PARADISE LOST. BOOK I. THE ARGUMENT. THIS first book proposes, first in brief, the whole subject, man s disobedience, and the loss thereupon of Paradise, wherein he was placed. Then touches the prime cause of his fall, the serpent, or rather, Satan in the serpent; who, revolting from God, and drawing to his side many legions of Angels, was by the command of God driven out of heaven with all his crew into the great deep. Which action passed over, the Poem hastes into the midst of things, presenting Satan with his Angels now fallen into hell, described here, not in the centre, for heaven and earth may be supposed as yet not made, certainly not yet accursed, but in a place of utter darkness, fitliest called Chaos: Here Satan with his Angels lying on the burning lake, thunderstruck and astonished, after a certain space recovers, as from confusion, 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 same manner confounded; they rise; their numbers, array of battle, their chief leaders named, according to the idols known afterwards in Canaan and the countries adjoining. To these Satan directs his speech, comforts them with hope yet of regaining heaven, but tells them lastly 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 visible 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 associates thence attempt. Pandemonium, the palace of Satan, rises, suddenly built out of the deep: the infernal Peers there sit in council. Or Man's first disobedience and the fruit Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste Restore us and regain the blissful seat, That shepherd, who first taught the chosen seed, Delight thee more, and Siloa's brook that flow'd And chiefly thou, O Spirit, that dost prefer 5 10 15 20 16 v. Ariosto Orl. Fur. c. i. st. 2. Orlando Innam. di Boiardo, rifac. da Berni, lib. ii. c. xxx. st. 1. 'Com' avvien, che ne in prosa è detta, o in rima Cosa, che non sia stata detta prima.' Bowle, Pearce. 19 Instruct] Theoc. Id. xxii. 116. εἰπὲ θεά. σὺ γὰρ οἶσθα. Newton. I may assert eternal Providence, And justify the ways of God to men. 25 Say first, 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, Favour'd of heaven so highly, to fall off From their Creator, and transgress his will For one restraint, lords of the world besides? 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 cast him out from heaven, with all his host Of rebel angels, by whose aid aspiring To set himself in glory above his peers, He trusted to have equall'd the Most High, If he oppos'd; and with ambitious aim Against the throne and monarchy of God Rais'd impious war in heaven 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 durst defy th' Omnipotent to arms. 30 335 40 45 Nine times the space that measures day and night 50 33 Who] v. Hom. Il. i. 8. Hume. 48 adamantine] v. Spenser. chains.' See Todd's Note. 'Together link'd in adamantine To mortal men, he with his horrid crew A dungeon horrible, on all sides round As one great furnace, flam'd; yet from those flames No light, but rather darkness visible Serv'd only to discover sights of woe, Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace For those rebellious; here their prison ordain'd 55 60 65 70 75 63 darkness visible] v. Senecæ Ep. 57. de Crypt. Neapol. 'Nihil illis faucibus obscurius; quæ nobis præstant, ut non per tenebras videamus, sed ut ipsas. Bentl. MS. 66 hope] Compare Jer. Taylor's Contemplations, p. 211, and see Todd's Note, p. 18. |