MILTON's

WORK S.

PARADISE LOS T.

THE

THE VERSE.

HE meafure is English heroic verfe without rhyme, as that of Homer in Greek, and of Virgil in Latia; rhyme being no neceffary adjunct or true ornament of poem or good verfe, in longer works especially, but the invention of a barbarous age, to fet off wretched matter and lame meter; graced indeed fince by the use of fome famous modern poets, carried away by cuftom, but much to their vexation, hindrance, and conftraint to exprefs many things otherwife, and for the most part worse than elfe they would have expreffed them, Not without caufe therefore fome both Italian and Spanish poets of prime note have rejected rhyme both in longer and orter works, as have alfo long fince our beft English tragedies, as a thing of itfelf, to all judicious ears, trivial and of no true mufical delight; which confifts only in apt numbers, fit quantity of fyllables, and the sense variously drawn out from one verfe into another, not in the jingling found of like endings, a fault avoided by the learned Ancients both in poetry and all good oratory. This neglect then of rhyme fo little is to be taken for a defect, though it may feem fo perhaps to vulgar readers, that it rather is to be efteemed an example fet, the first in English, of ancient liberty recovered to heroic poem, from the troublefome and modern bondage of rhyming.

This firft Book proposes, firft 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 pafs'd over, the poem haftes into the midst 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 darknets, fitlieft call'd Chaos: Here Satan with his Angels lying on the burning lake, thunder-ftruck and aftonish'd, after a certain space 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 fpeech, comforts them with hope yet of regaining Heaven, but tells them laftly of a new world and a new kind of creature to be created, according to an ancient prophecy or report in Heaven; for that Angels were long before this vifible 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 that forbidden tree, whofe mortal taste
Brought death into the world, and all our woe,
With lofs of Eden, till one greater Man
Restore us, and regain the blissful feat,
Sing, heav'nly Mufe, that on the secret top
Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didft inspire

5

10

15

That fhepherd, who first 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, Ó Spi'rit, that doft prefer
Before all temples th' upright heart and pure,
Inftrust me, for Thou know'ft; Thou from the first
Waft prefent, and with mighty wings outspread 20
Dove-like fatft brooding on the vaft abyfs,
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.

25

30

70

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 thofe rebellious, here their pris'on 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 th' utmost pole.
O how unlike the place from whence they fell! 75
There the companions of his fall, o'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.

80

If thou beeft he; but O thou fall'n! how chang'd
From him, who in the happy realms of light $5
Myriads though bright! If he whom mutual league,
Cloth'd with transcendent brightness didst outshine
United thoughts and counfels, equal hope
And hazard in the glorious enterprise,
Join'd with me once, now mifery hath join'd gə
In equal ru'in: into what pit thou feeft
From what highth fall'n,fo much the stronger prov'd
He with his thunder: and till then who knew
Nor what the potent victor in his rage
The force of thofe dire arms? yet not for thofe,

95

Can elfe inflict, do I repent or change,
Though chang'd in outward luftre, that fix'd mind,
And high difdain 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,

35

That durft diflike his reign, and me preferring,
His utmoft pow'r with adverfe pow'r oppos'd

Say firft, for Heav'n hides nothing from thy view,
Nor the deep tract of Hell, fay firft what caufe
Moy'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?
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 whose aid aspiring
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.

40

45

In dubious battel on the plains of Heaven,

100

110

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 else not to be overcome;
That glory never thall his wrath or might
Extort from me. To bow and fue for grace
Who from the terror of this arm fo late
With fuppliant knee, and deify his power,
Doubted his empire; that were low indeed,
That were an ignominy' and shame beneath 115
This downfall; fince by fate the ftrength of Gods
And this empyreal fubftance cannot fail,

Nine times the space that measures day and night 50 Since through experience of this great event

55

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 lafting 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

Бо

So fpake th' apoftate Angel, though in pain, 125
Vaunting aloud, but rack'd with deep despair:
And him thus answer'd foon his bold compeer.
O Prince, O Chief of many throned Powers,
That led th' imbattel'd Seraphim to war

As one great furnace flam'd, yet from thofe flames Under thy conduct, and in dreadful deeds

No light, but rather darkness visible

Serv'd only to difcover fights of woe,

Fearless, indanger'd Heav'n's perpetual king,
And put to proof his high fupremacy,"

130

Regions of forrow, doleful thades, where peace 65 Whether upheld by strength, or chance, or fate;

Too well I fee and rue the dire event,

That with fad overthrow and foul defeat
Hath loft us Heav'n, and all this mighty host
In horrible deftruction laid thus low,
As far as Gods and heav'nly effences

Can perifh: for the mind and fpi'rit remains
Invincible, and vigor foon returns,
Though all our glory' extinct, and happy state
Here fwallow'd up in endless mifery.
But what if he our conqu'ror (whom I now
Of force believe almighty, fince no lefs

135

140

Created hugeft that swim th' ocean stream:
Him haply flumb'ring on the Norway foam
The pilot of fome finall night-founder'd skiff
Deeming fome iland, oft, as fea-men tell,

205*

With fixed anchor in his skaly rind
Moors by his fide under the lee, while night
Invests the fea, and wifhed morn delays:
So ftretch'd out huge in length the Arch-Fiend lay
Chain'd on the burning lake, nor ever thence 210
Had ris'n or heav'd his head, but that the will
And high permiffion of all-ruling Heaven
Left him at large to his own dark defigns,
That with reiterated crimes he might
Heap on himself damnation, while he fought 215
Evil to others, and enrag'd might fee
How all his malice ferv'd but to bring forth
150 Infinite goodness, grace and mercy shown
On Man by him feduc'd, but on himself
Treble confufion, wrath and vengeance pour'd. 220
Forthwith upright he rears from off the pool
His mighty ftature; on each hand the flames
Driv'n backward flope their pointing spires, and roll'd
In billows, leave i' th' midft a horrid vale.
Then with expanded wings he steers his flight 225
Aloft, incumbent on the dusky air

155

That felt unusual weight, till on dry land 160 He lights, if it were land that ever burn'd With folid, as the lake with liquid fire;

235

And fuch appear'd in hue, as when the force 230
Of fubterranean wind transports a hill
Torn from Pelorus, or the hatter'd fide
165 Of thund'ring Ætna, whofe combustible
And fuel'd entrails thence conceiving fire,
Sublim'd with mineral fury, aid the winds,
And leave a finged bottom all involv'd
With stench and smoke: Such refting found the fole
Of unbleft feet. Him follow'd his next mate,
Both glorying to have 'fcap'd the Stygian flood
As Gods, and by their own recover'd strength, 240
Not by the fufferance of fupernal Power.

Than fuch could have o'er-pow'r'd fuch force as ours)
Have left us this our spirit and strength entire
Strongly to fuffer and fupport our pains,
That we may fo fuffice his vengeful ire,
Or do him mightier service as his thralls
By right of war, whate'er his business be,
Here in the heart of Hell to work in fire,
Or do his errands in the gloomy deep;
What can it then avail, though yet we feel
Strength undiminish'd, or eternal being
To undergo eternal punishment?
Whereto with speedy words th' Arch-Fiend reply'd.
Fall'n Cherub, to be weak is miferable
Doing or fuffering: but of this be fure,
To do ought good never will be our task,
But ever to do ill our fole delight,
As be'ing the contrary to his high will
Whom we refift. If then his providence
Out of our evil feek to bring forth good,
Our labor must be to pervert that end,
And out of good still to find means of evil;
Which oft-times may fucceed, so as perhaps
Shall grieve him, if I fail not, and disturb
His inmoft counfels from their destin'd aim.
But fee the angry victor hath recall'd
His minifters of vengeance and purfuit
Back to the gates of Heav'n: the fulphurous hail
Shot after us in storm, o'erblown hath laid
The fiery furge, that from the precipice
Of Heav'n receiv'd us falling: and the thunder,
Wing'd with red lightning and impetuous rage, 175
Perhaps hath spent his fhafts, and ceafes now
To bellow through the vaft and boundless deep.
Let us not flip th' occafion, whether fcorn,
Or fatiate fury yield it from our foe.
Seeft thou yon dreary plain, forlorn and wild,
The feat of defolation, void of light,
Save what the glimmering of these livid flames
Cafts pale and dreadful? Thither let us tend
From off the toffing of these fiery waves,
There reft, if any reft can harbour there,
And re-affembling our afflicted Powers,
Confult how we may henceforth most offend
Our enemy, our own lofs how repair,
How overcome this dire calamity,
What reinforcement we may gain from hope
If not what refolution from defpair.

Thus Satan talking to his nearest mate
With head up-lift above the wave, and eyes
That fparkling blaz'd, his other parts befides
Prone on the flood, extended long and large
Lay floting many a rood, in bulk as huge
As whom the fables name of monstrous size,
Titanian, or Earth-born, that warr'd on Jove,
Briareos or Typhon, whom the den
By ancient Tarfus held, or that fea-beast
Leviathan, which God of all his works

170

180

185

195

245

Is this the region, this the foil, the clime,
Said then the loft Arch-Angel, this the feat
That we must change for Heav'n, this mournful gloom
For that celeftial light? Be' it fo, fince he
Who now is Sovran can difpofe and bid
What shall be right: farthest from him is beft,
Whom reas'on hath equal'd, force hath made fupreme
Above his equals. Farewell happy fields,
Where joy for ever dwells: Hail horrors, hail 250
Infernal world, and thou profoundest Hell
Receive thy new poffeffor; one who brings
A mind not to be chang'd by place or time.

The mind is its own place, and in itself

Can make a Heav'n of Hell, a Hell of Heaven. 255
What matter where, if I be ftill the fame,
And what I should be, all but less than he

260

190 Whom thunder hath made greater? Here at least
We shall be free; th' Almighty hath not built
Here for his envy, will not drive us hence:
Here we may reign fecure, and in my choice
To reign is worth ambition though in Hell:
Better to reign in Hell, than ferve in Heav'n.
But wherefore let we then our faithful friends,
Th' affociates and copartners of our loss,
Lie thus aftonifh'd on th' oblivious pool,
And call them not to share with us their part
In this unhappy manfion, or once more
With rallied arms to try what may be yet

265

200

Innumerable. As when the potent rod
Of Amram's fon, in Egypt's evil day,
Wav'd round the coaft, up call'd a pitchy cloud 340
Of locufts, warping on the eastern wind,
That o'er the realm of impious Pharaoh hung
Like night, and darken'd all the land of Nile:
So numberless were thofe bad Angels feen
Hovering on wing under the cope of Hell
"Twixt upper, nether, and furrounding fires;
Till, as a fignal giv'n, th' up-lifted fpear
Of their great Sultan waving to direct
Their courfe, in even balance down they light
On the firm brimftone, and fill all the plain; 350
A multitude, like which the populous north
Pour'd never from her frozen loins, to pafs
Rhene or the Danaw, when her barbarous fons
Came like a deluge on the fouth, and spread
Beneath Gibraltar to the Libyan fands.
Forthwith from every fquadron and each band
The heads and leaders thither hafte where ftood
290 Their great commander; Godlike shapes and forms
Excelling human, princely Dignities,

For one of Syrian mode, whereon to burn
His odious offerings, and adore the Gods
Whom he had vanquifh'd. After these appear'd
A crew who under names of old renown,

410 Ofiris, Ifis, Orus, and their train,

Fled over Adria to th' Hefperian fields, And o'er the Celtic roam'd the utmost iles. All these and more came flocking; but with looks 455 Down caft and damp, yet such wherein appear'd Obfcure fome glimpfe of joy, to' have found their chief Not in defpair, to' have found themselves not loft 525 In lofs itfelf; which on his count'nance caft Like doubtful hue: but he his wonted pride Soon recollecting, with high words, that bore Semblance of worth not fubftance, gently rais'd Their fainting courage, and difpell'd their fears. 530 Then straight commands that at the warlike found Of trumpets loud and clarions be uprear'd His mighty standard: that proud honor elam'd Azazel as his right, a Cherub tall;