THE ARGUMENT.—Raphael
continues to relate how Michael and Gabriel were sent forth to battle
against Satan and his Angels. The first fight described: Satan and his
Powers retire under night. He calls a council; invents devilish engines,
which, in the second day’s fight, put Michael and his Angels to some
disorder; but they at length, pulling up mountains, overwhelmed both the
force and machines of Satan. Yet, the tumult not so ending, God, on the
third day, sends Messiah his Son, for whom he had reserved the glory of that
victory. He, in the power of his Father, coming to the place, and causing
all his legions to stand still on either side, with his chariot and thunder
driving into the midst of his enemies, pursues them, unable to resist,
towards the wall of Heaven; which opening, they leap down with horror and
confusion into the place of punishment prepared for them in the Deep.
Messiah returns with triumph to his Father.
tl;dr Raphael spills more about Satan’s rebellion. Abdiel leave’s Satan’s side and comes back to God—he’s praised and welcome. Michael and Gabriel are then sent to lead God’s army, which is the exact same size as Satan’s army because equality. Satan loses, and for revenge he plans on corrupting man.
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tl;dr
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“ALL night the dreadless Angel, unpursued, | The brave angel Abdiel traveled | |
Through Heaven’s wide champaign held his way, till Morn, | ||
Waked by the circling Hours, with rosy hand | all night. | |
Unbarred the gates of Light. There is a cave | In Heaven, there's a cave | |
Within the Mount of God, fast by his Throne, |
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by God's throne. |
Where Light and Darkness in perpetual round | It's where light and darkness take turns | |
Lodge and dislodge by turns—which makes through Heaven | coming out of it to travel through Heaven, | |
Grateful vicissitude, like day and night; | similar to day and night. | |
Light issues forth, and at the other door | ||
Obsequious Darkness enters, till her hour |
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To veil the heaven, though darkness there might well | ||
Seem twilight here. And now went forth the Morn | ||
Such as in highest heaven, arrayed in gold | ||
Empyreal; from before her vanished Night, | ||
Shot through with orient beams; when all the pain |
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Covered with thick embattled squadrons bright, | Abdiel came across a plain, | |
Chariots, and flaming arms, and fiery steeds, | packed with chariots all reflecting the morning light. | |
Reflecting blaze on blaze, first met his view. | ||
War he perceived, war in precinct, and found | It was God's army, ready for war. | |
Already known what he for news had thought |
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They knew what was coming before Abdiel even got there to report it. |
To have reported. Gladly then he mixed | Abdiel was happy to be home, | |
Among those friendly Powers, who him received | ||
With joy and acclamations loud, that one, | they all greeted him and praised him | |
That of so many myriads fallen yet one, | for being the only one | |
Returned not lost. On to the sacred Hill |
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the deny Satan. |
They led him, high applauded, and present | The angels led Abdiel to | |
Before the Seat supreme; from whence a voice, | God's throne. | |
From midst a golden cloud, thus mild was heard:— | From a golden cloud, God spoke, | |
“‘Servant of God, well done! Well hast thou fought | "Well done Abdiel, | |
The better fight, who single hast maintained |
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you were alone and still prevailed against |
Against revolted multitudes the cause | the clouded masses. | |
Of truth, in word mightier than they in arms, | By speaking the truth, you are stronger than them. | |
And for the testimony of truth hast borne | ||
Universal reproach, far worse to bear | ||
Than violence; for this was all thy care— |
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To stand approved in sight of God, though worlds | You were outnumbered, faced with | |
Judged thee perverse. The easier conquest now | threats, but you stood your ground because you cared | |
Remains thee—aided by this host of friends, | about getting. my approval and grace. | |
Back on thy foes more glorious to return | Don't worry, you are among friends and my army now. So your next victory will be even easier. | |
Than scorned thou didst depart: and to subdue, |
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We must use force |
By force who reason for their law refuse— | against all those who reject their King Messiah. | |
Right reason for their law, and for their King | ||
Messiah, who by right of merit reigns. | ||
Go, Michael, of celestial armies prince, | Michael, you | |
And thou, in military prowess next, |
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are my greatest military leader. |
Gabriel; lead forth to battle these my sons | ||
Invincible; lead forth my armed Saints, | And Gabriel, the both of you will lead the army to battle. | |
By thousands and by millions ranged for fight, | ||
Equal in number to that godless crew | Take as many angels with you to make sure our numbers equal theirs. | |
Rebellious. Them with fire and hostile arms |
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Fearless assault; and, to the brow of Heaven | ||
Pursuing, drive them out from God and bliss | Drive our enemies away from Heaven | |
Into their place of punishment, the gulf | and straight into Hell. | |
Of Tartarus, which ready opens wide | For Hell is waiting for | |
His fiery chaos to receive their fall.’ |
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them to fall." |
“So spake the Sovran Voice; and clouds began | ||
To darken all the Hill, and smoke to rowl | Heaven grew dark | |
In dusky wreaths reluctant flames, the sign | fiery | |
Of wrauth awaked; nor with less dread the loud | and loud. God is angry. | |
Ethereal trumpet from on high gan blow. |
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It was as dreadful as the trumpet that blew. |
At which command the Powers Militant | Upon its sound, | |
That stood for Heaven, in mighty quadrate joined | all of Heaven's solider angels | |
Of union irresistible, moved on | came out. | |
In silence their bright legions to the sound | It motivated their morale and gave them strength to fight. | |
Of instrumental harmony, that breathed |
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Heroic ardour to adventurous deeds | ||
Under their godlike leaders, in the cause | And they went. | |
Of God and his Messiah. On they move, | ||
Indissolubly firm; nor obvious hill, | Nothing stopped them. Neither the hills, | |
Nor straitening vale, nor wood, nor stream, divides |
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woods, streams, or anything. |
Their perfect ranks; for high above the ground | For they flew above them. | |
Their march was, and the passive air upbore | ||
Their nimble tread. As when the total kind | ||
Of birds, in orderly array on wing, | ||
Came summoned over Eden to receive |
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Their names of thee; so over many a tract | ||
Of Heaven they marched, and many a province wide, | They traveled far and wide across the land. | |
Tenfold the length of this terrene. At last | Until they caught a glimpse | |
Far in the horizon, to the north, appeared | ||
From skirt to skirt a fiery region, stretched |
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In battailous aspect; and, nearer view, | ||
Bristled with upright beams innumerable | of something in the distance. | |
Of rigid spears, and helmets thronged, and shields | Rows of spears and shields spread across the horizon. | |
Various, with boastful argument portrayed, | ||
The banded Powers of Satan hasting on |
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It was Satan's army on the move. |
With furious expedition: for they weened | ||
That self-same day, by fight or by surprise, | It seems like they were planning on taking God by surprise. | |
To win the Mount of God, and on his Throne | ||
To set the envier of his state, the proud | ||
Aspirer. But their thoughts proved fond and vain |
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In the mid-way; though strange to us it seemed | ||
At first that Angel should with Angel war, | To us, it also seems strange to even consider angels taking up arms to fight other angels. | |
And in fierce hosting meet, who wont to meet | ||
So oft in festivals of joy and love | But that's exactly what is going to happen here. | |
Unanimous, as sons of one great Sire, |
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Hymning the Eternal Father. But the shout | ||
Of battle now began, and rushing sound | The shout of battle began. | |
Of onset ended soon each milder thought. | ||
High in the midst, exalted as a God, | And there, in the middle of the armed angel horde, | |
The Apostat in his sun-bright chariot sat, |
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was Satan sitting in his fancy sun-bright chariot. |
Idol of majesty divine, enclosed | ||
With flaming Cherubim and golden shields; | ||
Then lighted from his gorgeous Throne—for now | He stepped off his throne. | |
’Twixt host and host but narrow space was left, | And moved forward. | |
A dreadful interval, and front to front |
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There was a narrow space between both armies. |
Presented stood, in terrible array | ||
Of hideous length. Before the cloudy van, | ||
On the rough edge of battle ere it joined, | ||
Satan, with vast and haughty strides advanced, | ||
Came towering, armed in adamant and gold. |
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Abdiel that sight endured not, where he stood | Abdiel was there too, in the frontlines, right across from Satan. | |
Among the mightiest, bent on highest deeds, | ||
And thus his own undaunted heart explores:— | Abdiel said to himself, | |
“‘O Heaven! that such resemblance of the Highest | "Well, well, well... let's just see if Satan's power | |
Should yet remain, where faith and realty |
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is as stupid and phony as his words. |
Remain not! Wherefore should not strength and might | ||
There fail where virtue fails, or weakest prove | ||
Where boldest, though to sight unconquerable? | ||
His puissance, trusting in the Almighty’s aid, | God is on my side and will help me always. | |
I mean to try, whose reason I have tried |
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Unsound and false; nor is it aught but just | ||
That he who in debate of truth hath won | I beat Satan before using words | |
Should win in arms, in both disputes alike | ||
Victor. Though brutish that contest’ and foul, | and I can definitely do it with weapons too." | |
When reason hath to deal with force, yet so |
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Most reason is that reason overcome.’ | ||
“So pondering, and from his armed peers | ||
Forth-stepping opposite, half-way he met | Abdiel stepped up in front | |
His daring foe, at this prevention more | of Satan. | |
Incensed, and thus securely him defied:— |
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“‘Proud, art thou met? Thy hope was to have reached | Abdiel said to satan "So, I guess you thought we'd | |
The highth of thy aspiring unopposed— | ||
The Throne of God unguarded, and his side | ||
Abandoned at the terror of thy power | run away and hide because of your gReAt PoWeR? | |
Or potent tongue. Fool! not to think how vain |
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You are a fool. |
Against the Omnipotent to rise in arms; | Don't you know that God | |
Who, out of smallest things, could without end | could just keep making more armies to | |
Have raised incessant armies to defeat | defeat you? | |
Thy folly; or with solitary hand, | ||
Reaching beyond all limit, at one blow, |
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Or if he wanted to, he could crush all of you in |
Unaided could have finished thee, and whelmed | a single blow literally singlehandedly. | |
Thy legions under darkness! But thou seest | Just look around you! | |
All are not of thy train; there be who faith | Nobody likes you dude. | |
Prefer, and piety to God, though then | I'm not the only one that is loyal to God." | |
To thee not visible when I alone |
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Seemed in thy world erroneous to dissent | ||
From all: my Sect thou seest; now learn too late | ||
How few sometimes may know when thousands err.’ | ||
“Whom the grand Foe, with scornful eye askance, | Satan replied, | |
Thus answered:—’Ill for thee, but in wished hour |
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Of my revenge, first sought for, thou return’st | ||
From flight, seditious Angel, to receive | "Hah, look at you. | |
Thy merited reward, the first assay | You ran away and now you're back looking for glory. | |
Of this right hand provoked, since first that tongue, | ||
Inspired with contradiction, durst oppose |
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A third part of the Gods, in synod met | ||
Their deities to assert: who, while they feel | ||
Vigour divine within them, can allow | ||
Omnipotence to none. But well thou com’st | ||
Before thy fellows, ambitious to win |
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From me some plume, that thy success may show | Step right up and show off, | |
Destruction to the rest. This pause between | I want everyone to see when I beat you down. | |
(Unanswered lest thou boast) to let thee know.— | ||
At first I thought that Liberty and Heaven | I used to think Heaven was all about freedom and liberty | |
To heavenly souls had been all one; but now |
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I see that most through sloth had rather serve, | but now that I think about it now, you're. all just lazy | |
Ministering Spirits, trained up in feast and song; | and comfortable. All you do is sing hymns | |
Such hast thou armed, the minstrelsy of heaven— | ||
Servility with freedom to contend, | and serve blindly like slaves. What an army! Full of fat choir boys! | |
As both their deeds compared this day shall prove.’ |
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Let's see how they do on the battlefield." |
“To whom, in brief, thus Abdiel stern replied:— | Abdiel replied, | |
‘Apostat! still thou err’st, no end wilt find | "You're stupid, and there's no hope for you. | |
Of erring, from the path of truth remote. | ||
Unjustly thou deprav’st it with the name | ||
Of servitude, to serve whom God ordains, |
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You claim it is slavery to serve God's son. |
Or Nature: God and Nature bid the same, | ||
When he who rules is worthiest, and excels | There is no one else more worthy to rule over all of us. | |
Them whom he governs. This is servitude— | ||
To serve the unwise, or him who hath rebelled | The only slavery I see here | |
Against his worthier, as thine now serve thee, |
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is the way that your fallen angels serve you! |
Thyself not free, but to thyself enthralled; | You are a slave to your own self. | |
Yet lewdly dar’st our ministering upbraid. | ||
Reign thou in Hell, thy kingdom; let me serve | Go ahead and be a king. if you'd like, in Hell! | |
In Heaven god ever blest, and His Divine | I'll stay right here and serve God. | |
Behests obey, worthiest to be obeyed. |
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Yet chains in Hell, not realms, expect: meanwhile, | You'll be in chains in Hell." | |
From me returned, as erst thou saidst, from flight, | ||
This greeting on thy impious crest receive.’ | ||
“So saying, a noble stroke he lifted high, | ||
Which hung not, but so swift with tempest fell |
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After speaking, Abdiel |
On the proud crest of Satan that no sight, | hit Satan so fast | |
Nor motion of swift thought, less could his shield, | he couldn't dodge or lift his shield to deflect it. | |
Such ruin intercept. Ten paces huge | Satan stumbled backwards | |
He back recoiled; the tenth on bended knee | and fell down to a knee | |
His massy spear upstayed: as if, on earth, |
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only supporting his weight with his spear. |
Winds under ground, or waters forcing way, | ||
Sidelong had pushed a mountain from his seat, | He was like a mountain crumbling from an earthquake. | |
Half-sunk with all his pines. Amazement seized | ||
The rebel Thrones, but greater rage, to see | His rebel angels were shocked like Pikachu. | |
Thus foiled their mightiest; ours joy filled, and shout, |
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While God's army cheered and shouted for joy. |
Presage of victory, and fierce desire | ||
Of battle: whereat Michaël bid sound | The angel Michael sounded the trumpets. | |
The Archangel trumpet. Through the vast of Heaven | ||
It sounded, and the faithful armies rung | ||
Hosannah to the Highest; nor stood at gaze |
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God's army praised God before running into battle. |
The adverse legions, nor less hideous joined | ||
The horrid shock. Now storming fury rose, | ||
And clamour such as heard in Heaven till now. | Such violence was never heard before in Heaven. | |
Was never; arms on armour clashing brayed | Swords clashed with shields and armor. | |
Horrible discord, and the madding wheels |
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Of brazen chariots raged; dire was the noise | Chariots charged in, | |
Of conflict; overhead the dismal hiss | and the hissing sound of burning arrows soared in the air. | |
Of fiery darts in flaming volleys flew, | ||
And, flying, vaulted either host with fire. | ||
So under fiery cope together rushed |
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Both battles main with ruinous assault | ||
And inextinguishable rage. All Heaven | ||
Resounded; and, had Earth been then, all Earth | If our Earth had been present, | |
Had to her centre shook. What wonder, when | the whole planet would have shake. | |
Millions of fierce encountering Angels fought |
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But this is what happens when millions of fierce angels |
On either side, the least of whom could yield | fight. | |
These elements, and arm him with the force | ||
Of all their regions? How much more of power | ||
Army against army numberless to raise | ||
Dreadful combustion warring, and disturb, |
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Though not destroy, their happy native seat; | ||
Had not the Eternal King Omnipotent | ||
From his strong hold of Heaven high overruled | ||
And limited their might, though numbered such | It was as if each legion was like an army, | |
As each divided legion might have seemed |
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and each angel was like a legion, |
A numerous host, in strength, each armèd hand | and every individual warrior | |
A legion! Led in fight, yet leader seemed | was like a leader and an expert fighter and | |
Each warrior single as in chief; expert | ||
When to advance, or stand, or turn the sway | military strategist. | |
Of battle, open when, and when to close |
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The ridges of grim war. No thought of flight, | No angel thought about retreat. | |
None of retreat, no unbecoming deed | ||
That argued fear; each on himself relied | It was as if the whole outcome of the battle | |
As only in his arm the moment lay | depended on each angel. | |
Of victory. Deeds of eternal fame |
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Were done, but infinite; for wide was spread | Each of their bravery and courage was infinite. | |
That war, and various: sometimes on firm ground | Some angels fought on the ground | |
A standing fight; then, soaring on main wing, | while others fought in the air. | |
Tormented all the air; all air seemed then | ||
Conflicting fire. Long time in even scale |
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The battle hung; till Satan, who that day | Across every battle, it seemed like it was a draw and an even match. | |
Prodigious power had shown, and met in arms | But Satan happened to be beating every angel | |
No equal, ranging through the dire attack | he fought with. | |
Of fighting Seraphim confused, at length | ||
Saw where the sword of Michael smote, and felled |
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The angel Michael was beating down entire squadrons |
Squadrons at once: with huge two-handed sway | left and right. | |
Brandished aloft, the horrid edge came down | Satan immediately went after Michael. | |
Wide-wasting. Such destruction to withstand | ||
He hasted, and opposed the rocky orb | ||
Of tenfold adamant, his ample shield, |
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A vast circumference. At his approach | Michael saw him coming from the corner of his eye | |
The great Archangel from his warlike toil | ||
Surceased, and, glad, as hoping here to end | and was actually glad, because he | |
Intestine war in Heaven, the Arch-foe subdued, | could end things once and for all by defeating Satan. | |
Or captive dragged in chains, with hostile frown |
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And visage all inflamed, first thus began:— | Michael said, | |
“‘Author of Evil, unknown till thy revolt, | "Author of Evil! | |
Unnamed in Heaven, now plenteous as thou seest | You're the one causing all of this misery and pain. You brought evil to Heaven! | |
These acts of hateful strife—hateful to all, | ||
Though heaviest, by just measure, on thyself |
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And thy adherents—how hast thou disturbed | ||
Heaven’s blessed peace, and into Nature brought | ||
Misery, uncreated till the crime | ||
Of thy rebellion! how hast thou instilled | ||
Thy malice into thousands, once upright |
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You've corrupted thousands of angels to your evil cause. |
And faithful, now proved false! But think not here | You will stop this immediately. | |
To trouble holy rest; Heaven casts thee out | ||
From all her confines; Heaven, the seat of bliss, | ||
Brooks not the works of violence and war. | ||
Hence, then, and Evil go with thee along, |
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Leave now and go to Hell where you belong |
Thy offspring, to the place of Evil, Hell— | ||
Thou and thy wicked crew! there mingle broils! | ||
Ere this avenging sword begin thy doom, | before I destroy you with my sword. | |
Or some more sudden vengeance, winged from God, | Or God does even worse to you." | |
Precipitate thee with augmented pain.’ |
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“So spake the Prince of Angels; to whom thus | Satan replied, | |
The Adversary:—’Nor think thou with wind | "Yeah okay, cool story bro. | |
Of airy threats to awe whom yet with deeds | All I hear are empty threats. | |
Thou canst not. Hast thou turned the least of these | That doesn't scare me at all! | |
To flight—or, if to fall, but that they rise |
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None of my men have run away from you, and when they do get knocked down they get right back up again to keep fighting. |
Unvanquished—easier to transact with me | Your words do nothing to me. | |
That thou shouldst hope, imperious, and with threats | ||
To chase me hence? Err not that so shall end | ||
The strife which thou call’st evil, but we style | What you perceive and call 'evil,' | |
The strife of glory; which we mean to win, |
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we call glory. |
Or turn this Heaven itself into the Hell | We will win and turn this Heaven into | |
Thou fablest; here, however, to dwell free, | what you're calling Hell. | |
If not to reign. Meanwhile, thy utmost force— | We will live here free. | |
And join Him named Almighty to thy aid— | Go ahead and get help from God, | |
I fly not, but have sought thee far and nigh.’ |
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I've been trying to find you on the field for a while and nothing will stop me from destroying you." |
“They ended parle, and both addressed for fight | Their shouting match ended | |
Unspeakable; for who, though with the tongue | and they began to fight | |
Of Angels, can relate, or to what things | in a way that I can't even describe (seriously, the orginal text also admits that Raphael is unable to find a way to describe it. | |
Liken on earth conspicuous, that may lift | ||
Human imagination to such highth |
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Of godlike power? for likest gods they seemed, | you would literally need the "imagination of God" to understand it) | |
Stood they or moved, in stature, motion, arms, | Michael and Satan fought like gods, | |
Fit to decide the empire of great Heaven. | the way they moved and fought it seemed like the entire battle would be determined by their actions. | |
Now waved their fiery swords, and in the air | The waved their fiery swords | |
Made horrid circles; two broad suns their shields |
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and their shields burned like suns. |
Blazed opposite, while Expectation stood | ||
In horror; from each hand with speed retired, | ||
Where erst was thickest fight, the Angelic throng, | Angels around them even stopped fighting to give them room to fight. | |
And left large field, unsafe with the wind | ||
Of such commotion: such as (to set forth |
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How about this to describe the fight, |
Great things by small) if, Nature’s concord broke, | ||
Among the constellations war were sprung, | imagine two planets in the sky | |
Two planets, rushing from aspect’ malign | rushing toward each other about to collide. | |
Of fiercest opposition, in mid sky | ||
Should combat, and their jarring spheres confound. |
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Together both, with next to Almighty arm | Both angels lifted them arms | |
Uplifted imminent, one stroke they aimed | ready to strike each other. | |
That might determine, and not need repeat | ||
As not of power, at once; nor odds appeared | ||
In might or swift prevention. But the sword |
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Of Michaël from the armoury of God | Michael's sword was from God's armory | |
Was given him tempered so that neither keen | so nothing would be able | |
Nor solid might resist that edge: it met | to resist its cutting edge. | |
The sword of Satan, with steep force to smite | It met with Satan's sword and cut it in half like butter. | |
Descending, and in half cut sheer; nor stayed, |
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But, with swift wheel reverse, deep entering, shared | As Michael swung his sword back | |
All his right side. Then Satan first knew pain, | it cut open Satan's side. It was the first time he felt and knew pain. | |
And writhed him to and fro convolved; so sore | It was a deep wound and caused him to writhe in pain. | |
The griding sword with discontinuous wound | ||
Passed through him. But the ethereal substance closed, |
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Blood gushed out all over his |
Not long divisible; and from the gash | ||
A stream of nectarous humour issuing flowed | ||
Sanguin, such as celestial Spirits may bleed, | ||
And all his armour stained, erewhile so bright, | armor staining it. | |
Forthwith, on all sides, to his aid was run |
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His rebel angels ran to his aid, |
By Angels many and strong, who interposed | ||
Defence, while others bore him on their shields | some defended his retreat while others carried Satan on their shields. | |
Back to his chariot where it stood retired | They took him back to his chariot. | |
From off the files of war: there they him laid | ||
Gnashing for anguish, and despite, and shame |
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He laid there on his chariot, moaning in anguish |
To find himself not matchless, and his pride | ||
Humbled by such rebuke, so far beneath | ||
His confidence to equal God in power. | due to pain and a bruised ego. His thoughts of being equal to God's power were crushed. | |
Yet soon he healed; for Spirits, that live throughout | Since he was an angel, he still healed fairly quickly. | |
Vital in every part—not, as frail Man, |
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In entrails, heart or head, liver or reins— | ||
Cannot but by annihilating die; | It's difficult to kill any angel | |
Nor in their liquid texture mortal wound | as they aren't built like men. You have to totally destroy angels to get rid of them. | |
Receive, no more than can the fluid air: | ||
All heart they live, all head, all eye, all ear, |
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Angels' bodies are malleable and ever-changing at will. |
All intellect, all sense; and as they please | ||
They limb themselves, and colour, shape, or size | ||
Assume, as likes them best, condense or rare. | ||
“Meanwhile, in other parts, like deeds deserved | I also want to give an honorable mention to more things that happened on the battlefield... | |
Memorial, where the might of Gabriel fought, |
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And with fierce ensigns pierced the deep array | ||
Of Moloch, furious king, who him defied, | Gabriel was fighting Moloch | |
And at his chariot-wheels to drag him bound | who had threatened to tie Gabriel up and drag him behind his chariot. | |
Threatened, nor from the Holy One of Heaven | ||
Refreined his tongue blasphémous, but anon, |
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Gabriel ended up cutting Moloch |
Down cloven to the waist, with shattered arms | in half down to his waist making him run away screaming. | |
And uncouth pain fled bellowing. On each wing | ||
Uriel and Raphaël his vaunting foe, | Uriel and Raphael | |
Though huge and in a rock of diamond armed, | ||
Vanquished—Adramelech and Asmadai, |
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vanquished Adramelech and Asmodeus |
Two potent Thrones, that to be less than Gods | who were two powerful rebel angels armed with diamond weapons. | |
Disdained, but meaner thoughts learned in their flight, | They wanted to be like gods | |
Mangled with ghastly wounds through plate and mail. | but were cut down to size when they fled. | |
Nor stood unmindful Abdiel to annoy | The smart-mouthed Abdiel | |
The atheist crew, but with redoubled blow |
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continued to mock and irritate the rebel angels. He tended to take on two angels at a time easily. |
Ariel, and Arioch, and the violence | ||
Of Ramiel, scorched and blasted, overthrew. | ||
I might relate of thousands, and their names | I could go on and on about other angels and their glorious battles, but they they don't | |
Eternize here on Earth; but those elect | ||
Angels, contented with their fame in Heaven, |
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want fame on Earth. |
Seek not the praise of men: the other sort, | ||
In might though wondrous and in acts of war, | ||
Nor or renown less eager, yet by doom | ||
Cancelled from Heaven and sacred memory, | ||
Nameless in dark oblivion let them dwell |
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For strength from truth divided, and from just, | For having strength doesn't necessarily | |
Illaudable, nought merits but dispraise | equal truth and justice. | |
And ignominy, yet to glory aspires, | ||
Vain-glorious, and through infamy seeks fame: | And evil doesn't bring fame at all, only silence. | |
Therefore eternal silence be their doom! |
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“And now, their mightiest quelled, the battle swerved, | Satan and his army was losing. | |
With many an inroad gored; deformed rout | The battlefield was | |
Entered, and foul disorder; all the ground | full of scattered broken armor, | |
With shivered armour strown, and on a heap | ||
Chariot and charioter lay overturned, |
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overturned chariots, |
And fiery foaming steeds; what stood recoiled, | and tired horses. | |
O’er-wearied, through the faint Satanic host, | Satan's rebels retreated, | |
Defensive scarce, or with pale fear surprised— | and they were all expecting | |
Then first with fear surprised and sense of pain— | impending doom and pain | |
Fled ignominious, to such evil brought |
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By sin of disobedience, till that hour | because of their sin. | |
Not liable to fear, or flight, or pain. | ||
Far otherwise the inviolable Saints | ||
In cubic phalanx firm advanced entire, | On the other side, | |
Invulnerable, impenetrably armed; |
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God's army marched on in formation. |
Such high advantages their innocence | Their innocence gave them | |
Gave them above their foes—not to have sinned, | advantage on the field. | |
Not to have disobeyed; in fight they stood | ||
Unwearied, unobnoxious to be pained | ||
By wound, though from their place by violence moved. |
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“Now Night her course began, and, over Heaven | When night came, | |
Inducing darkness, grateful truce imposed, | ||
And silence on the odious din of war. | there was no fighting. | |
Under her cloudy covert both retired, | ||
Victor and Vanquished. On the foughten field |
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|
Michael and his Angels, prevalent | ||
Encamping, placed in guard their watches round, | Everyone camped to rest. | |
Cherubic waving fires: on the other part, | ||
Satan with his rebellious disappeared, | However, Satan's army couldn't rest or sleep at all. | |
Far in the dark dislodged, and, void of rest, |
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His Potentates to council called by night, | Satan held a meeting to try and raise morale, | |
And in the midst thus undismayed began:— | ||
“‘O now in danger tried, now known in arms | "...okay, we were able to survive one battle so far, | |
Not to be overpowered, companions dear, | so we know were are able to survive more to come! | |
Found worthy not of liberty alone— |
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Too mean pretence—but, what we more affect, | ||
Honour, dominion, glory and renown; | ||
Who have sustained one day in doubtful fight | ||
(And, if one day, why not eternal days?) | ||
What Heaven’s Lord had powerfullest to send |
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God sent his most powerful armies against us, |
Against us from about his Throne, and judged | ||
Sufficient to subdue us to his will, | ||
But proves not so: then fallible, it seems, | but he failed to truly defeat us all! | |
Of future we may deem him, though till now | ||
Omniscient thought! True is, less firmly armed, |
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Maybe he isn't as all-powerful as we thought! |
Some disadvantage we endured, and pain— | ||
Till now not known, but, known, as soon contemned; | Sure, we suffered losses | |
Since now we find this our empyreal form | and experienced mild defeat | |
Incapable of mortal injury, | ||
Imperishable, and, though pierced with wound, |
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but one thing is for sure: we cannot die. |
Soon closing, and by native vigour healed. | Our wounds heal. Mine did! | |
Of evil, then, so small as easy think | ||
The remedy: perhaps more valid arms, | ||
Weapons more violent, when next we meet, | What I think we need, are more violent weapons. | |
May serve to better us and worse our foes, |
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|
Or equal what between us made the odds, | Just to level the playing field a little bit, | |
In nature none. If other hidden cause | ||
Left them superior, while we can preserve | as long as have our minds and cleverness | |
Unhurt our minds, and understanding sound, | ||
Due search and consultation will disclose,’ |
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we can figure something out." |
“He sat; and in the assembly next upstood | Satan sat down. | |
Nisroch, of Principalities the prime. | Nisroch, the leader of Principalities, stood up to speak next. | |
As one he stood escaped from cruel fight | ||
Sore toiled, his riven arms to havoc hewn, | His armor was all messed up. | |
And, cloudy in aspect’, thus answering spake:— |
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“‘Deliverer from new Lords, leader to free | He said "This sucks. | |
Enjoyment of our right as Gods! yet hard | ||
For Gods, and too unequal work, we find | ||
Against unequal arms to fight in pain, | We're getting hammered out there! | |
Against unpained, impassive; from which evil |
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And. the pain is terrible, I don't like the feeling. |
Ruin must needs ensue. For what avails | It seems like God's army doesn't even feel pain at all. | |
Valour or strength, though matchless, quelled with pain, | ||
Which all subdues, and makes remiss the hands | ||
Of mightiest? Sense of pleasure we may well | ||
Spare out of life perhaps, and not repine, |
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But live content—which is the calmest life; | I don't mind going back to a calm life, this pain is just too much right now." | |
But pain is perfect misery, the worst | ||
Of evils, and, excessive, overturns | ||
All patience. He who, therefore, can invent | ||
With what more forcible we may offend |
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Our yet unwounded enemies, or arm | ||
Ourselves with like defence, to me deserves | ||
No less than for deliverance what we owe.’ | ||
“Whereto, with look composed, Satan replied:— | Satan replied, | |
‘Not uninvented that, which thou aright |
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"You know what, maybe the answer is |
Believ’st so main to our success, I bring. | ||
Which of us who beholds the bright surface | ||
Of this ethereous mould whereon we stand— | right under our feet. | |
This continent of spacious Heaven, adorned | ||
With plant, fruit, flower ambrosial, gems and gold— |
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Look at all these flowers and plants, and gems and gold. |
Whose eye so superficially surveys | ||
These things as not to mind from whence they grow | These beautiful things came from | |
Deep under ground: materials dark and crude, | deep underground, from crude materials | |
Of spirituous and fiery spume, till, touched | ||
With Heaven’s ray, and tempered, they shoot forth |
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So beauteous, opening to the ambient light? | Let's dig it all up | |
These in their dark nativity the Deep | ||
Shall yield us, pregnant with infernal flame; | and stuff it | |
Which, into hollow engines long and round | into long hollow engines | |
Thick-rammed, at the other bore with touch of fire |
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and then light the other end with fire. |
Dilated and infuriate, shall send forth | ||
From far, with thundering noise, among our foes | It's like a cannon! | |
Such implements of mischief as shall dash | The explosion will certainly do some damage. | |
To pieces and o’erwhelm whatever stands | ||
Adverse, that they shall fear we have disarmed |
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The Thunderer of his only dreaded bolt. | They'll think we stole some weapons from God for our own use. | |
Nor long shall be our labour; yet ere dawn | ||
Effect shall end our wish. Meanwhile revive; | ||
Abandon fear; to strength and counsel joined | I don't think these weapons will be hard to build, you can have them ready soon. | |
Think nothing hard, much less to be despaired.’ |
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So get yourselves together and get building!" |
“He ended; and his words their drooping cheer | After he spoke, his rebel angels felt some hint of hope. | |
Enlightened, and their languished hope revived. | ||
The invention all admired, and each how he | They admired Satan's problem-solving and innovation. | |
To be the inventor missed; so easy it seemed, | ||
Once found, which yet unfound most would have thought |
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They all thought to themselves, "why didn't I think of that?!" |
Impossible! Yet, haply, of thy race, | ||
In future days, if malice should abound, | In the future, if evil should spread among humans | |
Some one, intent on mischief, or inspired | beware of weapons like this. | |
With devilish machination, might devise | It's just going to cause more misery, | |
Like instrument to plague the sons of men |
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endless pain, and endless killing. |
For sin, on war and mutual slaughter bent. | ||
Forthwith from council to the work they flew; | ||
None arguing stood; innumerable hands | The rebel angels went to work. | |
Were ready; in a moment up they turned | ||
Wide the celestial soil, and saw beneath |
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|
The originals of Nature in their crude | ||
Conception; sulphurous and nitrous foam | They dug up sulfur, and nitrous foam | |
They found, they mingled, and, with subtle art | ||
Concocted and adusted, they reduced | ||
To blackest grain, and into store conveyed. |
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and created a form of gunpowder. |
Part hidden veins digged up (nor hath this Earth | They dug up minerals and stone | |
Entrails unlike) of mineral and stone, | ||
Whereof to found their engines and their balls | to make cannonballs that could be | |
Of missive ruin; part incentive reed | fired by lighting a reed on fire. | |
Provide, pernicious with one touch to fire. |
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So all ere day-spring, under conscious Night, | They all worked during the night and were done by morning. | |
Secret they finished, and in order set, | ||
With silent circumspection, unespied. | ||
“Now, when fair Morn orient in Heaven appeared, | When morning arrived, God's angels | |
Up rose the victor Angels, and to arms |
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woke up and the trumpets called them to arms. |
The matin trumpet sung. In arms they stood | ||
Of golden panoply, refulgent host, | ||
Soon banded; others from the dawning hills | ||
Looked round, and scouts each coast light-armèd scour, | Scouts ran to the hills to see if the enemy was around anywhere. | |
Each quarter, to descry the distant foe, |
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Where lodged, or whither fled, or if for fight, | ||
In motion or in halt. Him soon they met | ||
Under spread ensigns moving nigh, in slow | ||
But firm battalion: back with speediest sail | The scouts saw Satan's army approaching. | |
Zophiel, of Cherubim the swiftest wing, |
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The cherub Zophiel shouted, |
Came flying, and in mid air aloud thus cried:— | ||
“‘Arm, Warriors, arm for fight! The foe at hand, | "To arms! Get ready! The enemy approaches!" | |
Whom fled we thought, will save us long pursuit | ||
This day; fear not his flight; so thick a cloud | ||
He comes, and settled in his face I see |
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|
Sad resolution and secure. Let each | ||
His adamantine coat gird well, and each | ||
Fit well his helm, gripe fast his orbèd shield, | ||
Borne even or high; for this day will pour down, | ||
If I conjecture aught, no drizzling shower, |
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|
But rattling storm of arrows barbed with fire.’ | ||
“So warned he them, aware themselves, and soon | Satan's army was | |
In order, quit of all impediment. | ||
Instant, without disturb, they took alarm, | ||
And onward more embattled: when, behold, |
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Not distant far, with heavy pace the Foe | ||
Approaching gross and huge, in hollow cube | ||
Training his devilish enginery, impaled | in formation along with his hidden, devilish siege weaponry. | |
On every side with shadowing squadrons deep, | ||
To hide the fraud. At interview both stood |
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|
A while; but suddenly at head appeared | ||
Satan, and thus was heard commanding loud:— | Soon both armies were face to face again. | |
“‘Vanguard, to right and left the front unfold, | Satan shouted and ordered his men to move left and right to reveal the new weapons. | |
That all may see who hate us how we seek | ||
Peace and composure, and with open breast |
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Stand ready to receive them, if they like | ||
Our overture, and turn not back perverse: | Satan mentioned to his men that this is a gesture of "peace." | |
But that I doubt. However, witness Heaven! | ||
Heaven, witness thou anon! while we discharge | ||
Freely our part. Ye, who appointed stand, |
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Do as you have in charge, and briefly touch | ||
What we propound, and loud that all may hear.’ | ||
“So scoffing in ambiguous words, he scarce | This is just to show Heaven how sincere we can be. | |
Had ended, when to right and left the front | ||
Divided, and to either flank retired; |
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|
Which to our eyes discovered, new and strange, | The rebel angels in front moved aside to reveal the weapons. | |
A triple mounted row of pillars laid | It was a strange arrangement of hollowed-out | |
On wheels (for like to pillars most they seemed, | columns on wheels with | |
Or hollowed bodies made of oak or fir, | ||
With branches lopt, in wood or mountain felled), |
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|
Brass, iron, stony mould, had not their mouths | ||
With hideous orifice gaped on us wide, | openings in the front that looked like mouths. | |
Portending hollow truce. At each, behind, | ||
A Seraph stood, and in his hand a reed | Behind each was a Seraph holding a reed lit on fire. | |
Stood waving tipt with fire; while we, suspense, |
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|
Collected stood within our thoughts amused. | God's angels stood by to see what would happen. | |
Not long! for sudden all at once their reeds | Suddenly, they all lit the cannons at the same time. | |
Put forth, and to a narrow vent applied | ||
With nicest touch. Immediate in a flame, | There was a roar, | |
But soon obscured with smoke, all Heaven appeared, |
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smoke, |
From those deep-throated engines belched, whose roar | ||
Embowelled with outrageous noise the air, | ||
And all her entrails tore, disgorging foul | ||
Their devilish glut, chained thunderbolts and hail | ||
Of iron globes; which, on the Victor Host |
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and a shower of cannonballs rained down on God's army |
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 Archangel rowled, | Thousands of angels were knocked down, | |
The sooner for their arms. Unarmed, they might |
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and they could have dodged everything but their armor made it hard for them to move quickly. |
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. | This was all so new, the angels didn't know what to do. | |
What should they do? If on they rushed, repulse |
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|
Repeated, and indecent overthrow | ||
Doubled, would render them yet more despised, | They didn't want to retreat, but the rebel angels were already loading a second barrage of cannonballs to fire. | |
And to their foes a laughter—for in view | ||
Stood ranked of Seraphim another row, | ||
In posture to displode their second tire |
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|
Of thunder; back defeated to return | ||
They worse abhorred. Satan beheld their plight, | ||
And to his mates thus in derision called:— | Satan made fun of God's angels to his men, | |
“‘O friends, why come not on these victors proud? | "Look at them! | |
Erewhile they fierce were coming; and, when we, |
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|
|
To entertain them fair with open front | ||
And breast (what could we more?), propounded terms | ||
Of composition, straight they changed their minds, | They were too proud to surrender and. now they | |
Flew off, and into strange vagaries fell, | ||
As they would dance. Yet for a dance they seemed |
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|
dance and dodge! |
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.’ | Let's keep sending them our 'peace offerings'!" | |
“To whom thus Belial, in like gamesome mood: |
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Belial continued the mocking, |
‘Leader, the terms we sent were terms of weight, | ||
Of hard contents, and full of force urged home, | "We sent our terms of 'hard contents,' and we urged them 'forcefully.' | |
Such as we might perceive amused them all, | ||
And stumbled many. Who receives them right | ||
Had need from head to foot well understand; |
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|
Now they're crawling around on all fours, are they confused or something?" |
Not understood, this gift they have besides— | ||
They shew us when our foes walk not upright.’ | ||
“So they among themselves in pleasant vein | The rebel angels continued to mock them, | |
Stood scoffing, heightened in their thoughts beyond | they were certain they would win the war after all. | |
All doubt of victory; Eternal Might |
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|
To match with their inventions they presumed | They were completely confident their cannon inventions were more powerful than what God could muster. | |
So easy, and of his thunder made a scorn, | ||
And all his host derided, while they stood | ||
A while in trouble. But they stood not long; | ||
Rage prompted them at length, and found them arms |
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|
God's angels grew angry. |
Against such hellish mischief fit to oppose. | ||
Forthwith (behold the excellence, the power, | ||
Which God hath in his mighty Angels placed!) | With God's power running through their bodies, | |
Their arms away they threw, and to the hills | they threw down their arms, ran to the hills, | |
(For Earth hath this variety from Heaven |
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|
|
Of pleasure situate in hill and dale) | ||
Light as the lightning-glimpse they ran, they flew, | and lifted the hills themselves straight up out of the ground. | |
From their foundations, loosening to and fro, | ||
They plucked the seated hills, with all their load, | Hills that also had their waters and woods still attached. | |
Rocks, waters, woods, and, by the shaggy tops |
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|
Uplifting, bore them in their hands. Amaze, | ||
Be sure, and terror, seized the rebel Host, | The rebel army was shocked at this quick display of strength and power. | |
When coming towards them so dread they saw | God's angels threw the mountains at the rebel angels. | |
The bottom of the mountains upward turned, | ||
Till on those cursed engines’ triple row |
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|
They saw them whelmed, and all their confidence | Smashing the siege weapons and crushing the rebel angels' spirits. | |
Under the weight of mountains buried deep; | ||
Themselves invaded next, and on their heads | More and more mountains flung through the air | |
Main promontories flung, which in the air | landing on the rebel angels' heads. | |
Came shadowing, and oppressed whole legions armed. |
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|
Their armour helped their harm, crushed in and bruised, | Their armor made things worse as the crushed and pierced | |
Into their substance pent—which wrought them pain | their bodies causing more pain. | |
Implacable, and many a dolorous groan, | ||
Long struggling underneath, ere they could wind | ||
Out of such prison, though Spirits of purest light, |
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|
Purest at first, now gross by sinning grown. | The rebel angels decided to start throwing mountains and hills too. | |
The rest, in imitation, to like arms | ||
Betook them, and the neighbouring hills uptore; | ||
So hills amid the air encountered hills, | ||
Hurled to and fro with jaculation dire, |
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|
That underground they fought in dismal shade: | And so mountains were flying through the air while more angles fought under their shadow. | |
Infernal noise! war seemed a civil game | It was a ridiculous sight. | |
To this uproar; horrid confusion heaped | ||
Upon confusion rose. And now all Heaven | They were all in the process of destroying Heaven. | |
Had gone to wrack, with ruin overspread, |
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but God saw all this coming. He even predicted it happening. |
Had not the Almighty Father, where he sits | ||
Shrined in his sanctuary of Heaven secure, | ||
Consulting on the sum of things, foreseen | ||
This tumult, and permitted all, advised, | ||
That his great purpose he might so fulfil, |
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|
To honour his Anointed Son, avenged | Because it would give God's son the chance to | |
Upon his enemies, and to declare | ||
All power on him transferred. Whence to his Son, | ||
The assessor of his Throne, he thus began:— | use his power to sort things out. God said, | |
“‘Effulgence of my glory, Son beloved, |
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|
"Go forth my Son, |
Son in whose face invisible is beheld | it is your visible face that makes my | |
Visibly, what by Deity I am, | invisible presence known and tangible. | |
And in whose hand what by decree I do, | ||
Second Omnipotence! two days are passed, | ||
Two days, as we compute the days of Heaven, |
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|
It's been two days since Michael led my army into battle |
Since Michael and his Powers went forth to tame | against Satan's army. | |
These disobedient. Sore hath been their fight, | ||
As likeliest was when two such foes met armed: | The fight was intense as you would expect such a battle to be. | |
For to themselves I left them; and thou know’st | ||
Equal in their creation they were formed, |
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Both sides were equal in power so you know it would've been a war that would go on forever. |
Save what sin hath impaired—which yet hath wrought | However, sin and evil will inevitably weaken Satan and his forces. | |
Insensibly, for I suspend their doom: | ||
Whence in perpetual fight they needs must last | ||
Endless, and no solution will be found. | ||
War wearied hath performed what war can do, |
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|
And to disordered rage let loose the reins, | ||
With mountains, as with weapons, armed; which makes | ||
Wild work in Heaven, and dangerous to the main. | ||
Two days are, therefore, passed; the third is thine: | Two days have passed, but this third day will be yours my Son. | |
For thee I have ordained it, and thus far |
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I've put. up with this nonsense, all just so you |
Have suffered, that the glory may be thine | ||
Of ending this great war, since none but thou | could be the one to end it. | |
Can end it. Into thee such virtue and grace | For that's what I have planned all along. | |
Immense I have transfused, that all may know | You have enough power within you to win. the war singlehandedly. | |
In Heaven and Hell thy power above compare, |
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This will show everyone that you are the worthy one to be king and ruler above all. |
And this perverse commotion governed thus, | ||
To manifest thee worthiest to be Heir | ||
Of all things—to be Heir, and to be King | ||
By sacred unction, thy deserved right. | ||
Go, then, thou Mightiest, in thy Father’s might; |
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|
Go forth. You have all my power at your immediate disposal. |
Ascend my chariot; guide the rapid wheels | Take my chariot and go. | |
That shake Heaven’s basis; bring forth all my war; | ||
My bow and thunder, my Almighty arms, | ||
Gird on, and sword upon thy puissant thigh; | ||
Pursue these Sons of Darkness, drive them out |
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|
Chase these Sons of Darkness out of Heaven |
From all Heaven’s bounds into the utter Deep; | and throw them into the depths of Hell. | |
There let them learn, as likes them, to despise | There they will sit for all eternity and suffer." | |
God, and Messiah his anointed King.’ | ||
“He said, and on his Son with rays direct | ||
Shon full. He all his Father full expressed |
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|
|
Ineffably into his face received; | ||
And thus the Filial Godhead answering spake:— | The Son replied, | |
“‘O Father, O Supreme of Heavenly Thrones, | ||
First, Highest, Holiest, Best, thou always seek’st | "Father, | |
To glorify thy Son; I always thee, |
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|
you are always praising me and glorifying me. |
As is most just. This I my glory account, | ||
My exaltation, and my whole delight, | I feel the same way about you. | |
That thou in me, well pleased, declar’st thy will | All I want. todo is please you in all your glory. | |
Fulfilled, which to fulfil is all my bliss. | ||
Sceptre and power, thy giving, I assume, |
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|
I will take all this power that you have given me and put it to good use. |
And gladlier shall resign when in the end | ||
Thou shalt be all in all, and I in thee | ||
For ever, and in me all whom thou lov’st. | ||
But whom thou hat’st I hate, and can put on | Whoever you hate, I will hate too | |
Thy terrors, as I put thy mildness on, |
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|
and I can be as tough as I can be loving. |
Image of thee in all things: and shall soon, | ||
Armed with thy might, rid Heaven of these rebelled, | I will clean Heaven out and drive these devils away. | |
To their prepared ill mansion driven down, | ||
To chains of darkness and the undying Worm, | Hell is waiting for them. | |
That from thy just obedience could revolt, |
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|
Whom to obey is happiness entire. | ||
Then shall thy Saints, unmixed, and from the impure | You can be sure that all the pure angels around you will be | |
Far separate, circling thy holy Mount, | ||
Unfeigned halleluiahs to thee sing, | singing hymns knowing that the impure angels will be gone." | |
Hymns of high praise, and I among them chief,’ |
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|
“So said, He, o’er his sceptre bowing, rose | The Son stood up from his throne and bowed. | |
From the right hand of Glory where He sat; | ||
And the third sacred morn began to shine, | ||
Dawning through Heaven. Forth rushed with whirlwind sound | ||
The chariot of Paternal Deity, |
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|
God's chariot swung into view, it |
Flashing thick flames, wheel within wheel; undrawn, | ||
Itself instinct with spirit, but convoyed | ||
By four cherubic Shapes. Four faces each | was followed by four cherubs, each with four faces, | |
Had wondrous; as with stars, their bodies all | their wings were covered with eyes, | |
And wings were set with eyes; with eyes the wheels |
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|
and the wheels of the chariot |
Of beryl, and careering fires between; | were lined with jewels. | |
Over their heads a crystal firmament, | ||
Whereon a sapphire throne, inlaid with pure | ||
Amber and colours of the showery arch. | ||
He, in celestial panoply all armed |
760
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Of radiant Urim, work divinely wrought, | ||
Ascended; at his right hand Victory | ||
Sat eagle-winged; beside him hung his bow, | The Son climbed into the chariot, he was wearing divine armor. | |
And quiver, with three-bolted thunder stored; | Next to him was a bow and a supply of arrows. | |
And from about him fierce effusion rowled |
765
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|
Of smoke and bickering flame and sparkles dire. | ||
Attended with ten thousand Saints, | ||
He onward came; far off his coming shon; | ||
And twenty thousand (I their number heard) | ||
Chariots of God, half on each hand, were seen. |
770
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|
He on the wings of Cherub rode sublime | God's angels were the first to see the Son approaching the battlefield. | |
On the crystallin sky, in saphir throned— | ||
Illustrious far and wide, but by his own | ||
First seen. Them unexpected joy surprised | They were all overjoyed and cheering at his arrival. | |
When the great ensign of Messiah blazed |
775
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Aloft, by Angels borne, his Sign in Heaven; | ||
Under whose conduct Michael soon reduced | Michael immediately turned his army and | |
His army, circumfused on either wing, | authority over to the Son. | |
Under their Head embodied all in one. | ||
Before him Power Divine his way prepared; |
780
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At his command the uprooted hills retired | At the Son's command, all the uprooted hills returned to where they were. As if nothing happened. | |
Each to his place; they heard his voice, and went | ||
Obsequious; Heaven his wonted face renewed, | ||
And with fresh flowerets hill and valley smiled. | ||
“This saw his hapless foes, but stood obdured, |
785
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The rebel angels weren't impressed with anything. |
And to rebellious fight rallied their Powers, | ||
Insensate, hope conceiving from despair. | Because they were so defeated on the inside, they were equally desperate. | |
In Heavenly Spirits could such perverseness dwell? | It's hard to believe that angels could seems so stubborn, | |
But to convince the proud what signs avail, | ||
Or wonders move the obdurate to relent? |
790
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They, hardened more by what might most reclaim, | ||
Grieving to see his glory, at the sight | ||
Took envy, and, aspiring to his highth, | ||
Stood re-imbattled fierce, by force or fraud | ||
Weening to prosper, and at length prevail |
795
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Against God and Messiah, or to fall | they actually thought they could successfully win against God. | |
In universal ruin last; and now | ||
To final battle drew, disdaining flight, | ||
Or faint retreat: when the great Son of God | The Son of God spoke, | |
To all his host on either hand thus spake:— |
800
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“‘Stand still in bright array, ye Saints; here stand, | "Those of you who have been good and faithful to God, | |
Ye Angels armed; this day from battle rest. | you can rest now. | |
Faithful hath been your warfare, and of God | You fought against the rebel angels, but your work is now done. | |
Accepted, fearless in his righteous cause; | ||
And, as ye have received, so have ye done, |
805
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Invincibly. But of this cursed crew | God has assigned me to finish this, and I will do it alone. | |
The punishment to other hand belongs; | ||
Vengeance is his, or whose He sole appoints. | ||
Number to this day’s work is not ordained, | ||
Nor multitude; stand only and behold | 810 | |
God’s indignation on these godless poured | It has to be me, because I am the one | |
By me. Not you, but me, they have despised, | that they hate and despise so much to go to war with Heaven. | |
Yet envied; against me is all their rage, | ||
Because the Father, to whom in Heaven supreme | ||
Kingdom and power and glory appertains, |
815
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|
Hath honoured me, according to his will. | Here I am now to fulfill their wish. | |
Therefore to me their doom he hath assigned, | ||
That they may have their wish, to try with me | It's me against all of them | |
In battle which the stronger proves—they all, | so let's see who comes out on top. | |
Or I alone against them; since by strength | 820 | All the rebel angels care about his power, so |
They measure all, of other excellence | I will show them true power." | |
Not emulous, nor care who them excels; | ||
Nor other strife with them do I voutsafe.’ | ||
“So spake the Son, and into terror changed | ||
His countenance, too severe to be beheld, |
825
|
The Son of God's face changed into rage. |
And full of wrauth bent on his enemies. | ||
At once the Four spread out their starry wings | ||
With dreadful shade continguous, and the orbs | ||
Of his fierce chariot rowled, as with the sound | ||
Of torrent floods, or of a numerous host. | 830 | |
He on his impious foes right onward drove, | ||
Gloomy as Night. Under his burning wheels | ||
The steadfast Empyrean shook throughout, | ||
All but the Throne itself of God. Full soon | ||
Among them he arrived, in his right hand |
835
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|
Grasping ten thousand thunders, which he sent | The Son of God grabbed then thousand thunder arrows | |
Before him, such as in their souls infixed | and shot them directly into the souls of every rebel angel below. | |
Plagues. They, astonished, all resistance lost, | ||
All courage; down their idle weapons dropt; | They all dropped their weapons. | |
O’er shields, and helms, and helmed heads he rode |
840
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|
Of Thrones and mighty Seraphim prostate, | ||
That wished the mountains now might be again | ||
Thrown on them, as a shelter from his ire. | ||
Nor less on either side tempestuous fell | ||
His arrows, from the fourfold-visaged Four, | 845 | Even the four-faced, four angels with the Son of God shot arrows too. |
Distinct with eyes, and from the living wheels, | And their eyes each show fire that | |
Distinct alike with multitude of eyes; | ||
One spirit in them ruled, and every eye | ||
Glared lightning, and shot forth pernicious fire | drained the strength and mental fortitude from the rebel angels. | |
Among the accursed, that withered all their strength, |
850
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|
And of their wonted vigour left them drained, | ||
Exhausted, spiritless, afflicted, fallen, | ||
Yet half his strength he put not forth, but checked | The Son of God wasn't even using his full strength either. | |
His thunder in mid-volley; for he meant | ||
Not to destroy, but root them out of Heaven. | 855 | He stopped his attack because he didn't want to really destory anyone, he just wanted to drive them out of Heaven and into Hell. |
The overthrown he raised, and, as a herd | ||
Of goats or timorous flock together thronged, | ||
Drove them before him thunderstruck, pursued | He made them run away like a flock of frightened goats toward | |
With terrors and with furies to the bounds | the walls at the edge of Heaven. | |
And crystal wall of Heaven; which, opening wide, | 860 | The wall then opened up like a gate |
Rowled inward, and a spacious gap disclosed | which led to the blackness of Hell. | |
Into the wasteful Deep. The monstrous sight | ||
Strook them with horror backward; but far worse | The rebel angels were horrified at this sight, but they were even more afraid of | |
Urged them behind: headlong themselves they threw | the Son of God behind them. They then threw themselves into the black pit. | |
Down from the verge of Heaven: eternal wrauth |
865
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|
Burnt after them to the bottomless pit. | ||
“Hell heard the unsufferable noise; Hell saw | ||
Heaven ruining from Heaven, and would have fled | ||
Affrighted; but strict Fate had cast too deep | ||
Her dark foundations, and too fast had bound. | 870 | |
Nine days they fell; confounded Chaos roared, | Chaos was confused as to why so many angels were falling into the abyss. | |
And felt tenfold confusion in their fall | It took the angels nine days to fall. | |
Through his wild Anarchy; so huge a rout | ||
Incumbered him with ruin. Hell at last, | Hell finally opened up wide and they all fell inside | |
Yawning, received them whole, and on them closed— |
875
|
and Hell closed up, swallowing them all. |
Hell, their fit habitation, fraught with fire | ||
Unquenchable, the house of woe and pain. | Hell was where these rebel angels belonged. | |
Disburdened Heaven rejoiced, and soon repaired | Heaven was happy to get rid of them. | |
Her mural breach, returning whence it rowled. | ||
Sole victor, from the expulsion of his foes |
880
|
The Son of God had done it all himself |
Messiah his triumphal chariot turned. | and won the war, so he turned hi chariot around. | |
To meet him all his Saints, who silent stood | ||
Eye-witnesses of His Almighty acts, | All the angels came up to meet him, | |
With jubilee advanced; and, as they went, | ||
Shaded with branching palm, each order bright | 885 | they each carried palms and sang his praises for the victory. |
Sung triumph, and him sung victorious King, | ||
Son, Heir, and Lord, to him dominion given, | They sang songs describing that the Son of God deserves to be their rightful king. | |
Worthiest to reign. He celebrated rode | ||
Triumphant through mid Heaven, into the courts | ||
And temple of his mighty Father throned |
890
|
|
On high; who into glory him received, | The Son of God rode into the temple of his father, God. | |
Where now he sits at the right hand of bliss. | There he sat at the right hand of God. | |
“Thus measuring things in Heaven by things on Earth, | ||
At thy request, and that thou may’st beware | And that's the story of the war in Heaven. | |
By what is past, to thee I have revealed | 895 | I did my best to describe it to you in terms and ways that you may understand as humans. |
What might have else to human race been hid— | ||
The discord which befell, and war in Heaven | ||
Among the Angelic Powers, and the deep fall | ||
Of those too high aspiring who rebelled | ||
With Satan: he who envies now thy state, | 900 | Just remember that satan envies you and your happy state. |
Who now is plotting how he may seduce | ||
Thee also from obedience, that, with him | He only wants you to be as miserable and sad as he is. | |
Bereaved of happiness, thou may’st partake | ||
His punishment, eternal misery; | ||
Which would be all his solace and revenge, | 905 | If he can make you fall too, then that would be his greatest |
As a despite done against the Most High, | revenge against God. | |
Thee once to gain companion of his woe. | ||
But listen not to his temptations; warn | So don't listen to him, and please | |
Thy weaker; let it profit thee to have heard, | warn your wife Eve too. | |
By terrible example, the reward | 910 | Don't ever forget the lessons from this story, and most. ofall |
Of disobedience. Firm they might have stood, | don't forget what happens when you disobey God. | |
Yet fell. Remember, and fear to transgress.” | ||
I love this bro keep it up it's been rlly helpful
ReplyDeletegood stuff
ReplyDeletebless up you saved my english grade
ReplyDeleteThank you this was so helpful
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