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the Scripture, others from the British or Scottish hiftories: and of the latter the laft mentioned is Macbeth, as if he had an inclination to try his ftrength with Shakespear; and to reduce the play more to the unities he propofes beginning at the arrival of Malcolm at Macduff; th "matter of Duncan may be expreffed by the appearin "of his ghoft." These manuscripts of Milton were foun by the learned Mr. Profeffor Mason among fome oth old papers, which, he says, belonged to Sir Henry Ne ton Puckering, who was a confiderable benefactor tot library: and for the better prefervation of fuch truly luable reliques, they were collected together, and har fomely bound in a thin folio by the care and at the cha of a perfon, who is now very eminent in his profell: and was always a lover of the Mufes, and at that tim fellow of Trinity College, Mr. Clarke, one of his Maje

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This first book proposes, first in brief, the whole fubject, 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 pass'd over, the poem haftes into the midst of things, prefenting 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 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 aftonifh'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 fame manner confounded; They rife, their numbers, array of battle, their chief leaders nam'd, 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 Heaven, but tells them lafly 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.

PARADISE LOST.

BOOK I.

F Man's first disobedience, and the fruit

OF

Of that forbidden tree, whofe mortal tafte
Brought death into the world, and all our woe,
With lofs of Eden, 'till one greater Man
Restore us, and regain the blissful feat,
Sing heav'nly Muse, that,on the fecret top
Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didst inspire

That fhepherd, who first taught the chosen seed,
In the beginning how the Heav'ns and Earth
Rose out of Chaos: Or if Sion hill

5

10

15

'Delight thee more, and Siloa's brook that flow'd
Fast by the oracle of God; I thence
Invoke thy aid to my adventrous fong,
That, with no middle flight, intends to foar
Above th' Aonian mqunt; while it pursues
Things unattempted yet in prose or rhime.
And, chiefly, Thou, O Spirit, that doft prefer,
Before all temples, th' upright heart and pure,
Instruct me, for Thou know'ft. Thou from the first
Waft prefent; and with mighty wings, outfpread, 20
Dove-like, fatst brooding on the vast abyss,

And

And mad'st it pregnant: what in me is dark,.
Illumin, what is low, raise and support;
That, to the highth of this great argument,

I may affert eternal Providence,

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And justify the ways of God to Men.

30

Say firft, (for Heav'n hides nothing from thy view,
Nor the deep tract of Hell,) say first what cause
Mov'd our grand parents, in that happy state,
Favor'd of Heav'n fo highly, to fall off
From their Creator, and transgress his will
For one restraint, lords of the world befides?
Who first seduc'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 whose aid,aspiring
To fet himself in glory above his peers,

He trusted 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,

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40

45

Who durft defy th'Omnipotent to arms.

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