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Wide the celestial soil, and saw beneath

The originals of nature in their crude

Conception; sulphurous and nitrous foam

They found; they mingled, and, with subtle art.

Concocted and adusted, they reduced

To blackest grain, and into store conveyed.

Part hidden veins digged up (nor hath this earth

Entrails unlike) of mineral and stone,

Whereof to found their engines and their balls

Of missive ruin; part incentive reed

Provide, pernicious with one touch to fire.

So all, ere day-spring, under conscious night,

Secret they finished, and in order set,

With silent circumspection, unespied.

Now when fair Morn orient in heaven appeared,

Up rose the victor-angels, and 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-armed, scour

Each quarter, to descry the distant foe,

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,

Zophiel, of cherubim the swiftest wing,

Came flying, and in mid-

Came flying, and, in mid air, aloud thus cried:

Arm, warriors, arm for fight. The foe at hand,

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

Sad² resolution, and secure.³ Let each

His adamantine coat gird well, and each

Fit well his helm, gripe fast his orbed shield,

\ And adusted.—Adustus, made to be as dust by fire. \ Sad.—Grave, thoughtful. \* Secure -Confident.

Whose eye so superficially surveys

These things, as not to mind from whence they grow,

Deep under ground, materials dark and crude,

Of spiritous and fiery spume; till touched

With heaven's ray, and tempered, they shoot forth

So beauteous, opening to the ambient light?

These, in their dark nativity, the deep

Shall yield us, pregnant with infernal flame;

Which, into hollow¹ engines, long and round,

Thick-rammed, at the other bore with touch of fire

Dilated and infuriate, shall send forth

From far, with thundering noise, among our foes,

Such implements of mischief, as shall dash

To pieces, and o'erwhelm, whatever stands

Adverse, that they shall fear we have disarmed

The Thunderer of His only dreaded bolt.

Nor long shall be our labour: yet, ere dawn,

Effect shall end our wish. Meanwhile revive;

Abandon fear; to strength and counsel joined

Think nothing hard, much less to be despaired.

He ended; and his words their drooping cheer

Enlightened, and their languished hope revived:

The invention all admired, and each how he

To be the inventor missed; so easy it seemed

Once found, which yet unfound most would have thought

Impossible. Yet, haply, of thy race,

In future days, if malice should abound,

Some one, intent on mischief, or inspired

With devilish machination, might devise

Like instrument to plague the sons of men

For sin, on war and mutual slaughter bent.

Forthwith from council to the work they flew;

None arguing stood; innumerable hands

Were ready; in a moment up they turned

Which, into hollow, &c. - That which in, &c.