BOOK I.

The Argument.

This First Book propofes, firft in brief, the whole fubje&t, Man's dif obedience, and the lofs thereupon of Paradife wherein he was plac'd: then touches the prime caufe of his fall, the ferpent, 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 actionppafs'd over, the Poem haftes into the midst of things, presenting 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 called Chaos : here Satan with his angels lying on the burning lake, thunder-ftruck and aftonifh'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 thefe Satan directs his speech, 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.

OF Man's firft difobedience, and the fruit

1 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 blisful feat,
Volume I.

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Sing heav'nly Mufe, that on the fecret top

Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didst inspire

That Shepherd, who first taught the Chosen Seed,
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

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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 rime.
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 present, and with mighty wings outfpread 20
Dove-like fatft brooding on the vast abyss,

And mad'ft it pregnant: what in me is dark
Illumin, what is low raise and support;
That to the height of this great argument

I may affert eternal Providence,

And juftify the ways of God to men.

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Say firft, for Heav'n hides nothing from thy view, Nor the deep tract of Hell, fay 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 restraint, lords of the world befides? Who first feduc'd them to that foul revolt?

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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 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 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.

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Nine times the space that measures day and night 50
To mortal men, he with bis 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
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Torments him; round he throws his baleful eyes,
That witness'd huge affliction and difmay
Mix'd with obdurate pride and sted faft hate:
At once, as far as angels' ken, he views
The dismal fituation waste and wild;
A dungeon horrible on all fides round

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As one great furnace flam'd, yet from those flames No light, but rather darkness visible

Serv'd only to discover fights of woc,

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 unconsum'd:
Such place eternal Juftice had prepar'd

For those rebellious, here their pris'on ordain'd
In uttter 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 the Arch-enemy,

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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 85 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 mifery hath join'd

In equal ru'in: into what pit thou feest

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From what highth fall'n, fo much the stronger prov'd
He with his thunder: and till then who knew
The force of those dire arms? yet not for those,
Nor what the potent Victor in his rage

Can elfe inflict, do I repent or change,

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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 dislike his reign, and me preferring,
His utmost pow'r with adverse pow'r oppos'd
In dubious battel on the plains of Heav'n,

And shook his throne. What though the field be lost?

All is not loft; th' unconquerable will,

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And ftudy 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 from the terror of this arm fo late
Doubted his empire; that were low indeed,
That were an ignominy' and fhame beneath
This downfal; fince by fate the strength of gods
And this empyreal substance cannot fail,