Paradise Lost (Modern Library Classics) (45 page)

The battle hung; till Satan, who that day

Prodigious power had shown, and met in arms

No equal
²⁴⁸
, ranging through the dire attack

Of fighting Seraphim confused, at length

Saw where the sword of Michael
²⁵⁰
smote, and felled

Squadrons at once; with huge two-handed sway

Brandished aloft the horrid edge came down

Wide-wasting; such destruction to withstand

He hasted, and opposed the rocky orb
²⁵⁴

Of tenfold adamant, his ample shield

A vast circumference: at his approach

The great archangel from his warlike toil

Surceased, and glad as hoping here to end

Intestine war
²⁵⁹
in Heav’n, the arch-foe subdued

Or captive dragged in chains, with hostile frown

And visage all enflamed first thus began.

   “ ‘Author
²⁶²
of evil, unknown till thy revolt,

Unnamed in Heav’n, now plenteous, as thou seest

These acts of hateful strife, hateful to all,

Though heaviest by just measure on thyself

And thy adherents: how hast thou disturbed

Heav’n’s blessèd peace, and into nature brought

Misery, uncreated till the crime

Of thy rebellion? How hast thou instilled

Thy malice into thousands, once upright

And faithful, now proved false? But think not here

To trouble holy rest; Heav’n casts thee out

From all her confines. Heav’n the seat of bliss

Brooks not the works of violence and war.

Hence then, and evil go with thee along

Thy offspring
²⁷⁶
, to the place of evil, Hell,

Thou and thy wicked crew; there mingle broils,

Ere this avenging sword begin thy doom,

Or some more sudden vengeance winged from God

Precipitate thee with augmented pain.’

   “So spake the prince of angels; to whom thus

The Adversary
²⁸²
. ‘Nor think thou with wind

Of airy threats to awe whom yet with deeds

Thou canst not. Hast thou
²⁸⁴
turned the least of these

To flight, or if to fall, but that they rise

Unvanquished, easier to transact with me

That thou shouldst hope, imperious, and with threats

To chase me hence? Err not that
²⁸⁸
so shall end

The strife which thou call’st evil, but we style

The strife of glory
²⁹⁰
: which we mean to win,

Or turn this Heav’n itself into the Hell

Thou fablest, here however to dwell free,

If not to reign: meanwhile thy utmost force,

And join him named Almighty to thy aid,

I fly not, but have sought thee far and nigh.’

   “They ended parle
²⁹⁶
, and both addressed for fight

Unspeakable; for who, though with the tongue
²⁹⁷

Of angels, can relate, or to what things

Liken on Earth conspicuous
²⁹⁹
, that may lift

Human imagination to such highth

Of godlike power: for likest gods they seemed,

Stood they or moved, in stature, motion, arms

Fit to decide the empire
³⁰³
of great Heav’n.

Now waved their fiery swords, and in the air

Made horrid circles; two broad suns their shields

Blazed opposite, while expectation stood
³⁰⁶

In horror
³⁰⁶
; from each hand with speed retired

Where erst was thickest fight, th’ angelic throng,

And left large field, unsafe within the wind

Of such commotion,
³¹⁰
such as to set forth

Great things by small, if nature’s concord broke,

Among the constellations war were sprung,

Two planets rushing from aspect malign

Of fiercest opposition in mid sky,

Should combat, and their jarring spheres confound.

Together both with next to almighty arm,

Uplifted imminent one stroke they aimed

That might determine, and not need repeat,
³¹⁸

As not of power, at once
³¹⁸
; nor odds appeared

In might or swift prevention
³²⁰
; but the sword

Of Michael from the armory of God
³²¹

Was giv’n him tempered so, that neither keen

Nor solid might
³²³
resist that edge: it met

The sword of Satan with steep force to smite

Descending, and in half cut sheer, nor stayed,

But with swift wheel reverse, deep ent’ring shared

All his right side; then Satan first knew pain,

And writhed him to and fro convolved
³²⁸
; so sore

The griding
³²⁹
sword with discontinuous wound

Passed through him, but th’ ethereal substance closed

Not long divisible, and from the gash

A stream of nectarous
³³²
humor issuing flowed

Sanguine, such as celestial spirits may bleed,

And all his armor stained erewhile so bright.

Forthwith on all sides to his aid was run
³³⁵

By angels
³³⁵
many and strong, who interposed

Defense, while others bore him on their shields

Back to his chariot, where it stood retired

From off the files of war; there they him laid

Gnashing for anguish and despite and shame

To find himself not matchless, and his pride

Humbled by such rebuke, so far beneath

His confidence to equal God in power.

Yet soon he healed; for spirits that live throughout

Vital in every
³⁴⁵
part, not as frail man

In entrails, heart or head, liver or reins
³⁴⁶
,

Cannot but by annihilating
³⁴⁷
die;

Nor in their liquid texture mortal wound

Receive, no more than can the fluid air:

All heart they live, all head, all eye, all ear,

All intellect, all sense, and as they please,

They limb themselves, and color, shape or size

Assume, as likes
³⁵³
them best, condense or rare.

   “Meanwhile in other parts like deeds deserved

Memorial, where the might of Gabriel fought,

And with fierce ensigns
³⁵⁶
pierced the deep array

Of Moloch
³⁵⁷
furious king, who him defied,

And at his chariot wheels to drag him bound

Threatened, nor from the Holy One of Heav’n

Refrained his tongue blasphemous; but anon

Down clov’n to the waste, with shattered arms

And uncouth
³⁶²
pain fled bellowing. On each wing

Uriel and Raphael
³⁶³
his vaunting foe,

Though huge, and in a rock of diamond
³⁶⁴
armed,

Vanquished Adramelec, and Asmadai
³⁶⁵
,

Two potent Thrones, that to be less than gods

Disdained, but meaner thoughts learned in their flight,

Mangled with ghastly wounds through plate and mail.

Nor stood unmindful Abdiel to annoy

The atheist crew, but with redoubled blow

Ariel and Arioch
³⁷¹
, and the violence

Of Ramiel scorched and blasted overthrew.

I might
³⁷³
relate of thousands, and their names

Eternize here on Earth; but those elect

Angels contented with their fame in Heav’n

Seek not the praise of men: the other sort

In might though wondrous and in acts of war,

Nor of renown less eager, yet by doom

Cancelled from Heav’n and sacred memory,

Nameless in dark oblivion let them dwell.

For strength from truth divided and from just,

Illaudable
³⁸²
, naught merits but dispraise

And ignominy, yet to glory aspires

Vainglorious, and through infamy seeks fame:

Therefore eternal silence be their doom.

   “And now their mightiest quelled, the battle
³⁸⁶
swerved,

With many an inroad gored; deformèd rout

Entered, and foul disorder; all the ground

With shivered armor strown, and on a heap

Chariot and charioteer lay overturned

And fiery foaming steeds; what
³⁹¹
stood, recoiled

O’erwearied, through the faint Satanic host

Defensive scarce
³⁹³
, or with pale fear surprised,

Then first with fear surprised and sense of pain

Fled ignominious, to such evil brought

By sin of disobedience, till that hour

Not liable to fear or flight or pain.

Far otherwise th’ inviolable saints

In cubic phalanx
³⁹⁹
firm advanced entire,

Invulnerable, impenetrably armed:

Such high advantages their innocence

Gave them above their foes, not to have sinned,

Not to have disobeyed; in fight they stood

Unwearied, unobnoxious
⁴⁰⁴
to be pained

By wound, though from their place by violence moved.

   “Now night her course began, and over Heav’n

Inducing darkness, grateful truce imposed,

And silence on the odious din of war:

Under her cloudy covert both retired,

Victor and Vanquished: on the foughten field
⁴¹⁰

Michael and his angels prevalent
⁴¹¹

Encamping, placed in guard their watches round,

Cherubic waving fires
⁴¹³
: on th’ other part

Satan with his rebellious disappeared,

Far in the dark dislodged
⁴¹⁵
, and void of rest,

His potentates
⁴¹⁶
to council called by night;

And in the midst thus undismayed began.

   “ ‘O now in danger tried, now known in arms

Not to be overpowered, companions dear,

Found worthy not of liberty alone,

Too mean pretense
⁴²¹
, but what we more affect,

Honor, dominion, glory, and renown,

Who have sustained one day in doubtful fight
⁴²³
,

(And if one day, why not eternal days?)

What Heaven’s Lord had powerfullest to send

Against us from about his throne, and judged

Sufficient to subdue us to his will,

But proves not so: then fallible, it seems,

Of future
⁴²⁹
we may deem him, though till now

Omniscient thought
⁴³⁰
. True is, less firmly armed,

Some disadvantage we endured and pain,

Till now not known, but known as soon contemned
⁴³²
,

Since now we find this our empyreal form

Incapable of mortal injury

Imperishable, and though pierced with wound,

Soon closing, and by native vigor healed.

Of evil then so small as easy think

The remedy; perhaps more valid arms,

Weapons more violent, when next we meet,

May serve to better us, and worse
⁴⁴⁰
our foes,

Or equal what between us made the odds,

In nature none: if other hidden cause

Left them superior, while we can preserve

Unhurt our minds, and understanding sound,

Due search and consultation will disclose.’

   “He sat; and in th’ assembly next upstood

Nisroch
⁴⁴⁷
, of Principalities the prime;

As one he stood escaped from cruel fight,

Sore toiled, his riven arms to havoc hewn
⁴⁴⁹
,

And cloudy in aspect thus answering spake.

‘Deliverer from new lords, leader to free

Enjoyment of our right as gods; yet hard

For gods, and too unequal work we find

Against unequal arms to fight in pain,

Against unpained, impassive
⁴⁵⁵
; from which evil

Ruin must needs ensue; for what avails

Valor or strength, though matchless, quelled with pain

Which all subdues, and makes remiss
⁴⁵⁸
the hands

Of mightiest. Sense of pleasure we may well

Spare out of life perhaps, and not repine,

But live content, which is the calmest life:

But pain is perfect misery, the worst

Of evils, and excessive, overturns

All patience. He who
⁴⁶⁴
therefore can invent

With what more forcible we may offend
⁴⁶⁵

Our yet unwounded enemies, or arm

Ourselves with like defense, to me deserves
⁴⁶⁷

No less than for deliverance what we owe
⁴⁶⁷
.’

   “Whereto with look composed Satan replied.

‘Not uninvented that, which thou aright

Believ’st so main
⁴⁷¹
to our success, I bring;

Which of us
⁴⁷²
who beholds the bright surface

Of this ethereous
⁴⁷³
mold whereon we stand,

This continent of spacious Heav’n, adorned

With plant, fruit, flow’r ambrosial, gems and gold,

Whose eye so superficially surveys

These things, as not to mind from whence they grow

Deep under ground, materials dark and crude
⁴⁷⁸
,

Of spiritous
⁴⁷⁹
and fiery spume, till touched

With Heav’n’s ray, and tempered they shoot forth

So beauteous, op’ning to the ambient light.

These in their dark nativity the deep

Shall yield us pregnant with infernal
⁴⁸³
flame,

Which into hollow engines
⁴⁸⁴
long and round