With shivered armour strown, and on a heap Chariot and charioter lay overturned, And fiery foaming steeds; what stood recoiled, O’er-wearied, through the faint Satanic host, Defensive scarce, or with pale fear surprised, Then first with fear surprised and sense of pain, Fled ignominious, to such evil brought By sin of disobedience; till that hour Not liable to fear, or flight, or pain. Far otherwise the inviolable Saints In cubic phalanx firm advanced entire, Invulnerable, impenetrably armed; Such high advantages their innocence Gave them above their foes—not to have sinned, Not to have disobeyed; in fight they stood Unwearied, unobnoxious to be pained By wound, though from their place by violence moved.
“Now Night her course began, and, over Heaven Inducing darkness, grateful truce imposed, And silence on the odious din of war; Under her cloudy covert both retired, Victor and vanquished. On the foughten field Michael and his Angels prevalent Encamping placed in guard their watches round, Cherubic waving fires: on the other part, Satan with his rebellious disappeared, Far in the dark dislodged, and, void of rest, His potentates to council called by night, And in the midst thus undismayed began:
“ ‘O now in