Eternize here on earth; but those elect
Angels, contented with their fame in heaven,
Seek not the praise of men: the other fort,
In might tho' wondrous, and in acts of war,
Nor of renown lefs eager, yet by doom
Cancel'd from heaven and facred memory,
Nameless in dark oblivion let them dwell.
For ftrength from truth divided, and from juft,
Illaudable, naught merits but difpraise
And ignominy; yet to glory' aspires,
Vain-glorious, and thro' infamy seeks fame :
Therefore eternal filence be their doom.
And now their mightieft quell'd, the battle fwerv'd, With many an inroad gor'd; deformed rout Enter'd, and foul diforder; all the ground With fhiver'd armour Arown, and on a heap Chariot and charioteer lay overturn'd, And fiery foaming fteeds; what stood, recoil'd O'erwearied, thro' the faint Satanic host
Defenfive scarce, or with pale fear furpris'd,
Then firft with fear furpris'd, and fenfe of pain,
Fled ignominious, to fuch evil brought
By fin of difobedience, till that hour
Not liable to fear, or flight, or pain.
Far otherwife th' inviolable faints,
In cubic phalanx firm, advanc'd entire,
Invulnerable, impenetrably arm'd;
Such high advantages their innocence
Gave them above their foes, not to have finn'd
Not to have difobey'd; in fight they stood
Unwearied, unobnoxious to be pain'd
By wound, tho' from their place by violence mov'd.
Now night her courfe began, and over heaven
Inducing darkness, grateful truce impos'd,
And filence on the odious din of war;
Under her cloudy covert both retir'd,
Victor and vanquifh'd. On the foughten field
Michaël and his angels prevalent
Incamping, plac'd in guard their watches round,
Cherubic waving fires: on th' other part,
Satan with his rebellious difappear'd,
Far in the dark diflodge'd; and void of rest,
His potentates to council call'd by night;
And in the mid'ft thus undifmay'd began.
O now in danger try'd, now known in arms
Not to be overpower'd, companions dear,
Found worthy not of liberty alone,
Too mean pretence, but what we more affect,
Honour, dominion, glory, and renown;
Who have fuftain'd one day in doubtful fight,
(And if one day, why not eternal days?)
What heaven's Lord had powerfulleft to fend
Against us from about his throne, and judge'd .
Sufficient to fubdue us to his will,
But proves not fo, then fallible, it feems,
Of future we may deem him, tho' till now
Omniscient thought. True 'tis, lefs firmly arm'd, 430
Some difadvantage we endur'd, and pain,
Till now not known, but known as foon contemn'd;
Since now we find this our empyreal form
Incapable of mortal injury,
Imperishable, and tho' pierc'd with wound,
Soon clofing, and by native vigour heal'd.
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,
Or equal what between us made the odds,
In nature none: if other hidden caufe
Left them fuperiour, while we can preserve
Unhurt our minds, and understanding found,
Due fearch and confultation will disclose.
He fat; and in th' affembly next upftood
Nifroch, of principalities the prime ;
As one he stood efcap'd from cruel fight,
Sore toil'd, his riven arms to havock hewn,
And cloudy in afpéct, thus anfw'ring 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 unpain'd, impaffive; from which evil
Ruin muft needs enfue; for what avails
Valour or ftrength, tho' matchlefs, quell'd with pain
Which all fubdues, and makes remifs the hands
Of mightieft? Senfe 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 mifery, the worst
Of evils; and exceffive, 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 deferves
No lefs than for deliverance what we owe.
Whereto with look compos'd Satan reply'd.
Not uninvented that, which thou aright
Believ'ft fo main to our fuccefs, I bring.
Which of us who beholds the bright surface
Of this ethereous mould whereon we stand,
This continent of fpacious heaven, adorn'd
With plant, fruit, flower ambrofial, gems and gold;
Whofe eye fo fuperficially furveys..
These things, as not to mind from whence they grow Deep under ground, materials dark and crude,
Of fpiritous and fiery fpume, till touch'd
With heaven's ray, and temper'd, they shoot forth 480. So beauteous, op'ning to the ambient light?
Thefe in their dark nativity the deep
Shall yield us, pregnant with infernal flame ;-
Which into hollow engines, long and round,
Thick-ramm'd, at th' other bore with touch of fire 485
Dilated and infuriate, fhall fend forth
From far, with thund'ring noise, among our foes.
Such implements of mischief, as shall dash
To pieces, and o'erwhelm whatever stands
Adverfe, that they fhall fear we have difarm'd
The Thund'rer of his only dreaded bolt.
Nor long fhall be our labour; yet ere dawn,
Effect shall end our wifh. Meanwhile revive;
Abandon fear; to ftrength and counsel join'd
Think nothing hard, much less to be defpair'd. 495
He ended, and his words their drooping cheer
Enlighten'd, and their languish'd hope reviv'd.
Th' invention all admir'd, and each, how he
To be th' inventor miss'd; so easy' it seem'd
Once found, which yet unfound most would have
Impoffible. Yet haply of thy race
In future days, if malice fhould abound,
Some one intent on mifchief, or infpir'd
With devi❜lifh machination, might devife
Like inftrument to plague the fons of men
For fin, on war and mutual flaughter bent.
Forthwith from council to the work they flew;
None arguing stood; innumerable hands
Were ready; in a moment up they turn'd
Wide the celeftial foil, and faw beneath
Th' originals of nature in their crude.
Conception; fulphureous and nitrous foam
They found, they mingled, and, with subtle art,
Concocted and adufted they reduc'd
To blackest grain, and into store convey'd :
Part hidden veins digg'd up (nor hath this earth
Intrails unlike) of mineral and stone,
Whereof to found their engines and their balls
Of miffive ruin; part incentive reed
Provide, pernicious with one touch to fire.
So all ere day-fpring, under conscious night,
Secret they finish'd, and in order fet,
With filent circumfpection unefpy'd.
Now when fair morn orient in heaven appear'd, Up rofe the victor angels, and to arms
The matin trumpet fung: in arms they stood
Of golden panoply, refulgent hoft,
Soon banded; others from the dawning hills
Look'd round, and fcouts each coaft light-armed fcour, Each quarter, to defcry the diftant foe,
Where lodg'd, or whither fled, or if for fight,
In motion or in halt: him foon they met
Under spread enfigns moving nigh, in flow
But firm battalion; back with speediest fail
Zophiel, of Cherubim the swifteft wing,
Came fly'ing, and, in mid air, aloud thus cry'd. Arm, warriours! arm for fight; the foe at hand, Whom fled we thought, will fave us long purfuit This day; fear not his flight; fo thick a cloud
He comes, and fettled in his face I fee
Sad refolution, and fecure: let each
His adamantine coat gird well, and each
Fit well his helm, gripe fast his orbid shield,
Borne ev'n or high; for this day will pour down,
If I conjecture aught, no drizzling shower,
But rattling ftorm of arrows barb'd with fire.
So warn'd he them, aware themselves, and foon In order, quit of all impediment;
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