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From “Paradise Lost,” Book VI. THE ARRAY | |
| Such as in highest heaven, arrayed in gold | |
| Empyreal; from before her vanished night, | |
| Shot through with orient beams; when all the plain | |
| Covered with thick embattled squadrons bright, | 5 |
| Chariots, and flaming arms, and fiery steeds, | |
| Reflecting blaze on blaze, first met his view. * * * * * | |
| The apostate in his sun-bright chariot sat, | |
| Idol of majesty divine, enclosed | |
| With flaming cherubim, and golden shields; | 10 |
| Then lighted from his gorgeous throne, for now | |
| ’Twixt host and host but narrow space was left, | |
| A dreadful interval, and front to front | |
| Presented stood in terrible array | |
| Of hideous length: before the cloudy van, | 15 |
| On the rough edge of battle ere it joined, | |
| Satan, with vast and haughty strides advanced, | |
| Came towering, armed in adamant and gold. | |
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THE CONFLICT Michael bid sound | |
| The archangel trumpet; through the vast of heaven | 20 |
| It sounded, and the faithful armies rung | |
| Hosanna to the Highest: nor stood at gaze | |
| The adverse legions, nor less hideous joined | |
| The horrid shock. Now storming fury rose, | |
| And clamor, such as heard in heaven till now | 25 |
| Was never; arms on armor clashing brayed | |
| Horrible discord, and the madding wheels | |
| Of brazen chariots raged; dire was the noise | |
| Of conflict; overhead the dismal hiss | |
| Of fiery darts in flaming volleys flew, | 30 |
| And flying vaulted either host with fire. | |
| So under fiery cope together rushed | |
| Both battles main, with ruinous assault | |
| And inextinguishable rage. All heaven | |
| Resounded; and had earth been then, all earth | 35 |
| Had to her centre shook. * * * * * | |
| Deeds of eternal fame | |
| Were done, but infinite: for wide was spread | |
| That war, and various: sometimes on firm ground | |
| A standing fight, then, soaring on main wing, | 40 |
| Tormented all the air; all air seemed then | |
| Conflicting fire. * * * * * | |
| Forthwith (behold the excellence, the power | |
| Which God hath in his mighty angels placed!) | |
| Their arms away threw, and to the hills | 45 |
| (For earth hath this variety from heaven, | |
| Of pleasures situate in hill and dale), | |
| Light as the lightning glimpse they ran, they flew, | |
| From their foundations loosening to and fro, | |
| They plucked the seated hills, with all their load, | 50 |
| Rocks, waters, woods, and by the shaggy tops | |
| Uplifting bore them in their hands: amaze, | |
| Be sure, and terror, seized the rebel host, | |
| When coming towards them so dread they saw | |
| The bottom of the mountains upward turned, | 55 |
| . . . . and on their heads | |
| Main promontories flung, which in the air | |
| Came shadowing, and oppressed whole legions armed; | |
| Their armor helped their harm, crushed in and bruised | |
| Into their substance pent, which wrought them pain | 60 |
| Implacable, and many a dolorous groan; | |
| Long struggling underneath, ere they could wind | |
| Out of such prison, though spirits of purest light, | |
| Purest at first, now gross by sinning grown. | |
| The rest, in imitation, to like arms | 65 |
| Betook them, and the neighboring hills uptore: | |
| So hills amid the air encountered hills, | |
| Hurled to and fro with jaculation dire, | |
| That underground they fought in dismal shade; | |
| Infernal noise! war seemed a civil game | 70 |
| To this uproar; horrid confusion heaped | |
| Upon confusion rose. | |
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THE VICTOR So spake the Son, and into terror changed | |
| His countenance too severe to be beheld, | |
| And full of wrath bent on his enemies. | 75 |
| At once the Four spread out their starry wings | |
| With dreadful shade contiguous, and the orbs | |
| Of his fierce chariot rolled, as with the sound | |
| Of torrent floods, or of a numerous host. | |
| He on his impious foes right onward drove, | 80 |
| Gloomy as night: under his burning wheels | |
| The steadfast empyrean shook throughout. | |
| All but the throne itself of God. Full soon | |
| Among them he arrived; in his right hand | |
| Grasping ten thousand thunders, which he sent | 85 |
| Before him, such as in their souls infixèd | |
| Plagues: they, astonished, all resistance lost, | |
| All courage; down their idle weapons dropt; | |
| O’er shields, and helms, and helmèd heads he rode | |
| Of thrones and mighty seraphim prostráte, | 90 |
| That wished the mountains now might be again | |
| Thrown on them, as a shelter from his ire. | |
| Nor less on either side tempestuous fell | |
| His arrows, from the fourfold-visaged Four | |
| Distinct with eyes, and from the living wheels | 95 |
| Distinct alike with multitude of eyes; | |
| One spirit in them ruled; and every eye | |
| Glared lightning, and shot forth pernicious fire | |
| Among the accursed, that withered all their strength, | |
| And of their wonted vigor left them drained, | 100 |
| Exhausted, spiritless, afflicted, fallen. | |
| Yet half his strength he put not forth, but checked | |
| His thunder in mid volley; for he meant | |
| Not to destroy, but root them out of heaven: | |
| The overthrown he raised, and as a herd | 105 |
| Of goats or timorous flock together thronged, | |
| Drove them before him thunderstruck, pursued | |
| With terrors and with furies, to the bounds | |
| And crystal wall of heaven; which, opening wide, | |
| Rolled inward, and a spacious gap disclosed | 110 |
| Into the wasteful deep: the monstrous sight | |
| Struck them with horror backward, but far worse | |
| Urged them behind: headlong themselves they threw | |
| Down from the verge of heaven; eternal wrath | |
| Burnt after them to the bottomless pit. | 115 |
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