Servility with freedom to contend,

175

As both their deeds compar'd this day shall prove. 170
To whom in brief thus Abdiel stern reply'd.
Apoftate, ftill thou err'ft, nor end wilt find,
Of erring, from the path of truth remote:
Unjustly thou deprav'ft it with the name
Of fervitude to ferve whom God ordains,
Or Nature; God and Nature bid the fame,
When he who rules is worthieft, and excels
Them whom he governs. This is servitude,
To serve th' unwife, or him who hath rebell'd
Against his worthier, as thine now ferve thee,
Thyself not free, but to thyself inthrall'd;
Yet lewdly dar'ft our miniftring upbraid.

180

Reign thou in Hell thy kingdom; let me ferve

In Heav'n God ever bleft, and his divine

Behefts obey, worthieft to be obey'd;

185

Yet chains in Hell, not realms expect: mean while From me return'd, as erft thou faidft, from flight, This greeting on thy impious creft receive.

So fay'ing, a noble stroke he lifted high,
Which hung not, but fo fwift with tempeft fell 190
On the proud creft of Satan, that no fight,
Nor motion of swift thought, lefs could his shield
Such ruin intercept: ten paces huge

He back recoil'd; the tenth on bended knee
His maffy fpear upftay'd; as if on earth
Winds under ground, or waters forcing way

187. From me return'd, as erft thou faidft, from flight, This greeting &c.] So Afcanius in Virgil retorts his adversary's term of reproach, Æn. IX. 635,

195

Sidelong

189. So fay'ing, &c.] Saying is here contracted into one fyllable, or is to be pronounc'd as two short ones, which very well expreffes the eagerness of the Angel. He truck at his foe before he had finish'd his fpeech, while he was than Dr. Bentley's reading So aid, fpeaking, which is much better as if he had not aim'd his blow, till after he had spoken.

195. - as if on earth Winds under ground, &c.] Hefiod

Bis capti Phryges hæc Rutulis re- compares the fall of Cygnus to an

fponfa remittunt,

alluding to ver. 599.

oak or a rock falling, Scut. Herc.

Sidelong had push'd a mountain from his feat Half funk with all his pines. Amazement feis'd The rebel Thrones, but greater rage to see

Thus foil'd their mightiest; ours joy fill'd, and shout, Prefage of victory, and fierce defire

201

Of battel: whereat Michaël bid found
Th'Arch-Angel trumpet; through the vast of Heaven
It founded, and the faithful armies rung

Ηριπε δ', ὡς ὅτε τις δρυς ήριπεν,

11 ότε πετρη Hribar☺, wrnycsa AIO Jo

λοεντι κεραύνω.

And fimiles of this kind are very frequent amongst the ancient poets, but though our author might take the hint of his from thence, yet we must allow, that he has with great art and judgment highten'd at in proportion to the fuperior dignity of his fubject. But perhaps he might rather more probably allude to Spenfer's description of the fall of the old dragon, under which allegory he intended to represent a Chriftian's victory over the Devil. Fairy Queen, B. 1. Cant. 11. St. 54. So down he fell, as an huge rocky clift, Whofe falfe foundation waves have wafh'd away, With dreadful poife is from the main land rift, &c. Thyer.

210. - and the madding wheels]

Hofanna

What frong and daring figures are here! Every thing is alive and animated. The very chariot wheels are mad and raging. And how rough and jarring are the verses, and how admirably do they bray the horrible difcord they would defcribe! The word bray (probably from the Greek Bezy ftrepo) fignifies to make any kind of noise, tho' now it be commonly appropriated to a certain animal. It is apply'd by Spenfer to the found of a trumpet, Fairy Queen, B. 3. Cant. 12. St. 6.

And when it ceas'd, fhrill trum

pets loud did bray.

But it ufually fignifies any difagreeable noise, as B. 1. Cant. 6. St. 7. Her fhrill outcries and fhrieks fo loud did bray:

and B. 1. Cant. 8. St. 11.

He loudly bray'd with beaftly yelling found:

and

Hofanna to the High'eft: nor ftood at gaze
The adverse legions, nor lefs hideous join'd
The horrid shock: now ftorming fury rose,
And clamor fuch as heard in Heav'n till now
Was never; arms on armour clashing bray'd
Horrible difcord, and the madding wheels
Of brazen chariots rag'd; dire was the noise
Of conflict; over head the difmal hifs

thus

and in Shakespear's Hamlet, A&t I.
The kettle drum and trumpet
bray out
The triumph of his pledge.

212. over head the difmal bifs Of fiery darts] Now the author come to that part of his poem, where he is moft to exert what faculty he has of, magniloquence of ftile, and fublimity of thought,

Nunc, veneranda Pales, magno nunc ore fonandum.

Virg. Georg. III. 294. He has executed it to admiration: but the danger is, of being hurried away by his unbridled fteed; and of deferting propriety, while he's hunting after found and tumor.

205

210

Of

Of fiery darts in flaming volies flew,

And flying vaulted either hoft with fire.
So under fiery cope together rufh'd
Both battels main, with ruinous affault
And inextinguishable rage; all Heaven
Refounded, and had Earth been then, all Earth
Had to her center fhook. What wonder? when
Millions of fierce encountring Angels fought
On either fide, the least of whom could wield
These elements, and arm him with the force
Of all their regions: how much more of power
Army' against army numberless to raise
Dreadful combuftion warring, and disturb,
Though not destroy, their happy native feat;

Shakespear, the fubftantive is fometimes to be conftrued adjectively when governing a genitive cafe. Aristophanes in Plut. 268. pu

σου αγελας επων. Ο thou who telleft me a gold of words, that is golden words. Sir Philip Sidney's Arcadia, p. 2. opening the cherry of her lips, that is cherry lips. So here the bifs of darts is hiffing darts.

214. And flying vaulted either hoft

with fire] Our author has frequently had his eye upon Hefiod's giant-war as well as upon Homer, and has imitated feveral paffages; but commonly exceeds

215

220

225

Had