Page:The Complete Poetical Works of John Milton.djvu/210

 i68

��PARADISE LOST

��Prodigious power had shown, and met in

arms

No equal, ranging through the dire attack Of fighting Seraphim confused, at length Saw where the sword of Michael sinote, and felled 250

Squadrons at once: with huge two-handed

sway Brandished aloft, the horrid edge came

down

Wide-wasting. Such destruction to with- stand

He hasted, and opposed the rocky orb Of tenfold adamant, his ample shield, A vast circumference. At his approach The great Archangel from his warlike toil Surceased, and, glad, as hoping hereto end Intestine war in Heaven, the Arch-foe sub- dued,

Or captive dragged in chains, with hostile frown 260

And visage all inflamed, first thus be- gan:

" ' Author of Evil, unknown till thy re- volt, Unnamed in Heaven, now plenteous as thou

seest These acts of hateful strife hateful to

all,

Though heaviest, by just measure, on thy- self

And thy adherents how hast thou dis- turbed Heaven's blessed peace, and into Nature

brought

Misery, uncreated till the crime Of thy rebellion ! how hast thou instilled Thy malice into thousands, once upright And faithful, now proved false ! But think not here 271

To trouble holy rest; Heaven casts thee

out From all her confines; Heaven, the seat of

bliss,

Brooks not the works of violence and war. Hence, then, and Evil go with thee along, Thy offspring, to the place of Evil, Hell Thou and thy wicked crew ! there mingle

broils !

Ere this avenging sword begin thy doom, Or some more sudden vengeance, winged

from God,

Precipitate thee with augmented pain.' 280 " So spake the Prince of Angels; to whom thus

��The Adversary : ' Nor think thou with

wind Of airy threats to awe whom yet with

deeds Thou canst not. Hast thou turned the

least of these

To flight or, if to fall, but that they rise Unvanquished easier to transact with me That thou shouldst hope, imperious, and

with threats To chase me hence ? Err not that so shall

end The strife which thou call'st evil, but we

style

The strife of glory; which we mean to win, Or turn this Heaven itself into the Hell 291 Thou f ablest; here, however, to dwell free, If not to reign. Meanwhile, thy utmost

force And join Him named Almighty to thy

aid I fly not, but have sought thee far and

nigh.' " They ended parle, and both addressed

for fight Unspeakable; for who, though with the

tongue

Of Angels, can relate, or to what things Liken on Earth conspicuous, that may lift Human imagination to such highth 300

Of godlike power ? for likest gods they

seemed, Stood they or moved, in stature, motion,

arms,

Fit to decide the empire of great Heaven. Now waved their fiery swords, and in the

air Made horrid circles; two broad suns their

shields

Blazed opposite, while Expectation stood In horror; from each hand with speed re- tired, Where erst was thickest fight, the Angelic

throng, And left large field, unsafe within the

wind 309

Of such commotion: such as (to set forth Great things by small) if, Nature's concord

broke,

Among the constellations war were sprung, Two planets, rushing from aspect' malign Of fiercest opposition, in mid sky Should combat, and their jarring spheres

confound. Together both, with next to almighty arm

�� �