Drew after him the third part of heav'n's hoft: Mean while th'eternal eye, whofe fight difcernes Abftrufeft thoughts, from forth his holy mount And from within the golden lamps that burn Nightly before him faw without their light Rebellion rifing, faw in whom, how spred Among the fons of morn, what multitudes Were banded to oppose his high decree; And smiling to his onely son thus said.
Son, thou in whom my glory I behold In full refplendence, heir of all my might, Neerly it now concerns us to be füre Of our omnipotence, and with what arms We mean to hold what anciently we claim Of deitie or empire, fuch a foe
Is rifing, who intends to erect his throne Equal to ours, throughout the spacious north Nor fo content, hath in his thought to trie In battle, what our power is, or our right. Let us advise, and to this hazard draw With speed what force is left, and all imploy In our defence, left unawares we lose This our high place, our fanctuarie, our hill. To whom the son with calm afpect and cleer Light'ning divine, ineffable, ferene,
Made answer. Mightie father, thou thy foes Juftly haft in derifion, and secure
Laught'ft at their vain defignes and tumults vain, Matter to me of glory, whom their hate → Illuftrates, when they see all regal power Giv'n me to quell their pride, and in event
Know whether I be dextrous to fubdue Thy rebels, or be found the worst in 'heav'n. So fpake the son, but Satan with his powers Far was advanc't on winged speed, an hoft Innumerable as the stars of night,
Or ftars of morning, dew-drops, which the fun Impearls on every leaf and every flour. Regions they pafs'd, the mighty regencies Of feraphim and potentates and thrones In their triple degrees,-regions to which All thy dominion, Adam, is no more Than what this garden is to all the earth, And all the fea, from one entire globese Stretcht into longitude; which having pass'd At length into the limits of the north They came, and Satan to his royal feat High on a hill, +får blazing, as a mount Rais'd on a mount,' with: pyramids and towrs From diamond quarries hew'n, and rocks of gold, The palace of great Lucifer, (fo call That ftructure in the dialect of men Interpreted) which not long after, he Affecting all equality with God,
In imitation of that mount whereon Meffiah was declar'd in fight of heav'n, The mountain of the congregation call'd; For thither he affembl'd all his train, Pretending fo commanded to confult About the great reception of their king, Thither to come, and with calumnious art Of counterfeted truth thus held their ears.
Thrones, dominations, princeɗomes, vertues, powers, If these magnific titles yet remain Not meerely titular, fince by decree Another now hath to himself ingrofs't All power, and us eclipst under the name Of king anointed, for whom all this hafte Of midnight march, and hurried meeting here, This onely to confult how we may best With what may be devis'd of honours new Receive him coming to receive from us Knee tribute yet unpaid, proftration 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 caft off this yoke ? Will ye fubmit your necks, and chufe to bend The supple knee? ye will not, if I trust To know ye right, or if ye know yourselves Natives and fons of heav'n poffeft before By none, and if not equal all, yet free, Equally free; for orders and degrees Jar not with liberty, but well confist. Who can in reason then or right assume Monarchie over fuch as live by right His equals, if in power and splendor less, In freedom equal? or can introduce Law and edict on us, who without law Erre not, much less for this to be our lord, And look for adoration to th'abuse
Of those imperial titles which affert
Our being ordain'd to govern, not to serve?
Thus far his bold difcourfe without controule Had audience, when among the seraphim Abdiel, than whom none with more zeale ador'd The deitie, and divine commands obey'd,' Stood up, and in a flame of zeale fevere The current of his fury thus oppos'd, O argument blafphemous, false and proud! Words which no eare ever to hear in heav'n Expected, least of all from thee, ingrate, In place thyself fo high above thy peeres. Canft thou with impious obliquie condemn The juft decree of God, pronounc't and sworn,.- That to his only fon by right endu'd
With regal scepter, every foul in heav'n
Shall bend the knee, and in that honour duebr Confefs him rightful king? unjust thou faidst Flatly unjust, to bind with laws the free, And equal over equals to let reigne,
One over all with unfucceeded power.
Shalt thou give law to God,fhalt thou dispute - With him the points of libertie, who made
Thee what thou art, and form'd the pow'rs of heav'n Such as he pleas'd, and circumfcrib'd their being èð Yet by experience taught we know how good, And of our good, and of our dignitie...
How provident he is, how far from thought. To make us lefs, bent rather to exalt Our happie ftate under one head more neer United. But to grant it thee unjust,
That equal over equals monarch reigne
Thyfelf though great and glorious dost thou count,
Or all angelic nature join'd in one, Equal to him begotten son, by whom
As by his word the mighty father made
All things, ev'n thee, and all the spirits of heav'n ' By him created in their bright degrees,
Crown'd them with glory, and to their glory nam'd
Thrones, dominations, princedomes, vertues, powers,
Effential powers, nor by his reign obscur'd, But more illuftrious made, fince he the head One of our number thus reduc't becomes, His laws our laws, all honour to him done Returns our own. Cease then this impious rage, And tempt not these; but hast'n to appease Th'incenfed Father, and th'incenfed Son, While pardon may be found in time befought. So fpake the fervent angel, but his zeale None feconded, as out of season judg'd, Or fingular and rash, whereat rejoic'd Th'apoftat, and more haughty thus repli'd.
That we were form'd then faift thou? and the work
Of fecondarie hands, by task transfer'd
From father to his fon ? strange point and new !
Doctrin which we would know whence learnt: who saw When this creation was?? remembreft thou
Thy making, while the Maker gave thee being?: We know no time when we were not as now; Know none before us, felf-begot, felf-rais'd By our own quick'ning power, when fatal course Had circl'd his full orbe, the birth mature Of this our native heav'n, ethereal fons. Our puissance is our own, our own right hand r
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