For strength from Truth divided and from Just,
Illaudable, naught merits but dispraise
And ignominie, yet to glorie aspires
Vain glorious, and through infamie seeks fame:
Therfore Eternal silence be thir doome. [ 385 ]
And now thir Mightiest quelld, the battel swervd,
With many an inrode gord; deformed rout
Enterd, and foul disorder; all the ground
With shiverd armour strown, and on a heap
Chariot and Charioter lay overturnd [ 390 ]
And fierie foaming Steeds; what stood, recoyld
Orewearied, through the faint Satanic Host
Defensive scarse, or with pale fear surprisd,
Then first with fear surprisd and sense of paine
Fled ignominious, to such evil brought [ 395 ]
By sin of disobedieill that hour
Not liable to fear or flight or paine.
Far otherwise th inviolable Saints
In Cubic Phalanx firm advaire,
Invulnerable, impenitrably armd: [ 400 ]
Such high advahir innoce
Gave them above thir foes, not to have sinnd,
Not to have disobeid; in fight they stood
Unwearied, unobnoxious to be paind
By wound, though from thir place by violence movd. [ 405 ]
Now Night her course began, and over Heavn
Indug darkness, grateful truce imposd,
And silen the odious dinn of Warr:
Under her Cloudie covert both retird,
Victor and Vanquisht: on the foughten field [ 410 ]
Michael and his Angels prevalent
Encamping, pla Guard thir Watches round,
Cherubic waving fires: on th other part
Satan with his rebellious disappeerd,
Far in the dark dislodgd, and void of rest, [ 415 ]
His Poteo cel calld by night;
And in the midst thus undismaid began.