VI.558 - VI.834

Many thanks to The Milton Reading Room edited by Thomas H. Luxon and copyrighted by the Trustees of Dartmouth College is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.dartmouth.edu.

Luxon, Thomas H., ed. The Milton Reading Room, http://www.dartmouth.edu/~milton, March, 2015.

Theme

Vanguard, to Right and Left the Front unfould;

That all may see who hate us, how we seek
Peace and composure, and with open brest [ 560 ]

Stand readie to receive them, if they like

Our overture, and turn not back perverse;

But that I doubt, however witness Heaven,

Heav'n witness thou anon, while we discharge

Freely our part; yee who appointed stand [ 565 ]

Do as you have in charge, and briefly touch

What we propound, and loud that all may hear.

Writing Style

So scoffing in ambiguous words he scarce

Had ended; when to Right and Left the Front

Divided, and to either Flank retir'd. [ 570 ]

Which to our eyes discoverd new and strange,

A triple mounted row of Pillars laid

On Wheels (for like to Pillars most they seem'd

Or hollow'd bodies made of Oak or Firr

With branches lopt, in Wood or Mountain fell'd) [ 575 ]

Brass, Iron, Stonie mould, had not thir mouthes

With hideous orifice gap't on us wide,

Portending hollow truce; at each behind

A Seraph stood, and in his hand a Reed

Stood waving tipt with fire; while we suspense, [ 580 ]
Collected stood within our thoughts amus'd,

Not long, for sudden all at once thir Reeds

Put forth, and to a narrow vent appli'd

With nicest touch. Immediate in a flame,

But soon obscur'd with smoak, all Heav'n appeerd, [ 585 ]

From those deep throated Engins belcht, whose roar

Emboweld with outragious noise the Air,

And all her entrails tore, disgorging foule

Thir devilish glut, chaind Thunderbolts and Hail

Of Iron Globes, which on the Victor Host [ 590 ]

Level'd, with such impetuous furie smote,

That whom they hit, none on thir feet might stand,

Though standing else as Rocks, but down they fell

By thousands, Angel on Arch-Angel rowl'd;

The sooner for thir Arms, unarm'd they might [ 595 ]

Have easily as Spirits evaded swift
By quick contraction or remove; but now

Foule dissipation follow'd and forc't rout;

Nor serv'd it to relax thir serried files. [ 600 ]

What should they do? if on they rusht, repulse
Repeated, and indecent overthrow

Doubl'd, would render them yet more despis'd,

And to thir foes a laughter; for in view

Stood rankt of Seraphim another row

In posture to displode thir second tire [ 605 ]

Of Thunder: back defeated to return

They worse abhorr'd. Satan beheld thir plight,

And to his Mates thus in derision call'd.

O Friends, why come not on these Victors proud?

Ere while they fierce were coming, and when wee, [ 610 ]

To entertain them fair with open Front
And Brest,

(what could we more?) propounded terms

Of composition, strait they chang'd thir minds,

Flew off, and into strange vagaries fell,

As they would dance, yet for a dance they seemd [ 615 ]

Somwhat extravagant and wilde, perhaps

For joy of offerd peace: but I suppose

If our proposals once again were heard

We should compel them to a quick result.

To whom thus Belial in like gamesom mood, [ 620 ]

Leader, the terms we sent were terms of weight,

Of hard contents, and full of force urg'd home,

Such as we might perceive amus'd them all,

And stumbl'd many, who receives them right,

Had need from head to foot well understand; [ 625 ]

Not understood, this gift they have besides,

They shew us when our foes walk not upright.

So they among themselves in pleasant veine

Stood scoffing, highthn'd in thir thoughts beyond

All doubt of victorie, eternal might [ 630 ]

To match with thir inventions they presum'd

So easie, and of his Thunder made a scorn,

And all his Host derided, while they stood

A while in trouble; but they stood not long,

Rage prompted them at length, and found them arms [ 635 ]

Against such hellish mischief fit to oppose.

Forthwith (behold the excellence, the power

Which God hath in his mighty Angels plac'd)

Thir Arms away they threw, and to the Hills

(For Earth hath this variety from Heav'n [ 640 ]

Of pleasure situate in Hill and Dale)

Light as the Lightning glimps they ran, they flew,

From thir foundations loosning to and fro

They pluckt the seated Hills with all thir load,

Rocks, Waters, Woods, and by the shaggie tops [ 645 ]

Up lifting bore them in thir hands: Amaze,

Be sure, and terrour seis'd the rebel Host,

When coming towards them so dread they saw

The bottom of the Mountains upward turn'd,

Till on those cursed Engins triple-row [ 650 ]

They saw them whelm'd, and all thir confidence

Under the weight of Mountains buried deep,

Themselves invaded next, and on thir heads

Main Promontories flung, which in the Air

Came shadowing, and opprest whole Legions arm'd, [ 655 ]

Thir armor help'd thir harm, crush't in and bruis'd

Into thir substance pent, which wrought them pain
Implacable, and many a dolorous groan,

Long strugling underneath, ere they could wind

Out of such prison, though Spirits of purest light, [ 660 ]

Purest at first, now gross by sinning grown.

The rest in imitation to like Armes

Betook them, and the neighbouring Hills uptore;

So Hills amid the Air encounterd Hills

Hurl'd to and fro with jaculation dire, [ 665 ]

That under ground, they fought in dismal shade;

Infernal noise; Warr seem'd a civil Game

To this uproar; horrid confusion heapt

Upon confusion rose: and now all Heav'n

Had gone to wrack, with ruin overspred, [ 670 ]

Had not th' Almightie Father where he sits

Shrin'd in his Sanctuarie of Heav'n secure,

Consulting on the sum of things, foreseen

This tumult, and permitted all, advis'd:

That his great purpose he might so fulfill, [ 675 ]

To honour his Anointed Son aveng'd

Upon his enemies, and to declare

All power on him transferr'd: whence to his Son

Th' Assessor of his Throne he thus began.

Effulgence of my Glorie, Son belov'd, [ 680 ]

Son in whose face invisible is beheld

Visibly, what by Deitie I am,

And in whose hand what by Decree I doe,

Second Omnipotence, two dayes are past,

Two dayes, as we compute the dayes of Heav'n, [ 685 ]

Since Michael and his Powers went forth to tame

These disobedient; sore hath been thir fight,

As likeliest was, when two such Foes met arm'd;

For to themselves I left them, and thou knowst,

Equal in thir Creation they were form'd, [ 690 ]

Save what sin hath impaird, which yet hath wrought

Insensibly, for I suspend thir doom;

Whence in perpetual fight they needs must last

Endless, and no solution will be found:

Warr wearied hath perform'd what Warr can do, [ 695 ]

And to disorder'd rage let loose the reines,

With Mountains as with Weapons arm'd, which makes

Wild work in Heav'n, and dangerous to the maine.

Two dayes are therefore past, the third is thine;

For thee I have ordain'd it, and thus farr [ 700 ]

Have sufferd, that the Glorie may be thine

Of ending this great Warr, since none but Thou

Can end it. Into thee such Vertue and Grace

Immense I have transfus'd, that all may know

In Heav'n and Hell thy Power above compare, [ 705 ]

And this perverse Commotion governd thus,

To manifest thee worthiest to be Heir

Of all things, to be Heir and to be King

By Sacred Unction, thy deserved right.

Go then thou Mightiest in thy Fathers might, [ 710 ]

Ascend my Chariot, guide the rapid Wheeles

That shake Heav'ns basis, bring forth all my Warr,
My Bow and Thunder, my Almightie Arms

Gird on, and Sword upon thy puissant Thigh;

Pursue these sons of Darkness, drive them out [ 715 ]

From all Heav'ns bounds into the utter Deep:

There let them learn, as likes them, to despise

God and Messiah his anointed King.

He said, and on his Son with Rayes direct
Shon full, he all his Father full exprest [ 720 ]

Ineffably into his face receiv'd,

And thus the filial Godhead answering spake.

O Father, O Supream of heav'nly Thrones,
First, Highest, Holiest, Best, thou alwayes seekst
To glorifie thy Son, I alwayes thee, [ 725 ]

As is most just; this I my Glorie account,
My exaltation, and my whole delight,
That thou in me well pleas'd, declarst thy will
Fulfill'd, which to fulfil is all my bliss.

Scepter and Power, thy giving, I assume, [ 730 ]

And gladlier shall resign, when in the end

Thou shalt be All in All, and I in thee

For ever, and in mee all whom thou lov'st:

But whom thou hat'st, I hate, and can put on
Thy terrors, as I put thy mildness on, [ 735 ]

Image of thee in all things; and shall soon,

Armd with thy might, rid heav'n of these rebell'd,

To thir prepar'd ill Mansion driven down
To chains of darkness, and th' undying Worm,
That from thy just obedience could revolt, [ 740 ]
Whom to obey is happiness entire.

Then shall thy Saints unmixt, and from th' impure
Farr separate, circling thy holy Mount
Unfeigned Halleluiahs to thee sing,
Hymns of high praise, and I among them chief. [ 745 ]

So said, he o're his Scepter bowing, rose

From the right hand of Glorie where he sate,

And the third sacred Morn began to shine

Dawning through Heav'n: forth rush'd with whirl-wind sound

The Chariot of Paternal Deitie, [ 750 ]

Flashing thick flames, Wheele within Wheele, undrawn,

It self instinct with Spirit, but convoyd
By four Cherubic shapes, four Faces each
Had wondrous, as with Starrs thir bodies all
And Wings were set with Eyes, with Eyes the wheels [ 755 ]
Of Beril, and careering Fires between;

Over thir heads a chrystal Firmament,

Whereon a Saphir Throne, inlaid with pure

Amber, and colours of the showrie Arch.

Hee in Celestial Panoplie all armd [ 760 ]

Of radiant Urim, work divinely wrought,

Ascended, at his right hand Victorie

Sate Eagle-wing'd, beside him hung

his Bow
And Quiver with three-bolted Thunder stor'd,

And from about him fierce Effusion rowld [ 765 ]

Of smoak and bickering flame, and sparkles dire;

Attended with ten thousand thousand Saints,

He onward came, farr off his coming shon,

And twentie thousand (I thir number heard)

Chariots of God, half on each hand were seen: [ 770 ]

Hee on the wings of Cherub rode sublime

On the Chrystallin Skie, in Saphir Thron'd.

Illustrious farr and wide, but by his own

First seen, them unexpected joy surpriz'd,

When the great Ensign of Messiah blaz'd [ 775 ]

Aloft by Angels born, his Sign in Heav'n:

Under whose Conduct Michael soon reduc'd

His Armie, circumfus'd on either Wing,

Under thir Head imbodied all in one.

Before him Power Divine his way prepar'd; [ 780 ]

At his command the uprooted Hills retir'd

Each to his place, they heard his voice and went

Obsequious, Heav'n his wonted face renewd,

And with fresh Flourets Hill and Valley smil'd.

This saw his hapless Foes but stood obdur'd, [ 785 ]

And to rebellious fight rallied thir Powers

Insensate, hope conceiving from despair.

In heav'nly Spirits could such perverseness dwell?

But to convince the proud what Signs availe,

Or Wonders move th' obdurate to relent? [ 790 ]

They hard'nd more by what might most reclame,

Grieving to see his Glorie, at the sight

Took envie, and aspiring to his highth,

Stood reimbattell'd fierce, by force or fraud

Weening to prosper, and at length prevaile [ 795 ]

Against God and Messiah, or to fall

In universal ruin last, and now

To final Battel drew, disdaining flight,

Or faint retreat; when the great Son of God

To all his Host on either hand thus spake. [ 800 ]

Stand still in bright array ye Saints, here stand

Ye Angels arm'd, this day from Battel rest;

Faithful hath been your warfare, and of God

Accepted, fearless in his righteous Cause,

And as ye have receivd, so have ye don [ 805 ]

Invincibly; but of this cursed crew

The punishment to other hand belongs,

Vengeance is his, or whose he sole appoints;

Number to this dayes work is not ordain'd

Nor multitude, stand onely and behold [ 810 ]

Gods indignation on these Godless pourd

By mee, not you but mee they have despis'd,

Yet envied; against mee is all thir rage,

Because the Father, t' whom in Heav'n supream

Kingdom and Power and Glorie appertains, [ 815 ]

Hath honourd me according to his will.
Therefore

to mee thir doom he hath assig'n'd;

That they may have thir wish, to trie with mee

In Battel which the stronger proves, they all,

Or I alone against them, since by strength [ 820 ]

They measure all, of other excellence

Not emulous, nor care who them excells;

Nor other strife with them do I voutsafe.

So spake the Son, and into terrour chang'd
His count'nance too severe to be beheld [ 825 ]
And full of wrauth bent on his Enemies.

At once the Four spred out thir Starrie wings

With dreadful shade contiguous, and the Orbes

Of his fierce Chariot rowld, as with the sound

Of torrent Floods, or of a numerous Host. [ 830 ]

Hee on his impious Foes right onward drove,

Gloomie as Night; under his burning Wheeles

The stedfast Empyrean shook throughout,

All but the Throne it self of God. Full soon

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VI.558 - VI.834

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