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PARADISUS AMISSUS.

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LIBER PRIMUS.

RIMAM Hominis Noxam, vetitâque ex Arbore fœtus
Avulfos, morfu quæ deguftata nefando

Humanæ genti mortem & genus omne malorum

Intulit, & miferos Edeni fedibus egit,

Donec Progenies Humano ab femine Major
Reftituat lapfos, lætisque reponat in arvis,
Diva canas: Tu, fecreto quæ vertice quondam
Orebi, Sina-ve jugis, præcordia fancto

Paftori afflabas, quem lecta ab origine Proles
Audiit ingentis primordia dicere mundi,
Emersasque Chao terras cœlumque profundum.
Seu tibi fit Sion cordi magis, & Siloa fons
Celfa DEI tacito lambens Oracula rivo,

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Ritè tuam pofcentis opem præfentior audi
Inde preces, non vulgari qui carminis alâ
Aonium fpernit montem, impavidoque volatu
Ardua molitur, nulli fermone foluto

Dicta priùs, nulli veterum celebrata camœnæ.
Tuque adeò, qui, templorum penetralibus altis
Posthabitis, purum pectus fanctofque receffus
Cafti animi colis; O fari da, SPIRITUS alme,
Scis etenim & memorare potes; Tu semina mundi
Prima fovens, alifque, parentis more columbæ,
Expanfis fuper incumbens, immane Profundum
Vi fœcundabas genitali: Tu mihi lustra
Corda bonus; lucem cæco, invalidoque vigorem
Suffice, ut ingenti non impar Argumento
Confurgam; legefque DEI venerandaque jura
Defendens, pandam dictis quàm numine justo
Torquet res Hominum, atque æquis moderatur habenis.
Fare age, namque patent fuperas tibi cuncta per oras
Perque altos Erebi tractus, quæ Caufa Parentes

Invoke thy aid to my advent'rous Song,
That with no middle flight intends to foar
Above th' Aonian Mount, while it pursues
Things unattempted yet in Profe or Rhime.
And chiefly Thou, O SPIRIT, 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 outfpread

Dove-like fat'st brooding on the vast Abyss,
And mad'ft it pregnant: What in Me is dark,
Illumine; what is low, raise and support;
That to the height of this great Argument
I may affert Eternal Providence,
And justifie the ways of Go D to Men.

Say firft, for Heav'n hides nothing from thy view,
Nor the deep Tract of Hell; fay firft what Caufe

Impulerit primos, cœli propiore beatos

Numine, tam blandi Genitoris fpernere jussa
Ingratos, unum ob Vetitum, cum cætera latè
Terrarum vaftâ foli ditione tenerent;

Tam fœdum miferis crimen quis fuaferit auctor.
Infernus Serpens: Ille improbus arte malignâ
Matrem hominum lufit, furiis ultricibus actus,
Ipfe exul jam tum cœli, faftumque nefandum
Efferaque aufa luens cum Tartareo comitatu;
Quorum ope, præcelfum divini munus honoris
Ante Pares longè affectans, æquâffe Supremum
Sperabat, fi contra obfifteret; impiaque amens
Bella DEI Solio & pugnam intentabat atrocem.
Hunc adeò, effræni molitum vana tumultu,
Æthereis projectum oris per inane profundum
Flagrantem torfit DEUS, horrificâque ruinâ
Præcipitem dedit; æternæque voragine noctis
Inclufit demerfum, ibi longum adamantina vincla

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 Restraint, Lords of the World befides:
Who firft feduc'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 aspiring
To fet himself in Glory above his Peers,
He trusted to have equal'd the Moft 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 Skic
With hideous ruin and combuftion down

Et meritos flammæ paffurum vindicis ignes,

Qui malefana palam Omnipotentem in bella vocârat.
Jam novies noctis fpatium noviesque diei

Fluxerat, ut terris numerantur tempora; ponto
Hic fuper ignivomo dirâ comitante catervâ
Attonitus jacet, atque Animæ ftupet obruta Virtus
Æthereæ. Cœlo vifum eft gravioribus iris

Hunc ultrà fupereffe; amiffa hinc gaudia luget,
Illinc immenfos horret fine fine dolores:
Lumina continuò feralia circumvolvit,

Lumina mærorem immanem, formidine mixtâ,
Invictumque odium & faftum teftata ferocem.

Tum celerem torquens aciem, quantùm ufque tuendo
Cœlicolûm penetrant oculi, loca lurida, vasto
Deformem tractu regionem afpectat: ubique

Horror erat; barathrumque ingens, ceu maxima fornax,
Undique jactabat flammas, fine lumine flammas:
Obscurâ tantùm fub lucis imagine tristes

To bottomlefs perdition; there to dwell
In adamantine Chains and penal Fire,
Who durft defie th' Omnipotent to arms.
Nine times the space that measures day and night
To mortal men, He with his horrid crew
Lay vanquish'd, rowling 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 wafte 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,

Luftrabat

1

Luftrabat Caligo plagas, folafque dolorum

Pandebat facies, umbras vallefque inamœnas;

Pax fugit inde, Quiefque; fugit, quæ fublevat omnes
Ultrò Spes placida; at torto Vindicta flagello
Inftat, Diluviumque perenni agit agmine flammas
Sulphuris indomitas. Iftos hâc fede Rebelles,

Hoc claudi Omnipotens æquus decreverat antro,
quam diffimili Patriæ fedifque relicta!

Heu
Ter tantùm ore fuo æthereâque à luce remotos,
Quantùm vel Medio diftat mundi ultimus Axis.
Cladis ibi comites flammarum in gurgite volvi
Dux cernit miser attonitos, multoque rotatos
Turbine; & adjunctum lateri, qui proximus Ipsi
Criminibus fceptrifque, infano agitarier æftu:
Ille Palaftiná longo poft tempore notus,
Nomine Balzebus: quem cœli acerrimus Hoftis
(Cœlicola hinc Satanam memorant) audacibus ultro
Compellans dictis horrenda filentia rupit :

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 Sulphur unconfum'd.
Such Place Eternal Juftice had prepar'd
For those Rebellious, here their prison 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 Whirl-winds of tempeftuous fire,
He foon difcerns, and welt'ring by his fide
One next himself in power, and next in crime,
Long after known in Pakftine, and nam'd
Beelzebub. To whom th' Arch-enemy,
And thence in Heav'n call'd Satan, with bold words

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