On other surety none. Freely we serve, Because we freely love, as in our will To love or not: in this we stand or fall. And some are fall'n, to disobedience fall'n, And so from Heav'n to deepest Hell. O fall, From what high state of bliss into what woe!
To whom our great progenitor: Thy words Attentive, and with more delighted ear,
Divine Instructor, I have heard, than when
Cherubic songs by night from neighb'ring hills Aereal music send: nor knew I not
To be both will and deed created free; Yet that we never shall forget to love Our Maker, and obey him whose command Single is yet so just, my constant thoughts Assur'd me', and still assure: tho' what thou tell'st Hath pass'd in Heav'n, some doubt within me
But more desire to hear, if thou consent, The full relation, which must needs be strange, Worthy of sacred silence to be heard;
And we have yet large day; for scarce the Sun Hath finish'd half his journey', and scarce begins His other half in the great zone of Heav'n. 560 Thus Adam made request: and Raphael,
After short pause, assenting, thus began: High matter thou enjoin'st me', O prime of
Sad task and hard; for how shall I relate
To human sense th' invisible exploits
Of warring Spirits? How without remorse The ruin of so many, glorious once
And perfect while they stood? How last unfold The secrets of another world, perhaps
Not lawful to reveal? yet for thy good
This is dispens'd; and what surmounts the reach Of human sense, I shall delineate so, By lik'ning spiritual to corp'ral forms, As may express them best: tho' what if Earth Be but the shadow' of Heav'n, and things therein Each to other like, more than on earth is thought? As yet this world was not, and Chaos wild Reign'd where these Heav'ns now roll, where Earth now rests
Upon her centre pois'd; when on a day
(For time, though in eternity, apply'd To motion, measures all things durable By present, past, and future) on such day As Heav'n's great year brings forth, th' empyreal host
Of angels by imperial summons call'd,
Innumerable before th' Almighty's throne 585 Forthwith from all the ends of Heav'n appear'd Under their Hierarchs in orders bright: Ten thousand thousand ensigns high advanc'd, Standards and gonfalons 'twixt van and rear Stream in the air, and for distinction serve 590 Of hierarchies, of orders, and degrees; Or in their glitt❜ring tissues bear emblaz'd Holy memorials, acts of zeal and love
Recorded eminent... Thus when in orbs Of circuit inexpressible they stood, Orb within orb, the Father infinite,
By whom in bliss imbosom'd sat the Son, Amidst as from a flaming mount, whose top Brightness had made invisible, thus spake: Hear, all ye Angels, progeny of light, Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Virtues,
Hear my decree, which unrevok'd shall stand: This day I have begot whom I declare
My only Son; and on this holy hill
Him have anointed, whom ye now behold 605 At my right hand; your Head I him appoint; And by myself have sworn, to him shall bow All knees in Heav'n, and shall confess him Lord: Under his great vicegerent reign abide
United as one individual soul,
For ever happy. Him who disobeys,
Me disobeys, breaks union, and that day Cast out from God, and blessed vision, falls Into' utter darkness, deep ingulph'd, his place Ordain'd without redemption, without end. 615
So spake th' Omnipotent; and with his words All seem'd well pleas'd; all seem'd, but were not all.
That day, as other solemn days, they spent In song and dance about the sacred hill; Mystical dance, which yonder starry sphere 620 Of planets and of fix'd in all her wheels
Resembles nearest, mazes intricate, Eccentric, intervolv'd, yet regular
Then most, when most irregular they seem; And in their motions harmony divine 625 Sosmooths her charming tones, that God's own ear Listens delighted. Ev'ning now approach'd (For we have also' our ev'ning and our morn, We ours for change delectable, not need) Forthwith from dance to sweet repast they turn Desirous; all in circles as they stood,
Tables are set, and on a sudden pil'd
With Angels food, and ruby'd nectar flows In pearl, in diamond, and massy gold, Fruit of delicious vines, the growth of Heav'n. On flow'rs repos'd, and with fresh flow'rets
636 They eat, they drink, and in communion sweet Quaff immortality and joy, secure
Of surfeit where full measure only bounds Excess, before th' All - bounteous King, who
With copious hand, rejoicing in their joy. Now when ambrosial night with clouds exhal'd From that high mount of God, whence light and shade
Spring both, the face of brightest Heav'n had chang'd
To grateful twilight (for night comes not there In darker veil) and roseate dews dispos'd All but th' unsleeping eyes of God to rest;
Wide over all the plain, and wider far Than all this globous earth in plain outspread (Such are the courts of God) th' angelic throng, Dispers'd in bands and files, their camp extend By living streams among the trees of life, Pavilions numberless, and sudden rear'd, Celestial tabernacles, where they slept
Fann'd with cool winds; save those who in
655 Melodious hymns about the sov'reign throne Alternate all night long: but not so wak'd Satan; so call him now, his former name Is heard no more in Heav'n; he of the first, If not the first Arch-Angel, great in pow'r, 660 In favour, and pre-eminence, yet fraught With envy 'gainst the Son of God, that day Honour'd by his great Father, and proclaim'd Messiah King anointed, could not bear Through pride that sight, and thought himself impair'd.
Deep malice thence conceiving, and disdain, Soon as midnight brought on the dusky hour Friendliest to sleep and silence, he resolv'd With all his legions to dislodge, and leave Unworshipp'd, unobey'd the throne supreme 670 Contemptuous, and his next subordinate Awak'ning, thus to him in secret spake : Sleep'st thou, companion dear? What sleep
Thy eye-lids? and remember'st what decree
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