Page:The Complete Poetical Works of John Milton.djvu/212

 I 7

��PARADISE LOST

��With many an inroad gored; deformed

rout

Entered, and foul disorder; all the ground With shivered armour strowu, and on a

heap

Chariot and charioter lay overturned, 390 And fiery foaming steeds; what stood re- coiled, O'er - wearied, through the faint Satanic

host,

Defensive scarce, or with pale fear sur- prised Then first with fear surprised and sense of

pain

Fled ignominious, to such evil brought By sin of disobedience, till that hour Not liable to fear, or flight, or paiu. Far otherwise the inviolable Saints In cubic phalanx firm advanced entire, Invulnerable, impenetrably armed; 400

Such high advantages their innocence Gave them above their foes not to have

sinned,

Not to have disobeyed; in fight they stood Unwearied, unobnoxious to be pained By wound, though from their place by vio- lence moved. " Now Night her course began, and, over

Heaven

Inducing darkness, grateful truce imposed, And silence on the odious din of war. Under her cloudy covert both retired, Victor and vanquished. On the foughten field 410

Michael and his Angels, prevalent Encamping, placed in guard their watches

round,

Cherubic waving fires: on the other part, Satan with his rebellious disappeared, Far in the dark dislodged, and, void of rest, His Potentates to council called by night, And in the midst thus undismayed be- gan: " ' O now in danger tried, now known in

arms

Not to be overpowered, companions dear, Found worthy not of liberty alone 420 Too mean pretence but, what we more

affect,

Honour, dominion, glory, and renown; Who have sustained one day in doubtful

fight

(And, if one day, why not eternal days ?) What Heaven's Lord had powerfullest to send

��Against us from about his Throne, and

judged

Sufficient to subdue us to his will, But proves not so: then fallible, it seems, Of future we may deem him, though till

now Omniscient thought ! True is, less firmly

armed, 430

Some disadvantage we endured, and pain Till now not known, but, known, as soon

contemned ;

Since, now we find this our empyreal form Incapable of mortal injury, Imperishable, and, though pierced with

wound,

Soon closing, and by native vigour healed. Of evil, then, so small as easy think The remedy: perhaps more valid arms, 438 Weapons more violent, when next we meet, May serve to better us and worse our foes, Or equal what between us made the odds, In nature none. If other hidden cause Left them superior, while we can preserve Unhurt our minds, and understanding

sound,

Due search and consultation will disclose.' " He sat; and in the assembly next up- stood

Nisroch, of Principalities the prime. As one he stood escaped from cruel fight Sore toiled, his riven arms to havoc hewn, And, cloudy in aspect', thus answering

spake: 450

" ' Deliverer from new Lords, leader to

free

Enjoyment of our right as Gods ! yet hard For Gods, and too unequal work, we find Against unequal arms to fight in pain, Against unpained, impassive; from which

evil

Ruin must needs ensue. For what avails Valour or strength, though matchless,

quelled with pain, Which all subdues, and makes remiss the

hands Of mightiest ? Sense of pleasure we may

well

Spare out of life perhaps, and not repine, But live content which is the calmest

life; 461

But pain is perfect misery, the worst Of evils, and, excessive, overturns All patience. He who, therefore, can in- vent With what more forcible we may offend

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