Pavilions numberless, and sudden rear'd,
Celestial tabernacles, where they flept
Fann'd with cool winds; fave those who in their courfe
Melodious hymns about the sovran throne
Alternate all night long: but not so wak’d
Satan; fo call him now, his former name
Is heard no more in Heav'n; he of the firft,
If not the first Arch-Angel, great in power,
In favor and præeminence, yet fraught
With envy' against the Son of God, that day
Honor'd by his great Father, and proclam'd
Messiah King anointed, could not bear
Through pride that fight, and thought himself impair'd.
Deep malice thence conceiving and difdain,
Soon as midnight brought on the dusky hour
Friendlieft to fleep and filence, he resolv’d
With all his legions to diflodge, and leave
Unworshipt, unobey'd the throne fupreme
Contemptuous, and his next fubordinate
Awak'ning, thus to him in fecret spake.
Sleep't thou, Companion dear, what fleep can clofe
Thy eye-lids? and remember st what decree
Of yesterday, fo late hath pafs'd the lips
Of Heav'n's Almighty. Thou to me thy thoughts
Waft wont, I mine to thee was wont to' impart;
Both waking we were one; how then can now
Thy fleep diffent? New laws thou feeft impos'd;
New laws from him who reigns, new minds may
In us who ferve, new counfels, to debate
What doubtful may enfue: more in this place
VOL. I.
To utter is not fafe.
Of all thofe myriads which we lead the chief;
Tell them that by command, ere yet dim night
Her fhadowy cloud withdraws, I am to haste,
And all who under me their banners wave,
Homeward with flying march where we poffefs
The quarters of the north; there to prepare
Fit entertainment to receive our king
The great Meffiah, and his new commands,
Who fpeedily through all the hierarchies
Intends to pafs triumphant, and give laws.
So fpake the falfe Arch-Angel, and infus'd
Bad influence into th' unwary breast
Of his affociate he together calls,
Or feveral one by one, the regent Powers,
Under him regent; tells, as he was taught,
That the most High commanding, now ere night,
Now ere dim night had difincumber'd Heaven,
The great hierarchal standard was to move;
Tells the fuggefted caufe, and cafts between
Ambiguous words and jealousies, to found
Or taint integrity: but all obey'd
The wonted fignal, and fuperior voice
Of their great potentate; for great indeed
His name, and high was his degree in Heaven;
His count'nance, as the morning star that guides
The ftarry flock, allur'd them, and with lies
Drew after him the third part of Heav'n's host.
Mean while th' eternal eye, whofe fight difcerns
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 spread
Among the fons of morn, what multitudes
Were banded to oppose his high decree;
And smiling to his only Son thus said.
Son, thou in whom my glory I behold
In full refplendence, Heir of all my might,
Nearly it now concerns us to be sure
Of our omnipotence, and with what arms
We mean to hold what anciently we clame
Of deity or empire; fuch a foe
Is rifing, who intends to' erect his throne
Equal to ours, throughout the fpacious north;
Nor fo content, hath in his thought to try
In battel, what our pow'r is, or our right.
Let us advise, and to this hazard draw
With speed what force is left, and all employ
In our defense, left unawares we lofe
This our high place, our fanctuary, our hill.
To whom the Son with calm afpéct and clear,
Lightning divine, ineffable, ferene,
Made answer. Mighty Father, thou thy foes
Juftly haft in derifion, and fecure
Laugh'ft at their vain designs and tumults vain,
Matter to me of glory, whom their hate
Illuftrates, when they fee 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 Heaven.
So fpake the Son; but Satan with his powers Far was adyanc'd on winged speed, an host
Innumerable as the stars of night,
Or ftars of morning, dew-drops, which the fun
Impearls on every leaf and every
Regions they pafs'd, the mighty regencies
Of Seraphim 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 globofe
Stretch'd into longitude; which having pafs'd
At length into the limits of the north
They came, and Satan to his royal feat
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, (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 Heaven,
The Mountain of the Congregation call'd;
For thither he affembled all his train,
Pretending fo commanded to confult
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, Powers,
If these magnific titles yet remain
Not merely titular, fince by decree
Another now hath to himself ingrofs'd
All pow'r, and us eclips'd under the name
Of King anointed, for whom all this hafte
Of midnight march, and hurried meeting here,
This only to confult, how we may best
With what may be devis'd of honors new
Receive him coming to receive from us
Knee-tribute yet unpaid, proftration vile,
Too much to one, but double how indur'd
To one and to his image now proclam'd?
But what if better counsels might erect
Our minds, and teach us to caft off this yoke?
Will ye submit your necks, and choose to bend
The fupple knee? ye will not, if I trust
To know ye right, or if ye know yourselves
Natives and fons of Heav'n poffefs'd before
By none, and if not equal all, yet free,
Equally free; for orders and degrees
Jar not with liberty, but well confift.
Who can in reason then or right assume
Monarchy over fuch as live by right
His equals, if in pow'r and fplendor lefs,
In freedom equal? or can introduce
Law and edict on us, who without law
Err not? much lefs for this to be our Lord,
And look for adoration to th' abufe
Of those imperial titles, which affert
Our being ordain'd to govern, not to serve.
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