Latest / Paradise Lost / 011 - Book Six Part 1
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- 0:13Speaker 1: Maryland Paradise Lost by John Milton, Book six, Part one,
- 0:22Speaker 1: All Night, the Dreadless Angel, unpursued through Heaven's wide Champagne
- 0:26Speaker 1: held his way till morn, waked by the circling hours,
- 0:30Speaker 1: with rosy hand unbarred the gates of light. There is
- 0:33Speaker 1: a cave within the mount of God, fast by his throne,
- 0:37Speaker 1: where light and darkness in perpetual round lodge and dislodge
- 0:40Speaker 1: by turns, which makes through heaven grateful vicissitude like day
- 0:44Speaker 1: and night light issues forth, and at the other door
- 0:47Speaker 1: obsequious darkness enters till her hour to veil the heaven,
- 0:51Speaker 1: though darkness there might well seem twilight here and now
- 0:55Speaker 1: went forth the morn, such as in highest Heaven, arrayed
- 0:58Speaker 1: in gold imperial from before her vanished night shot through
- 1:02Speaker 1: with orient beams, when all the plain cover'd with thick
- 1:06Speaker 1: embattled squadrons, bright chariots and flaming arms, and fiery steeds
- 1:11Speaker 1: reflecting blaze on Blaze first met his view war. He
- 1:15Speaker 1: perceived war in procinct, and found already known what he
- 1:19Speaker 1: for news had thought to have reported gladly. Then he
- 1:22Speaker 1: mixed among those friendly powers, whom him received with joy
- 1:25Speaker 1: and acclamations loud that one that of so many myriads fallen,
- 1:30Speaker 1: yet one return not lost. On to the sacred hill.
- 1:34Speaker 1: They led him high, applauded, and present before the seat Supreme.
- 1:38Speaker 1: From whence a voice from midst a golden cloud. Thus
- 1:40Speaker 1: mild was heard, servant of God. Well done well, hast
- 1:44Speaker 1: Thou fought the better fight, whose single hast maintained against
- 1:48Speaker 1: revolted multitudes, the cause of truth in word mightier than
- 1:52Speaker 1: they in arms. And for the testimony of truth, hast
- 1:55Speaker 1: borne universal reproach far worse to bear than violence. For
- 1:59Speaker 1: this t was all thy care to stand approved in
- 2:02Speaker 1: sight of God. Though worlds judge thee perverse, the easier
- 2:06Speaker 1: conquest now remains THEE, aided by this host of friends,
- 2:09Speaker 1: back on thy foes, more glorious to return than scorn,
- 2:13Speaker 1: Thou didst depart and to subdue by force, who reason
- 2:16Speaker 1: for their law, refuse right reason for their law, and
- 2:19Speaker 1: for their king Messiah, who by right of merit reigns.
- 2:24Speaker 1: Go Michael of celestial armies, Prince and Thou in military
- 2:27Speaker 1: prowess next to Gabriel, Lead forth to battle these my
- 2:31Speaker 1: sons invincible. Lead forth my armored saints, by thousands and
- 2:35Speaker 1: by millions, ranged for fight, equal in number to that
- 2:38Speaker 1: godless crew. Rebellious them with fire and hostile arms, fearless assault,
- 2:44Speaker 1: and to the brow of Heaven, pursuing drive them out
- 2:46Speaker 1: from God and bliss into their place of punishment, the
- 2:50Speaker 1: gulf of Tartarus, which ready opens wide his fiery chaos,
- 2:54Speaker 1: to receive their fall. So spake the sovereign voice, and
- 2:58Speaker 1: clouds began to darken in all the hill and smoke
- 3:01Speaker 1: to roul in dusky wreaths, reluctant flames, the sign of
- 3:05Speaker 1: wrath awaked nor with less dread. The loud ethereal trumpet
- 3:09Speaker 1: from on high gan blow at which command the power's
- 3:12Speaker 1: militant that stood for Heaven in mighty quadrant, joined of union, irresistible,
- 3:17Speaker 1: moved on in silence their bright legions to the sound
- 3:21Speaker 1: of instrumental harmony that breathed heroic ardor to adventurous deeds
- 3:25Speaker 1: under their godlike leaders in the cause of God and
- 3:28Speaker 1: his Messiah. On they move indissolubly, firm, nor obvious hill,
- 3:33Speaker 1: nor straitening vale, nor wood, nor stream divides their perfect ranks.
- 3:37Speaker 1: For high above the ground their march was, and the
- 3:40Speaker 1: passive air upbore their nimble tread as when the total
- 3:44Speaker 1: kind of birds in orderly array on wing came summoned
- 3:47Speaker 1: over Eden to receive their names of thee. So over
- 3:50Speaker 1: many a tract of heaven they march'd, and many a
- 3:53Speaker 1: province wide tenfold the length of this terrain. At last,
- 3:57Speaker 1: far in the horizon to the north, appeared from skirt
- 4:00Speaker 1: to skirt of fiery region, stretched in battalious aspect, and
- 4:04Speaker 1: nearer view, bristled with upright beams, innumerable of rigid spears
- 4:09Speaker 1: and helmets, thronged, and shields various. With boastful argument, portrayed
- 4:14Speaker 1: the banded powers of Satan, hasting on with furious expedition,
- 4:19Speaker 1: For they weened that self same day, by fight or
- 4:22Speaker 1: by surprise, to win the mount of God, and on
- 4:25Speaker 1: his throne, to set the envier of his state the
- 4:28Speaker 1: proud aspirer. But their thoughts proved fond and vain in
- 4:31Speaker 1: the midway, though strange to us. It seemed at first
- 4:34Speaker 1: that Angel should with Angel war and in fierce hosting meat,
- 4:38Speaker 1: who wont to meet so oft in festivals of joy
- 4:41Speaker 1: and love, unanimous as sons of one great sire, hymning
- 4:45Speaker 1: the eternal Father. But the shout of battle now began,
- 4:48Speaker 1: and rushing sound of onset ended. Soon each milder thought
- 4:53Speaker 1: high in the midst exalted as a god, the Apostat
- 4:56Speaker 1: in his sun bright chariot, sat idle of majesty, divine
- 5:00Speaker 1: inclosed with flaming cherubim and golden shields, then lighted from
- 5:04Speaker 1: his gorgeous throne for now TwixT host and host. But
- 5:07Speaker 1: narrow space was left a dreadful interval, and front to
- 5:11Speaker 1: front presented stood in terrible array of hideous length. Before
- 5:15Speaker 1: the cloudy van on the rough edge of battle. Ere
- 5:17Speaker 1: it join'd Satan, with vast and haughty strides advanced came towering,
- 5:23Speaker 1: armed in adamant and gold abdeal that sight endured not
- 5:27Speaker 1: where he stood among the mightiest, bent on highest deeds.
- 5:30Speaker 1: And thus his own undaunted heart explores o Heaven that
- 5:34Speaker 1: such resemblance of the highest should yet remain where faith
- 5:38Speaker 1: and realty remain not, wherefore should not strength, and might
- 5:42Speaker 1: there fail where virtue fails, or weakest prove where boldest,
- 5:46Speaker 1: though to sight unconquerable his puissants, trusting in the Almighty's aid,
- 5:50Speaker 1: I mean to try, whose reason I have tried unsound
- 5:53Speaker 1: and false, Nor is it aught, but just that he
- 5:56Speaker 1: who in debate of truth hath one should win in
- 5:59Speaker 1: arms both disputes alike victor, though brutish that contest and
- 6:03Speaker 1: foul when reason hath to deal with force. Yet so
- 6:07Speaker 1: most reason is that reason overcome. So pondering, and from
- 6:11Speaker 1: his armed peers forth, stepping opposite half way, he met
- 6:14Speaker 1: his daring foe at this prevention, more incensed, and thus
- 6:18Speaker 1: securely him defied proud art Thou met thy hope was
- 6:23Speaker 1: to have reached the height of thy aspiring unopposed, the
- 6:26Speaker 1: throne of God, unguarded, and his side abandoned at the
- 6:29Speaker 1: terror of thy power or potent tongue. Fool not to
- 6:33Speaker 1: think how vain against omnipotent to rise in arms, who
- 6:37Speaker 1: out of smallest things, could without end have raised incessant
- 6:40Speaker 1: armies to defeat thy folly, Or with solitary hand, reaching
- 6:44Speaker 1: beyond all limit, at one blow unaided, could have finished
- 6:48Speaker 1: thee and whelm thy legions under darkness. But thou seest
- 6:51Speaker 1: all are not of thy train. There be who faith
- 6:54Speaker 1: prefer and piety to God, though then to thee not visible.
- 6:58Speaker 1: When I alone seemed in thy world erroneous to dissent
- 7:02Speaker 1: from all my sect, thou seest now learn too late,
- 7:05Speaker 1: how few sometimes may know when thousands err whom the
- 7:10Speaker 1: grand foe with scornful eye askance. Thus answer'd ill for thee,
- 7:14Speaker 1: but in wisht hour of my revenge, first sought for
- 7:17Speaker 1: thou return'st from flight seditious angel, to receive thy merited reward.
- 7:22Speaker 1: The first essay of this right hand provoked since first
- 7:25Speaker 1: that tongue inspired with contradiction, Durst oppose a third part
- 7:29Speaker 1: of the gods in Synod met their deities to assert who,
- 7:34Speaker 1: while they feel vigor divine within them, can allow omnipotence
- 7:37Speaker 1: to none. But well thou comest before thy fellows, ambitious
- 7:41Speaker 1: to win from me, some plume that thy success may
- 7:44Speaker 1: show destruction to the rest. This pause between unanswer'd, least
- 7:49Speaker 1: thou boast to let THEE know. At first I thought
- 7:52Speaker 1: that liberty in heav'n to heav'nly souls had been all one.
- 7:56Speaker 1: But now I see that most through sloth had rather
- 7:59Speaker 1: served ministering spirits train'd up in feast and song. Such
- 8:04Speaker 1: hast thou arm'd the ministrelsy of heav'n servility, with freedom
- 8:08Speaker 1: to contend as both their deeds compared this day shall
- 8:11Speaker 1: prove to whom in brief Thus abd'al Stern replied apostat,
- 8:16Speaker 1: Still thou errest nor end will find of erring from
- 8:20Speaker 1: the path of truth remote unjustly. Thou deprav'est it with
- 8:23Speaker 1: the name of servitude to serve whom God ordains or nature.
- 8:27Speaker 1: God and Nature bid the same. When he who rules
- 8:30Speaker 1: is worthiest and excels them whom he governs. This is
- 8:34Speaker 1: servitude to serve thee unwise o'er him that hath rebelled
- 8:37Speaker 1: against his worthier as thine. Now serve thee thyself not free,
- 8:41Speaker 1: but to thy self enthrall'd. Yet lewdely darest our ministring
- 8:45Speaker 1: upbraid reign Thou in hell thy kingdom, Let me serve
- 8:49Speaker 1: in heav'n God, ever blest and his divine behests obey,
- 8:53Speaker 1: worthiest to be obeyed. Yet chains in hell not realms
- 8:57Speaker 1: expect Meanwhile, from me, return'd as erst thou saidst from flight,
- 9:01Speaker 1: this greeting on thy impious crest, receive so, saying a
- 9:06Speaker 1: noble stroke, he lifted high, which hung not, but so
- 9:10Speaker 1: swift with tempest fell on the proud crest of Satan,
- 9:13Speaker 1: that no sight nor motion of swift thought less could
- 9:16Speaker 1: his shield such ruin intercept ten paces huge He back
- 9:21Speaker 1: recoil'd the tenth on bended knee, his massy spear upstay'd
- 9:25Speaker 1: as if on earth, winds under ground or water's forcing way.
- 9:29Speaker 1: Sidelong had push'd a mountain from his seat, half sunk
- 9:33Speaker 1: with all his pines. Amazement seized the rebel thrones, but
- 9:37Speaker 1: greater rage to see thus foil'd their mightiest ours, joy
- 9:41Speaker 1: fill'd and shout presage of victory and fierce desire of battle.
- 9:45Speaker 1: Whereat Michael bid sound the archangel trumpet through the vast
- 9:49Speaker 1: of heaven. It sounded, and the faithful armies rung Hosanna
- 9:53Speaker 1: to the highest, Nor stood it gaze the adverse legions,
- 9:56Speaker 1: nor lest hideous join'd the horrid shock Now storming, fury
- 10:01Speaker 1: rose and clamor such as heard in heaven till now
- 10:03Speaker 1: was never arms on armor clashing brayed horrible discord, and
- 10:08Speaker 1: the madding wheels of brazen chariots raged. Dire was the
- 10:12Speaker 1: noise of conflict overhead, The dismal hiss of fiery darts
- 10:16Speaker 1: in flaming volleys flew and flying vaulted either host with fire,
- 10:21Speaker 1: sounder fiery cope together rushed both battles mane with ruinous
- 10:26Speaker 1: assault and inextinguishable rage. All Heaven resounded, And had earth
- 10:30Speaker 1: been then all Earth had to her center shook. What
- 10:34Speaker 1: wonder when millions of fierce, encountering angels fought on either side,
- 10:38Speaker 1: the least of whom could weld these elements and arm
- 10:41Speaker 1: him with the force of all their regions. How much
- 10:44Speaker 1: more of power army against army numberless to raise dreadful combustion,
- 10:49Speaker 1: warring and disturbed, though not destroy their happy native seat.
- 10:53Speaker 1: Had not the eternal king, omnipotent from his stronghold of
- 10:57Speaker 1: Heaven High O'er ruled and limited their might. Though number'd
- 11:00Speaker 1: such as each divided legion might have seemed a numerous
- 11:03Speaker 1: host in strength, each armed hand a legion led in fight,
- 11:08Speaker 1: yet leader seem'd each warrior single, as in chief, expert
- 11:12Speaker 1: when to advance or stand or turn The sway of battle, open,
- 11:16Speaker 1: when and when to close the bridges of grim war.
- 11:19Speaker 1: No thought of flight, none of retreat, no unbecoming deed
- 11:22Speaker 1: that argued fear. Each on himself relied as only in
- 11:26Speaker 1: his arm the moment lay of victory. Deeds of eternal
- 11:29Speaker 1: fame were done, but infinite, for wide was spread that war,
- 11:33Speaker 1: and various, sometimes on firm ground, a standing fight, then
- 11:37Speaker 1: soaring on main wing, tormented all the air, all air seem'd,
- 11:41Speaker 1: then conflicting fire long time in even scale. The battle
- 11:45Speaker 1: hung till Satan, who that day prodigious power had shone,
- 11:49Speaker 1: and met in arms no equal ranging through the dire
- 11:52Speaker 1: attack of fighting. Seraphim confused at length saw where the
- 11:56Speaker 1: sword of Michael smote and fell'd squadrons at once with
- 12:00Speaker 1: huge two handed sway brandishd aloft, the horrid edge came
- 12:04Speaker 1: down wide, wasting such destruction to withstand. He hasted and
- 12:08Speaker 1: opposed the rocky orb of tenfold, adamant his ample shield,
- 12:13Speaker 1: a vast circumference at his approach, the great Archangel, from
- 12:16Speaker 1: his warlike toil surceas'd and glad as, hoping here to
- 12:20Speaker 1: end Intestine war in heav'n. The arch foe subdued or captive,
- 12:24Speaker 1: dragg'd in chains with hostile frown and visage, all inflame.
- 12:28Speaker 1: First Thus began author of evil unknown till thy revolt,
- 12:33Speaker 1: unnamed in Heaven. Now plenteous as thou seest these acts
- 12:36Speaker 1: of hateful strife, hateful to all, though heaviest by just
- 12:40Speaker 1: measure on thyself and thy adherents. How hast thou disturb'd
- 12:44Speaker 1: Heaven's blest peace and into nature brought misery uncreated till
- 12:48Speaker 1: the crime of thy rebellion. How hast thou instill'd thy
- 12:52Speaker 1: malice into thousands, once upright and faithful, now prov'd false,
- 12:57Speaker 1: But think not here to trouble wholly rest Heaven casts
- 13:00Speaker 1: THEE out from all her confines. Heaven the seed of
- 13:04Speaker 1: bliss brooks not the works of violence and war. Hence,
- 13:07Speaker 1: then an evil go with THEE, along thy offspring, to
- 13:10Speaker 1: the place of evil Hell Thou and thy wicked crew
- 13:14Speaker 1: There mingle broils e'er this avenging sword begin thy doom,
- 13:18Speaker 1: or some more sudden vengeance winged from God, precipitate THEE
- 13:22Speaker 1: with augmented pain. So spake the Prince of Angels, to
- 13:26Speaker 1: whom thus the adversary nor think thou, with wind of
- 13:30Speaker 1: aery threats to all whom, Yet with deeds thou canst
- 13:33Speaker 1: not hast thou turn the least of these to flight,
- 13:36Speaker 1: or if to fall, but that they rise unvanquished, easier
- 13:39Speaker 1: to transact with me than thou shouldst hope, imperious and
- 13:43Speaker 1: with threats to chase me. Hence ere not that so
- 13:46Speaker 1: shall end the strife which thou call'st evil, But we
- 13:49Speaker 1: style the strife of glory, which we mean to win,
- 13:53Speaker 1: or turn this heaven itself into the hell. Thou fablest here, however,
- 13:57Speaker 1: to dwell free, if not to reign. Meanwhile, while thy
- 14:00Speaker 1: utmost force and join him named almighty, to thy aid,
- 14:04Speaker 1: I fly not, but have sought thee far and nigh.
- 14:08Speaker 1: They ended parley, and both addressed for fight unspeakable. For who,
- 14:12Speaker 1: though with the tongue of angels, can relate or to
- 14:15Speaker 1: what things liken on earth conspicuous that may lift human
- 14:18Speaker 1: imagination to such height of godlike power. For likest gods,
- 14:22Speaker 1: they seem'd stood, they or moved in stature motion, arms
- 14:26Speaker 1: fit to decide the empire of great Heaven. Now waved
- 14:30Speaker 1: their fiery swords and in the air made horrid circles
- 14:33Speaker 1: two broad suns, their shields blazed opposite, while expectations stood
- 14:38Speaker 1: in horror from each hand. With speed retired where erst
- 14:42Speaker 1: was thickest, fight the angelic throng, and left large field
- 14:45Speaker 1: unsafe within the wind of such commotion, such as to
- 14:49Speaker 1: set forth great things by small if nature's concord broke.
- 14:53Speaker 1: Among the constellations, war were sprung. Two planets, rushing from
- 14:58Speaker 1: a spectmalign of fiercest opposition in mid sky, should combat,
- 15:02Speaker 1: and their jarring spheres confound together, both with next to
- 15:06Speaker 1: almighty arm uplifted imminent one's stroke. They aimed that might
- 15:09Speaker 1: determine and not need repeat, as not of power at once,
- 15:13Speaker 1: nor odds appeared in might or swift prevention. But the
- 15:17Speaker 1: sword of Michael from the armory of God was given him,
- 15:20Speaker 1: tempered so that neither keen nor solid might resist that edge.
- 15:24Speaker 1: It met the sword of Satan with steep force to smite,
- 15:27Speaker 1: descending and in half cut sheer nor stay'd, but with
- 15:31Speaker 1: swift weel, reverse deep entering shared all his right side.
- 15:35Speaker 1: Then Satan first knew pain and writhed him to and
- 15:38Speaker 1: fro convolved so sore the grinding sword with discontinuous wound
- 15:43Speaker 1: passed through him, but the ethereal substance closed, not long divisible,
- 15:48Speaker 1: and from the gash a stream of nectarous humor issuing
- 15:51Speaker 1: flowed sanguine, such as celestial spirits may bleed, and all
- 15:56Speaker 1: his armor stain'd ere while so bright forthwith on all
- 16:00Speaker 1: a size to his aid was run by angels many
- 16:02Speaker 1: and strong, who interpose defense, while others bore him on
- 16:06Speaker 1: their shields. Back to his chariot, where it stood, retired
- 16:09Speaker 1: from off the files of war. There they him laid,
- 16:12Speaker 1: gnashing for anguish, and despite and shame to find himself
- 16:16Speaker 1: not matchless, and his pride humbled by such a rebuke,
- 16:20Speaker 1: so far beneath his confidence to equal God in power.
- 16:24Speaker 1: Yet soon he healed, for spirits that live throughout, vital
- 16:27Speaker 1: in every part, not as frail man in entrails, hard
- 16:31Speaker 1: or head, liver or rihnds cannot. But by annihilating die
- 16:35Speaker 1: nor in their liquid texture, mortal wound received no more
- 16:39Speaker 1: than can the fluid air all heart. They live, all head,
- 16:43Speaker 1: all eye, all ear, all intellect, all sense, and as
- 16:46Speaker 1: they please, they limb themselves and color, shape or size,
- 16:50Speaker 1: assume as likes them best condense or rare. Meanwhile, in
- 16:55Speaker 1: other parts, like deeds deserved memorial, where the might of
- 16:58Speaker 1: Gabriel fought and with fear ensigns pierced the deep array
- 17:01Speaker 1: of Moloch, furious king, who him defied and at his
- 17:05Speaker 1: chariot wheels to drag him bound. Threatened, Nor from the
- 17:08Speaker 1: holy One of Heaven, refrain'd his tongue blasphemous, but Anon down,
- 17:13Speaker 1: cloven to the waist, with shattered arms and uncouth pain,
- 17:16Speaker 1: fled bellowing on each wing. Uriel and Raphael, his vaunting foe,
- 17:21Speaker 1: though huge and in a rock of diamond, armed, vanquish'd
- 17:24Speaker 1: Adramlek and Asthmadi, two potent thrones that to be less
- 17:28Speaker 1: than God's disdain'd, but meaner thoughts learned in their flight,
- 17:32Speaker 1: mangled with ghastly wounds through plate and mail, Nor stood
- 17:36Speaker 1: unmindful Abdiel to annoy the atheist crew, but with redoubled
- 17:40Speaker 1: blow Ariel and Arioch, and the violence of ramaeles scorched
- 17:44Speaker 1: and blasted overthrow. I might relate of thousands and their
- 17:48Speaker 1: names eternize here on earth, But those elect angels, contented
- 17:52Speaker 1: with their fame in heavens, seek not the praise of
- 17:54Speaker 1: men the other sword in might, though wondrous and in
- 17:58Speaker 1: acts of war, nor of renown less eager, yet by doom,
- 18:01Speaker 1: canceled from heaven and sacred memory, nameless in dark oblivion,
- 18:05Speaker 1: Let them dwell for strength from truth divided, and from
- 18:09Speaker 1: just illaudable, not merits but dispraise and ignominy. Yet to
- 18:13Speaker 1: glory aspires vainglorious, and through infamy seeks fame. Therefore eternal
- 18:19Speaker 1: silence be their doom, And now their mightiest quelled. The
- 18:22Speaker 1: battle swerv'd with many an inroad, gored, deformed, rout enter'd
- 18:26Speaker 1: in foul disorder, all the ground, with shivered armor strown
- 18:30Speaker 1: and on a heap, chariot and charioteer lay overturned, and
- 18:34Speaker 1: fiery foaming steeds. What stood recoiled or wearied through the
- 18:38Speaker 1: faint satanic host, defensive scarce, or with pale fear surprised,
- 18:43Speaker 1: Then first with fear surprised and sense of pain fled
- 18:47Speaker 1: ignominious to such evil brought by sin of disobedience, till
- 18:51Speaker 1: that hour, not liable to fear or flight or pain.
- 18:54Speaker 1: Far otherwise the unviolable saints in Cubic phalanx firm advanced
- 18:59Speaker 1: entire invulnerable, impenetrably armed, such high advantages their innocence gave
- 19:04Speaker 1: them above their foes, not to have sinned, not to
- 19:07Speaker 1: have disobeyed. In fight. They stood, unwearied, unobnoxious, to be
- 19:11Speaker 1: pained by wound, though from their place by violence moved.
- 19:17Speaker 1: And of Book six, Part one,