F Man's first difobedience, and the fruit
Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste Brought death into the world, and all our woe, With lofs of Eden, till one greater Man Restore us, and regain the blissful seat, Sing, heav'nly Muse, that on the secret top Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didst inspire
That shepherd, who first taught the chosen 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 fong, That with no middle flight intends to foar Above th' Aonian mount, while it pursues Things unattempted yet in profe or rhyme. And chiefly Thou, O Spi'rit, 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 outspread Dove-like fatft brooding on the vast abyss, And mad't it pregnant: what in me is dark
Illumin, what is low raife and fupport;
That to the height of this great argument I may affert eternal Providence,
And justify the ways of God to Men.
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 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 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, Who durft defy th' Omnipotent to arms.
Nine times the space that measures day and night 50 To mortal men, he with his horrid crew Lay vanquish', 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 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,
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 Juftice had prepar'd
For thofe rebellious, here their pris'on 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 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.
If thou beeft he; but O thou fall'n! how chang'd From him, who in the happy realms of light Cloth'd with tranfcendent brightness didst outshine Myriads though bright! If he whom mutual league, United thoughts and counfels, equal hope
And hazard in the glorious enterprise,
Join'd with me once, now misery hath join'd In equal ru'in into what pit thou seest
From what highth fall'n, fo much the ftronger prov'd 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 fix'd mind, And high disdain from sense 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,
That durst dislike his reign, and me preferring, His utmost pow'r with adverse pow'r oppos'd
In dubious battel on the plains of Heaven,
And shook his throne. What though the field be loft? 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 fhall his wrath or might Extort from me. To bow and fue for grace With fuppliant knee, and deify his power,
Who from the terror of this arm so late
Doubted his empire; that were low indeed, That were an ignominy' and fhame beneath This downfall; fince by fate the strength of Gods And this empyreal substance cannot fail, Since through experience of this great event In arms not worse, in forefight much advanc'd, We may with more fuccefsful hope refolve To wage by force or guile eternal war, Irreconcileable to our grand foe,
Who now triumphs, and in th' excess of joy Sole reigning holds the tyranny of Heaven.
So fpake th' apoftate Angel, though in pain, 125 Vaunting aloud, but rack'd with deep despair : And him thus answer'd foon his bold compeer. O Prince, O Chief of many throned Powers, That led th' imbattel'd Seraphim to war Under thy conduct, and in dreadful deeds Fearless, indanger'd Heav'n's perpetual king, And put to proof his high fupremacy,
Whether upheld by ftrength, or chance, or fate; Too well I fee and rue the dire event,
That with fad overthrow and foul defeat
Hath loft us Heav'n, and all this mighty hoft
In horrible deftruction laid thus low,
As far as Gods and heav'nly effences
Can perish for the mind and spi'rit remains Invincible, and vigor foon returns,
Though all our glory' extinct, and happy state Here fwallow'd up in endless mifery.
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