A forest huge of spears, and thronging helms Appear'd, and serried shields in thick array Of depth immeasurable: anon they move In perfect phalanx to the Dorian mood Of flutes and soft recorders; such as rais'd To height of noblest temper heroes old Arming to battle, and instead of rage Deliberate valour breath'd, firm and unmov'd With dread of death to flight or foul retreat; Nor wanting pow'r to mitigate and swage
With solemn touches, troubled thoughts, and chase Anguish and doubt and fear and sorrow' and pain From mortal or immortal minds. Thus they Breathing united force with fixed thought Mov'd on in silence to soft pipes, that charm'd Their painful steps o'er the burnt soil; and now Advanc'd in view they stand, a horrid front Of dreadful length and dazzling arms, in guise Of warriors old with order'd spear and shield, Awaiting what command their mighty chief Had to impose: He through the armed files Darts his experienc'd eye, and soon traverse The whole battalion views, their order due,
Their visages and statures as of Gods,
Their number last he sums. And now his heart
Distends with pride, and hard'ning in his strength Glories for never since created man,
Met such embodied force, as nam'd with these Could merit more than that small infantry Warr'd on by cranes; though all the giant brood
Of Phlegra with th' heroic race were join'd That fought at Thebes and Ilium, on each side Mix'd with auxiliar Gods; and what resounds In fable or romance of Uther's son, Begirt with British and Armoric knights; And all who since, baptiz'd or infidel, Jousted in Aspramont or Montalban, Damasco, or Marocco, or Trebisond, Or whom Biserta sent from Afric shore When Charlemain with all his peerage fell By Fontarabbia. Thus far these beyond Compare of mortal prowess, yet observ'd Their dread commander: he above the rest In shape and gesture proudly eminent
Stood like a tow'r; his form had not yet lost All her original brightness, nor appear'd Less than Arch-Angel ruin'd, and th' excess Of glory' obscur'd; as when the sun new risen Looks through the horizontal misty air Shorn of his beams, or from behind the moon In dim eclipse disastrous twilight sheds
On half the nations, and with fear of change Perplexes monarchs. Darken'd so, yet shone Above them all th' Arch-Angel: but his face Deep scars of thunder had intrench'd, and care Sat on his faded cheek, but under brows • Of dauntless courage, and considerate pride Waiting revenge: cruel his eye, but cast Signs of remorse and passion to behold The fellows of his crime, the followers rather
(Far other once beheld in bliss) condemn'd For ever now to have their lot in pain, Millions of Spirits for his fault amerc'd Of Heav'n, and from eternal splendours flung For his revolt, yet faithful how they stood, Their glory wither'd: as when Heav'n's fire Hath scath'd the forest oaks, or mountain pines, With singed top their stately growth though bare Stands on the blasted heath. He now prepar'd To speak; whereat their doubled ranks they bend From wing to wing, and half inclose him round With all his peers: attention held them mute. Thrice he assay'd, and thrice in spite of scorn Tears, such as angels weep, burst forth at last Words interwove with sighs, found out their way. O MYRIADS of immortal Spi'rits, O Powers Matchless, but with th' Almighty, and that strife Was not inglorious, though th' event was dire, As this place testifies, and this dire change, Hateful to utter: but what pow'r of mind, Foreseeing or presaging, from the depth
Of knowledge past or present, could have fear'd,
How such united force of Gods, how such
As stood like these, could ever know repulse ?
For who can yet believe, though after loss, That all these puisant legions, whose exile Hath emptied Heav'n, shall fail to re-ascend Self-rais'd, and repossess their native seat? For me be witness all the host of Heav'n, If counsels different, or dangers shunn'd
By me, have lost our hopes. But he who reigns
Monarch in Heav'n, till then as one secure
Sat on his throne, upheld by old repute,
Consent or custom, and his regal state
Put forth at full, but still his strength conceal'd, Which tempted our attempt, and wrought our fall. Henceforth his might we know, and know our own, So as not either to provoke, or dread
New war, provok'd; our better part remains To work in close design, by fraud or guile,
What force effected not: that he no less At length from us may find, who overcomes By force, hath overcome but half his foe.
Space may produce new worlds; whereof so rife 650 There went a fame in Heav'n that he ere long Intended to create, and therein plant
A generation, whom his choice regard Should favour equal to the sons of Heaven: Thither, if but to pry, shall be perhaps Our first eruption, thither or elsewhere: For this infernal pit shall never hold Celestial Spi'rits in bondage, nor th' abyss Long under darkness cover. But these thoughts Full counsel must mature: Peace is despair'd, For who can think submission? War, then, War Open or understood must be resolv'd.
He spake and to confirm his words, out flew Millions of flaming swords, drawn from the thighs Of mighty Cherubim ; the sudden blaze Far round illumin'd Hell: highly they rag'd
Against the High'est, and fierce with grasped arms Clash'd on their sounding shields the din of war, Hurling defiance tow'ard the vault of Heaven. THERE stood a hill not far, whose grisly top Belch'd fire and rolling smoke; the rest entire Shone with a glossy scurf, undoubted sign That in his womb was hid metallic ore,
The work of sulphur. Thither wing'd with speed A numerous brigade hasten'd: as when bands Of pioneers with spade and pickax arm'd Forerun the royal camp, to trench a field, Or cast a rampart. Mammon led them on, Mammon, the least erected Spi'rit that fell From Heav'n, for e'en in Heav'n his looks and thoughts Were always downward bent, admiring more
The riches of Heav'n's pavement, trodden gold,
Than ought divine or holy else enjoy'd
In vision beatific: by him first
Men also, and by his suggestion taught,
Ransack'd the centre, and with impious hands Rifled the bowels of their mother earth For treasures better hid. Soon had his crew Open'd into the hill a spacious wound, And digg'd out ribs of gold. Let none admire That riches grow in Hell; that soil may best Reserve the precious bane. And here let those Who boast in mortal things, and wond'ring tell Of Babel, and the works of Memphian kings, Learn how their greatest monuments of fame, And strength and art are easily out-done
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