The first in flight from pain! hadst thou alleged To thy deserted host this cause of flight, Thou surely hadst not come sole fugitive.' To which the fiend thus answer'd, frowning stern: The blasting volley'd thunder made all speed, Satan and couldst thou faithful add? O name, Was this your discipline and faith engaged, Once fawn'd, and cringed, and servilely adored To dispossess him, and thyself to reign? But mark what I areed thee now, Avaunt; Far heavier load thyself expect to feel From my prevailing arm, though Heaven's King Her bearded grove of ears, which way the wind Prove chaff. On the other side, Satan, alarm'd, Collecting all his might, dilated stood, Like Teneriff or Atlas, unremoved: His stature reach'd the sky, and on his crest deeds Might have ensued, not only Paradise, In this commotion, but the starry cope At least had gone to wrack, disturb'd and torn The pendulous round earth with balanced air ⚫ Satan, I know thy strength, and thou know'st mine; Neither our own, but given: what folly then now To trample thee as mire: for proof look up, Where thou art weigh'd, and shown how light, how weak, If thou resist.' The fiend look'd up, and knew His mounted scale aloft: nor more; but fled Murmuring, and with him fled the shades of night. |