" If thou beest he; But O how fall'n ! how chang'd From him, who in the happy Realms of Light [ 85 ] Cloth'd with transcendent brightness didst
shine Myriads though bright: If he Whom mutual league, United thoughts and counsels, equal ho pe And hazard in the Glorious Enterprize , Joynd with me once, now misery hath joynd [ 90 ] In equal ruin: into what Pit thou seest From what highth fall'n , so much the stronger prov'd He with his Thunder: and till then who knew The force of those dire Arms ? yet not for those, Nor what the Potent Victor in his rage [ 95 ] Can else inflict, do I repent or change, Though chang'd in outward lustre ; that fixt mind And high disdain, from sence of injur'd merit, That with the mightiest rais'd me to contend, And to the fierce contention brought along [ 100 ] Innumerable force of Spirits arm'd That durst dislike his reign, and me preferring, His utmost power with adverse power oppos'd In dubious Battel on the Plains of Heav'n , And shook his throne. What though the fi eld be lost? [ 105 ] All is not lost; the unconquerable Will, And study of revenge, immortal hate, And courage never to submit or yield: Source URL: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~milton/reading_room/pl/book_1/ Saylor URL: http://www.saylor.org/courses/engl402/ Attributed to: [ Thomas H. Luxon ] www.saylor.org Page 4 of 30 And what is else not to be overcome? That Glory never shall his wrath or might [ 110 ] Extort from me. To bow and sue f or grace With suppliant knee, and deifie his power, Who from the terrour of this Arm so late Doubted his Empire, that were low indeed, That were an ignominy and shame beneath [ 115 ] This downfall; since by Fate the strength of Gods And this Empyreal subst ance cannot fail, Since through experience of this great event In Arms not worse, in foresight much advanc't , We may with more successful hope resolve [ 120 ] To wage by force or guile eternal Warr Irreconcileable, to our grand Foe, Who now triumphs, and i n th' excess of joy Sole reigning holds the Tyranny of Heav'n . "
-From Paradise Lost (John Milton)