PARADISE LOST. BOOK I. THE ARGUMENT. HE first Book proposes, first in brief, the whole Subject, Mans difobedience, and the lofs thereupon of Paradife wherein he was plac't: Then touches the prime caufe of his fall, the Serpent, or rather Satan in the Serpent; 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 past over, the Poem hafts into the midst of things, presenting Satan with his Angels now fallen into Hell, defcrib'd here, not in the Center (for Heaven and Earth may be fuppos'd as yet not made, certainly not yet accurst) but in a place of utter darkness, fitlieft call'd Chaos: Here Satan with his Angels lying on the burning Lake, thunder-struck and astonisht, after a certain space recovers, as from confufion, calls up him who next in Order and Dignity lay by him; they confer of thir miferable fall. Satan awakens all his Legions, who lay till then in the fame manner confounded; They rife, thir Numbers, array of Battel, thir chief Leaders nam'd, according to the Idols known afterwards in Canaan and the Countries adjoyning. To thefe Satan directs his Speech, comforts them with hope yet of regaining Heaven, but tells them lastly of a new World and new kind of Creature to be created, according to an ancient Prophefie or report in Heaven; for that Angels were long before this visible Creation, was the opinion of many ancient Fathers. To find out the truth of this Prophefie, and what to determin thereon he refers to a full Councel. What bis Affociates thence attempt. Pandemonium the Palace of Satan rifes, fuddenly built out of the Deep: The infernal Peers there fit in Councel. THE BOOK II. THE ARGUMENT. HE Confultation begun, Satan debates whether another Battel be to be hazarded for the recovery of Heaven: fome advife it, others diffuade: A third proposal is prefer'd, mention'd before by Satan, to fearch the truth of that Prophefie or Tradition in Heaven concerning another world, and another kind of creature equal or not much inferiour to themselves, about this time to be created: Thir doubt who shall be fent on this difficult fearch: Satan thir chief undertakes alone the voyage, is honourd and applauded. The Councel thus ended, the rest betake them several wayes and to feveral imployments, as thir inclinations lead them, to entertain the time till Satan return. He paffes on his Journey to Hell Gates, finds them fhut, and who fat there to guard them, by whom at length they are op'nd, and difcover to him the great Gulf between Hell and Heaven; with what difficulty he paffes through, directed by Chaos, the Power of that place, to the fight of this new World which he fought. GOL Ꮐ BOOK III. THE ARGUMENT. OD fitting on his Throne fees Satan flying towards this world, then newly created; fhews him to the Son who fat at his right hand; foretells the fuccefs of Satan in perverting mankind; clears his own Justice and Wisdom from all imputation, having created Man free and able enough to have withstood his Tempter ; yet declares his purpose of grace towards him, in regard he fell not of his own malice, as did Satan, but by him feduc't. The Son of God renders praifes to his Father for the manifeftation of his gracious purpose towards Man; but God again declares, that Grace cannot be extended towards Man without the fatisfaction of divine Fuftice; Man hath offended the majesty of God by afpiring to God-head, and therefore with all his Progeny devoted to death muft dye, unless fome one can be found fufficient to answer for his offence, and undergo his Punishment. The Son of God freely offers himself a Ranfome for Man: the Father accepts him, ordains his incar nation, pronounces his exaltation above all Names in Heaven and Earth; commands all the Angels to adore him; they obey, and hymning to thir Harps in full Quire, celebrate the Father and the Son. Meanwhile Satan alights upon the bare Convex of this Worlds outermoft Orb; where wandring he firft finds a place fince call'd The Lymbo of Vanity; what perfons and things fly up thither; thence comes to the Gate of Heaven, defcrib'd afcending by ftaires, and the waters above the Firmament that flow about it: His paffage thence to the Orb of the Sun; he finds there Uriel the Regient of that Orb, but first changes himself into the shape of a meaner Angel; and pretending a zealous defire to behold the new Creation and Man whom God had plac't here, inquires of him the place of his habitation, and is directed; alights firft on Mount Niphates. SAT BOOK IV. THE ARGUMENT. ATAN now in prospect of Eden, and nigh the place where he must now attempt the bold enterprize which he undertook alone against God and Man, falls into many doubts with himself, and many passions, fear, envy, and despare; but at length confirms himfelf in evil, journeys on to Paradife, whofe outward prospect and feituation is difcribed, overleaps the bounds, fits in the shape of a Cormorant on the Tree of life, as highest in the Garden to look about him. The Garden defcrib'd; Satans first fight of Adam and Eve; his wonder at thir excellent form and happy state, but with refolution to work thir fall; overhears thir discourse, thence gathers that the Tree of knowledge was forbidden them to eat of, under penalty of death; and thereon intends to found his Temptation, by feducing them to tranfgrefs: then leaves them a while, to know further of thir ftate by fome other means. Meanwhile Uriel defcending on a Sun-beam warns Gabriel, who had in charge the Gate of Paradise, that some evil spirit had escap'd the Deep, and paft at Noon by his Sphere in the shape of a good Angel down to Paradife, difcovered after by his furious geftures in the Mount. Gabriel promises to find him ere morning. Night coming on, Adam and Eve, difcourfe of going to thir reft: thir Bower defcrib'd; thir Evening worship. Gabriel drawing forth his Bands of Night |