9

For strength from Truth divided and from Just,

Illaudable, naught merits but dispraise

And ignominie, yet to glorie aspires

Vain glorious, and through infamie seeks fame:

Therfore Eternal silence be thir doome. [ 385 ]

And now thir Mightiest quelld, the battel swervd,

With many an inrode gord; deformed rout

Enterd, and foul disorder; all the ground

With shiverd armour strown, and on a heap

Chariot and Charioter lay overturnd [ 390 ]

And fierie foaming Steeds; what stood, recoyld

Orewearied, through the faint Satanic Host

Defensive scarse, or with pale fear surprisd,

Then first with fear surprisd and sense of paine

Fled ignominious, to such evil brought [ 395 ]

By sin of disobedience, till that hour

Not liable to fear or flight or paine.

Far otherwise th inviolable Saints

In Cubic Phalanx firm advanct entire,

Invulnerable, impenitrably armd: [ 400 ]

Such high advantages thir innocence

Gave them above thir foes, not to have sinnd,

Not to have disobeid; in fight they stood

Unwearied, unobnoxious to be paind

By wound, though from thir place by violence movd. [ 405 ]

Now Night her course began, and over Heavn

Inducing darkness, grateful truce imposd,

And silence on the odious dinn of Warr:

Under her Cloudie covert both retird,

Victor and Vanquisht: on the foughten field [ 410 ]

Michael and his Angels prevalent

Encamping, placd in Guard thir Watches round,

Cherubic waving fires: on th other part

Satan with his rebellious disappeerd,

Far in the dark dislodgd, and void of rest, [ 415 ]

His Potentates to Councel calld by night;

And in the midst thus undismaid began.