In fong and dance about the facred hill;
Mystical dance, which yonder ftarry sphere
Of planets, and of fix'd, in all her wheels
Refembles nearest, mazes intricate,
Eccentric, intervolv'd, yet regular
Then moft, when moft irregular they feem;
And in their motions harmony divine
So fmooths her charming tones, that God's own ear
Liftens delighted. Ev'ning now approach'd,
(For we have alfo' our ev'ning and our morn,
We ours for change delectable, not need);
Forthwith from dance to fweet repaft they turn 630
Defirous; all in circles as they stood,
Tables are fet, and on a fudden pil'd
With angels food, and rübied nectar flows
In pearl, in diamond, and maffy gold;
Fruit of delicious vines, the growth of heaven. 635
On flow'rs repos'd, and with fresh flow'rets crown'd,
They eat, they drink, and in communion fweet
Quaff immortality and joy, fecure
Of furfeit, where full measure only bounds.
Excess, before th' all-bounteous King, who shower'd
With copious hand, rejoicing in their joy.
Now when ambrofial 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 645
In darker veil), and rofeate dews difpos'd
All but th' unfleeping eyes of God to rest;
Wide over all the plain, and wider far
Than all this globous earth in plain outfpread,
(Such are the courts of God), th' angelic throng, 650
Difpers'd in bands and files, their camp extend
By living ftreams among the trees of life,
Pavilions numberlefs, and fudden rear'd,
· Celestial tabernacles, where they flept
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 first,
If not the first archangel, great in power,
In favour and pre-eminence, yet fraught
With envy' against the Son of God, that day
Honour'd by his great Father, and proclaim'd
Meffiah King anointed, could not bear
Thro' pride that fight, and thought himself impair'd
Deep malice thence conceiving and disdain,
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.
Sleep'ft thou, companion dear, what fleep can clofe Thy eyelids and remember'ft what decree
Of yesterday, fo late hath pafs'd the lips
Waft wont, I mine to thee was wont to impart ;
Both waking we were one; how then can now
Thy fleep diffent? New laws thou feeft impos'd;
New laws from him who reigns, new minds may raise
In us who serve, 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;
Tell them that by command, ere yet dim night 685
Her shadowy 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 pafs triumphant, and give laws.
So fpake the falfe archangel, and infus'd
Bad influence into th unwary breast
Of his affociate: he together calls,.
Or feveral one by one, the regent powers,
Under him regent; tells, as he was taught,
That the Most 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'd
The wonted fignal, and fuperior 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 hoft. 710
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 spread.
Among the fons of-morn, what multitudes
Were banded to oppofe 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 sure
Of our omnipotence, and with what arms
We mean to hold what anciently we claim
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 lofe
This our high place, our fanctuary, our hill.
To whom the Son with calm afpéct and clear,
Light'ning divine, ineffable, ferene,
Made answer. Mighty Father, thou thy foes
Juftly haft in derifion, and fecure
Laugh'ft at their vain defigns and tumults vain ;
Matter to me of glory, whom their hate
Illustrates, when they see 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 worft in heaven.
So fpake the Son: but Satan, with his powers, Far was advanc'd on winged speed, an hoft Innumerable as the ftars of night,
Or ftars of morning, dew-drops, which the fun
Impearls on ev'ry leaf and ev'ry flow'r.
Regions they pass'd, the mighty regencies
Of 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,
And all the fea, from one entire globofe
Stretch'd into longitude; which having pass'd,
At length into the limits of the north
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 tow'rs
From diamond quarries hewn, and rocks of gold; :
The palace of great Lucifer, (so call
That structure in the dialect of men
Interpreted), which not long after, he
Affecting all equality with God,
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 train,
Pretending fo commanded to consult
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
Another now bath to himself ingrofs'd
All power, and us eclips'd under the name
Of King anointed; for whom all this hafte
Of midnight-march, and hurried meeting here,
Thus 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 chuse to bend
The fupple knee? Ye will not, if I truft
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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