“Then, when I am thy captive, talk of chains, Proud limitary Cherub! but ere then Far heavier load thyself expect to feel From my prevailing arm, though Heaven’s King Ride on thy wings, and thou with thy compeers, Used to the yoke, drawest his triumphant wheels In progress through the road of Heaven star-paved.”
While thus he spake, the angelic squadron bright Turned fiery red, sharpening in mooned horns Their phalanx, and began to hem him round With ported spears, as thick as when a field Of Ceres ripe for harvest waving bends Her bearded grove of ears which way the wind Sways them; the careful ploughman doubting stands Lest on the threshing-floor his hopeful sheaves Prove chaff. On the other side, Satan, alarmed, Collecting all his might, dilated stood, Like Teneriff or Atlas, unremoved: His stature reached the sky, and on his crest Sat Horror plumed; nor wanted in his grasp What seemed both spear and shield. Now dreadful deeds Might have ensued; nor only Paradise, In this commotion, but the starry cope Of Heaven perhaps, or all the elements At least, had gone to wrack, disturbed and torn With violence of this conflict, had not soon The Eternal, to prevent such horrid fray, Hung forth in Heaven his golden scales, yet seen Betwixt Astraea and the Scorpion sign, Wherein all things created first he weighed, The pendulous round Earth with balanced air In counterpoise—now ponders all events, Battles and realms. In these he put two weights, The sequel each of parting and of fight: The latter quick up flew, and kicked the beam; Which Gabriel spying thus bespake the Fiend:
“Satan, I know thy strength, and thou know’st mine; Neither our own, but given; what folly then To boast what arms can do! since thine no more Than Heaven permits, nor mine, though doubled now To trample thee as mire. For proof look up, And read thy lot in yon celestial sign, Where thou art weighed, and shown how light, how weak If thou resist.” The Fiend looked up, and knew His mounted scale aloft: nor more; but fled Murmuring, and with him fled the shades of night.