by John Milton
637. communion: fellowship.
652. streams among the trees of life: See Rev. 22.2.
658. former name: his original, prerebellion name, now blotted out from the heavenly records (1.362–63). One tradition, derived from Isa. 14.12, took the former name to be Lucifer, but Raphael does not confirm this directly until 5.760.
664. Messiah: Hebrew, meaning “anointed.”
669. dislodge: break camp.
671. subordinate: His fallen name is Beëlzebub (1.81).
673. Sleep’st thou: An epic formula for awakening someone, found in Homer (Il. 2.560), Vergil (Aen. 4.560, 7.421), and Milton’s On the Fifth of November, 92.
680. minds: purposes.
685. by command: a lie, since God has not commanded their departure.
689. north: where Satan’s throne was traditionally located (Isa. 14.13).
695. Bad influence: perhaps with an astrological undertone.
700. Night’s removal of darkness and the stars is made to seem an echo of Satan moving his troops.
710. the third part: See Rev. 12.4.
712. Abstrusest: most secret.
718. smiling: alerting us to the mocking tone of the forthcoming speech, where the omnipotent Father speaks as a Shakespearean monarch alarmed by the threat of rebellion.
721. Nearly: “closely,” “intimately,” as in Shakespeare’s “something nearly that concerns yourselves” (MND 1.1.126).
725–26. Cp. Isa. 14.12–13.
736. Justly hast in derision: Ps. 2.4: “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: The Lord shall have them in derision.”
739. Illustrates: makes illustrious (by defeating them in battle).
740. in event: by the outcome.
741. dextrous: both “skillful” and “right-handed” (the Son sits on God’s right hand [1. 606], and is, so to speak, his right-hand man).
746. Or stars of morning, dewdrops: The sudden shift of magnitude from stars to dewdrops recalls the similes of Book 1.
748. regencies: dominions.
750. triple degrees: The nine orders of angels were often arranged in three groups of three; see Spenser’s “trinal triplicities” in FQ 1.39.
750–54. regions … longitude: Again the issue is magnitude: the planet Earth, spread on a flat plane, is to the regions traversed by the rebel angels as Eden is to the entire earth.
758. pyramids: Milton’s association of pyramids with pomp and immortal longings can be discerned as early as On Shakespeare. See also RCG (Yale 1:790).
763. Affecting: aspiring to, making an ostentatious display of.
764. that mount: referring to the mount of line 598.
766. Mountain of the Congregation: See Isa. 14.13.
775. engrossed: monopolized.
786. this yoke: Christ maintains that his yoke is “easy” in Matt. 11.29–30.
799. this: this entity placed over us only by improper law and edict.
805. Abdiel: Hebrew meaning “Servant of God.” Milton’s most important addition to the traditional cast of Judeo-Christian angels; see West 154 on the origins of the name. zeal: a trait admired by Protestants and by Milton, who defined it as “an eager desire to sanctify the divine name, together with a feeling of indignation against things which tend to the violation or contempt of religion” (CD 2.6 in MLM 1146; see also Apology in Yale 1:900–901).
821. unsucceeded: without successor, unending.
835–40. Based on Col. 1.16–17: “By him were all things created, … whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.”
842–45. But … own: “The argument seems to be that Christ, by becoming the head of the angels, became in a measure one of them, and so ennobled their nature” (Verity). Such, of course, is precisely the effect of his Incarnation on humankind.
856–58. See Augustine’s Confessions 1.6 on how we do not remember our beginnings but cannot suppose that we fabricated ourselves, and therefore honor our Maker. Adam at his awakening follows this line of thought (8.270–82). Milton might have derived the idea of the rebel angels denying their creation from Dante, Par. 29.58–60.
860. self-begot, self-raised: The sudden eruption of the word self recalls Shakespeare’s R3, 5.3.183–204, and glances at the despairing hell of selfhood at 4.73–113.
864. own right hand: as opposed to God’s (see 741n). Cp. Ps. 45.4.
868. Address: dutiful approach, with also a military sense of skillful engagement.
869. Beseeching or besieging: Out of supplication comes, treacherously, a new way of approaching the throne of God; besieging only sounds like beseeching. Cp. 1.642n.
883. those indulgent laws: alluding to the laws of line 693.
890. devoted: doomed.
899. Similar effects with the prefix un-occur at 2.185, 3.231. In describing Abdiel’s solitary steadfastness, Milton may also have had in mind his own position at the Restoration.
906. retorted scorn: Abdiel’s physical gesture of scornfully turning his back on the scornful rebel angels enacts the etymology of retorted, from the Latin retortus, “turned back.”
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 day’s fight put Michael and his angels to some disorder; but they at length pulling up mountains overwhelmed both the forces 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 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 for them in the deep. Messiah returns with triumph to his Father.
“All night the dreadless angel1 unpursued
Through Heav’n’s wide champaign2 held his way, till Morn,
Waked by the circling Hours, with rosy hand
Unbarr’d the gates of light. There is a cave
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
Obsequious10 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,
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 procinct19, and found
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
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,29 well done, well hast thou fought
The better fight, who single hast maintained
Against revolted multitudes the cause
Of truth, in word mightier than they in arms;
And for the testimony33 of truth hast borne
Universal reproach, far worse to bear
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
Than scorned thou didst depart, and to subdue
By force, who reason for their law refuse,
Right reason42 for their law, and for their King
Messiah, who by right of merit reigns.
Go Michael44 of celestial armies prince,
And thou in military prowess next
Gabriel46, lead forth to battle these my sons
Invincible, lead forth my armèd Saints
By thousands and by millions ranged for fight;
Equal49 in number to that godless crew
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 Tartarus54, which ready opens wide
His fiery chaos55 to receive their fall.’
“So spake56 the sov’reign voice, and clouds began
To darken all the hill, and smoke to roll
In dusky wreaths, reluctant58 flames, the sign
Of wrath awaked: nor with less dread the loud
Ethereal trumpet from on high gan60 blow:
At which command the powers militant,
That stood for Heav’n62, in mighty quadrate joined
Of union irresistible63, moved on
In silence their bright legions, to the sound
Of instrumental harmony that breathed
Heroic ardor to advent’rous deeds
Under their godlike leaders, in the cause
Of God and his Messiah. On they move
Indissolubly firm; nor obvious69 hill,
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 tread73, as when the total kind
Of birds in orderly array on wing
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 terrene78: at last
Far in th’ horizon79 to the north appeared
From skirt to skirt a fiery region125, stretched
In battailous aspect, and nearer view
Bristled with upright beams innumerable
Of rigid spears, and helmets thronged, and shields
Various, with boastful argument84 portrayed,
The banded powers of Satan hasting on
With furious expedition86; 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
Aspirer, but their thoughts proved fond90 and vain
In the mid way91: though strange to us it seemed
At first, that angel should with angel war,
And in fierce hosting93 meet, who wont to meet
So oft in festivals of joy and love
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
Th’ Apostate100 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,
A dreadful interval, and front to front
Presented stood in terrible array
Of hideous length: before the cloudy van107,
On the rough edge of battle ere it joined,
Satan with vast and haughty strides advanced,
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
Should yet remain, where faith and realty115
Remain not; wherefore should not strength and might
There fail where virtue fails, or weakest prove
Where boldest118; though to sight unconquerable?
His puissance, trusting in th’ Almighty’s aid,
I mean to try, whose reason I have tried120
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 contest and foul,
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 prevention129 more
Incensed, and thus securely130 him defied.
“ ‘Proud131, art thou met? Thy hope was to have reached
The highth of thy aspiring unopposed,
The throne of God unguarded, and his side
Abandoned at the terror of thy power
Or potent tongue; fool, not to think how vain
Against th’ Omnipotent to rise in arms;
Who137 out of smallest things could without end
Have raised incessant armies to defeat
Thy folly; or with solitary hand
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
To thee not visible, when I alone
Seemed in thy world erroneous to dissent
From all: my sect147 thou seest, now learn too late
How few sometimes may know, when thousands err.’
“Whom the grand foe with scornful eye askance149
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 assay153
Of this right hand provoked, since first that tongue
Inspired with contradiction durst oppose
A third part of the gods, in synod156 met
Their deities to assert, who while they feel
Vigor divine within them, can allow
Omnipotence to none. But well thou com’st
Before thy fellows, ambitious to win
From me some plume, that thy success161 may show
Destruction to the rest: this pause between
(Unanswered lest thou boast163) to let thee know;
At first I thought that liberty and Heav’n
To Heav’nly souls had been all one; but now
I see that most through sloth had rather serve,166
Minist’ring spirits, trained up in feast and song;
Such hast thou armed, the minstrelsy of Heav’n,
Servility with freedom169 to contend,
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’st174 it with the name
Of servitude to serve whom God ordains,
Or Nature; God176 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
Against his worthier, as thine now serve thee,
Thyself not free, but to thyself enthralled;
Yet lewdly182 dar’st our minist’ring upbraid.
Reign183 thou in Hell thy kingdom, let me serve
In Heav’n God ever blest, and his divine
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,
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
Such ruin intercept: ten paces huge
He back recoiled; the tenth on bended knee194
His massy spear upstayed; as195 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 Thrones199, but greater rage to see
Thus foiled their mightiest, ours joy filled, and shout,
Presage of victory and fierce desire
Of battle: whereat Michael bid sound
Th’ archangel trumpet; through the vast of Heaven
It sounded, and the faithful armies rung
Hosanna to the Highest: nor stood at gaze
The adverse legions, nor less hideous joined
The horrid shock: now storming fury rose,
And clamor such as heard in Heav’n till now
Was never, arms on armor clashing brayed
Horrible discord, and the madding210 wheels
Of brazen chariots raged; dire was the noise
Of conflict; overhead the dismal hiss
Of fiery213 darts in flaming volleys flew,
And flying vaulted either host with fire.
So under fiery cope together rushed
Both battles main216, with ruinous assault
And inextinguishable rage; all Heav’n
Resounded, and had Earth been then, all Earth
Had to her center shook. What wonder? When
Millions of fierce encount’ring angels fought
On either side, the least of whom could wield
These elements222, and arm him with the force
Of all their regions: how much more of power