the very Sound; nay, if we may believe history, it prevailed even among
the Gods; not all the noise of _Vulcan_'s hammers could silence the
clamours of that outrageous whore his Goddess; nay, even _Jupiter_
himself led such a life with a termagant wife, that once, they say,
_Juno_ out-scolded the noise of all his Thunders, and was within an ace
of brawling him out of Heaven. But to return to the Devil.

With these views he resolv'd, it seems, to attack the woman; and if you
consider him as a Devil, and what he aim'd at, and consider the fair
prospect he had of success, I must confess, I do not see who can blame
him, or at least, how any thing less could be expected from him; But we
shall meet with it again by and by.

CHAP. V.

_Of the station Satan had in Heaven before he fell; the nature and
original of his crime, and some of Mr._ Milton_'s mistakes about
it._

Thus far I have gone upon general observation, in this great affair of
_Satan_ and his Empire in the World; I now come to _my Title_, and shall
enter upon the historical part, as the main work before me.

Besides what has been said Poetically, relating to the fall and
wandering condition of the _Devil_ and his Host, which poetical part I
offer only as an excursion, and desire it should be taken so; I shall
give you what I think is deduc'd from good originals on the part of
_Satan_'s story in a few words.

He was one of the created Angels, form'd by the same omnipotent hand and
glorious power, who created the Heavens and the Earth, and all that is
therein: This innumerable heavenly host, as we have reason to believe,
contain'd Angels of higher and lower stations, of greater and of lesser
degree, express'd in the Scripture by _Thrones_, _Dominions_, and
_Principalities_: This, I think, we have as much reason to believe, as
we have, that there are Stars in the Firmament (or starry Heavens) of
greater and of lesser magnitude.

What particular station among the immortal Choir of Angels, this
Arch-seraph, this Prince of _Devils_, call'd _Satan_, was plac'd in
before his expulsion, that indeed, we cannot come at the knowledge of,
at least, not with such an Authority as may be depended upon; but as
from Scripture authority, he is plac'd at the head of all the Apostate
armies, after he was fallen, we cannot think it in the least assuming to
say, that he might be supposed to be one of the principal Agents in the
_Rebellion_ which happen'd in Hea