The Complete Poetry of John Milton (87 page)

   590     
Stream in the Air, and for distinction serve

               
Of Hierarchies, of Orders, and Degrees;

               
Or in thir glittering Tissues bear imblaz’d

               
Holy Memorials, acts of Zeal and Love

               
Recorded eminent. Thus when in Orbs

   595     
Of circuit inexpressible they stood,

               
Orb within Orb, the Father infinite,

               
By whom in bliss inbosom’d sat the Son,

               
Amidst as from a flaming Mount, whose top

               
Brightness had made invisible, thus spake.

   600  
      
       Hear all ye Angels, Progenie of Light,

               
Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Vertues, Powers,

               
Hear my Decree, which unrevok’t shall stand.

               
This day I have begot
³⁹
whom I declare

               
My onely Son, and on this holy Hill

   605     
Him have anointed, whom ye now behold

               
At my right hand; your Head I him appoint;

               
And by my Self have sworn to him shall bow

               
All knees in Heav’n, and shall confess him Lord:

               
Under his great Vice-gerent Reign abide

   610     
United as one individual
⁴⁰
Soul

               
For ever happie: him who disobeys

               
Mee disobeys, breaks union, and that day

               
Cast out from God and blessed vision, falls

               
Into utter darkness, deep ingulft, his place

   615     
Ordaind without redemption, without end.

           
      
       So spake th’ Omnipotent, and with his words

               
All seemd well pleas’d, all seem’d, but were not all.

               
That day, as other solemn dayes, they spent

               
In song and dance about the sacred Hill,

   620     
Mystical dance, which yonder starrie Sphear

               
Of Planets and of fixt in all her Wheels

               
Resembles nearest, mazes intricate,

               
Eccentric, intervolv’d, yet regular

               
Then most, when most irregular they seem:

   625     
And in thir motions harmonie Divine

               
So smooths her charming tones, that Gods own ear

               
Listens delighted. Eevning now approach’d

               
(For wee have also our Eevning and our Morn,

               
Wee ours for change delectable, not need)

   630     
Forthwith from dance to sweet repast they turn

               
Desirous; all in Circles as they stood,

               
Tables are set, and on a sudden pil’d

               
With Angels Food, and rubied Nectar flows:

               
In Pearl, in Diamond, and massie Gold

   635     
Fruit of delicious Vines, the growth of Heav’n.

               
On flowrs repos’d, and with fresh flowrets crownd,

               
They eat, they drink, and in communion sweet

               
Quaff immortalitie and joy, secure

               
Of surfet where full measure onely bounds

   640     
Excess, before th’ all-bounteous King, who showrd

               
With copious hand, rejoycing in thir joy.

               
Now when ambrosial Night with Clouds exhal’d

               
From that high mount of God, whence light and shade

               
Spring both, the face of brightest Heav’n had chang’d

   645     
To grateful Twilight (for Night comes not there

               
In darker veil) and roseat Dews dispos’d

               
All but th’ unsleeping eyes of God to rest,

               
Wide over all the Plain, and wider farr

               
Then all this globous Earth in Plain outspred,

   650     
(Such are the Courts of God) th’ Angelic throng

               
Disperst in Bands and Files thir Camp extend

               
By living Streams among the Trees of Life,

               
Pavilions numberless, and sudden reard,

               
Celestial Tabernacles, where they slept

   655     
Fannd with cool Winds, save those who in thir course

               
Melodious Hymns about the sovran Throne

               
Alternate all night long: but not so wak’d

               
Satan
, so call him now, his former name

               
Is heard no more in Heav’n; he of the first,

   660     
If not the first Arch-Angel, great in Power,

               
In favour and in præeminence, yet fraught

               
With envie against the Son of God, that day

               
Honourd by his great Father, and proclaimd

               
Messiah
King anointed, could not bear

   665     
Through pride that sight, and thought himself impaird.

               
Deep malice thence conceiving and disdain,

               
Soon as midnight brought on the duskie hour

               
Friendliest to sleep and silence, he resolv’d

               
With all his Legions to dislodge, and leave

   670     
Unworshipt, unobey’d the Throne supream

               
Contemptuous, and his next subordinate
⁴¹

               
Awak’ning, thus to him in secret spake.

           
      
       Sleepst thou Companion dear, what sleep can close

               
Thy eye-lids? and remembrest what Decree

   675     
Of yesterday, so late hath past the lips

               
Of Heav’ns Almightie. Thou to me thy thoughts

               
Wast wont, I mine to thee was wont t’ impart;

               
Both waking we were one; how then can now

               
Thy sleep dissent? new Laws thou seest impos’d;

   680     
New Laws from him who reigns, new minds may raise

               
In us who serve, new Counsels, to debate

               
What doubtful may ensue, more in this place

               
To utter is not safe. Assemble thou

               
Of all those Myriads which we lead the chief;

   685     
Tell them that by command, ere yet dim Night

               
Her shadowie Cloud withdraws, I am to haste,

               
And all who under me thir Banners wave,

               
Homeward with flying march where we possess

               
The Quarters of the North, there to prepare

   690     
Fit entertainment to receive our King

               
The great
Messiah
, and his new commands,

               
Who speedily through all the Hierarchies

               
Intends to pass triumphant, and give Laws.

           
      
       So spake the false Arch-Angel, and infus’d

   695     
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,

   700     
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

   705     
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

   710     
Drew after him the third part of Heav’ns Host:
⁴²

               
Mean while th’ Eternal eye, whose sight discerns

               
Abstrusest thoughts, from forth his holy Mount

               
And from within the golden Lamps that burn

               
Nightly before him, saw without thir light

   715     
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

   720     
In full resplendence, Heir of all my might,

               
Neerly it now concerns 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

   725     
Is rising, who intends t’ erect his Throne

               
Equal to ours, throughout the spacious North;

               
Nor so content, hath in his thought to try

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

               
Let us advise, and to this hazard draw

   730     
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,

   735     
Made answer. Mightie Father, thou thy foes

               
Justly hast in derision,
⁴³
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

   740     
Giv’n me to quell thir pride, and in event

               
Know whether I be dextrous
⁴⁴
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

   745     
Innumerable as the Starrs of Night,

               
Or Starrs of Morning, Dew-drops, which the Sun

               
Impearls on every leaf and every flower.

               
Regions they pass’d, the mightie Regencies

               
Of Seraphim and Potentates and Thrones