This first book propofes, firft in brief, the whole fubject, Man's disobedience, and the lofs thereupon of Paradise wherein he was plac'd: Then touches the prime cause 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 paffed over, the poem haftens into the midst of things, prefenting Satan with his Angels now fallen into Hell, defcrib'd here, not in the center, (for Heaven and Earth may be fuppofed 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 astonish'd, after a certain space recovers, as from confusion, 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 battle, their chief leaders nam'd, accor-

ding 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 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 affociates thence attempt. Pandemonium the palace of Satan rises, fuddenly built out of the deep: The infernal peers there fit in council.

PARADISE LOST.

воок І.

F man's firft difobedience, and the fruit
Of that forbidden tree, whofe mortal tafte

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 didft infpire

That shepherd, who firft taught the chosen 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 advent'rous fong,
That with no middle flight intends to foar
Above th' Aonian mount, while it purfues
Things unattempted yet in profe or rhyme.

And chiefly thou, O Sp'rit, that doft prefer
Before all temples th' upright heart and pure,
Inftruct me, for thou know'ft; theu from the fir
Waft prefent, and with mighty wings outfpread
Dove-like fatt'ft brooding on the vast aby is,
And mad't it pregnant: What in me is dar
Illumine, what is low, raife and support ;
That to the height of this great argumene
VOL. I.
A..

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; fay firft what canfe
Mov'd our grand parents, in that happy state,
Favour'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 first feduc'd them to that foul revolt?
Th' infernal ferpent; he it was whose 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 himfelf 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 heav'n, 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 bottomlefs perdition, there to dwell
In adamantine 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 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,

108.

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 waste 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, doleful fhades, where peace
And rest 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 how fallen! how chang'd From him, who, in the happy realms of light, Cloth'd with tranfcendent brightnefs, didft outfhine Myriads though bright! if he whom mutual league, United thoughts and counfels, equal hope