In the mid way: though strange to us it seem'd
At first, that Angel fhould with Angel war,
And in fierce hofting meet, who wont to meet
So oft in festivals of joy and love

Unanimous, as fons of one great fire

Hymning th' eternal Father: but the fhout
Of battel now began, and rushing found
Of onfet ended foon each milder thought,
High in the midst exalted as a God
Th' Apoftate in his fun-bright chariot fat,
Idol of majesty divine, inclos'd

With flaming Cherubim and golden fhields;

95

100

Then lighted from his gorgeous throne, for now
'Twixt hoft and hoft but narrow space was left,
A dreadful interval, and front to front
Prefented stood in terrible array

Of hideous length: before the cloudy van,
On the rough edge of battel ere it join'd,
Satan with vast and haughty ftrides advanc'd
Came tow'ring, arm'd in adamant and gold;
Abdiel that fight indur'd not, where he stood
Among the mightieft, bent on highest deeds,
And thus his own undaunted heart explores.

105

110

O Heav'n! that fuch resemblance of the Highest

Should

111. Abdiel that fight indur'd not,] A foliloquy upon fuch an occafion Virg. Æn. II. 407.

is only making the perfon think aloud. And as it is obferved by a very good judge in thefe matters this use of foliloquies by the epic poets, who might fo much more eafily than the dramatic defcribe the workings of the mind in narrative, feems to be much in favor of the latter in their use of them, however the modern critics agree (as I think they generally do agree) in condemning them as unnatural, tho' not only frequent, but generally the most beautiful parts in the beft plays ancient and modern; and I believe very few, if any, have been wrote without them.

115

120

Should yet remain, where faith and reälty
Remain not: wherefore should not strength and might
There fail where virtue fails, or weakest prove
Where boldeft, though to fight unconquerable?
His puiffance, trufting in th' Almighty's aid,
I mean to try, whose reason I have try'd
Unfound and false; nor is it ought but just,
That he who in debate of truth hath won,
Should win in arms, in both difputes alike
Victor; though brutish that contéft and foul,
When reafon hath to deal with force, yet fo
Moft reafon is that reafon overcome.
So pondering, and from his armed
Forth stepping oppofit, half way he met

peers

125

Proud, art thou met? thy hope was to have reach'd

130

T

The highth of thy afpiring unoppos'd,

The throne of God unguarded, and his fide

Abandon'd at the terror of thy power

Or potent tongue : fool, not to think how vain 135
Against th' Omnipotent to rife in arms;

Who out of smallest things could without end

Have rais'd inceffant armies to defeat

Thy folly; or with folitary hand

Reaching beyond all limit, at one blow

Unaided could have finish'd thee, and whelm'd
Thy legions under darkness: but thou feeft

14.0

All

All are not of thy train; there be who faith
Prefer, and piety to God, though then

To thee not vifible, when I alone

145

Seem'd in thy world erroneous to diffent

From all my fect thou seeft; now learn too late How few fometimes may know, when thousands err.

Whom the grand foe with scornful eye afkance Thus anfwer'd. Ill for thee, but in wifh'd hour

Of my revenge, first sought for thou return'st 151 From flight, feditious Angel, to receive

Thy merited reward, the first assay

Of this right hand provok'd, fince firft that tongue Inspir'd with contradiction durft oppose

155

A

147-1 my felt thou feeft; &c.] The ufe of the word Ject in this place feems a little forc'd and fingular; and I can't help thinking but Milton brought it in in order to fneer the Loyalists of his time, who branded all diffenters, of whom he was one, with the opprobrious name of Sectaries. This also ac

counts for the word few in the next line, inafmuch as it fuited Milton's particular view better to establish a general maxim than to apply it merely to the fingle cafe of Abdiel.

Thyer.

148. How for fometimes may know,] Thele few here are still too many. To come up to the point he should

have given it, and I fuppofe did give it,

How one fometimes may know,

when thousands err.

as above, ver. 23. That one, fet one return'd not loft. Corn. Nepos in Epaminonda, Ex quo intelligi potelt unum hominem pluris quam civitatem fuiffe. Phædri Fab. LXIII.

Plus effe in uno fæpe quam in turba boni. Bentley.

I fuppofe the good Angel faid few, though one was particularly intended, as it is more modeft and lefs affuming to himself, and for the reafon hinted above, intimating

that