Intelligential substances require,
As doth your rational; and both contain
Within them every lower faculty
To enter, and these earthly fruits to taste, Food not of angels, yet accepted so,
As that more willingly thou couldst not seem
Of sense, whereby they hear, see, smell, touch, At Heaven's high feasts to have fed: yet what
Tasting concoct, digest, assimilate,
And corporeal to incorporeal turn.
For know, whatever was created, needs To be sustained and fed; of elements The grosser feeds the purer, earth the sea, Earth and the sea feed air, the air those fires Ethereal, and, as lowest, first the moon; Whence in her visage round those spots, unpurged Vapours not yet into her substance turned. Nor doth the moon to nourishment exhale From her moist continent to higher orbs The sun, that light imparts to all, receives From all his alimental recompense In humid exhalations, and at even
To whom the winged hierarch replied: "O Adam, one Almighty is, from whom All things proceed, and up to him return; If not depraved from good, created all Such to perfection, one first matter all, Endued with various forms, various degrees Of substance, and, in things that live, of life; But more refined, more spirituous, and pure, As nearer to him placed, or nearer tending Each in their several active spheres assigned, Till body up to spirit work, in bounds Proportioned to each kind. So from the root Springs lighter the green stalk, from thence the leaves
Sups with the ocean. Though in Heaven the trees More airy, last the bright consummate flower Of life ambrosial fruitage bear, and vines
Spirits odorous breathes: flowers and their fruit,
Yield nectar; though from off the boughs each Man's nourishment, by gradual scale sublimed,
We brush mellifluous dews, and find the ground Covered with pearly grain: yet God hath here Varied his bounty so with new delights, As may compare with Heaven; and to taste Think not I shall be nice." So down they sat, And to their viands fell; nor seemingly The angel, nor in mist, the common gloss Of theologians; but with keen despatch Of real hunger, and concoctive heat
To transubstantiate: what redounds, transpires Through spirits with ease; nor wonder, if by fire Of sooty coal, th' empiric alchymist Can turn, or holds it possible to turn, Metals of drossiest ore to perfect gold, As from the mine. Meanwhile at table Eve Ministered naked, and their flowing cups With pleasant liquors crowned: O innocence Deserving Paradise! if ever, then,
Then had the sons of God excuse to have been
Enamoured at that sight; but in those hearts Love unlibidinous reigned, nor jealousy Was understood, the injured lover's hell.
To vital spirits aspire, to animal,
To intellectual; give both life and sense, Fancy and understanding; whence the soul Reason receives, and reason is her being, Discursive, or intuitive; discourse
Is oftest yours, the latter most is ours, Differing but in degree, of kind the same. Wonder not then, what God for you saw good If I refuse not, but convert, as you,
To proper substance: time may come, when men With angels may participate, and find No inconvenient diet, nor too light fare; And from these corporal nutriments perhaps Your bodies may at last turn all to spirit, Improved by tract of time, and winged ascend Ethereal, as we, or may at choice Here or in heavenly Paradises dwell; If ye be found obedient, and retain Unalterably firm his love entire, Whose progeny you are. Meanwhile enjoy Your fill what happiness this happy state Can comprehend, incapable of more."
To whom the patriarch of mankind replied.
Thus when with meats and drinks they had "O favourable spirit, propitious guest,
Not burdened nature, sudden mind arose
In Adam, not to let th' occasion pass, Given him by this great conference, to know Of things above this world, and of their being Who dwell in Heaven, whose excellence he saw Transcend his own so far, whose radiant forms, Divine effulgence, whose high power so far Exceeded human, and his wary speech Thus to th' empyreal minister he framed. "Inhabitant with God, now know I well Thy favour, in this honour done to man, Under whose lowly roof thou hast vouchsafed
Well hast thou taught the way that might direct Our knowledge, and the scale of nature set From centre to circumference, whereon,
In contemplation of created things,
By steps we might ascend to God. But say, What meant that caution joined, 'If ye be found Obedient?' can we want obedience then To him, or possibly his love desert, Who formed us from the dust, and placed us here, Full to the utmost measure of what bliss Human desires can seck or apprehend?"
To whom the angel. "Son of Heaven and earth,
Attend: that thou art happy, owe to God; That thou continuest such, owe to thyself, That is, to thy obedience; therein stand. This was that caution given thee; be advised. God made thee perfect, not immutable; And good he made thee, but to persevere He left it in thy power; ordained thy will By nature free, not overruled by fate Inextricable, or strict necessity; Our voluntary service he requires, Not our necessitated; such with him Finds no acceptance, nor can find; for how Can hearts, not free, be tried whether they serve Willing or no, who will but what they must By destiny, and can no other choose? Myself and all the angelic host, that stand In sight of God enthroned, our happy state Hold, as you yours, while our obedience holds; On other surety none, freely we serve, Because we freely love, as in our will To love or not; in this we stand or fall: And some are fallen, to disobedience fallen, And so from Heaven to deepest hell; O fall From what high state of bliss into what wo!" To whom our great progenitor. "Thy words Attentive, and with more delighted ear, Divine instructor, I have heard, than when Cherubic songs by night from neighbouring hills Aerial music send: nor knew I not To be both will and deed created free; Yet that we never shall forget to love Our Maker, and obey him, whose command Single is yet so just, my constant thoughts Assured me, and still assure: tho' what thou tellest Hath passed in Heaven, some doubt within me
But more desire to hear, if thou consent, The full relation, which must needs be strange, Worthy of sacred silence to be heard;
And we have yet large day, for scarce the sun Hath finished half his journey, and scarce begins His other half in the great zone of Heaven."
Thus Adam made request; and Raphael,
After short pause assenting, thus began.
Reigned where these Heavens now roll, where earth now rests
Upon her centre pcised: when on a day (For time, though in eternity, applied To motion, measures all things durable By present, past, and future,) on such a day As Heaven's great year brings forth, the empyreal host
Of angels, by imperial summons called, Innumerable before the Almighty's throne Forthwith, from all the ends of Heaven appeared Under their hierarchs in orders bright: Ten thousand thousand ensigns high advanced, Standards and gonfalons 'twixt van and rear Stream in the air, and for distinction serve Of hierarchies, of orders, and degrees; Or in their glittering tissues bear emblazed Holy memorials, acts of zeal and love Recorded eminent. Thus, when, in orbs Of circuit inexpressible they stood, Orb within orb, the Father infinite, By whom in bliss imbosomed sat the Son, Amidst, as from a flaming mount, whose top Brightness had made invisible, thus spake.
"Hear, all ye angels, progeny of light, Thrones, dominations, princedoms, virtues, powers, Hear my decree, which unrevoked shall stand. This day I have begot whom I declare My only Son, and on this holy hill Him have anointed, whom ye now behold At my right hand; your Head I him appoint; And by myself have sworn to him shall bow All knees in Heaven, and shall confess him Lord: Under his great vicegerent reign abide United as one individual soul,
For ever happy: him who disobeys, Me disobeys, breaks union, and that day, Cast out from God and blessed vision, falls Into utter darkness, deep ingulphed, his place Ordained without redemption, without end."
"So spake the Omnipotent, and with his words All seemed well pleased; all seemed, but were not all.
That day, as other solemn days, they spent
"High matter thou enjoinest me, O prime of men, In song and dance about the sacred hill;
Sad task and hard; for how shall I relate
To human sense the invisible exploits
Of warring spirits? how, without remorse, The ruin of so many glorious once,
And perfect while they stood? how, last, unfold The secrets of another world, perhaps Not lawful to reveal? yet for thy good
Mystical dance, which yonder starry sphere Of planets and of fixed in all her wheels Resembles nearest, mazes intricate, Eccentric, intervolved, yet regular Then most, when most irregular they seem; And in their motions harmony divine
So smooths her charming tones, that God's own ear
This is dispensed; and what surmounts the reach Listens delighted. Evening now approached
In pearl, in diamond, and massy gold, Fruit of delicious vines, the growth of Heaven. On flowers reposed, and with fresh flow'rets crowned,
They eat, they drink, and in communion sweet Quaff immortality and joy, secure
Tell them that by command, ere yet dim night Her shadowy cloud withdraws, I am to haste, And all who under me their banners wave, Homeward with flying march, where we possess The quarters of the north; there to prepare Fit entertainment to receive our King, The great Messiah, and his new commands,
Of surfeit, where full measure only bounds Excess, before the all-bounteous King, who Who speedily through all the hierarchies
With copious hand, rejoicing in their joy.
Now when ambrosial night, with clouds exhaled From that high mount of God, whence light and shade
Intends to pass triumphant, and give laws."
So spake the false archangel, and infused Bad influence into the unwary breast Of his associate; he together calls, Or several one by one, the regent powers,
Spring both, the face of brightest Heav'n had Under him regent; tells, as he was taught,
To grateful twilight (for night comes not there In darker veil,) and roseate dews disposed All but the unsleeping eyes of God to rest; Wide over all the plain, and wider far Than all this globous earth in plain outspread (Such are the courts of God,) the angelic throng, Dispersed in bands and files, their camp extend By living streams among the trees of life, Pavilions numberless, and sudden reared,
Celestial tabernacles, where they slept
That, the most high commanding, now ere night, Now ere dim night had disencumbered Heaven, The great hierarchal standard was to move: Tells the suggested cause, and casts between Ambiguous words and jealousies, to sound Or taint integrity: but all obeyed The wonted signal, and superior voice Of their great potentate: for great indeed His name, and high was his degree in heaven: His countenance as the morning star that guides The starry flock, allured them, and with lies
Fanned with cool winds; save those who in their Drew after him the third part of Heaven's host.
Melodious hymns about the sovereign throne Alternate all night long: but not so waked Satan; so 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 Honoured by his great Father, and proclaimed Messiah King anointed, could not bear,
Meanwhile th' Eternal eye, whose sight discerns Abstrusest thoughts, from forth his holy mount, And from within the golden lamps that burn Nightly before him, saw without their light Rebellion rising; saw in whom, how spread Among the sons of morn, what multitudes Were banded to oppose his high decree; And, smiling, to his only Son thus said.
Son, thou in whom my glory I behold In full resplendence, heir of all my might,
Through pride, that sight, and thought himself Nearly it now concerns us to be sure
Deep malice thence conceiving, and disdain Soon as midnight brought on the dusky hour Friendliest to sleep and silence, he resolved With all his legions to dislodge, and leave Unworshipped, unobeyed, the throne supreme, Contemptuous, and his next subordinate Awakening, thus to him in secret spake.
Sleepest thou, companion dear, what sleep can close
Thy eyelids? and rememberest what decree Of yesterday, so late hath passed the lips Of Heaven's Almighty. Thou to me thy thoughts Was wont, I mine to thee was wont to impart; Both waking we were one; how then can now Thy sleep dissent? New laws thou seest imposed; New laws from him who reigns, new minds may raise
In us who serve, new councils, to debate What doubtful may ensue: more in this place To utter is not safe. Assemble thou
Of all those myriads which we lead the chief;
Of our omnipotence, and with what arms We mean to hold what anciently we claim Of deity or empire; such a foe
Is rising, who intends to erect his throne Equal to ours, throughout the spacious north; Nor so 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, lest unawares we lose This our high place, our sanctuary, our hill."
To whom the Son, with calm aspect and clear, Lightning divine, ineffable, serene, Made answer. "Mighty Father, thou thy foes Justly hast in derision, and, secure, Laughest at their vain designs and tumults vain, Matter to me of glory, whom their hate Illustrates; when they see all regal power Given to quell their pride, and in event Know whether I be dexterous to subdue Thy rebels, or be found the worst in Heaven." So spake the Son; but Satan with powers
Far was advanced on winged speed; an host Innumerable as the stars of night,
Or stars of morning, dew drops, which the sun Impearls on every leaf and every flower. Regions they passed, 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 sea, from one entire globose Stretched into longitude; which having passed, At length into the limits of the north They came, and Satan to his royal seat High on a hill, far blazing, as a mount Raised on a mount, with pyramids and towers 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 Messiah was declared in sight of heaven The Mountain of the Congregation called: For thither he assembled all his train, Pretending so commanded, to consult About the great reception of their King, Thither to come, and with calumnious art Of counterfeited truth thus held their ears.
Of those imperial titles, which assert Our being ordained to govern, not to serve.' "Thus far his bold discourse without control Had audience; when among the seraphim Abdiel, than whom none with more zeal adored The Deity, and divine commands obeyed, Stood up, and, in a flame of zeal severe, The current of his fury thus opposed.
"O argument blasphemous, false, and proud! Words which no ear ever to hear in Heaven Expected, least of all from thee, ingrate, In place thyself so high above thy peers. Canst thou with impious obloquy condemn The just decree of God, pronounced and sworn, That to his only Son, by right endued With regal sceptre, every soul in Heaven Shall bend the knee, and in that honour due Confess him rightful King? unjust, thou say'st, Flatly unjust, to bind with laws the free And equal over equals to let reign, One over all with unsucceeded power. Shalt thou give law to God? shalt thou dispute With him the points of liberty, who made Thee what thou art, and formed the powers of Heaven
Such as he pleased, and circumscribed their being? Yet, by experience taught, we know how good, And of our good and of our dignity
How provident he is; how far from thought
"Thrones, dominations, princedoms, virtues, To make us less, bent rather to exalt
If these magnific titles yet remain Not merely titular, since by decree Another now hath to himself engrossed All power, and us eclipsed, under the name Of King anointed, for whom all this haste Of midnight march, and hurried meeting here; This only to consult how we may best, With what may be devised of honours new, Receive him coming, to receive from us Knee-tribute yet unpaid, prostration vile, Too much to one, but double how endured, To one and to his image now proclaimed? But what if better counsels might erect Our minds, and teach us to cast off this yoke? Will ye submit your necks, and choose to bend The supple knee? ye will not, if I trust To know ye right, or if ye know yourselves Natives and sons of Heaven possessed before By none, and if not equal all, yet free, Equally free; for orders and degrees Jar not with liberty, but well consist. Who can in reason, then, or right, assume Monarchy over such as live by right His equals, if in power and splendour less, 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 the abuse
Our happy state, under one head more near United. But to grant it thee unjust,
That equal over equals monarch reign:
Thyself, though great and glorious, dost thou count, Or all angelic nature joined in one, Equal to him, begotton Son? by whom, As by his word, the mighty Father made All things, even thee: and all the spirits of Heaven By him created in their bright degrees, Crowned them with glory, and to their glory named Thrones, dominations, princedoms, virtues, powers, Essential powers; nor by his reign obscured, But more illustrious made: since he, the head One of our number thus reduced becomes; His laws our laws; all honour to him done Returns our own. Cease then this impious rage, And tempt not these: but hasten to appease The incensed Father, and the incensed Son, While pardon may be found, in time besought.' "So spake the fervent angel; but his zeal None seconded, as out of season judged, Or singular and rash; whereat rejoiced The apostate, and more haughty thus replied. 'That we were formed then, sayest thou? and the work
Of secondary hands, by task transferred
From Father to his Son? strange point and new! Doctrine which we would know whence learned:
When this creation was? rememberest thou Thy making, while the Maker gave thee being We know no time when we were not as now; Know none before us, self-begot, self-raised By our own quickening power, when fatal course Had circled his full orb, the birth mature Of this our native Heaven, ethereal sons. Our puissance is our own; our own right hand Shall teach us highest deeds, by proof to try Who is our equal: then thou shalt behold Whether by supplication we intend Address, and to begirt the almighty throne Beseeching or besieging. This report, These tidings, carry to the anointed King; And fly, ere evil intercept thy flight.'
"He said, and, as the sound of waters deep, Hoarse murmur echoed to his words applause Through the infinite host; nor less for that The flaming seraph, fearless though alone Encompassed round with foes, thus answered bold. "O alienate from God, O spirit accursed, Forsaken of all good! I see thy fall Determined, and thy hapless crew involved In this perfidious fraud, contagion spread Both of thy crime and punishment: henceforth No more be troubled how to quit the yoke Of God's Messiah; those indulgent laws Will not be now vouchsafed: other decrees Against thee are gone forth without recall; That golden sceptre, which thou didst reject, Is now an iron rod to bruise and break Thy disobedience. Well thou didst advise; Yet not for thy advice or threats I fly These wicked tents devoted, lest the wrath Impendent, raging into sudden flame, Distinguish not: for soon expect to feel His thunder on thy head, devouring fire. Then who created thee lamenting learn, When who can uncreate thee thou shalt know.' "So spake the seraph Abdiel, faithful found Among the faithless, faithful only he; Among the innumerable false, unmoved, Unshaken, unseduced, unterrified, His loyalty he kept, his love, his zeal; Nor number, nor example, with him wrought To swerve from truth, or change his constant mind Though single. From amidst them forth he passed, Long way through hostile scorn, which he sus- tained
Superior, nor of violence feared aught; And with retorted scorn his back he turned On those proud towers to swift destruction doomed."
Raphael continues to relate how Michael and Gabriel were sent forth to battle against Satan and his angels. The first
fight described: Satan and his powers retire under night: he calls a council, invents devilish engines, which, in the second day's fight, put Michael and his angels to some disorder; but they at length, pulling up mountains, overwhelmed both the force and machines of Satan: yet, the tumult not so ending, God on the third day, sends Messiah his son, for whom he had reserved the glory of that victory: he, in the power of his Father, coming to the place, and causing all his legions to stand still on either side, with his chariot and thunder driving into the midst of his enemies, pursues them, unable to resist, towards the wall of Heaven; which opening, they leap down with horror and confusion into the place of punishment prepared for them in the deep: Messiah returns with triumph to his Father.
"ALL night the dreadless angel, unpursued, Through Heaven's wide champaign held his way; till morn,
Waked by the circling hours, with rosy hand Unbarred the gates of light. There is a cave Within the mount of God, fast by his throne, Where light and darkness in perpetual round Lodge and dislodge by turns, which makes through Heaven
Grateful vicissitudes, like day and night: Light issues forth, and at the other door Obsequious darkness enters, till her hour To veil the Heaven, though darkness there might well
Seem twilight here: and now went forth the morn, Such as in highest Heaven, arrayed in gold Empyreal; from before her vanished night, Shot through with orient beams; when all the plain,
Covered with thick embattled squadrons bright, Chariots, and flaming arms, and fiery steeds, Reflecting blaze on blaze, first met his view: War he perceived, war in procinct, and found Already known, what he for news had though To have reported: gladly then he mixed Among those friendly powers, who him received With joy and acclamations loud, that one, That of so many myriads fallen, yet one Returned not lost: on to the sacred hill They led him high applauded, and present Before the seat supreme; from whence a voice From midst a golden cloud thus mild was heard. "Servant of God, well done; well hast thou fought
The better fight, who single hast maintained Against revolted multitudes the cause Of truth, in word mightier than they in arms; And for the testimony of truth hast borne Universal reproach, far worse to bear Than violence; for this was all thy care To stand approved in sight of God, though worlds Judged thee perverse: the easier conquest now Remains thee, aided by this host of friends, Back on thy foes more glorious to return Than scorned thou didst depart, and to subdue By force, who reason for their law refuse,
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