Page images
PDF
EPUB

nation, pronounces his exaltation above all Names in Heaven and Earth; commands all the Angels to adore him; they obey, and hymning to thir Harps in full Quire, celebrate the Father and the Son. Meanwhile Satan alights upon the bare Convex of this Worlds outermoft Orb; where wandring he first finds a place fince call'd The Lymbo of Vanity; what perfons and things fly up thither; thence comes to the Gate of Heaven, defcrib'd afcending by ftaires, and the waters above the Firmament that flow about it: His paffage thence to the Orb of the Sun; he finds there Uriel the Regient of that Orb, but first changes himself into the shape of a meaner Angel; and pretending a zealous defire to behold the new Creation and Man whom God had plac't here, inquires of him the place of his habitation, and is directed; alights first on Mount Niphates.

SAT

BOOK IV. THE ARGUMENT.

ATAN now in prospect of Eden, and nigh the place where he must now attempt the bold enterprize which he undertook alone against God and Man, falls into many doubts with himself, and many passions, fear, envy, and defpare; but at length confirms himfelf in evil, journeys on to Paradife, whofe outward profpect and feituation is difcribed, overleaps the bounds, fits in the shape of a Cormorant on the Tree of life, as highest in the Garden to look about him. The Garden defcrib'd; Satans first fight of Adam and Eve; his wonder at thir excellent form and happy state, but with refolution to work thir fall; overhears thir discourse, thence gathers that the Tree of knowledge was forbidden them to eat of, under penalty of death; and thereon intends to found his Temptation, by feducing them to tranfgrefs: then leaves them a while, to know further of thir state by fome other means. Meanwhile Uriel defcending on a Sun-beam warns Gabriel, who had in charge the Gate of Paradife, that fome evil spirit had escap'd the Deep, and paft at Noon by his Sphere in the shape of a good Angel down to Paradife, difcovered after by his furious geftures in the Mount. Gabriel promises to find him ere morning. Night coming on, Adam and Eve, difcourfe of going to thir reft: thir Bower defcrib'd; thir Evening worship. Gabriel drawing forth his Bands of Night

watch to walk the round of Paradise, appoints two strong Angels to Adams Bower, leaft the evill spirit should be there doing fome harm to Adam or Eve fleeping; there they find him at the ear of Eve, tempting her in a dream, and bring him, though unwilling to Gabriel; by whom question'd, he scornfully answers, prepares refiftance, but hinder'd by a Sign from Heaven, flies out of Paradife.

MORNI

BOOK V. THE ARGUMENT.

ORNING approach't, Eve relates to Adam her troublesome dream; he likes it not, yet comforts her: They come forth to thir day labours: Thir Morning Hymn at the Door of thir Bower. God to render Man inexcufable fends Raphael to admonish him of his obedience, of his free eftate, of his enemy near at hand; who he is, and why his enemy, and whatever elfe may avail Adam to know. Raphael comes down to Paradife, his appearance defcrib'd, his coming difcern'd by Adam afar off, fitting at the door of his Bower; he goes out to meet him, brings him to his lodge, entertains him with the choyceft fruits of Paradife got together by Eve; thir difcourfe at Table: Raphael performs his message, minds Adam of his state and of his enemy; relates at Adams request who that enemy is, and how he came to be fo, beginning from his first revolt in Heaven, and the occafion thereof; how he drew his Legions after him to the parts of the North, and there incited them to rebel with him, perswading all but only Abdiel a Seraph, who in Argument difwades and opposes him, then forfakes him.

BOOK VI. THE ARGUMENT.

RAPHAEL continues to relate how Michael and Gabriel were

fent forth to battel against Satan and his Angels. The first Fight defcrib'd: Satan and his Powers retire under Night: He calls a Councel, invents devilish Engines, which in the second dayes Fight put Michael and his Angels to fome disorder; but they at length pulling up Mountains overwhelm'd both the force and Machins of Satan: Yet the Tumult not fo ending, God on the third

day fends Meffiah his Son, for whom he had referv'd the glory of that Victory: Hee in the Power of his Father coming to the place, and caufing all his Legions to ftand still on either fide, with his Chariot and Thunder driving into the midst of his Enemies, pursues them unable to refift towards the wall of Heaven; which opening, they leap down with horrour and confufion into the place of punishment prepar'd for them in the Deep: Meffiah returns with triumph to his Father.

BOOK VII. THE ARGUMENT.

RAPHAEL at the request of Adam relates how and wherefore this world was first created; that God, after the expelling of Satan and his Angels out of Heaven, declar'd his pleasure to create another World and other Creatures to dwell therein; fends his Son with Glory and attendance of Angels to perform the work of Creation in fix dayes: the Angels celebrate with Hymns the performance thereof, and his reafcention into Heaven.

A

BOOK VIII. THE ARGUMENT.

DAM inquires concerning celeftial Motions, is doubtfully anfwer'd, and exhorted to search rather things more worthy of knowledg: Adam assents, and still defirous to detain Raphael, relates to him what he remember'd fince his own Creation, his placing in Paradife, his talk with God concerning folitude and fit fociety, his first meeting and Nuptials with Eve, his difcourfe with the Angel thereupon; who after admonitions repeated departs.

SATAN

BOOK IX. THE ARGUMENT.

ATAN having compaft the Earth, with meditated guile returns as a mift by Night into Paradife, enters into the Serpent fleeping. Adam and Eve in the Morning go forth to thir labours, which Eve proposes to divide in several places, each labouring apart:

Adam confents not, alledging the danger, left that Enemy, of whom they were forewarn'd, should attempt her found alone: Eve loath to be thought not circumfpect or firm enough, urges her going apart, the rather defirous to make tryal of her strength; Adam at last yields: The Serpent finds her alone; his fubtle approach, first gazing, then speaking, with much flattery extolling Eve above all other Creatures. Eve wondring to hear the Serpent fpeak, asks how he attain'd to human fpeech and fuch understanding not till now; the Serpent anfwers, that by tafting of a certain Tree in the Garden he attain'd both to Speech and Reafon, till then void of both: Eve requires him to bring her to that Tree, and finds it to be the Tree of Knowledge forbidden: The Serpent now grown bolder, with many wiles and arguments induces her at length to eat; fhe pleas'd with the taste deliberates awhile whether to impart thereof to Adam or not, at last brings him of the Fruit, relates what perfwaded her to eat thereof: Adam at first amaz'd, but perceiving her loft, refolves through vehemence of love to perish with her; and extenuating the trespass, eats also of the Fruit: The Effects thereof in them both; they feek to cover thir nakedness; then fall to variance and accufation of one another.

BOOK X. THE ARGUMENT.

MANS tranfgreffion known, the Guardian Angels forfake Pa

radife, and return up to Heaven to approve thir vigilance, and are approv'd, God declaring that The entrance of Satan could not be by them prevented. He fends his Son to judge the Tranfgreffors, who defcends and gives Sentence accordingly; then in pity cloaths them both, and reafcends. Sin and Death fitting till then at the Gates of Hell, by wondrous fympathie feeling the fuccefs of Satan in this new World, and the fin by Man there committed, refolve to fit no longer confin'd in Hell, but to follow Satan thir Sire up to the place of Man: To make the way easier from Hell to this World to and fro, they pave a broad Highway or Bridge over Chaos, according to the Track that Satan first made; then preparing for Earth, they meet him proud of his fuccefs returning to Hell; thir mutual gratulation. Satan arrives at Pandemo

nium, in full of assembly relates with boasting his fuccefs against Man; instead of applause is entertained with a general hifs by all his audience, transform'd with himself also fuddenly into Serpents, according to his doom giv'n in Paradife; then deluded with a fhew of the forbidden Tree springing up before them, they greedily reaching to take of the Fruit, chew duft and bitter afhes. The proceedings of Sin and Death; God foretels the final Victory of his Son over them, and the renewing of all things; but for the prefent commands his Angels to make several alterations in the Heavens and Elements. Adam more and more perceiving his fall'n condition heavily bewailes, rejects the condolement of Eve; he perfifts and at length appeases him: then to evade the Curse likely to fall on thir Ofspring, propofes to Adam violent wayes, which he approves not, but conceiving better hope, puts her in mind of the late Promife made them, that her Seed fhould be reveng'd on the Serpent, and exhorts her with him to feek Peace of the offended Deity, by repentance and fupplication.

T

BOOK XI. THE ARGUMENT.

HE Son of God prefents to his Father the Prayers of our firft Parents now repenting, and intercedes for them: God accepts them, but declares that they must no longer abide in Paradife; fends Michael with a Band of Cherubim to difpoffefs them; but first to reveal to Adam future things: Michaels coming down. Adam fhews to Eve certain ominous figns; he difcerns Michaels approach, goes out to meet him: the Angel denounces thir departure. Eve's Lamentation. Adam pleads, but fubmits: The Angel leads him up to a high Hill, fets before him in vifion what fhall happ'n till the Flood.

BOOK XII. THE ARGUMENT.

THE Angel Michael continues from the Flood to relate what fball fucceed; then, in the mention of Abraham, comes by degrees to explain, who that Seed of the Woman shall be, which was promifed Adam and Eve in the Fall; his Incarnation, Death,

« PreviousContinue »