The Complete Poetry of John Milton (90 page)

   100     
Th’ Apostat in his Sun-bright Chariot sate

               
Idol of Majestie Divine, enclos’d

               
With Flaming Cherubim, and golden Shields;

               
Then lighted from his gorgeous Throne, for now

               
’Twixt Host and Host but narrow space was left,

   105     
A dreadful intervall, and Front to Front

               
Presented stood in terrible array

               
Of hideous length: before the cloudie Van,

               
On the rough edge of battel ere it joyn’d,

               
Satan
with vast and haughtie strides advanc’t,

   110     
Came towring, armd in Adamant and Gold;

               
Abdiel
that sight endur’d not, where he stood

               
Among the mightiest, bent on highest deeds,

               
And thus his own undaunted heart explores.

           
      
       O Heav’nl that such resemblance of the Highest

   115     
Should yet remain, where faith and realtie
¹⁰

               
Remain not; wherfore should not strength and might

               
There fail where Vertue fails, or weakest prove

               
Where boldest; though to sight unconquerable?

               
His puissance, trusting in th’ Almightie’s aid,

   120     
I mean to try, whose Reason I have tri’d
¹¹

               
Unsound and false; nor is it aught but just,

               
That he who in debate of Truth hath won,

               
Should win in Arms, in both disputes alike

               
Victor; though brutish that contest and foul,

   125     
When Reason hath to deal with force, yet so

               
Most reason
is
that Reason overcome.

           
      
       So pondering, and from his armed Peers

               
Forth stepping opposite, half way he met

               
His daring foe, at this prevention more

   130     
Incens’t, and thus securely him defi’d.

           
      
       Proud, art thou met? thy hope was to have reacht

               
The highth of thy aspiring unoppos’d,

               
The Throne of God unguarded, and his side

               
Abandond at the terror of thy Power

   135     
Or potent tongue; fool, not to think how vain

               
Against th’ Omnipotent to rise in Arms;

               
Who out of smallest things could without end

               
Have rais’d incessant Armies to defeat

               
Thy folly; or with solitarie hand

   140     
Reaching beyond all limit at one blow

               
Unaided could have finisht thee, and whelmd

               
Thy Legions under darkness; but thou seest

               
All are not of thy Train; there be who Faith

               
Prefer, and Pietie to God, though then

   145     
To thee not visible, when I alone

               
Seemd in thy World erroneous to dissent

               
From all: my Sect thou seest, now learn too late

               
How few somtimes may know, when thousands err.

           
      
       Whom the grand foe with scornful eye askance

   150     
Thus answerd. Ill for thee, but in wisht hour

               
Of my revenge, first sought for thou returnst

               
From flight, seditious Angel, to receave

               
Thy merited reward, the first assay
¹²

               
Of this right hand provok’t, since first that tongue

   155     
Inspir’d with contradiction durst oppose

               
A third part of the Gods, in Synod met

               
Thir Deities to assert, who while they feel

               
Vigour Divine within them, can allow

               
Omnipotence to none. But well thou comst

   160     
Before thy fellows, ambitious to win

               
From me som Plume, that thy success may show

               
Destruction to the rest: this pause between

               
(Unanswerd least thou boast) to let thee know;

               
At first I thought that Libertie and Heav’n

   165     
To heav’nly Souls had bin all one: but now

               
I see that most through sloth had rather serve,

               
Ministring Spirits, traind up in Feast and Song;

               
Such hast thou arm’d, the Minstrelsie
¹³
of Heav’n,

               
Servilitie with freedom to contend,

   170     
As both thir deeds compar’d this day shall prove.

           
      
       To whom in brief thus
Abdiel
stern repli’d.

               
Apostat, still thou errst, nor end wilt find

               
Of erring, from the path of truth remote:

               
Unjustly thou deprav’st it with the name

   175     
Of
Servitude
to serve whom God ordains,

               
Or Nature; God and Nature bid the same,

               
When he who rules is worthiest, and excells

               
Them whom he governs. This is servitude,

               
To serve th’ unwise, or him who hath rebell’d

   180     
Against his worthier, as thine now serve thee,

               
Thy self not free, but to thy self enthrall’d;

               
Yet leudly dar’st our ministring upbraid.

               
Reign thou in Hell thy Kingdom, let mee serve

               
In Heav’n God ever blest, and his Divine

   185     
Behests obey, worthiest to be obey’d,

               
Yet Chains in Hell, not Realms expect: mean while

               
From mee returnd, as erst thou saidst, from flight,

               
This greeting on thy impious Crest receive.

           
      
       So saying, a noble stroke he lifted high,

   190     
Which hung not, but so swift with tempest fell

               
On the proud Crest of
Satan
, that no sight,

               
Nor motion of swift thought, less could his Shield

               
Such ruin intercept: ten paces huge

               
He back recoild; the tenth on bended knee

   195     
His massie Spear upstaid; as if on Earth

               
Winds under ground or waters forcing way

               
Sidelong, had push’t a Mountain from his seat

               
Half sunk with all his Pines. Amazement seis’d

               
The Rebel Thrones, but greater rage to see

   200     
Thus foil’d thir mightiest, ours joy fill’d, and shout,

               
Presage of Victorie and fierce desire

               
Of Battel: whereat
Michael
bid sound

               
Th’ Arch-Angel trumpet; through the vast of Heav’n

               
It sounded, and the faithful Armies rung

   205     
Hosanna
to the Highest: nor stood at gaze

               
The adverse Legions, nor less hideous joyn’d

               
The horrid shock: now storming furie rose,

               
And clamour such as heard in Heav’n till now

               
Was never, Arms on Armour clashing bray’d

   210     
Horrible discord, and the madding Wheels

               
Of brazen Chariots rag’d; dire was the noise

               
Of conflict; over head the dismal hiss

               
Of fiery Darts in flaming volies flew,

               
And flying vaulted either Host with fire.

   215     
So under fierie Cope
¹⁴
together rush’d

               
Both Battels main, with ruinous assault

               
And inextinguishable rage; all Heav’n

               
Resounded, and had Earth bin then, all Earth

               
Had to her Center shook. What wonder? when

   220     
Millions of fierce encountring Angels fought

               
On either side, the least of whom could weild

               
These Elements, and arm him with the force

               
Of all thir Regions: how much more of Power

               
Armie against Armie numberless to raise

   225     
Dreadful combustion warring, and disturb,

               
Though not destroy, thir happie Native seat;

               
Had not th’ Eternal King Omnipotent

               
From his strong hold of Heav’n high over-rul’d

               
And limited thir might; though numberd such

   230     
As each divided Legion might have seemd

               
A numerous Host, in strength each armed hand

               
A Legion; led in fight, yet Leader seemd

               
Each Warriour single as in Chief, expert

               
When to advance, or stand, or turn the sway

   235     
Of Battel, open when, and when to close

               
The ridges
¹⁵
of grim Warr; no thought of flight,

               
None of retreat, no unbecoming deed

               
That argu’d fear; each on himself reli’d,

               
As onely in his arm the moment
¹⁶
lay

   240     
Of victorie; deeds of eternal fame

               
Were don, but infinite: for wide was spred

               
That Warr and various; somtimes on firm ground

               
A standing fight, then soaring on main wing

               
Tormented all the Air; all Air seemd then

   245     
Conflicting Fire: long time in eeven scale

               
The Battel hung; till
Satan
, who that day

               
Prodigious power had shewn, and met in Armes

               
No equal, raunging through the dire attack

               
Of fighting Seraphim confus’d, at length

   250     
Saw where the Sword of
Michael
smote, and fell’d

               
Squadrons at once, with huge two-handed sway

               
Brandisht aloft the horrid edge came down

               
Wide wasting; such destruction to withstand

               
He hasted, and oppos’d the rockie Orb

   255     
Of tenfold Adamant, his ample Shield

               
A vast circumference: At his approach

               
The great Arch-Angel from his warlike toil

               
Surceas’d, and glad as hoping here to end

               
Intestine War in Heav’n, th’ arch foe subdu’d