These things, as not to mind from whence they grow Deep under ground, materials dark and crude, Of spirituous and fiery spume, tili touch'd With Heaven's ray, and temper'd, they shoot forth 480 Shall yield us, pregnant with infernal flame; Thick ramm'd, at the other bore with touch of fire 485 Dilated and infuriate, shall send forth From far, with thundering noise, among our foes He ended, and his words their drooping cheer 490 495 To be the inventor miss'd; so easy it seem'd [thought Once found, which yet unfound most would have Impossible: Yet haply of thy race 501 In future days, if malice should abound, Wide the celestial soil, and saw beneath The originals of nature in their crude Conception; sulphurous and nitrous foam They found, they mingled, and, with subtle art, 505 510 To blackest grain, and into store convey'd : 515 Part hidden veins digged up (nor hath this earth Up rose the victor-Angels, and to arms 525 The matin trumpet sung: in arms they stood Of golden panoply, refulgent host, Soon banded; others from the dawning hills Look round, and scouts each coast light-armed scour, Each quarter to descry the distant foe, 530 Where lodged, or whither fled, or if for fight, In motion or in halt: Him soon they met Arm, Warriors, arm for fight; the foe at hand, Sad resolution, and secure: Let each 535 540 His adamantine coat gird well, and each Fit woll his helm, gripe fast his orbed shield, Borne even or high; for this day will pour down,. If I conjecture aught, no drizzling shower, 545 But rattling storms of arrows barb'd with fire. So warn'd he them, aware themselves, and soon In order, quit of all impediment; Instant without disturb they took alarm, And onward moved embattled: When behold! Approaching gross and huge, in hollow cube 550 Training his devilish enginery, impaled On every side with shadowing squadrons deep, 555 560 Heaven, witness thou anon! while we discharge 565 570 On wheels (for like to pillars most they seem'd, Or hollow'd bodies made of oak or fir, With branches lopp'd, in wood or mountain fell'd,) 575 Brass, iron, stony mould, had not their mouths With hideous orifice gaped on us wide, Portending hollow truce: At each behind A Seraph stood, and in his hand a reed Stood waving tipp'd with fire: while we, suspense, 580 Collected stood within our thoughts amused, Not long for sudden all at once their reeds Put forth, and to a narrow vent applied With nicest touch. Immediate in a flame, 584 But soon obscured with smoke, all Heaven appear'd, From those deep-throated engines belch'd, whose roar Embowel'd with outrageous noise the air, And all her entrails tore, disgorging foul Their devilish glut, chain'd thunderbolts and hail 590 Level'd, with such impetuous fury smote, That, whom they hit, none on their feet might stand, The sooner for their arms; unarm'd, they might 595 By quick contraction or remove; but now What should they do if on they rush'd, repulse 600 Doubled, would render them yet more despised, They worse abhorr'd. Satan beheld their plight, 605 O Friends! why come not on these victors proud? Fre while they fierce were coming; and when we 610 To entertain them fair with open front And breast, (what could we more?) propounded terms As they would dance; yet for a dance they seem'd 615 To whom thus Belial, in like gamesome mood: 620 So they among themselves in pleasant vein 625 Stood scoffing, heighten'd in their thoughts beyond All doubt of victory: Eternal Might 636 To match with their inventions they presumed So easy, and of his thunder made a scorn, And all his host derided, while they stood Awhile in trouble: But they stood not long; Rage prompted them at length, and found them arms 636 Which God hath in his mighty Angels placed!) Their arms away they threw, and to the hills (For Earth hath this variety from Heaven 640 Of pleasure situate in hill and dale,) Light as the lightning glimpse they ran, they flew ; 645 650 They saw them whelm'd, and all their confidence 654 Came shadowing, and oppress'd whole legions arm'd ; Long struggling underneath, ere they could wind The rest, in imitation, to like arms Betook them, and the neighbouring hills uptore: Hurl'd to and fro with jaculation dire; That under ground they fought in dismal shade; 665 |