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Or I alone against them, since by strength
They measure all, of other excellence
Not emulous, nor care who them excels;
Nor other strife with them do I vouchsafe.

820

So spake the Son, and into terror chang'd
His count'nance too severe to be, beheld,
And full of wrath bent on his enemies.

825

Among them he arriv'd, in his right hand

At once the Four spread out their starry wings
With dreadful shade contiguous, and the orbs
Of his fierce chariot roll'd, as with the sound
Of torrent floods, or of a numerous host.
He on his impious foes right onward drove,
Gloomy as night; under his burning wheels
The steady empyréan shook throughout,
All but the throne itself of God.

830

Full soon

835

Grasping ten thousand thunders, which he sent
Before him, such as in their souls infix'd

Plagues; they astonish'd all resistance lost,

All courage; down their idle weapons dropt;

O'er shields and helms and helmed heads he rode 840 Of Thrones and mighty Seraphim prostrate,

That wish'd the mountains now might be again

Thrown on them as a shelter from his ire.

Nor less on either side tempestuous fell
His arrows, from the fourfold-visag'd Four
Extinct with eyes, and from the living wheels
Distinct alike with multitude of eyes;

One spirit in them rul'd, and every eye

845

Glar'd lightning, and shot forth pernicious fire

Among th' accurs'd, that wither'd all their strength,
And of their wonted vigour left them drain'd,
Exhausted, spiritless, afflicted, fall'n.

Yet half his strength he put not forth, but check'd
His thunder in mid volley; for he meant

851

Not to destroy, but root them out of Heaven : 855
The overthrown he rais'd, and as a herd

Of goats or timorous flock together throng'd
Drove them before him thunder-struck, pursu'd
With terrors and with furies to the bounds

And crystal wall of Heav'n, which opening wide, 860
Roll'd inward, and a spacious gap disclos'd
Into the wasteful deep; the monstrous sight

Struck them with horror backward, but far worse

Urg'd them behind; headlong themselves they threw Down from the verge of Heav'n; eternal wrath

865

Burnt after them to the bottomless pit.

HELL heard th' unsufferable noise, Hell saw
Heav'n ruining from Heav'n, and would have fled
Affrighted; but strict fate had cast too deep
Her dark foundations, and too fast had bound.

870

Nine days they fell; confounded Chaos roar'd,
And felt tenfold confusion in their fall

Through his wild anarchy, so huge a rout
Incumber'd him with ruin: Hell at last

Yawning receiv'd them whole, and on them clos'd;
Hell their fit habitation fraught with fire

Unquenchable, the house of woe and pain.

876

Disburden'd Heaven rejoic'd, and soon repair'd
Her mural breach, returning whence it roll'd.
Sole victor from th' expulsion of his foes
Messiah his triumphal chariot turn'd :

To meet him all his Saints, who silent stood
Eye-witnesses of his almighty acts,

With jubilee advanc'd; and as they went,

880

Shading with branching palm, each order bright, 885
Sung triumph, and him sung victorious King,

Son, Heir, and Lord, to him dominion given,
Worthiest to reign: he celebrated rode

Triumphant through mid Heav'n, into the courts
And temple of his mighty Father thron'd

On high; who into glory him receiv'd,

Where now he sits at the right hand of bliss.

890

THUS measuring things in Heav'n by things on

earth,

At thy request, and that thou may'st beware

By what is past, to thee I have reveal'd

What might have else to human race been hid;
The discord which befel, and war in Heaven
Among th' angelic Pow'rs, and the deep fall
Of those too high aspiring, who rebell'd
With Satan; he who envies now thy state,
Who now is plotting how he may seduce
Thee from all obedience, that with him
Bereav'd of happiness thou may'st partake
His punishment, eternal misery;

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Which would be all his solace and revenge,

995

As a despite done against the most High,
Thee once to gain companion of his woe.
But listen not to his temptations, warn
Thy weaker; let it profit thee to' have heard
By terrible example the reward

Of disobedience; firm they might have stood,
Yet fell; remember, and fear to transgress.

910

THE END OF THE SIXTH BOOK.

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Raphael at the request of Adam relates how and wherefore this world was first created; that God, after the expelling of Satan and his Angels out of Heaven, declared his pleasure to create another world and other creatures to dwell therein; sends his Son with glory and attendance of Angels to perform the work of creation in six days: the Angels celebrate with hymns the performance thereof, and his reascension into Heaven..

DESCEND from Heav'n, Urania, by that name

If rightly thou art call'd, whose voice divine
Following, above th' Olympian hill I soar,
Above the flight of Pegaséan wing.

The meaning, not the name I call: for thou
Nor of the Muses nine, nor on the top
Of old Olympus dwell'st, but heav'nly born,
Before the hills appear'd, or fountain flow'd,
Thou with eternal wisdom didst converse,
Wisdom thy sister, and with her didst play
In presence of th' Almighty Father, pleas'd
With thy celestial song. Up led by thee
Into the Heav'n of Heav'ns I have presum'd,
An earthly guest, and drawn empyreal air,
Thy temp'ring; with like safety guided down
Return me to my native element:

Lest from this flying steed unrein'd, (as once
Bellerophon, though from a lower clime)
Dismounted, on th' Aleian field I fall

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