Not in despair, to have found themselves not lost In loss itself; which on his countenance cast Like doubtful hue; but he his wonted pride Soon recollecting, with high words, that bore Semblance of worth not substance, gently raised Their fainting courage, and dispelled their fears. Then straight commands that at the warlike sound Of trumpets loud and clarions 1 be upreared His mighty standard; that proud honour claimed Azazel, as his right, a cherub tall,
Who forthwith from the glittering staff unfurled The imperial ensign, which, full high advanced, Shone like a meteor streaming to the wind, With gems and golden lustre rich emblazed, Seraphic arms and trophies; all the while Sonorous metal blowing martial sounds; At which the universal host up sent
A shout, that tore Hell's concave, and beyond Frighted the reign of Chaos and old Night. All in a moment through the gloom were seen Ten thousand banners rise into the air With orient colours waving; with them rose A forest huge of spears, and thronging helms Appeared, and serried shields in thick array Of depth immeasurable; anon they move In perfect phalanx to the Dorian 5 mood Of flutes and soft recorders; such as raised To height of noblest temper heroes old Arming to battle, and instead of rage Deliberate valour breathed, firm and unmoved With dread of death to flight or foul retreat; Nor wanting power to mitigate and 'suage
With solemn touches troubled thoughts, and chase Anguish and doubt, and fear, and sorrow, and pain,
1 Small, shrill, treble trumpets.
2 Not the scapegoat, but some demon.
3 So Tasso, describing the Christian and Pagan armies preparing to engage, Cant. 20, st. 28.
"Of dry-topped oaks they seemed two forests thick; So did each host with spears and pikes abound."
4 i. e. locked closely together.
5 i. e. grave or serious, such being the characteristic of Dorian harmony.
From mortal or immortal minds. Thus they, Breathing united force, with fixéd thought, Moved on in silence to soft pipes, that charmed Their painful steps o'er the burnt soil; and now Advanced in view they stand, a horrid front Of dreadful length and dazzling arms, in guise Of warriors old with ordered spear and shield, Awaiting what command their mighty chief Had to impose. He through the armed files Darts his experienced eye, and soon traverse The whole battalion views, their order due, Their visages and stature as of gods;
Their number last he sums. And now his heart Distends with pride, and hardening in his strength Glories; for never since created man,
Met such embodied force, as, named with these, Could merit more than that small infantry
Warred on by cranes; though all the giant brood
1 All the heroes and armies that ever were assembled were no more than pigmies in comparison with these angels ; though all the giant brood of Phlegra," a city of Macedonia, where the giants fought with the gods, "with the heroic race were joined that fought at Thebes," a city of Boeotia, famous for the war between the sons of Edipus, celebrated by Statius in his Thebaid, “and Ilium," made still more famous by Homer's Iliad, where on each side" the heroes were assisted by the gods, therefore called "auxiliar gods; and what resounds" even "in fable or romance of Uther's son," king Arthur, son of Uther Pendragon, whose exploits are romantically extolled by Geoffry of Monmouth, "begirt with British and Armoric knights," for he was often in alliance with the king of Armorica, since called Bretagne, of the Britons who settled there; " and all who since jousted in Aspramont, or Montalban," romantic names of places mentioned in Orlando Furioso, the latter, perhaps, Montauban in France, "Damasco or Marocco," Damascus or Morocco, but he calls them as they are called in romances; or Trebisond," a city of Cappadocia, in the Lesser Asia; all these places are famous in romances, for joustings between the "baptized and infidels; or whom Biserta," formerly called Utica, "sent from Afric shore," that is, the Saracens who passed from Biserta, in Africa, to Spain, "when Charlemagne with all his peerage fell by Fontarabia," Charlemagne, king of France and emperor of Germany, about the year 800, undertook a war against the Saracens in Spain; and Mariana and the Spanish historians are Milton's authors for saying that he and his army were routed in this manner at Fontarabia (which is a strong town in Biscay at the very entrance into Spain, and esteemed the key of the kingdom); but Mezeray and the French writers give a quite different and more probable account of him, that he was at last victorious over his enemies and died in peace.-Newton.
Of Phlegra with the heroic race were joined That fought at Thebes and Ilium, on each side Mixed with auxiliar gods; and what resounds In fable or romance of Uther's son Begirt with British and Armoric knights, And all who since, baptized or infidel, Jousted in Aspramont or Montalban, Damasco, or Marocco, or Trebisond, Or whom Biserta sent from Afric shore, When Charlemagne with all his peerage fell By Fontarabia. Thus far these beyond Compare of mortal prowess, yet observed Their dread commander; he above the rest In shape and gesture proudly eminent Stood like a tower; his form had yet not lost All its original brightness, nor appeared Less than archangel ruined, and the excess Of glory obscured; as when the sun new risen Looks through the horizontal misty air Shorn of his beams, or from behind the moon In dim eclipse disastrous twilight sheds On half the nations, and with fear of change Perplexes monarchs. Darkened so, yet shone Above them all the archangel; but his face Deep scars of thunder had entrenched, and care Sat on his faded cheek, but under brows Of dauntless courage, and considerate pride Waiting revenge; cruel his eyes, but cast Signs of remorse and passion to behold The fellows of his crime, the followers rather (Far other once beheld in bliss) condemned For ever now to have their lot in pain, Millions of spirits for his fault amerced1 Of Heaven, and from eternal splendours flung For his revolt; yet faithful how they stood, Their glory withered: as when Heaven's fire Hath scathed the forest oaks, or mountain pincs, With singéd top their stately growth, though bare, Stands on the blasted heath. He now prepared To speak; whereat their doubled ranks they bend From wing to wing, and half enclose him round
1 Deprived, robbed of, taken away from. 2 Hurt, injured.
With all his peers: attention held them mute. Thrice he assayed, and thrice, in spite of scorn, Tears, such as angels weep,' burst forth at last Words interwove with sighs found out their way. "O myriads of immortal spirits! O powers Matchless but with the Almighty; and that strife Was not inglorious, though the event was dire, As this place testifies, and this dire change, Hateful to utter: but what power of mind Foreseeing or presaging, from the depth Of knowledge past or present, could have feared, How such united force of gods, how such As stood like these, could ever know repulse? For who can yet believe, though after loss, That all these puissant legions, whose exile Hath emptied Heaven,2 shall fail to reascend Self-raised, and repossess their native seat? For me be witness all the host of Heaven, If counsels different, or danger shunned By me, have lost our hopes. But He who reigns Monarch in Heaven, till then as one secure Sat on his throne, upheld by old repute, Consent or custom, and his regal state
Put forth at full, but still his strength concealed, Which tempted our attempt, and wrought our fall. Henceforth his might we know, and know our own, So as not either to provoke, or dread
New war, provoked; our better part remains To work in close design, by fraud or guile, What force effected not: that he no less At length from us may find, who overcomes
1 66 Tears, such as angels weep," like Homer's ichor of the gods, which was different from the blood of mortals. This weeping of Satan on surveying his numerous host, and the thoughts of their wretched state, puts one in mind of the story of Xerxes weeping on seeing his vast army, and reflecting that they were mortal, at the time that he was hastening them to their fate, and to the intended destruction of the greatest people in the world, to gratify his own vain glory.-Newton.
2 It is conceived that a third part of the angels fell with Satan, according to Rev. xii. 4.: "And his tail drew the third part of the stars of Heaven, and cast them to the earth;" and this opinion Milton has expressed in several places, ii. 692, v. 710, vi. 156; but Satan here talks big and magnifies their number, as if their “exile had emptied Heaven."
By force, hath overcome but half his foe. Space may produce new worlds; whereof to rise There went a fame in Heaven that he ere long Intended to create, and therein plant A generation, whom his choice regard Should favour equal to the sons of Heaven: Thither, if but to pry, shall be perhaps Our first eruption: thither or elsewhere ; For this infernal pit shall never hold Celestial spirits in bondage, nor the abyss Long under darkness cover. But these thoughts Full counsel must mature: peace is despaired, For who can think submission? War, then, war, Open or understood, must be resolved."
He spake; and to confirm his words, out flew Millions of flaming swords, drawn from the thighs Of mighty cherubim; the sudden blaze
Far round illumined Hell: highly they raged Against the highest, and fierce with graspéd arms1 Clashed on their sounding shields the din of war, Hurling defiance toward the vault of Heaven. There stood a hill not far, whose grisly top Belched fire and rolling smoke; the rest entire Shone with a glossy scurf, undoubted sign That in his womb2 was hid metallic ore,
The work of sulphur.3 Thither, winged with speed, A numerous brigade hastened: as when bands Of pioneers with spade and pickaxe armed Forerun the royal camp, to trench a field,
Or cast a rampart. Mammon1 led them on,
1 The known custom of the Roman soldiers, when they applauded a speech of their general, was to smite their shields with their swords.-Bentley.
2 This word is constantly used in the masculine gender by Chaucer. 3 For metals are supposed to consist of two essential parts or principles; mercury, as the basis or metallic matter; and sulphur as the binder or cement, which fixes the fluid mercury into a coherent malleable mass. And so Ben Jonson in the " Alchemist," act. ii. scene 3.:
"It turns to sulphur, or to quicksilver,
Who are the parents of all other metals."-Newton.
4 This name is Syriac, and signifies riches. "Ye cannot serve God and Mammon," says our Saviour, Matt. vi. 24. and bids us "make to ourselves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness," Luke xvi. 9.-Newton.
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