This firft Book proposes, first in brief, the whole fubject, Man's difobedience, and the lofs thereupon of Paradife wherein he was plac'd: Then touches the prime caufe of his fall, the Serpent, or rather Satan in the ferpent; who revolting from God, and drawing to his fide many legions of Angels, was by the command of God driven out of Heaven with all his crew into the great deep. Which action pass'd over, the poem haftes into the midft of things, prefenting Satan with his Angels now falling into Hell, defcrib'd here, not in the center (for Heaven and Earth may be fuppos'd as yet not made, certainly not yet accurs'd) but in a place of utter darkness, fitlieft call'd Chaos: Here Satan with his Angels lying on the burning lake, thunder-ftruck and aftonish'd, after a certain fpace recovers, as from confufion, calls up him who next in order and dignity lay by him; they confer of their miferable fall. Satan awakens all his legions, who lay till then in the fame manner confounded: They rife, their numbers, array of battel, their chief leaders nam'd, according to the idols known afterwards in Canaan and the countries adjoining. To these Satan directs his fpeech, comforts them with hope yet of regaining Heaven, but tells them laftly 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 determin thereon, he refers to a full council. What his affociates thence attempt. Pandemonium the palace of Satan rifes, fuddenly built out of the deep: The infernal peers there fit in council,

PARADISE LOST.

BOOK I.

F Man's firft 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
Reftore us, and regain the blissful feat,
Sing, heav'nly Mufe, that on the fecret top
Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didst inspire

That fhepherd, who firft taught the chofen feed,
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,
Inftruct me, for Thou know'ft; Thou from the first
Waft present, and with mighty wings outspread
Dove-like fatft brooding on the vast abyss,
And mad'ft it pregnant: what in me is dark

Illumin, what is low raise and fupport;
That to the height of this great argument
I may affert eternal Providence,

And juftify the ways of God to Men.

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, Favor'd of Heav'n fo highly, to fall off From their Creator, and tranfgrefs his will For one reftraint, 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 host Of rebel Angels, by whofe aid afpiring To fet himself in glory' above his peers, He trufted 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 To mortal men, he with his horrid crew Lay vanquish'd, rolling in the fiery gulf,

Confounded

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 witnefs'd huge affliction and dismay
Mix'd with obdurate pride and fedfast hate :
At once, as far as Angels ken, he views
The difmal fituation waste and wild;

A dungeon horrible on all fides round

As one great furnace flamid, 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 fulphur unconfum'd ;
Such place eternal Juftice had prepar'd
For those rebellious, here their pris'on ordain'd
In utter darkness, and their portion fet
As far removed 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, so'erwhelm'd
With floods and whirlwinds of tempestuous 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 how fall'n! how chang'd From him, who in the happy realms of light Cloth'd with transcendent 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, so much the stronger prov'd
JIe with his thunder: and till then who knew
The force of thofe 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 Mightieft 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 submit or yield,
And what is elfe not to be overcome;
That glory never shall his wrath or might
Extort from me. To bow and fue for grace
With fuppliant knee, and deify his power,

Who