THE POETICAL WORKS OF JOHN MILTON. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. I. BIBLIOTHECA AUC 80 LONGOLEJAND W. KENT & CO., PATERNOSTER ROW. MDCCCLXXX. 280.0.523 PARADISE LOST. BOOK I. THE ARGUMENT. THIS First Book proposes, first in brief, the whole subject, Man's disobedience, and the loss thereupon of Paradise, wherein he was placed. Then touches the prime cause of his fall, the serpent, or rather Satan in the serpent, who, revolting from God, and drawing to his side many legions of Angels, was by the command of God driven out of heaven with all his crew into the great deep. Which action passed over, the Poem hastes into the midst of things, presenting Satan with his Angels now fallen into hell, described here, not in the centre, for heaven and earth may be supposed as yet not made, certainly not yet accursed, but in a place of utter darkness, fitliest called Chaos. Here Satan with his Angels lying on the burning lake, thunderstruck and astonished, after a certain space recovers, as from confusion, calls up him who next in order and dignity lay by him: they confer of their miserable fall. Satan awakens all his legions, who lay till then in the same manner confounded; they rise; their numbers, array of battle, their chief leaders named, according to the idols known after. wards in Canaan and the countries adjoining. To these Satan directs his speech, 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 associates thence attempt. Pandemonium, the palace of Satan, rises, suddenly built of the deep: the infernal peers there sit in council. OF Man's first disobedience and the fruit Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste Brought death into the world and all our woe, With loss of Eden, till one greater Man Restore us and regain the blissful seat, Sing heavenly Muse, that on the secret top That shepherd, who first taught the chosen seed, Delight thee more, and Siloa's brook that flowed And chiefly thou, O Spirit, that dost prefer And justify the ways of God to men. Say first, for heaven hides nothing from thy view, Nor the deep tract of hell; say first, what cause Moved our grand Parents in that happy state, Favoured of heaven so highly, to fall off From their Creator, and transgress his will For one restraint, lords of the world besides? Who first seduced them to that foul revolt? Th' infernal serpent; he it was, whose guile, Stirred up with envy and revenge, deceived The mother of mankind, what time his pride Had cast him out from heaven, with all his host robel angels, by whose aid aspiring himself in glory above his peers, He trusted to have equalled the Most High, Nine times the space that measures day and night Lay vanquished, rolling in the fiery gulf, Torments him; round he throws his baleful eyes, The dismal situation waste and wild; As one great furnace, flamed; yet from those flames Served only to discover sights of woe, Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace With ever-burning sulphur unconsumed. For those rebellious; here their prison ordained |