Quaff immortality and joy, secure
Of surfeit, where full measure only bounds
Excess, before the all-bounteous King, who showered With copious hand, rejoicing in their joy.
Now when ambrosial night with clouds exhaled
From that high mount of God, whence light and shade Spring both, the face of brightest Heaven had changed To grateful twilight, (for night comes not there In darker veil,) and roseat dews disposed All but the unsleeping eyes of God to rest; Wide over all the plain, and wider far Than all this globose earth in plain outspread, (Such are the courts of God) the angelic throng, Dispers'd in bands and files, their camp extend By living streams among the trees of life, Pavilions numberless, and sudden reared, Celestial tabernacles, where they slept
Fanned with cool winds; save those, who, in their
Melodious hymns, about the sovran throne,
Alternate all night long but not so waked Satan; so call him now, his former name Is heard no more in Heaven; he of the first, If not the first Arch-Angel, great in power, In favour and pre-eminence, yet fraught With envy against the Son of God, that day Honoured by his great Father, and proclaimed
Messiah, King anointed, could not bear
Through pride that sight, and thought himself im
Deep malice thence conceiving and disdain,
Soon as midnight brought on the dusky hour Friendliest to sleep and silence, he resolved With all his legions to dislodge, and leave Unworshipped, unobeyed, the throne supreme, Contemptuous; and his next subordinate
Awakening, thus to him in secret spake.
Sleep'st thou, companion dear? What sleep can close
Thy eye-lids, and remember'st what decree
Of yesterday, so late hath passed the lips
Of Heaven's Almighty? Thou to me thy thoughts Wast wont, I mine to thee was wont to impart; But waking we were one; how then can now Thy sleep dissent? New laws thou seest imposed; New laws from him who reigns, new minds may raise In us who serve, new counsels to debate What doubtful may ensue; more in this place To utter is not safe. Assemble thou,
Of all those myriads which we lead, the chief; Tell them, that by command, ere yet dim night Her shadowy cloud withdraws, I am to haste, And all who under me their banners wave, Homeward, with flying march, where we possess The quarters of the north; there to prepare Fit entertainment to receive our King, The great Messiah, and his new commands, Who speedily through all the hierarchies Intends to pass triumphant, and give laws. So spake the false Arch-Angel, and infused Bad influence into the unwary breast Of his associate: he together calls,
Or several 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 disencumbered Heaven, The great hierarchal standard was to move; Tells the suggested cause, and casts between Ambiguous words and jealousies, to sound Or taint integrity: but all obeyed
The wonted signal, and superiour voice Of their great Potentate; for great indeed His name, and high was his degree in Heaven; His countenance, as the morning-star that guides The starry flock, allured them, and with lies Drew after him the third part of Heaven's host. Meanwhile the Eternal eye, whose sight discerns Abstrusest thoughts, from forth his holy mount, And from within the golden lamps that burn Nightly before him, saw without their light Rebellion rising, saw in whom, how spread Among the sons of morn, what multitudes Were banded to oppose his high decrce; And, smiling, to his only Son thus said.
Son, thou in whom my glory I behold In full resplendence, 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 claim Of deity or empire such a foe
Is rising, who intends to erect his throne Equal to ours, throughout the spacious north; Nor so content, hath in his thought to try
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 employ In our defence; lest unawares we lose This our high place, our sanctuary, our hill.
To whom the Son with calm aspéct and clear, Lightning divine, ineffable, serene,
Made answer. Mighty Father! thou thy foes Justly hast in derision, and, secure,
Laugh'st at their vain designs and tumults vain, Matter to me of glory, whom their hate Illustrates, when they see all regal power Given me to quell their pride, and in event Know whether I be dextrous to subdue Thy rebels, or be found the worst in Heaven.
So spake the Son; but Satan, with his Powers, Far was advanced on winged speed; an host Innumerable as the stars of night,
Or (stars of morning) dew-drops, which the sun Impearls on every leaf and every flower. Regions they passed, 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 sea, from one entire globose Stretched into longitude; which having passed, 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
Raised 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 declared in sight of Heaven, The Mountain of the Congregation called; For thither he assembled all his train, Pretending so commanded, 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 magnifick titles yet remain
Not merely titular, since by decree Another now hath to himself engrossed
All power, and us eclipsed 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 devised of honours new, Receive him, coming to receive from us Knee-tribute yet unpaid, prostration vile! Too much to one! but double, how endured! To one, and to his image now proclaimed. 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
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