And from rebellion shall derive his name,

Though of rebellion others he accuse.

He with a crew, whom like ambition joins

With him or under him to tyrannize,

Marching from Eden towards the west, shall find

The plain, wherein a black bituminous gurge

Boils out from under ground, the mouth of Hell:

Of brick, and of that stuff, they cast to build

A city and tower, whose top may reach to Heaven;

And get themselves a name; lest, far dispersed

In foreign lands, their memory be lost;

Regardless whether good or evil fame.

But God, who oft descends to visit men

Unseen, and through their habitations walks

To mark their doings, them beholding soon,

Comes down to see their city, ere the tower

Obstruct Heaven-towers, and in derision sets

Upon their tongues a various spirit, to rase

Quite out their native language; and, instead,

To sow a jangling noise of words unknown:

Forthwith a hideous gabble rises loud,

Among the builders; each to other calls

Not understood; till hoarse, and all in rage,

As mocked they storm: great laughter was in Heaven,

And looking down, to see the hubbub strange,

And hear the din: Thus was the building left

Ridiculous, and the work Confusion named.”

Whereto thus Adam, fatherly displeased.

“O execrable son! so to aspire

Above his brethren; to himself assuming

Authority usurped, from God not given:

He gave us only over beast, fish, fowl,

Dominion absolute; that right we hold

By his donation; but man over men

He made not lord; such title to himself

Reserving, human left from human free.

But this usurper his encroachment proud

Stays not on Man; to God his tower intends

Siege and defiance: Wretched man! what food

Will he convey up thither, to sustain

Himself and his rash army; where thin air

Above the clouds will pine his entrails gross,

And famish him of breath, if not of bread?”

To whom thus Michael. “Justly thou abhorrest

That son, who on the quiet state of men

Such trouble brought, affecting to subdue

Rational liberty; yet know withal,

Since thy original lapse, true liberty

Is lost, which always with right reason dwells

Twinned, and from her hath no dividual being:

Reason in man obscured, or not obeyed,

Immediately inordinate desires,

And upstart passions, catch the government

From reason; and to servitude reduce

Man, till then free. Therefore, since he permits

Within himself unworthy powers to reign

Over free reason, God, in judgement just,

Subjects him from without to violent lords;

Who oft as undeservedly enthrall

His outward freedom: Tyranny must be;

Though to the tyrant thereby no excuse.

Yet sometimes nations will decline so low

From virtue, which is reason, that no wrong,

But justice, and some fatal curse annexed,

Deprives them of their outward liberty;

Their inward lost: Witness the irreverent son

Of him who built the ark; who, for the shame

Done to his father, heard this heavy curse,

Servant of servants, on his vicious race.