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Celestial tabernacles, where they slept

Fann'd with cool winds; fave those who, in their course,
Melodious hymns about the fov'reign throne:

Alternate all night long. But not fo wak'd
Satan; fo call him now, his former name

Is heard no more in heaven; he of the firft,
If not the first archangel, great in power,
In favour and preeminence, yet fraught

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With envy' against the Son of God, that day
Honour'd by his great Father, and proclaim'd
Meffiah King anointed, could not bear

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Through pride that fight, and thought himself im-`
Deep malice thence conceiving, and disdain, [pair'd....
Soon as midnight brought on the dusky hour,

Friendlieft to fleep and filence, he refolv'd
With all his legions to diflodge, and leave
Unworshipp'd, unobey'd, the throne fupreme,
Contemptuous; and his next fubordinate
Awak'ning, thus to him in fecret spake.

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Sleep't thou, companion dear, what fleep can clofe Thy eyelids and remember'ft what decree Of yesterday, fo late hath pass'd the lips Of heaven's Almighty. Thou to me thy thoughts Waft wont, I mine to thee was wont to' impart ; Both waking we were one; how then can now Thy fleep diffent? New laws thour feeft impos'd; New laws from him who reigns, new minds may raife In us who ferve, new counfels, to debate What doubtful may enfue: more in this place To utter is not fafe. Affemble thou

Of all thofe myriads which we lead the chief;

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Tell them, that by command, ere yet dim night 685
Her fhadowy cloud withdraws, I am to hafte,

And all who under me their banners wave,
Homeward, with flying march, where we poffefs

The quarters of the north; there to prepare
Fit entertainment to receive our King,
The great Meffiah, and his new commands,
Who speedily through all the hierarchies
Intends to pass triumphant, and give laws.
So fpake the falfe archangel, and infus'd
Bad influence into th' unwary breast
Of his affociate he together calls,

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Or feveral one by one, the regent powers,
Under him regent; tells, as he was taught,

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That the Moft High commanding, now ere night,
Now ere dim night had difincumber'd heaven,
The great hierarchal standard was to move;
Tells the fuggefted caufe, and cafts between.
Ambiguous words and jealoufies, to found.
Or taint integrity: but all obey'di
The wonted fignal, and fuperiour voice
Of their great potentate; for great indeed
His name,
and high was his degree in heaven ;
His count'nance, as the morning-ftar that guides.
The starry flock, allur'd them, and with lies
Drew after him the third part of heaven's host.
Mean while th' eternal Eye, whofe fight difcerns
Abftrufeft thoughts, from forth his holy mount,
And from within the golden lamps that burn
Nightly before him, faw, without their light,.
Rebellion rifing; faw in whom, how fpread
Among the fons of morn, what multitudes
Were banded, to oppose his high decree;
And, fmiling to his only Son, thus faid.
Son, thou in whom my glory I behold
In full refplendence, heir of all my might,
Nearly it now concerns us to be fure
Of our omnipotence, and with what arms
We mean to hold what anciently we claim

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Of deity or empire: fuch a foe

Is rifing, who intends to' erect his throne
Equal to ours, throughout the spacious north;
Nor fo content, hath in his thought to try
In battle, what our power is, or our right.
Let us advise, and to this hazard draw
With speed what force is left, and all employ
In our defence; left unawares we lose
This our high place, our fanctuary, our hill,
To whom the Son with calm aspéct, and clear,
Lightning divine, ineffable, ferene,

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Made anfwer, Mighty Father, thou thy foes 733
Juftly haft in derifion, and fecure

Laugh'ft at their vain defigns and tumults vain;
Matter to me of glory, whom their hate
Illuftrates, when they fee all regal power
Given me to quell their pride, and in event
Know whether I be dextrous to fubdue
Thy rebels, or be found the worst in heaven.
So ipake the Son; but Satan, with his powers,
Far was advanc'd on winged speed, an host
Innumerable as the ftars of night,

Or ftars of morning, dew-drops, which the fun
Impearls on every leaf and every flower.
Regions they pafs'd, the mighty regencies
Or Seraphim, and Potentates, and Thrones,
In their triple degrees; regions to which
All thy dominion, Adam, is no more
Than what this garden is to all the earth,

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And all the fea, from one entire globofe

Stretch'd into longitude; which having pafs'd,

At length into the limits of the north

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They came; and Satan to his royal feat

High on a hill, far blazing, as a mount

Rais'd on a mount, with pyramids and towers

From diamond quarries hewn, and rocks of gold;

The palace of great Lucifer, (fo call.

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That ftructure in the dialect of men
Interpreted), which not long after, he
Affecting all equality with God,

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In imitation of that mount whereon
Meffiah was declar'd in fight of heaven,
The mountain of the congregation call'd;.
For thither he affembled all his tram,
Pretending fo commanded to confult
About the great reception of their King,
Thither to come; and with calumnious art
Of counterfeited truth thus held their ears.
Thrones, dominations, princedoms, virtues, powers,
If these magnific titles yet remain

Not merely, titular, fince by decree

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Another now hath to himself ingrofs'd

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All power, and us eclips'd under the name.

Of King anointed; for whom all this hafte

Of midnight-march, and hurried meeting here,
This only to confult how we may best,
With what may be devis'd of honours new,
Receive him, coming to receive from us
Knee-tribute yet unpaid, proftration vile,
Too much to one, but double how endur'd,
To one and to his image now proclaim'd?.
But what if better counfels might erect

Our minds, and teach us to caft off this yoke?
Will ye fubmit your necks, and chufe to bend
The fupple knee? Ye will not, if I trust
To know ye right, or if ye know yourselves
Natives and fons of heaven poffefs'd before
By none; and if not equal all, yet free,
Equally free; for orders and degrees
Jar not with liberty, but well confift

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Who can in reafon then, or right, affume
Monarchy over fuch as live by right
His equals, if in power and fplendour lefs,
In freedom equal or can introduce
Law and edict on us, who without law
Err not? much less for this to be our Lord,
And look for adoration, to th' abufe
Of thofe imperial titles, which affert
Our being ordain'd to govern, not to serve.
·Thus far his bold difcourfe without controul
Had audience; when among the Seraphim
Abdiel, than whom none with more zeal'ador'd
The Deity', and divine commands obey'd,
Stood up, and, in a flame of zeal fevere,
The current of his fury, thus oppos'd.

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O argument blafphémous, falfe and proud!
Words which no ear ever to hear in heaven
Expected, leaft of all from thee, ingrate,
In place thy felf fo high above thy peers,
Canft thou with impious obloquy condemn

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The juft decree of God,, pronounc'd and fworn,
That to his only Son, by right endu'd

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With regal fceptre, every foul in heaven.

Shall bend the knee, and in that honour due

Confefs him rightful King? Unjuft, thou fay'ft,
Flatly unjuft, to bind with laws the free,

And equal over equals to let reign,

One over all with unfucceeded power.

Shalt thou give law to God, fhalt thou difpute
With him the points of liberty, who made

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Thee what thou art, and form'd the powers of heaven Such as he pleas'd, and circumfcrib'd their being? Yet, by experience taught, we know how good, 826 And of our good and of our dignity

How provident he is; how far from thought

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