The Complete Poetry of John Milton (91 page)

   260     
Or Captive drag’d in Chains, with hostile frown

               
And visage all enflam’d first thus began.

           
      
       Author of evil, unknown till thy revolt,

               
Unnam’d in Heav’n, now plenteous, as thou seest

               
These Acts of hateful strife, hateful to all,

   265     
Though heaviest by just measure on thy self

               
And thy adherents: how hast thou disturb’d

               
Heav’ns blessed peace, and into Nature brought

               
Miserie, uncreated till the crime

               
Of thy Rebellion? how hast thou instill’d

   270     
Thy malice into thousands, once upright

               
And faithful, now prov’d 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 Warr.

   275     
Hence then, and evil go with thee along

               
Thy ofspring, to the place of evil, Hell,

               
Thou and thy wicked crew; there mingle broils,

               
Ere this avenging Sword begin thy doom,

               
Or som more sudden vengeance wing’d from God

   280     
Precipitate thee with augmented pain.

           
      
       So spake the Prince of Angels; to whom thus

               
The Adversarie. Nor think thou with wind

               
Of airie threats to aw whom yet with deeds

               
Thou canst not. Hast thou turnd the least of these

   285     
To flight, or if to fall, but that they rise

               
Unvanquisht, easier to transact with mee

               
That thou shouldst hope, imperious, and with threats

               
To chase me hence? err not that so shall end

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

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

               
Or turn this Heav’n it self into the Hell

               
Thou fablest, here however to dwell free,

               
If not to reign: mean while thy utmost force,

               
And join him nam’d
Almighty
to thy aid,

   295     
I flie not, but have sought thee farr and nigh.

           
      
       They ended parle, and both addrest
¹⁷
for fight

               
Unspeakable; for who, though with the tongue

               
Of Angels, can relate, or to what things

               
Liken on Earth conspicuous, that may lift

   300     
Human imagination to such highth

               
Of Godlike Power: for likest Gods they seemd,

               
Stood they or mov’d, in stature, motion, arms

               
Fit to decide the Empire of great Heav’n.

               
Now wav’d thir fierie Swords, and in the Air

   305     
Made horrid Circles; two broad Suns thir Shields

               
Blaz’d opposite, while expectation stood

               
In horror; from each hand with speed retir’d

               
Where erst was thickest fight, th’ Angelic throng,

               
And left large field, unsafe within the wind

   310     
Of such commotion, such as to set forth

               
Great things by small, if Natures concord broke,

               
Among the Constellations warr were sprung,

               
Two Planets rushing from aspect maligne

               
Of fiercest opposition in mid Skie,

   315     
Should combat, and thir jarring Sphears confound.

               
Together both with next t’ Almightie Arm,

               
Uplifted imminent one stroke they aim’d

               
That might determine,
¹⁸
and not need repeat,

               
As not of power, at once; nor odds
¹⁹
appeerd

   320     
In might or swift prevention; but the sword

               
Of
Michael
from the Armorie of God

               
Was giv’n him temperd so, that neither keen

               
Nor solid might resist that edge; it met

               
The sword of
Satan
with steep force to smite

   325     
Descending, and in half cut sheer, not staid,

               
But with swift wheel reverse, deep entring shar’d

               
All his right side; then
Satan
first knew pain,

               
And writh’d him to and fro convolv’d; so sore

               
The griding
²⁰
sword with discontinuous wound

   330     
Pass’d through him, but th’ Ethereal substance clos’d

               
Not long divisible, and from the gash

               
A stream of Nectarous humor issuing flow’d

               
Sanguin, such as Celestial Spirits may bleed,

               
And all his Armour staind ere while so bright.

   335     
Forthwith on all sides to his aid was run

               
By Angels many and strong, who interpos’d

               
Defence, while others bore him on thir Shields

               
Back to his Chariot; where it stood retir’d

               
From off the files of warr; there they him laid

   340     
Gnashing for anguish and despite and shame

               
To find himself not matchless, and his pride

               
Humbl’d by such rebuke, so farr beneath

               
His confidence to equal God in power.

               
Yet soon he heal’d; for Spirits that live throughout

   345     
Vital in every part, not as frail man

               
In Entrails, Heart or Head, Liver or Reins,

               
Cannot but by annihilating die;

               
Nor in thir liquid texture mortal wound

               
Receive, no more then can the fluid Air:

   350     
All Heart they live, all Head, all Eye, all Ear,

               
All Intellect, all Sense, and as they please,

               
They Limb themselves, and colour, shape or size

               
Assume, as likes them best, condense or rare.

           
      
       Mean while in other parts like deeds deserv’d

   355     
Memorial, where the might of
Gabriel
fought,

               
And with fierce Ensignes pierc’d the deep array

               
Of
Moloc
furious King, who him defi’d,

               
And at his Chariot wheels to drag him bound

               
Threat’n’d, nor from the Holie One of Heav’n

   360     
Refrein’d his tongue blasphemous; but anon

               
Down clov’n to the waste, with shatterd Armes

               
And uncouth pain fled bellowing. On each wing

               
Uriel
and
Raphael
his vaunting foe,

               
Though huge, and in a Rock of Diamond Armd,

   365     
Vanquish’d
Adramelec
, and
Asmadai
,

               
Two potent Thrones, that to be less then Gods

               
Disdain’d, but meaner thoughts learnd in thir flight,

               
Mangl’d with gastly wounds through Plate and Mail.

               
Nor stood unmindful
Abdiel
to annoy

   370     
The Atheist crew, but with redoubl’d blow

               
Ariel
and
Arioc
, and the violence

               
Of
Ramiel
scorcht and blasted overthrew.

               
I might relate of thousands, and thir names

               
Eternize here on Earth; but those elect

   375     
Angels contented with thir fame in Heav’n

               
Seek not the praise of men: the other sort

               
In might though wondrous and in Acts of Warr,

               
Nor of Renown less eager, yet by doom

               
Canceld from Heav’n and sacred memorie,

   380     
Nameless in dark oblivion let them dwell.

               
For strength from Truth divided and from Just,

               
Illaudable, naught merits but dispraise

               
And ignominie, yet to glorie aspires

               
Vain glorious, and through infamie seeks fame:

   385     
Therfore Eternal silence be thir doom.

           
      
       And now thir mightiest quell’d, the battel swerv’d,

               
With many an inrode gor’d; deformed rout

               
Enter’d, and foul disorder; all the ground

               
With shiverd armour strown, and on a heap

   390     
Chariot and Charioter lay overturnd

               
And fierie foaming Steeds; what stood, recoyld

               
Orewearied, through the faint Satanic Host

               
Defensive scarse, or with pale fear surpris’d,

               
Then first with fear surpris’d and sense of pain

   395     
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 firm advanc’t entire,

   400     
Invulnerable, impenitrably arm’d:

               
Such high advantages thir innocence

               
Gave them above thir foes, not to have sinn’d,

               
Not to have disobei’d; in fight they stood

               
Unwearied, unobnoxious
²¹
to be pain’d

   405     
By wound, though from thir place by violence mov’d

           
      
       Now Night her course began, and over Heav’n

               
Inducing darkness, grateful truce impos’d,

               
And silence on the odious dinn of Warr:

               
Under her Cloudie covert both retir’d,

   410     
Victor and Vanquisht: on the foughten field

               
Michael
and his Angels prevalent
²²

               
Encamping, plac’d in Guard thir Watches round,

               
Cherubic waving fires: on th’ other part

               
Satan
with his rebellious disappeerd,

   415     
Far in the dark dislodg’d, and void of rest,

               
His Potentates to Councel call’d by night;

               
And in the midst thus undismai’d began.

           
      
       O now in danger tri’d, now known in Armes

               
Not to be overpowerd, Companions dear,