Page images
PDF
EPUB

ARGUMENT of Book I.

This First Book propofes, firft, in brief, the whole fubject, Man's difabedience, and the lofs thereupon of Paradife wherein he was placed: Then touches the prime cause of his fall, the ferpent, 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, inte the great deep. Which action passed over, the Poem haftes into the midst of things, prefenting Satan, with his angels, now fallen into hell, described here, not in the centre, (for heaven and earth may be supposed aš yet not made, certainly not yet accurfed) but in a place of utter darkness, fitlieft called Chaos. Here Sa-tan, with his angels lying on the burning lake, thunder-ftruck and aftonished, after a certain space recovers, as from confufion, calls up him who next in order and dignity lay by him: They confer of their miserable fall. Satan awakens all his legions, who lay till then in the fame manner confounded: They rife; their numbers, array of battle, their chief leaders named, according to the idols known afterwards in Canaan and the countries adjoining. To thefe Satan directs his Speech, comforts them with hope yet of regaining beaven; 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 determine thereon, he refers to a full council. What his affociates thence attempt. Pandamonium, the palace of Satan, rises, fuddenly built out of the deep: The infernal peers there fit in council.. PARADISE

PARADISE LOST.

ΒΟΟΚ Ι.

O'

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
Reftore us, and regain the blissful feat,
Sing, heav'nly Mufe, that on the fecret top
Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didft infpire

That shepherd, who first taught the chofen feed,
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 advent'rous fong,
That with no middle flight intends to foar
Above th' Aonian mount, while it purfués
Things unattempted yet in profe or rhyme.
And chief thou, O Spi'rit, that dost 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 fatt'ft brooding on the vast abyss,
And mad'ft it pregnant: what in me is dark,
Illumine; what is low, raife and fupport;
That to the height of this great argument

5

10

15

20

I may affert eternal Providence,
And justify the ways of God to men.

25

30

Say first, for Heav'n hides nothing from thy view, Nor the deep tract of hell; fay first what cause Mov'd our grand parents, in that happy state, Favour'd of heav'n fo highly, to fall off From their Creator, and tranfgrefs his will, For one reftraint, lords of the world befides? Who first seduc'd them to that foul revolt? Th' infernal Serpent; he it was, whofe 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 afpiring

35

To fet himself in glory' above his peers,

He trufted to have equall'd the Most High,

40

If he oppos'd; and, with ambitious aim
Against the throne and monarchy of God,

Rais'd impious war in heav'n, and battle proud,
With vain attempt. Him the Almighty Power
Hurl'd headlong flaming from th' ethereal sky,
With hideous ruin and combustion, down
To bottomless perdition, there to dwell
In adamantine chains and penal fire,
Who durft defy th' Omnipotent to arms.

45

Nine times the space that measures day and night se
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 lafting pain

55

Torments him. Round he throws his baleful eyes,
That witnefs'd huge affliction and dismay
Mix'd with obdurate pride and stedfast hate :
At once, as far as angels ken, he views

60

The difmal fituation wafte and wild;

A dungeon horrible on all fides round

As one great furnace flam'd, yet from thofe flames
No light, but rather darknefs vifible

Serv'd only to difcover fights of woe,

Regions of forrow, doleful fhades, 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 unconfum'd:
Such place Eternal Justice had prepar'd

For thofe rebellious, here their pris'n ordain'd
In utter darkness, and their portion fet
As far remov'd from God and light of heav'n,
As from the centre 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.

65

70

75

80

If thou beeft he; but O how fall'n! how chang'd From him, who in the happy realms of light 85 Cloth'd with tranfcendent brightnefs didft outshine Myriads tho' bright! if he whom mutual league, United thoughts and counfels equal hope

And hazard in the glorious enterprize,

Join'd with me once, now mifery hath join'd
In equal ruin into what pit thou feeft

༡༠

From what height fall'n, fo much the stronger prov'd
He with his thunder: and till then who knew
The force of those dire arms? Yet not for those,

H

Nor what the potent victor in his rage
Can elfe inflict, do I repent or change,

Though chang'd in outward luftre, that fix'd mind,
And high difdain from fenfe of injur'd merit,
That with the Mightiest rais'd me to contend;
And to the fierce contention brought along
Innumerable force of fpirits arm'd,

That durst dislike his reign, and me preferring,
His utmost pow'r with adverse pow'r oppos'd
In dubious battle on the plains of heaven,

95

100

106

110

And shook his throne. What though the field be lost?
All is not loft; th' unconquerable will,
And study of revenge, immortal hate,
And courage never to fubmit 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,'
Who from the terrour of this arm fo late
Doubted his empire; that were low indeed,
That were an ignominy' and fhame beneath
This downfall; fince by fate the ftrength of gods
And this empyreal fubftance cannot fail;
Since through experience of this great event
In arms not worse, in forefight much advanc'd,
We may with more fuccessful hope refolve
To wage by force or guile eternal war,
Irreconcileable to our grand foe,
Who now triumphs, and in th' excefs of joy
Sole reigning holds the tyranny of heaven.

'So spake th' apostate angel, though in pain; Vaunting aloud, but rack'd with deep despair: And him thus anfwer'd foon his bold compeer,

O Prince, O Chief of many throned powers, That led th' imbattl'd Seraphim to war

115

120

125

« PreviousContinue »