Levelled, with such impetuous fury smote,

That, whom they hit, none on their feet might stand,

Though standing else as rocks, but down they fell

By thousands, Angel on Arch-Angel rolled;

The sooner for their arms; unarmed, they might

Have easily, as Spirits, evaded swift

By quick contraction or remove; but now

Foul dissipation followed, and forced rout;

Nor served it to relax their serried files.

What should they do? if on they rushed, repulse

Repeated, and indecent overthrow

Doubled, would render them yet more despised,

And to their foes a laughter; for in view

Stood ranked of Seraphim another row,

In posture to displode their second tire

Of thunder: Back defeated to return

They worse abhorred. Satan beheld their plight,

And to his mates thus in derision called.

‘O Friends! why come not on these victors proud

Ere while they fierce were coming; and when we,

To entertain them fair with open front

And breast, (what could we more?) propounded terms

Of composition, straight they changed their minds,

Flew off, and into strange vagaries fell,

As they would dance; yet for a dance they seemed

Somewhat extravagant and wild; perhaps

For joy of offered peace: But I suppose,

If our proposals once again were heard,

We should compel them to a quick result.’

To whom thus Belial, in like gamesome mood.

Leader! the terms we sent were terms of weight,

Of hard contents, and full of force urged home;

Such as we might perceive amused them all,

And stumbled many: Who receives them right,

Had need from head to foot well understand;

Not understood, this gift they have besides,

They show us when our foes walk not upright.

So they among themselves in pleasant vein

Stood scoffing, hightened in their thoughts beyond

All doubt of victory: Eternal Might

To match with their inventions they presumed

So easy, and of his thunder made a scorn,

And all his host derided, while they stood

Awhile in trouble: But they stood not long;

Rage prompted them at length, and found them arms

Against such hellish mischief fit to oppose.

Forthwith (behold the excellence, the power,

Which God hath in his mighty Angels placed!)

Their arms away they threw, and to the hills

(For Earth hath this variety from Heaven

Of pleasure situate in hill and dale,)

Light as the lightning glimpse they ran, they flew;

From their foundations loosening to and fro,

They plucked the seated hills, with all their load,

Rocks, waters, woods, and by the shaggy tops

Up-lifting bore them in their hands: Amaze,

Be sure, and terror, seized the rebel host,

When coming towards them so dread they saw

The bottom of the mountains upward turned;

Till on those cursed engines’ triple-row

They saw them whelmed, and all their confidence

Under the weight of mountains buried deep;

Themselves invaded next, and on their heads

Main promontories flung, which in the air

Came shadowing, and oppressed whole legions armed;

Their armour helped their harm, crushed in and bruised