Forthwith, from all the ends of heav'n, appear'd
Under their hierarchs in orders bright:-
Ten thousand thousand enfigns high advanc'd,
Standards and gonfalons 'twixt van and rear
Stream in the air, and for diftinction ferve
Of hierarchies, of orders, and degrees;
Or in their glitt'ring tiffues bear emblaz'd
Holy memorials, acts of zeal and love
Recorded eminent. Thus when in orbs
Of circuit inexpreffible they ftood,"
Orb within orb, the Father infinite,'
By whom in bliss imbosom❜d fat the Son,
Amidst as from a flaming mount, whofe top
Brightnefs had made invisible, thus fpake.
Hear all ye angels, progeny of light,
Thrones, dominations, princedoms, virtues, pow'rs,
Hear my decree, which unrevok'd shall stand.
This day i have begot whom I declare
My only Son, and on this holy hill
Him have anointed, whom ye now behold
At my right hand; your Head I him appoint;
And by myself have fworn, to him fhall bow
All knees in heav'n, and shall confefs him LORD:
Under his great vicegerent reign abide
United as one individual foul,
For ever happy: him who difobeys,
Me disobeys, breaks union, and that day
Caft out from God and bleffed vifion, falls
Into' utter darkness, deep ingulf'd, his place
Ordain'd without redemption, without end.
So fpake th' Omnipotent, and with his words
All feem'd well pleas'd; all feem'd, but were not all.
That day, as other folemn days, they spent
In fong and dance about the facred hill;
Myftical dance, which yonder starry sphere
Of planets and of fix'd, in all her wheels
Refembles nearest, mazes intricate,
Eccentric, intervolv'd, yet regular,
Then moft, when moft irregular they feem,
And in their motions harmony divine,
So fmooths her charming tones, that God's own ear
Liftens delighted. Ev'ning now approach'd
(For we have alfo' our ev'ning and our morn,
We ours for change delectable, not need),
Forthwith from dance to fweet repaft they turn
Defirous; all in circles as they stood,
Tables are fet, and on a sudden pil'd
With angels' food, and rubied nectar flows,
In pearl, in diamond, and maffy gold;
Fruit of delicious vines, the growth of heav'n.
On flow'rs repos'd, and with fresh flow'rets crown'd,
They eat, they drink, and in communion sweet
Quaff immortality and joy, fecure
Of furfeit, where full meafure only bounds
Excefs, before th' all bounteous King, who show'r'd
With copious hands, rejoicing in their joy.
Now when ambrofial night, with clouds exhal'd
From that high mount of Gon, whence light and fhade
Spring both, the face of brightest heav'n and chang'd
To grateful twilight, (for night comes not there 645
In darker veil), and refeate dews difpos'd,
All but th' unfleeping eyes of God to reft;
Wide over all the plain, and wider far
Than all this globous earth in plain outspread,
(Such are the courts of GoD), th' angelic throng, 650
Difpers'd in bands and files, their camp extend
By living ftreams among the trees of life,
Pavilions numberlefs, and fudden rear'd,
Celestial tabernacles, where they flept
Fann'd with cool winds; fave thofe who, in their course,
Melodious hymns about the fov'reign 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 first,
If not the first Arch Angel, great in pow'r,
In favour and pre-eminence, yet fraught
With envy 'gainst the Son of God, that day
Honour'd by his great Father, and proclaim'd
Meffiah King anointed, could not bear
Through pride that fight, and thought himself impair'd.
Deep malice thence conceiving, and disdain,
Soon as midnight brought on the dusky hour,
Friendlieft to fleep and filence. he refolv'd
With all his legions to diflodge, and leave
Unworshipp'd, 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't what decree Of yesterday, fo late hath pats'd the lips
Of heav'n's Almighty Thou to me thy thoughts
Waft wont, I mine to thee was wont t' impart ;
Both waking we were one; how then can now
Thy fleep diffent? New laws thou feest impos'd;
New laws from him who reigns, new minds may raife
In us who ferve, new counfels to debate
What doubtful may enfue: more in this place
To utter is not fafe. Affemble thou
Of all thefe myriads which we lead the chief;
Tell them that by command, ere yet dim night 685
Her fhadowy cloud withdraws, I am to hafte,
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 pass 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 Moft High commanding, now ere night,
Now ere dim night had difincumber'd heav'n,
The great hierarchal standard was to move;
Tells the fuggefted caufe, and casts between
Ambiguous words and jealoufies, 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 heav'n;
His count'nance, as the morning ftar 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 oppofe high his decree ;
And fmiling to his only Son, thus faid.
Son, thou in whom my glory I behold In full refplendence, heir of all my might, Nearly it now concerns us to be fure
Of our omnipotence, and with what arms
We mean to hold what anciently we claim
Of deity or empire: fuch a foe
Is rifing, who intends t' erect his throne
Equal to ours, throughout the spacious north;
Nor fo content. hath in his thought to try
In battle, what our pow'r is, or our right.
Let us advife, and to this hazard draw
With speed what force is left, and all employ
In our defence; left unawares we lofe.
This our high place, our fanctuary, our hill.
To whom the Son with calm afpect, and clear,
Lightning divine, ineffable, ferene,
Made answer. Mighty Father, thou thy foes 735
Juftly haft in derision, 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 pow'r
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 pow'rs,
Far was advanc'd on winged fpeed, an hoit
Innumerable as the stars of night
Or ftars of morning dew-drops, which the fun
Impearls on ev'ry leaf and ev'ry flower.
Regions they pafs'd, the mighty regencies
Of Seraphim, and Potentates, and Thrones,
In their triple degrees; regions to which s
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 tow'rs
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 heav'n,
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, pow'rs,
If thefe 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 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 counfels might erect
Our minds, and teach us to caft off this yoke?
Will you fubmit your necks, and chufe to bend
The fupple knee? Ye will not, if I trust
To know ye right, or if you know yourselves
Natives and fons of heav'n poffefs'd before
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