From off the files of war; there they him laid Gnafhing for anguish, and despite, and fhame, 340 To find himself not matchlefs, and his pride Humbled by fuch rebuke, so far beneath
His confidence to equal God in power.
Yet foon he heal'd; for fpirits that live throughout:
Vital in every part, not as frail man
In intrails, heart or head, liver or reins,
Cannot but by annihilating die;
Nor in their liquid texture mortal wound'
Receive, no more than can the fluid air:
All heart they live, all head, all eye, all ear,
All intellect, all sense; and as they please,
They limb themselves, and colour, fhape, or fize
Affume, as likes them beft, condense or rare.
Meanwhile in other parts like deeds deferv'd Memorial, where the might of Gabriel fought, 355 And with fierce enfigns pierc'd the deep array Of Moloch, furious king; who him defy'd, And at his chariot-wheels to drag him bound Threaten'd, nor from the Holy One of heaven Refrain'd his tongue blafphemous; but anon Down cloven to the waist, with shatter'd arms And uncouth pain fled bellowing. On each wing Uriel and Raphaël, his vaunting foe,
Tho' huge, and in a rock of diamond arm'd,
Vanquish'd Adramalech, and Afmadai,
Two potent thrones, that to be less than gods Difdain'd, but meaner thoughts learn'd in their flight, Mangled with ghaftly wounds thro' plate and mail. Nor ftood unmindful Abdiel to annoy
Eternize here on earth; but those elect
Angels, contented with their fame in heaven,
Seek not the praife of men: the other fort,
In might tho' wond'rous, and in acts of war,
Nor of renown lefs eager, yet by doom
Cancel'd from heaven and facred memory,
Namelefs in dark oblivion let them dwell.
For ftrength from truth divided, and from juft,
Illaudible, nought merits but dispraise
And ignominy; yet to glory' afpires,
Vain-glorious, and thro' infamy feeks fame:
Therefore eternal filence be their doom.
And now their mightiest 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 frown, and on a heap Chariot and charioteer lay overturn'd, And fiery foaming fteeds; what food, recoil'd O'er wearied, thro' the faint Satanic host Defensive scarce, or with pale fear furpris'd; Then first with fear furpris'd, and fenfe of pain,
Eled 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 dia 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 diflodg'd; and void of reft,
His potentates to council call'd by night;
And in the midft 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 judg'd
Sufficient to fubdue us to his will,
But proves not fo, then fallible, it seems,
Of future we may deem him, tho' till now
Omnifcient 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 fo fmall as eafy 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 fuperior, while we can preferve
Unhurt our minds, and understanding found,
Due fearch and confultation will difclofe.
He fat; and in th' affembly next upstood
Nifroch, of principalities the prime;
As one he ftood escap'd from cruel fight,
Sore toil'd, his riven arms to havock hewn,
And cloudy in afpéct; thus anfw'ring fpake.
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 must needs enfue; for what avails
Which all fubdues, and makes remifs the hands
Valour or strength, tho' matchless, quell'd with pain
Of mightieft? Senfe of pleasure we may well
Spare out of life perhaps, and not repine,
But live content, which is the calmeft 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 less 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 spiritous and fiery fpume, till touch'd
With heaven's ray, and temper'd, they thoot forth 480
So beautous, op'ning 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-ramm'd, at th' other bore with touch of fire 485
Dilated and infuriate, fhall fend forth
From far, with thund'ring noife, among our foes
Such implements of mifchief, as fhall dath
To pieces, and o'erwhelm whatever stands
Adverse, that they shall fear we have disarm'd
The 'hund'rer of his only dreaded bolt.
Nor long shall be our labour; yet ere dawn,
Effect shall end our with. Meanwhile revive;
Abandon fear; to ftrength and counsel join'd
Think nothing hård, much lefs 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; fo eafy' it feem'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 inspir'd
With dev'lish 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 flood; innumerable hands.
Were ready; in a moment up they turn'd
Wide the celestial foil, and saw beneath
Th' originals of nature in their crude
Conception; fulphureous and nitrous foam
They found, they mingled, and, with subtle art,
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