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Leifure or Opportunity to be Mafter of all the Sciences? befides which it is neceffary they should understand the Hebrew, Chaldee, Arabic, Syriac, Phoenician, and Egyptian, and all the dead Languages, with the living and modern ones, in all their different Dialects: So that it has been a frequent Complaint of the Readers of MILTON, that he has not calculated his Poem for common Eyes, who paffing by the most inftructive Pallages, elfe uncertainly gueffing at their Meaning and Reading altogether doubtfully, lofe the Pleasure and Benefit which might arife from the thorough Understanding of the improving Lecture, and the moral and philofophical Inftructions which are to be found in this inimitable Book; of which may be affirmed, what cannot be faid of any other Book in the World befide, that is, it never has been read and rightly understood by any, who have not given it the highest Encomiums. Therefore, that all English Readers may have the like Pleasure, the following Work was taken in Hand; and to help Foreigners, whofe Small Acquaintance with our Language, might otherwife prevent their Intelligence of the fineft Poem that ever was wrote.

THE

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The Fall of Adam and Eve.Ge

THE

FIRST BOOK

OF

PARADISE LOST.

P

The ARGUMENT.

ROPOSES the whole Subject, Man's Difobedience, and the Lofs thereupon of Paradife wherein he was placed. Then touches the prime Caufe of his Fall, which was Satan in the Serpent; who revolting from GOD, and drawing to his Side many Legions of Angels, was by the Command of GOD, driven out of Heaven with all his Crew into the great Deep. Which Action paffed over, the Author haftes into the midst of Things, prefenting Satan with his Angels now fallen into Hell, defcribed, not in the Centre (for Heaven and Earth may be fuppofed as not yet made, certainly not yet accurfed) but in a Place of utter Darkness, moft fitly called Chaos : Here Satan with his Angels lying on the burning Lake, thunder-flruck and aftonished, after a certain Space recovers, as from Confufion, calls up

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him who next in Order and Dignity lay by him; they confer of their miferable Fall. Satan awa kens all bis Legions, who lay till then confounded; they rife, their Numbers, Array of Battle, their chief Leaders named, according to the Idols afterwards known in Canaan, and the Countries adjoining. Satan, though fenfible of the Diminution of bis Glory directs his Speech to the Fallen Angels, comforts them with Hope yet of regaining Heaven, but tells them of a new World, and new Kind of Creature to be created; according to an antient Prophecy or Report in Heaven, and threatens the Deity, which the rebellious Angels all affent to. The Affociates of Satan build Pandæmonium, and the Infernal Peers fit there in Council,

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The whole Subject is propofed, Man's Difobedience, and the Lofs thereupon of Paradife wherein be was placed. The prime Caufe of his Fall. Satan with his Angels now fallen into Hell defcribed, lying on the burning Lake, After a certain Space Satan calls to him who next lay by him, They confer of their miferable Fall.

EAVENLY Spirit of Truth and Harmony, affift me to write of Man's firft Difobedience, and of the Fruit of that forbidden Tree, the Tafting of which brought Death and all our Woe into the World, and occafioned the Lofs of Paradife, till JESUS CHRIST, a Man far greater than ADAM, reftore and redeem, and once, more regain a Paradife for us.

THOU,

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