And all the sea, from one entire globose Stretch'd into longitude; which, having pass'd At length into the limits of the north They came; and Satan to his royal seat High on a hill, far blazing, as a mount Rais'd on a mount, with pyramids and towers From diamond quarries hewn, and rocks of gold; The palace of great Lucifer, (so call That structure in the dialect of men Interpreted,) which not long after he, Affecting all equality with God,
In imitation of that mount whereon Messiah was declar'd in sight of heaven, The Mountain of the Congregation call'd; For thither he assembled all his train, Pretending so conmanded, to consult About the great reception of their King Thither to come, and with calumnious art Of counterfeited truth thus held their ears: "Thrones, dominations, princedoms,_ virtues, If these magnific titles yet remain
Not merely titular, since by decree Another now hath to himself engross'd All power, and us eclips'd, under the name Of King Anointed; for whom all this haste Of midnight march, and hurried meeting here; This only to consult how we may best, With what may be devis'd of honours new, Receive him, coming to receive from us Knee-tribute, yet unpaid; prostration vile! Too much to one, but double how endur'd! To one, and to his image now proclaim'd? But what if better counsels might erect Our minds, and teach us to cast off this yoke? Will ye submit your necks, and choose to bend The supple knee? Ye will not, if I trust To know ye right, or if ye know yourselves Natives and sons of heaven, possess'd before By none, and if not equal all, yet free, Equally free; for orders and degrees Jar not with liberty, but well consist.
Who can in reason then, or right, assume Monarchy over such as live by right His equals; if in power and splendour less, In freedom equal? Or can introduce Law and edict on us, who without law Err not? much less for this to be our Lord, And look for adoration, to th' abuse Of those imperial titles, which assert Our being ordain'd to govern, not to serve!' "Thus far his bold discourse without control Had audience; when among the seraphim Abdiel, than whom none with more zeal ador'd The Deity', and divine commands obey'd, Stood up, and in a flame of zeal severe, The current of his fury thus oppos'd;
"O argument blasphemous, false and proud! Words which no ear ever to hear in heaven Expected, least of all from thee, ingrate! In place thyself so high above thy peers. Canst thou with impious oblcquy condemn The just decree of God, pronounc'd and sworn, That to his only Son, by right endu'd With regal sceptre, every soul in heaven Shall bend the knee, and in that honour due Confess him rightful King? Unjust, thou say'st Flatly unjust, to bind with laws the free, And equal over equals to let reign,
One over all with unsucceeded power.
Shalt thou give law to God? shalt thou dispute With him the points of liberty, who made
Thee what thou art, and form'd the powers of heaven Such as he pleas'd, and circumscrib'd their being? Yet, by experience taught, we know how good, And of our good, and of our dignity
How provident he is; how far from thought To make us less, bent rather to exalt
Our happy state, under one head more near United. But to grant it thee unjust,
That equal over equals monarch reign:
Thyself, though great and glorious, dost thou count, Or all angelic nature join'd in one,
Equal him, begotten Son? by whom, As by his Word, the mighty Father made All things, even thee; and all the spirits of heaven By him created in their bright degrees,
Crown'd them with glory', and to their glory nam'd Thrones, dominations, princedoms, virtues, powers, Essential powers! nor by his reign obscur'd, But more illustrious made; since he, the head, One of our number thus reduc'd becomes; His laws our laws; all honour to him done Returns our own. Cease then this impious rage, And tempt not these; but hasten to appease Th' incensed Father, and th' incensed Son, While pardon may be found, in time besought.' "So spake the fervent angel; but his zeal None seconded, as out of season judg'd, Or singular and rash; whereat rejoic'd Th' apostate, and more haughty thus replied: 'That we are form'd then say'st thou? and the work Of secondary hands, by task transferr'd
From Father to his Son? Strange point and new! Doctrine which we would know whence learn'd, who When this creation was? remember'st thou [saw Thy making, while the Maker gave thee being? We know no time when we were not as now; Know none before us, self-begot, self-rais'd By our own quick'ning power, when fatal course Had circled his full orb, the birth mature Of this our native heaven, ethereal sons. Our puissance is our own; our own right hand Shall teach us highest deeds, by proof to try Who is our equal: then thou shalt behold Whether by supplication we intend
Address, and to begirt th' Almighty throne Beseeching or besieging. This report, These tidings, carry to th' anointed King; And fly, ere evil intercept thy flight.'
"He said, and, as the sound of waters deep, Hoarse murmur echoed to his words applause Though the infinite host; nor less for that
The flaming seraph, fearless, though alone Encompass'd round with foes, thus answer'd bold: "O alienate from God, O spirit accurs'd, Forsaken of all good! I see thy fall Determin'd, and thy bapless crew involv'd In this perfidious fraud, contagion spread Both of thy crime and punishment: henceforth No more be troubled how to quit the yoke Of God's Messiah; those indulgent laws Will not be now vouchsaf'd: other decrees Against thee are gone forth without recall : That golden seeptre which thou didst reject, Is now an iron rod to bruise and break Thy disobedience. Well thou didst advise; Yet not for thy advice or threats I fly These wicked tents devoted; lest the wrath, Impendent, raging into sudden flame Distinguish not; for soon expect to feel His thunder on thy head, devouring fire. Then who created thee lamenting learn, When who can uncreate thee thou shalt know.* "So spake the seraph Abdiel, faithful found Among the faithless, faithful only he; Among innumerable false, unmov'd, Unshaken, unseduc'd, unterrified,
His loyalty he kept, his love, his zeal;
Nor number, nor example, with him wrought To swerve from truth, or change his constant mind, Though single. From amidst them forth he pass'd, Long way through hostile scorn, which he sustain'd Superior, nor of violence fear'd ought;
And with retorted scorn his back he turn'd
On those proud towers to swift destruction doom'd.
Raphael continues to relate how Michael and Gabriel were sent forth to battle against Satan and his angels. The first fight described. Satan and his powers retire under night. He calls a council, invents devilish engines, which in the second day's fight put Michael and his angels to some disorder; but they at length, pulling up mountains, overwhelmed both the force and machines of Satan. Yet the tumult not so ending, God on the third day sends Messiah his Son, for whom he had reserved the glory of that victory: He, in the power of his Father, coming to the place, and causing all his legions to stand still on eit her side, with his chariot and thunder driving into the midst of his enemies, pursues them, unable to resist, towards the wall of heaven; which opening, they leap down with horror and con fusion into the place of punishment prepared for them in the deep. Messiah returns with triumph to his Father,
"ALL night the dreadless angel, unpursued, Through heaven's wide champaign held his way; tilk
Wak'd by the circling hours, with rosy hand Unbarr'd the gates of light. There is a cave Within the mount of God, fast by his throne, Where light and darkness in perpetual round Lodge and dislodge by turns, which makes through heaven
Grateful vicissitude, like day and night; Light issues forth, and at the other door Obsequious darkness enters, till ber hour
To veil the heaven, tho' darkness there might well Seem twilight here: and now went forth the morn, Such as in highest heaven, array'd in gold Empyreal; from before her vanish'd night, Shot thro' with orient beams; when all the plain, Cover'd with thick embattled squadrons bright, Chariots, and flaming arms, and fiery steeds, Reflecting blaze on,blaze, first met his view. War he perceiv'd, war in procinct, and found,
« PreviousContinue » |