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spake the false Arch-Angel, and infus’d

       Bad influence into th’ unwarie brest

       Of his Associate; hee 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 disincumberd Heav’n,

       The great Hierarchal Standard was to move;

       Tells the suggested cause, and casts between

       Ambiguous words and jealousies, to sound

       Or taint integritie; but all obey’d

       The wonted signal, and superior voice

       Of thir great Potentate; for great indeed

       His name, and high was his degree in Heav’n;

       His count’nance, as the Morning Starr that guides

       The starrie flock, allur’d them, and with lyes

       Drew after him the third part of Heav’ns Host:

       Mean while th’ Eternal eye, whose sight discernes

       Abstrusest thoughts, from forth his holy Mount

       And from within the golden Lamps that burne

       Nightly before him, saw without thir light

       Rebellion rising, saw in whom, how spred

       Among the sons of Morn, what multitudes

       Were banded to oppose his high Decree;

       And smiling to his onely Son thus said.

      Son, thou in whom my glory I behold

       In full resplendence, Heir of all my might,

       Neerly it now concernes us to be sure

       Of our Omnipotence, and with what Arms

       We mean to hold what anciently we claim

       Of Deitie 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 trie

       In battel, what our Power is, or our right.

       Let us advise, and to this hazard draw

       With speed what force is left, and all imploy

       In our defence, lest unawares we lose

       This our high place, our Sanctuarie, our Hill.

      To whom the Son with calm aspect and cleer

       Light’ning Divine, ineffable, serene,

       Made answer. Mightie Father, thou thy foes

       Justly hast in derision, and secure

       Laugh’st at thir vain designes and tumults vain,

       Matter to mee of Glory, whom thir hate

       Illustrates, when they see all Regal Power

       Giv’n me to quell thir pride, and in event

       Know whether I be dextrous to subdue

       Thy Rebels, or be found the worst in Heav’n.

      So spake the Son, but Satan with his Powers Farr was advanc’t on winged speed, an Host Innumerable as the Starrs of Night, Or Starrs of Morning, Dew-drops, which the Sun Impearls on every leaf and every flouer. Regions they pass’d, the mightie Regencies Of Seraphim and Potentates and Thrones In thir triple Degrees, Regions to which All thy Dominion, Adam, is no more Then what this Garden is to all the Earth, And all the Sea, from one entire globose Stretcht into Longitude; which having pass’d 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 Rais’d on a Mount, with Pyramids and Towrs From Diamond Quarries hew’n, & Rocks of Gold, The Palace of great Lucifer, (so call That Structure in the Dialect of men Interpreted) which not long after, hee Affecting all equality with God, In imitation of that Mount whereon Messiah was declar’d in sight of Heav’n, The Mountain of the Congregation call’d; For thither he assembl’d all his Train, Pretending so commanded to consult About the great reception of thir King, Thither to come, and with calumnious Art Of counterfeted truth thus held thir ears.

      Thrones, Dominations, Princedomes, Vertues, Powers,

       If these magnific Titles yet remain

       Not meerly titular, since by Decree

       Another now hath to himself ingross’t

       All Power, and us eclipst under the name

       Of King anointed, for whom all this haste

       Of midnight march, and hurried meeting here,

       This onely to consult how we may best

       With what may be devis’d of honours new

       Receive him coming to receive from us

       Knee-tribute yet unpaid, prostration vile,

       Too much to one, but double how endur’d,

       To one and to his image now proclaim’d?

       But what if better counsels might erect

       Our minds and teach us to cast off this Yoke?

       Will ye submit your necks, and chuse to bend

       The supple knee? ye will not, if I trust

       To know ye right, or if ye know your selves

       Natives and Sons of Heav’n possest before

       By none, and if not equal all, yet free,

       Equally free; for Orders and Degrees

       Jarr not with liberty, but well consist.

       Who can in reason then or right assume

       Monarchie over such as live by right

       His equals, if in power and splendor less,

       In freedome equal? or can introduce

       Law and Edict on us, who without law

       Erre not, much less for this to be our Lord,

       And look for adoration to th’ abuse

       Of those Imperial Titles which assert

       Our being ordain’d to govern, not to serve?

      Thus farr his bold discourse without controule

       Had audience, when among the Seraphim

       Abdiel, then whom none with more zeale ador’d The Deitie, and divine commands obei’d, Stood up, and in a flame of zeale severe The current of his fury thus oppos’d.

      O argument blasphemous, false and proud!

       Words which no eare ever to hear in Heav’n

       Expected, least of all from thee, ingrate

       In place thy self so high above thy Peeres.

       Canst thou with impious obloquie condemne

       The just Decree of God, pronounc’t and sworn,

       That to his only Son by right endu’d

       With Regal Scepter, every Soule in Heav’n

       Shall bend the knee, and in that honour due

       Confess him rightful King? unjust thou saist

       Flatly unjust, to binde with Laws the free,

       And equal over equals to let Reigne,

       One over all with unsucceeded power.

       Shalt thou give Law to God, shalt thou dispute

       With him the points of libertie, who made

       Thee what thou art, & formd the Pow’rs of Heav’n

      

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