F Mans First Difobedience, and the
Fruit

Of that Forbidden Tree, whose
mortal taft

Brought Death into the World, and all our woe,
With lofs of Eden, till one greater Man
Reftore us, and regain the blissful Seat,

Sing Heav'nly Mufe, that on the secret top
Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didft infpire

That Shepherd, who first taught the chofen Seed,
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 adventrous 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,

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Inftruct me, for Thou know'ft; Thou from the first
Wast present, and with mighty wings outspread
Dove-like fatft brooding on the vast Abyss
And mad'st it pregnant: What in me is dark
Illumine, what is low raise and support;
That to the highth of this great Argument

I

may affert Eternal Providence,

And justifie the wayes of God to men.

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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 so highly, to fall off From their Creator, and tranfgrefs his Will For one restraint, Lords of the World befides? Who first feduc'd them to that fowl revolt? Th' infernal Serpent; he it was, whose guile Stird up with Envy and Revenge, deceiv'd The Mother of Mankinde, what time his Pride Had caft him out from Heav'n, with all his Hoft Of Rebel Angels, by whofe aid afpiring To set 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 Hurld headlong flaming from th' Ethereal Skie With hideous ruine and combustion down To bottomless 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

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To mortal men, he with his horrid crew
Lay vanquisht, rowling in the fiery Gulfe
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
Mixt with obdurate pride and stedfast hate :
At once as far as Angels kenn he views
The dismal Situation waste and wilde,
A Dungeon horrible, on all fides round

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As one great Furnace flam'd, yet from those flames No light, but rather darkness visible

Serv'd only to discover fights of woe,

Regions of forrow, doleful shades, 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

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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'rewhelm'd
With Floods and Whirlwinds of tempeftuous fire,
He foon difcerns, and weltring by his fide
One next himself in power, and next in crime,
Long after known in Paleftine, and nam'd
Beelzebub. To whom th' Arch-Enemy,

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And thence in Heav'n call'd Satan, with bold words

Breaking the horrid filence thus began.

If thou beeft he; But O how fall'n! how chang'd From him, who in the happy Realms of Light Cloth'd with transcendent brightnes didst outshine Myriads though bright: If he whom mutual league, United thoughts and counfels, equal hope, And hazard in the Glorious Enterprize, Joynd with me once, now misery hath joynd 90 In equal ruin: into what Pit thou feest From what highth fal'n, fo much the stronger provd He with his Thunder: and till then who knew The force of those dire Arms? yet not for those Nor what the Potent Victor in his rage Can elfe inflict do I repent or change, Though chang'd in outward luftre; that fixt mind And high disdain, from sence of injur'd merit, That with the mightiest rais'd me to contend, And to the fierce contention brought along Innumerable force of Spirits arm'd

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That durft dislike his reign, and me preferring,
His utmost power with adverse power oppos'd
In dubious Battel on the Plains of Heav'n,
And shook his throne. What though the field be loft?
All is not loft; the unconquerable Will,
And study of revenge, immortal hate,
And courage never to submit or yield:
And what is elfe not to be overcome?
That Glory never fhall his wrath or might
Extort from me. To bow and fue for grace
With fuppliant knee, and deifie his power
Who from the terrour of this Arm fo late
Doubted his Empire, that were low indeed,

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