To have reported; gladly then he mixed
Among those friendly pow'rs, who him receiv'd
With joy and acclamations loud, that one,
That of so many myriads fall'n, yet one
Return'd 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 maintain'd
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 scorn'd thou didst depart, and to subdue
By force, who reason for their law refuse;
Right reason for their law, and for their king
Messiah, who by right of merit reigns.
Go, Michael, of celestial armies prince,
And thou, in military prowess next,
Gabriel, lead forth to battle these my sons
Invincible, lead forth my armed saints,
By thousands and by millions ranged for fight;
Equal in numbers to that godless crew
Rebellious; them with fire and hostile arms
Fearless assault, and, to the brow of heaven

Pursuing, drive them out from God and bliss,
Into their place of punishment, the gulf
Of Tartarus, which ready opens wide

His fiery chaos to receive their fall.'

"So spake the Sovereign voice; and clouds began
To darken all the hill, and smoke to roll
In dusky wreaths, reluctant flames, the sign
Of wrath awaked; nor with less dread the loud
Ethereal trumpet from on high 'gan blow:
At which command the powers militant,
That stood for heaven, in mighty quadrate join'd
Of union irresistible, mov'd on

In silence their bright legions, to the sound
Of instrumental harmony, that breathed.
Heroic ardour to adventurous deeds

Under their God-like leaders, in the cause
Of God and his Messiah. On they move,
Indissolubly firm; nor obvious hill,

Nor straitening vale, nor wood, nor stream divides
Their perfect ranks; for high above the ground
Their march was, and the passive air upbore
Their nimble tread, as when the total kind
Of birds, in orderly array on wing,
Came summon'd over Eden to receive

Their names of thee: so over many a tract

Of heaven they march'd, and many a province wide,
Tenfold the length of this terrene. At last,
Far in the horizon, to the north, appear'd
From skirt to skirt a fiery region, stretch'd
In battailous aspect, and, nearer view,
Bristled with upright beams innumerable

Of rigid spears, and helmets throng'd, and shields
Various, with boastful argument portray'd,
The banded pow'rs of Satan hasting on
With furious expedition; for they ween'd
That self-same day, by fight or by surprise,
To win the mount of God, and on his throne
To set the envier of his state, the proud
Aspirer: but their thoughts proved fond and vain
In the midway. Though strange to us it seem'd
At first, that angel should with angel war,
And in fierce hostling meet, who wont to meet
So oft in festivals of joy and love
Unanimous, as sons of one great Sire

Hymning the Eternal Father. But the shout
Of battle now began, and rushing sound
Of onset ended soon each milder thought.
High in the midst, exalted as a god,
The apostate in his sun-bright chariot sat,
Idol of majesty 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,
A dreadful interval; and front to front
Presented stood in terrible array

Of hideous length. Before the cloudy van,
On the rough edge of battle, ere it join'd,
Satan, with vast and haughty strides advanced,
Came towering, arm'd in adamant and gold.
Abdiel that sight endured not, where he stood
Among the mightiest, bent on highest deeds,
And thus his own undaunted heart explorer;

"O Heaven! that such resemblance of the Should yet remain, where faith and realty [Highest Remain not: wherefore should not strength and might

There fail, where virtue fails? or weakest prove
Where boldest, though to sight unconquerable?
His puissance, trusting in the Almighty's aid,
I mean to try, whose reason I have tried
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,
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
Incensed, and thus securely him defied:

[reach'd

Proud, art thou met? thy hope was to have

The height of thy aspiring unopposed

The throne of God unguarded, and his side
Abandon'd, at the terror of thy power
Or potent tongue: fool! not to think how vain
Against the Omnipotent to rise in arms;
Who out of smallest things could, without end,
Have raised incessant armies to defeat
Thy folly; or with solitary hand
Reaching beyond all limit, at one blow,
Unaided, could have finish'd thee, and whelm'd
Thy legions under darkness: but thou seest
All are not of thy train; there be, who faith

Prefer, and piety to God, though then
To thee not visible, when I alone

Seem'd in thy world erroneous to dissent
From all: my sect thou seest; now learn too late,
How few sometimes may know, when thousands err.'
"Whom the grand foe, with scornful eye askance,
Thus answered: 'Ill for thee, but in wish'd hour
Of my revenge first sought for, thou return'st
From flight, seditious angel! to receive
Thy merited reward, the first essay

Of this right hand provoked, since first that tongue,
Inspired with contradiction, durst oppose

A third part of the gods, in synod met,
Their deities to assert; who, while they feel
Vigour divine within them, can allow
Omnipotence to none. But well thou com'st
Before thy fellows, ambitious to win

From me some plume, that my success may show
Destruction to the rest: this pause between
(Unanswer'd lest thou boast,) to let thee know,
At first I thought that liberty and heaven
To heavenly souls, had been all one; but now
I see that most through sloth had rather serve,
Ministering spirits, trained up in feast and song:
Such hast thou arm'd, the minstrelsy of Heaven
Servility with freedom to contend,

As both their deeds compar'd this day shall prove.'

"To whom in brief thus Abdiel stern replied: 'Apostate, still thou err'st, nor end wilt find Of erring, from the path of truth remote: Unjustly thou deprav'st it with the name