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Sceptre, and power, thy giving, I assume,
And gladlier shall resign, when in the end
Thou shalt be all in all, and I in thee
For ever, and in me all whom thou lov'st:
But whom thou hat'st, I hate, and can put on
Thy terrors, as I put thy mildness on,

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735

Image of thee in all things; and shall soon,
Arm'd with thy might, rid heaven of these rebell'd,
To their prepar'd ill mansion driven down
To chains of darkness and th' undying worm;
That from thy just obedience could revolt,
Whom to obey is happiness entire.

740

Then shall thy saints unmix'd, and from th' impure Far separate, circling thy holy mount

Unfained hallelujahs to thee sing,

Hymns of high praise, and I among them chief. 745
So said, he, o'er his sceptre bowing, rose
From the right hand of glory where he sat,
And the third sacred morn began to shine,
Dawning through heaven: forth rush'd with whirl-
The chariot of paternal Deity,

[wind sound

Flashing thick flames, wheel within wheel undrawn, Itself instinct with spirit, but convoy'd

By four cherubic shapes; four faces each

Had wondrous, as with stars their bodies all
And wings were set with eyes, with eyes the wheels
Of beryl, and careering fires between;

Over their heads a crystal firmament,
Whereon a saphire throne, inlaid with pure

758 Whereon] Fenton reads 'Where, on.' Todd.

756

760

765

Amber, and colours of the show'ry arch. He, in celestial panoply all arm'd Of radiant Urim work divinely wrought, Ascended; at his right hand Victory Sate eagle-wing'd, beside him hung his bow And quiver with three-bolted thunder stor❜d, And from about him fierce effusion roll'd, Of smoke, and bickering flame, and sparkles dire. Attended with ten thousand thousand saints He onward came; far off his coming shone; And twenty thousand, I their number heard, Chariots of GOD, half on each hand were seen. 770 He on the wings of cherub rode sublime, On the crystalline sky, in sapphire thron❜d. Illustrious far and wide, but by his own First seen; them unexpected joy surpris'd, When the great ensign of Messiah blaz❜d, Aloft by angels borne, his sign in heaven: Under whose conduct Michael soon reduc'd His army, circumfus'd on either wing, Under their head embodied all in one. Before him power divine his way prepar'd; At his command the uprooted hills retir'd Each to his place; they heard his voice and went Obsequious; Heaven his wonted face renew'd, And with fresh flow'rets hill and valley smil'd. This saw his hapless foes, but stood obdur'd,

759 show'ry arch] A. Ramsæi, P. Sacr. ed. Lauder, p. 5. 'Coelo sicut Thaumantias udo,

Cum picturatum dat mille coloribus arcum.'

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780

And to rebellious fight rallied their powers 786 Insensate, hope conceiving from despair:

790

In heavenly spirits could such perverseness dwell?
But to convince the proud what signs avail,
Or wonders move the obdurate to relent?
They harden'd more by what might most reclaim,
Grieving to see his glory, at the sight

Took envy, and, aspiring to his height,
Stood reimbattled fierce, by force or fraud
Weening to prosper, and at length prevail
Against God and Messiah, or to fall
In universal ruin last; and now

To final battle drew, disdaining flight,

Or faint retreat; when the great Son of GOD
To all his host on either hand thus spake.

795

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Stand still in bright array, ye saints; here stand, Ye angels arm'd; this day from battle rest. Faithful hath been your warfare, and of GOD Accepted, fearless in his righteous cause, And as ye have receiv'd, so have ye done Invincibly but of this cursed crew

:

The punishment to other hand belongs;
Vengeance is his, or whose he sole appoints:
Number to this day's work is not ordain'd,

787 hope] Virg. Æn. ii. 354.

'Una salus victis, nullam sperare salutem.'

and Q. Curt. L. v. c. iv.

Sæpe desperatio spei causa est.'

Newton.

797 last] Tickell and Bentley read 'lost.'

905

810

815

820

Nor multitude: stand only and behold
GOD's indignation on these godless pour'd
By me: not you, but me they have despis'd,
Yet envied against me is all their rage,
Because the Father, t' whom in heaven supreme
Kingdom, and power, and glory appertains,
Hath honour'd me according to his will.
Therefore to me their doom he hath assign'd;
That they may have their wish, to try with me
In battle which the stronger proves, they all,
Or I alone against them; since by strength
They measure all, of other excellence
Not emulous, nor care who them excels;
Nor other strife with them do I vouchsafe.
So spake the Son, and into terror chang'd
His count'nance, too severe to be beheld
And full of wrath bent on his enemies.
At once the four spread out their starry wings
With dreadful shade contiguous, and the orbs
Of his fierce chariot roll'd, as with the sound
Of torrent floods, or of a numerous host.
He on his impious foes right onward drove,
Gloomy as night; under his burning wheels
The stedfast empyrean shook throughout,
All but the throne itself of GOD. Full soon
Among them he arriv'd, in his right hand
Grasping ten thousand thunders, which he sent
Before him, such as in their souls infix'd
Plagues they astonish'd all resistance lost,
All courage; down their idle weapons dropp'd;

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815

O'er shields, and helms, and helmed heads he rode
Of thrones and mighty seraphim prostrate,
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 visag'd Four,
Distinct with eyes, and from the living wheels
Distinct alike with multitude of eyes;
One spirit in them rul'd, and every eye
Glar'd light'ning, and shot forth pernicious fire
Among th' accurst, that wither'd all their strength,
And of their wonted vigour left them drain'd, 851
Exhausted, spiritless, afflicted, fall'n.

855

Yet half his strength he put not forth, but check❜d
His thunder in mid volley, for he meant
Not to destroy, but root them out of heaven.
The overthrown he rais'd, and as a herd
Of goats or timorous flock together throng'd
Drove them before him thunder-struck, pursu'd
With terrors and with furies to the bounds

841 prostrate] Fairfax and Spenser accent this word on the last syllable. v. Tasso, c. i. 83;

'And lay his powers prostráte.' F. Qu. xii. 39. 'Before fair Britomart she fell prostráte. Newton. 858 thunder] See Beaumont's Psyche, c. xx. st. 102. 'Down plung'd this mixed rout which almost split The greedy throat of the sulphureous deep, Loud was the noise of this great fall, but yet Far louder was their crie, who down the steep Eternal precipice still tumbled, and

No bottom saw, to bid their ruine stand.'

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