraph fearless, though alone
Encompass’d round with foes, thus answerd bold.
O alienate from God, O spirit accurst,
Forsak’n of all good; I see thy fall
Determind, and thy hapless47 crew involv’d
880
In this perfidious fraud, contagion spred
Both of thy crime and punishment: henceforth
No more be troubl’d how to quit the yoke
Of Gods Messiah; those indulgent Laws
Will not be now voutsaf’t, other Decrees
885
Against thee are gon forth without recall;
That Golden Scepter which thou didst reject
Is now an Iron Rod to bruise and break
Thy disobedience. Well thou didst advise,
Yet not for thy advise or threats I fly
890
These wicked Tents devoted,48 least the wrauth
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 hee;
Among innumerable false, unmov’d,
Unshak’n, unseduc’d, unterrifi’d
900
His Loyaltie 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 pass’d,
Long way through hostile scorn, which he susteind
905
Superior, nor of violence fear’d aught;
And with retorted49 scorn his back he turn’d
On those proud Towrs to swift destruction doom’d.
* * *
1 exhalations.
2 the balsam, source of balm.
3 Compare IV, 802.
4 The omniscience of God admits of evil, but the word may mean only “angel.”
5 metrical.
6 Venus (Lucifer as the morning star, Hesperus as the evening star).
7 the sphere of fixed stars which circle the earth once every twenty-four hours. The “wandering Fires” are the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.
8 the four elements variously combined.
9 of one color.
10 placed in embracement about, wedded to.
11 literally, “medicine of God.”
12 See Tobit viii.
13 angels.
14 telescope.
15 Aegean islands.
16 downward.
17 wing.
18 compliant.
19 The unique and undying Phoenix rose from its own ashes in Heliopolis (“city of the sun”) rather than in the neighboring Egyptian city of Thebes, according to Ovid, Meta., XV, 391-407.
20 colored blue.
21 Hermes, whose sandals bore wings.
22 fresh water, but implying the milk and honey of the Promised Land; see also SA, 550.
23 most natural.
24 India and the Indies (East) and America (West).
25 the Black Sea or the Carthaginian coast. Alcinous’ gardens of perpetual spring and harvest were visited by Ulysses (Od., VII, 125 ff.).
26 unfermented liquor and meads.
27 unbumed; it is natural odor rather than that from incense.
28 Roman goddess of fruits.
29 Juno, Minerva, and Venus whose beauty was judged by Paris on Mt. Ida.
30 begin to digest.
31 Moon spots had been thought to be exhalations from earth.
32 manna.
33 overflows.
34 referring to the chain of being which tends upward toward its creator. Man’s natural bodily spirits (ll. 483 ff.) are raised to the vital emotional spirits and then to the intellectual (animal) spirits. Thus man is able to reason, but his conclusions are those which angels know intuitively.
35 the vegetative, sensitive, and rational souls of plants, animals, and men respectively.
36 typologically, that is, as a foreshadowing of Heaven, according to William G. Madsen (PMLA, LXXV, 1960, 519-26), rather than Platonically as a simulation of Heaven.
37 the time it would take a star to complete the equinoctial precession, around 26,000 years.
38 flags suspended from crosspieces.
39 not the creation of the Son, but his anointing as king; see Milton’s translation of Ps. 2 (verses 6-7).
40 undividable.
41 Beelzebub.
42 Rev. xii. 4: And the dragon’s “tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth.”
43 See note to II, 191.
44 alluding also to his position at the Father’s right hand (see l. 606).
45 referring to the three divisions of the nine orders of angels, but the order and division seem not to be those of Dionysius, which are: seraphim, cherubim, thrones; dominions, virtues, powers (potentates); principalities, archangels, angels.
46 sphere.
47 not only because they cannot have luck, but also because opposition to God does not allow a chance outcome. Thus such opposition as is proposed is a “fraud.”
48 doomed.
49 turned back.
BOOK VI
THE ARGUMENT
Raphael continues to relate how Mic
hael and Gabriel were sent forth to battel against Satan and his Angels. The first Fight describ’d: Satan and his Powers retire under Night: He calls a Councel, invents devilish Engines, which in the second dayes Fight put Michael and his Angels to some disorder; but they at length pulling up Mountains overwhelm’d both the force and Machins of Satan: Yet the Tumult not so ending, God on the third day sends Messiah his Son, for whom he had reserv’d the glory of that Victory: Hee in the Power of his 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 horrour and confusion into the place of punishment prepar’d for them in the Deep: Messiah returns with triumph to his Father.
All night the dreadless Angel unpursu’d
Through Heav’ns wide Champain held his way, till Morn,
Wak’t by the circling Hours, with rosie hand
Unbarr’d 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,1 like Day and Night;
Light issues forth, and at the other dore
10
Obsequious2 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, arrayd in Gold
Empyreal, from before her vanisht Night,
15
Shot through with orient Beams: when all the Plain
Coverd with thick embatteld Squadrons bright,
Chariots and flaming Armes, and fierie Steeds
Reflecting blaze on blaze, first met his view:
Warr he perceav’d, warr in procinct,3 and found
20
Already known what he for news had thought
To have reported: gladly then he mixt
Among those friendly Powers who him receav’d
With joy and acclamations loud, that one
That of so many Myriads fall’n, yet one
25
Returnd not lost: On to the sacred hill
They led him high applauded, and present
Before the seat supream; from whence a voice
From midst a Golden Cloud thus mild was heard.
Servant of God,4 well done, well hast thou fought
30
The better fight, who single hast maintaind
Against revolted multitudes the Cause
Of Truth, in word mightier then they in Armes;
And for the testimonie of Truth hast born
Universal reproach, far worse to bear
35
Then violence: for this was all thy care
To stand approv’d in sight of God, though Worlds
Judg’d thee perverse: the easier conquest now
Remains thee, aided by this host of friends,
Back on thy foes more glorious to return
40
Then scornd thou didst depart, and to subdue
By force, who reason for thir Law refuse,
Right reason for thir Law, and for thir 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 Battel these my Sons
Invincible, lead forth my armed Saints
By Thousands and by Millions rang’d for fight;
Equal in number to that Godless crew
50
Rebellious, them with Fire and hostile Armes
Fearless assault, and to the brow of Heav’n
Pursuing drive them out from God and bliss,
Into thir place of punishment, the Gulf
Of Tartarus, which ready opens wide
55
His fiery Chaos to receave thir fall.
So spake the Sovran voice, and Clouds began
To darken all the Hill, and smoak to rowl
In duskie wreaths, reluctant flames, the signe
Of wrauth awak’t: 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 Quadrate5 joyn’d
Of Union irresistible, mov’d on
In silence thir bright Legions, to the sound
65
Of instrumental Harmonie that breath’d
Heroic Ardor to advent’rous deeds
Under thir God-like Leaders, in the Cause
Of God and his Messiah. On they move
Indissolubly firm; nor obvious6 Hill,
70
Nor streit’ning7 Vale, nor Wood, nor Stream divides
Thir perfet ranks; for high above the ground
Thir march was, and the passive Air upbore
Thir nimble tread, as when the total kind
Of Birds in orderly array on wing
75
Came summond over Eden to receive
Thir names of thee; so over many a tract
Of Heav’n they march’d, and many a Province wide
Tenfold the length of this terrene: at last
Farr in th’ Horizon to the North appeer’d
80
From skirt to skirt a fierie Region, stretcht
In battailous aspect, and neerer view
Bristl’d with upright beams innumerable
Of rigid Spears, and Helmets throng’d, and Shields
Various, with boastful Argument8 portraid,
85
The banded Powers of Satan hasting on
With furious expedition; for they weend
That self-same day by fight, or by surprize
To win the Mount of God, and on his Throne
To set the envier of his State, the proud
90
Aspirer, but thir thoughts prov’d fond and vain
In the mid way: though strange to us it seemd
At first, that Angel should with Angel warr,
And in fierce hosting9 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 Battel now began, and rushing sound
Of onset ended soon each milder thought.
High in the midst exalted as a God
100
Th’ Apostat in his Sun-bright Chariot sate
Idol of Majestie Divine, enclos’d
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 intervall, and Front to Front
Presented stood in terrible array
Of hideous length: before the cloudie Van,
On the rough edge of battel ere it joyn’d,
Satan with vast and haughtie strides advanc’t,
110
Came towring, armd in Adamant and Gold;
Abdiel that sight endur’d not, where he stood
Among the mightiest, bent on highest deeds,
And thus his own undaunted heart explores.
O Heav’nl that such resemblance of the Highest
115
Should yet remain, where faith and realtie10
Remain not; wherfore should not strength and might
There fail where Vertue fails, or weakest prove
Where boldest; though to sight unconquerable?
His puissance, trusting in th’ Almightie’s aid,
120
I mean to try, whose Reason I have tri’d11
Unsound and false; nor is it aught but jus
t,
That he who in debate of Truth hath won,
Should win in Arms, in both disputes alike
Victor; though brutish that contest and foul,
125
When Reason hath to deal with force, yet so
Most reason is that Reason overcome.
So pondering, and from his armed Peers
Forth stepping opposite, half way he met
His daring foe, at this prevention more
130
Incens’t, and thus securely him defi’d.
Proud, art thou met? thy hope was to have reacht
The highth of thy aspiring unoppos’d,
The Throne of God unguarded, and his side
Abandond 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 rais’d incessant Armies to defeat
Thy folly; or with solitarie hand
140
Reaching beyond all limit at one blow
Unaided could have finisht thee, and whelmd
Thy Legions under darkness; but thou seest
All are not of thy Train; there be who Faith
Prefer, and Pietie to God, though then
145
To thee not visible, when I alone
Seemd in thy World erroneous to dissent
From all: my Sect thou seest, now learn too late
How few somtimes may know, when thousands err.
Whom the grand foe with scornful eye askance
150
Thus answerd. Ill for thee, but in wisht hour
Of my revenge, first sought for thou returnst
From flight, seditious Angel, to receave
Thy merited reward, the first assay12
Of this right hand provok’t, since first that tongue
155
Inspir’d with contradiction durst oppose
A third part of the Gods, in Synod met
Thir Deities to assert, who while they feel
Vigour Divine within them, can allow
Omnipotence to none. But well thou comst