In might though wondrous and in acts of war, Nor of renown less eager, yet by doom Cancelled from Heaven and sacred memory, Nameless in dark oblivion let them dwell For strength from truth divided, and from just, Illaudable, nought merits but dispraise And ignominy, yet to glory aspires, Vain-glorious, and through infamy seeks fame : Therefore eternal silence be their doom!
‘And now, their mightiest quelled, the battle swerved,
With many an inroad gored; deformèd rout Entered, and foul disorder; all the ground With shivered armour strown, and on a heap Chariot and charioteer lay overturned, And fiery foaming steeds; what stood recoiled, O'er-wearied, through the faint Satanic host, Defensive scarce, 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 the inviolable Saints In cubic phalanx 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 to be pained
By wound, though from their place by violence moved.
'Now Night her course began, and, over Heaven
Inducing darkness, grateful truce imposed,
Satan en- And silence on the odious din of war. courages Under her cloudy covert both retired, his host Victor and vanquished. On the foughten field 410 Michaël and his Angels, prevalent
Encamping, placed in guard their watches round, Cherubic waving fires: on the other part, Satan with his rebellious disappeared, Far in the dark dislodged, and, void of rest, His potentates 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 pretence-but, what we more affect, Honour, dominion, glory, and renown; Who have sustained one day in doubtful fight (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 we may deem him, though till now Omniscient thought! True is, less firmly
Some disadvantage we endured, and pain- Till now not known, but, known, as soon con-
Since now we find this our empyreal form Incapable of mortal injury,
Imperishable, and, though pierced with wound, Soon closing, and by native vigour 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 our foes, 440 Nisroch Or equal what between us made the odds, 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 the assembly next upstood Nisroch, of Principalities the prime. As one he stood escaped from cruel fight Sore toiled, his riven arms to havoc hewn, And, cloudy in aspéct, thus answering spake:-450 "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; from which evil Ruin must needs ensue. For what avails Valour or strength, though matchless, quelled with pain,
Which all subdues, and makes remiss 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, therefore, can invent With what more forcible we may offend Our yet unwounded enemies, or arm Ourselves with like defence, to me deserves No less than for deliverance what we owe.' 'Whereto, with look composed, Satan re- plied :-
"Not uninvented that, which thou aright Believ'st so main to our success, I bring.
Satan's Which of us who beholds the bright surfáce ordnance Of this ethereous mould whereon we stand
This continent of spacious Heaven, adorned With plant, fruit, flower 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, Of spirituous and fiery spume, till, touched With Heaven's ray, and tempered, they shoot forth
So beauteous, opening to the ambient light? These in their dark nativity the Deep Shall yield us, pregnant with infernal flame; Which, into hollow engines long and round Thick-rammed, at the other bore with touch of fire
Dilated and infuriate, shall send forth
From far, with thundering noise, among our foes Such implements of mischief as shall dash To pieces and o'erwhelm whatever stands Adverse, that they shall fear we have disarmed The Thunderer of his only dreaded bolt. Nor long shall be our labour; yet ere dawn Effect shall end our wish. Meanwhile revive Abandon fear; to strength and counsel joined Think nothing hard, much less to be despaired."
'He ended; and his words their drooping cheer Enlightened, and their languished hope revived. The invention all admired, and each how he To be the inventor missed; so easy it seemed Once found, which yet unfound most would have thought
Impossible! Yet, haply, of thy race, In future days, if malice should abound, Some one, intent on mischief, or inspired With devilish machination, might devise Like instrument to plague the sons of men For sin, on war and mutual slaughter bent. Forthwith from council to the work they flew; None arguing stood; innumerable hands Were ready; in a moment up they turned Wide the celestial soil, and saw beneath The originals of Nature in their crude Conception; sulphurous and nitrous foam They found, they mingled, and, with subtle art Concocted and adjusted, they reduced To blackest grain, and into store conveyed. Part hidden veins digged up (nor hath this Earth Entrails unlike) of mineral and stone, Whereof to found their engines and their balls Of missive ruin; part incentive reed Provide, pernicious with one touch to fire. So all ere day-spring, under conscious Night, Secret they finished, and in order set, With silent circumspection, unespied.
Now, when fair Morn orient in Heaven appeared,
Up rose the victor Angels, and to arms The matin trumpet sung. In arms they stood Of gol panoply, refulgent host,
Soon banded; others from the dawning hills Looked round, and scouts each coast light-armèd
Each quarter, to descry the distant foe, Where lodged, or whither fled, or if for fight, In motion or in halt. Him soon they met
the engines of missive ruin
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