T.Phinn Sculp

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PARADISE LOST.

BOOK I.

THE ARGUMENT.

The first book proposes, first in brief, the whole fubject, Man's difobedience, and the lofs thereupon of Paradise wherein he was placed: Then touches the prime cause of his fall, the Serpent, or rather Satan in the Serpeat; 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 paffed over, the poem haftes into the mid of things, prefenting Satan with his Angels now fallen into Hell, described here, not in the center (for Heaven and Earth may be fuppofed as yet not made, certainly not yet accurfed) but in a place of utter darkness, fitlieft called Chaos: Here Saran with his Angels lying on the burning lake, thunderstruck and astonished, after a certain space recovers as from confufion, calls up him who next in or der and dignity lay by him; they confer of their miserable 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 named, according to the idols known afterwards in Canaan and the countries adjoining. To thefe 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 determine 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.

F Man's firft difobedience, and the fruit

OF

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 secret top
Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didit infpire

That shepherd, 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 rhime.
And chiefly Thou, O Spirit, that doft prefer
Before all temples th' upright heart and pure,
Inftruct me, for Thou know'ft; Thou from the first
Waft prefent, and with mighty wings outspread
Dove-like fat'ft brooding on the vast abyfs,
And mad'ft its pregnant: what in me is dark
Illumin, what is low raise and support;
That to the heighth of this great argument
I may affert eternal Providence,

And justify the ways of God to men.

Say first, for heav'n hides nothing from thy view, Nor the deep tract of hell, fay firft what cause Mov'd our grand parents, in that happy ftate, 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 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 battel proud
With vain attempt. Him the Almighty Power
Hurl'd headlong flaming from th' ethereal fky,
With hideous ruin and combuftion, down
To bottomlefs perdition, there to dwell
In adamantine chains and penal fire,
Who durft defy th' Omnipotent to arms.
Nine times the fpace that meafures day and night
To mortal men, he with his horrid crew
Lay vanquish'd, 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 difmay
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 thofe flames
No light, but rather darkness visible.

Serv'd only to difcover fights of woe,

Regions of forrow, doletul 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 those rebellious, here their prifon ordain'd
In utter darkness, and their portion fet
As far remov'd from God and light of heav'n,
As 'from the center thrice to the 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 Paleftine, 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 brightnefs didst outshine Myriads though bright! If he whom mutual league, United thoughts and counfels, equal hope

And hazard in the glorious enterprize,

Join'd with me once, now misery hath join'd

In equal ruin into what pit thou feeft

:

From what height fall'n, fo much the ftronger prov'd
He 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 durft diflike his reign, and me preferring,
His utmost pow'r with adverse pow'r oppos'd
In dubious battel on the plains of Heaven,

And fhook 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