This firft Book proposes, firft in brief, the whole subject, Man's difobedience, and the lofs thereupon of Paradife wherein he was plac'd: Then touches the prime cause of his fall, the Serpent, or rather Satan in the ferpent; who revolting from God, and drawing to his fide many legions of Angels, was by the command of God driven out of Heaven with all his crew into the great deep. Which action pafs'd over, the poem haftes into the midft of things, prefenting Satan with his Angels now falling into Hell, defcrib'd here, not in the center (for Heaven and Earth may be fuppos'd as yet not made, certainly not yet accurs'd) but in a place of utter darkness, fitlieft call'd Chaos: Here Satan with his Angels lying on the burning lake, thunder-ftruck and aftonish'd, after a certain space recovers, as from confufion, calls up him who next in order and dignity lay by him; they confer of their miferable fall. Satan awakens all his legions, who lay till then in the same manner confounded: They rife, their numbers, array of battel, their chief leaders nam'd, according to the idols known afterwards in Canaan and the countries adjoining. To thefe Satan directs his fpeech, comforts them with hope yet of regaining Heaven, but tells them laftly of a new world and new kind of creature to be created, according to an ancient prophecy or report in Heaven; for that Angels were long before this vifible creation, was the opinion of many ancient Fathers. To find out the truth of this prophecy, and what to determin thereon, he refers to a full council. What his affociates thence attempt. Pandemonium the palace of Satan rifes, fuddenly built out of the deep: The infernal peers there fit in council.
F Man's firft difobedience, and the fruit Of that forbidden tree, whofe mortal taste Brought death into the world, and all our woe, With lofs of Eden, till one greater Man Restore us, and regain the blissful seat,
Sing, heav'nly Muse, that on the secret top Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didft infpire
That shepherd, who first taught the chosen seed, In the beginning how the Heav'ns and Earth Rofe out of Chaos: Or if Sion hill
Delight thee more, and Siloa's brook that flow'd Faft by the oracle of God; I thence
Invoke thy aid to my adventrous song, That with no middle flight intends to foar Above th' Aonian mount, while it pursues Things unattempted yet in profe or rhyme. And chiefly Thou, O Spi'rit, that doft prefer Before all temples th' upright heart and pure, Inftruct me, for Thou know'ft; Thou from the first Waft prefent, and with mighty wings outspread Dove-like fatst brooding on the vast abyss, And mad'ft it pregnant: what in me is dark
Illumin, what is low raise and support; That to the height of this great argument I may affert eternal Providence, And justify the ways of God to Men.
Say firft, for Heav'n hides nothing from thy Nor the deep tract of Hell, say first what cause Mov'd our grand parents, in that happy state, Favor'd of Heav'n so highly, to fall off From their Creator, and tranfgrefs his will For one restraint, lords of the world befides? Who firft feduc'd them to that foul revolt? Th' infernal Serpent; he it was, whose guile, Stirr'd up with envy and revenge, deceiv'd The mother of mankind, what time his pride Had caft him out from Heav'n, with all his hoft Of rebel Angels, by whofe aid aspiring To fet himself in glory' above his peers, He trufted to have equal'd the most High, If he oppos'd; and with ambitious aim Against the throne and monarchy of God Rais'd impious war in Heav'n and battel proud With vain attempt. Him the almighty Power Hurl'd headlong flaming from th' ethereal sky, With hideous ruin and combustion, down To bottomlefs perdition, there to dwell In adamantin chains and penal fire, Who durft defy th' Omnipotent to arms. Nine times the space that measures day and night To mortal men, he with his horrid crew Lay vanquish'd, rolling in the fiery gulf,
Confounded though immortal: But his doom
Referv'd him to more wrath; for now the thought Both of loft happiness and lasting pain
Torments him; round he throws his baleful eyes, That witness'd huge affliction and dismay Mix'd with obdurate pride and stedfast hate : At once, as far as Angels ken, he views The difmal fituation waste and wild;
A dungeon horrible on all fides round
As one great furnace flam'd, yet from those flames No light, but rather darkness visible
Serv'd only to discover fights of woe, Regions of forrow, doleful shades, where peace And reft can never dwell, hope never comes That comes to all; but torture without end Still urges, and a fiery deluge, fed With ever-burning fulphur unconsum'd: Such place eternal Justice had prepar'd For those rebellious, here their pris'on ordain'd In utter darkness, and their portion set As far remov'd from God and light of Heav'n, As from the center thrice to th' utmost pole. O how unlike the place from whence they fell! There the companions of his fall, o'erwhelm'd With floods and whirlwinds of tempeftuous fire, He foon difcerns, and welt'ring by his fide One next himself in pow'r, and next in crime, Long after known in Palestine, and nam'd Beelzebub. To whom th' Arch-Enemy, And thence in Heav'n call'd Satan, with bold words
Breaking the horrid filence thus began.
If thou beeft he; but O how fall'n! how cha From him, who in the happy realms of light Cloth'd with transcendent brightness didst outsh Myriads though bright! If he whom mutual lea United thoughts and counfels, equal hope And hazard in the glorious enterprife,
Join'd with me once, now mifery hath join'd In equal ru'in into what pit thou seest
From what highth fall'n, so much the stronger p 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
Can else inflict, do I repent or change, Though chang'd in outward luftre, that fix'd mir And high disdain from sense of injur'd merit, That with the Mightieft rais'd me to contend, And to the fierce contention brought along Innumerable force of Spirits arm'd,
That durft dislike his reign, and me preferring, His utmost pow'r with adverse pow'r oppos'd In dubious battel on the plains of Heaven, And shook his throne. What though the field be l All is not loft; th' unconquerable will, And study of revenge, immortal hate, And courage never to submit or yield, And what is elfe not to be overcome; That glory never shall his wrath or might Extort from me. To bow and fue for grace With fuppliant knee, and deify his power,
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