A faithful leader, not to hazard all This new created world, whereof in hell To whom the warrior angel soon reply'd. 935 940 945 Satan, and couldst thou faithful add? O name, 950 O sacred name of faithfulness profan'd! Faithful to whom? to thy rebellious crew? Army of fiends, fit body to fit head: Was this your discipline and faith engag'd, Once fawn'd, and cring'd, and servilely ador'd 945 And] 'With' is understood. Pearce. 955 To dispossess him, and thyself to reign? So threaten'd he: but Satan to no threats 961 965 970 From my prevailing arm; though heaven's King 962 arreed] See Lisle's Dubartas, p. 173. 'Arreed in books of heaven the summe.' 966 And seal] See Northmore's note to Tryphiodorus, p. 88. 976 star-pav'd] Ashmore's Epigrams, 4to. p. 33. 'The casements large of Heaven have open set, And from their star-pav'd floors have sent me down.' 980 Todd. Lest on the threshing floor his hopeful sheaves His stature reach'd the sky, and on his crest 985 What seem'd both spear and shield. Now dreadful deeds Might have ensu'd, nor only paradise In this commotion, but the starry cope Of heaven perhaps, or all the elements At least had gone to wrack, disturb'd and torn Th' Eternal to prevent such horrid fray Hung forth in heav'n his golden scales, yet seen Wherein all things created first he weigh'd, 990 995 The pendulous round earth with balanc'd air 1000 1005 Satan, I know thy strength, and thou know'st mine: Neither our own but giv'n; what folly then 1008 thine] 'Thine' and 'mine' refer to strength, ver. 1006. not to Newton. arms. Than heaven permits, nor mine, though doubled now To trample thee as mire? for proof look up, 1010 And read thy lot in yon celestial sign, Where thou art weigh'd, and shown how light, how weak, If thou resist. The fiend look'd up, and knew Murmuring, and with him fled the shades of night. MORNING approached, Eve relates to Adam her troublesome dream; he likes it not, yet comforts her: they come forth to their day-labours: their morning hymn at the door of their bower. GOD, to render man inexcusable, sends Raphael to admonish him of his obedience, of his free estate, of his enemy near at hand, who he is, and why his enemy, and whatever else may avail Adam to know. Raphael comes down to paradise; his appearance described, his coming discerned by Adam afar off, sitting at the door of his bower; he goes out to meet him, brings him to his lodge, entertains him with the choicest fruits of paradise got together by Eve; their discourse at table: Raphael performs his message, minds Adam of his state, and of his enemy; relates, at Adam's request, who that enemy is, and how he came to be so, beginning from his first revolt in heaven, and the occasion thereof; how he drew his legions after him to the parts of the north, and there incited them to rebel with him; persuading all but only Abdiel a seraph, who in argument dissuades and opposes him, then forsakes him. Now morn, her rosy steps in th' eastern clime Advancing, sow'd the earth with orient pearl, 1 rosy steps] Quintus Smyrnæus applies the epithet, godóσqugos to Aurora. v. lib. i. 137. A. Dyce. 2 sow'd] Ambo de comis calorem, et ambo radios conserunt.' See Anthol. Lat. vol. i. p. 8, ed. Burm. Avieni, Orb. Desc. ver. 580. and Fragm. in Aristot. Poet. Σπείρων θεοκτίστων φλόγα. Upton. |