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 Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didst inspire
That shepherd, who first taught the chosen seed, In the beginning how the heavens and earth Rose out of chaos: or if Sion hill
Delight thee more, and Siloa's brook, that flow'd Fast by the oracle of God; I thence Invoke thy aid to my adventurous song, That with no middle flight intends to soar Above the Aonian mount, while it pursues Things unattempted yet in prose or rhyme.3
And chiefly thou, O Spirit, that dost prefer
Before all temples the upright heart and pure, Instruct me, for thou know'st; thou from the first Wast present, and with mighty wings outspread 20 Dove-like sat'st brooding5 on the vast abyss, And madest it pregnant: what in me is dark Illumine,6 what is low raise and support; That to the highth of this great argument? I may assert eternal Providence,
And justify the ways of God to men.3
Say first, for Heaven hides nothing from thy
Nor the deep tract of hell;9 say first, what cause Moved our grand parents, in that happy state, Favour'd 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? The infernal serpent: he it was, whose guile, Stirr'd up with envy and revenge, deceived The mother of mankind; what time his pride Had cast him out from heaven, with all his host Of rebel angels; by whose aid aspiring To set himself in glory above his peers, 10 He trusted to have equal'd the Most High,11 If he opposed; and with ambitious aim Against the throne and monarchy of God Raised impious war in heaven and battel proud With vain attempt. Him the Almighty Power Hurl'd headlong flaming from the ethereal sky, 45 With hideous ruin and combustion, down To bottomless perdition, there to dwell
In adamantine chains and penal fire, Who durst defy the Omnipotent to arms. Nine times the space that measures day and night To mortal men,12 he with his horrid crew Lay vanquish'd, rolling in the fiery gulf, Confounded though immortal: but his doom Reserved him to more wrath; for now the thought Both of lost happiness and lasting pain Torments him; round he throws his baleful eyes, 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 dismal situation waste and wild:
A dungeon horrible, on all sides round, As one great furnace, flamed; yet from those flames No light,13 but rather darkness visible 14 Served only to discover sights of woe, Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace 65 And rest can never dwell; hope never comes, That comes to all; 15 but torture without end Still urges, and a fiery deluge, fed With ever-burning sulphur unconsumed : Such place eternal justice had prepared For those rebellious; here their prison ordain'd In utter darkness; and their portion set As far removed from God and light of heaven, As from the centre thrice to the utmost pole.16 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,17 He soon discerns; and weltering by his side, One next himself in power, and next in crime,
Long after known in Palestine, and named Beelzebub to whom the arch-enemy,18
And thence in heaven call'd Satan,19 with bold
Breaking the horrid silence, thus began:
If thou beest he-But, O, how fallen! how changed
From him, who in the happy realms of light, 85 Clothed with transcendent brightness, didst out
Myriads, though bright! If he, whom mutual league,
United thoughts and counsels, equal hope And hazard in the glorious enterprize,
Join'd with me once, now misery hath join'd 90 In equal ruin into what pit thou seest,
From what highth fallen: so much the stronger proved
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 else inflict, do I repent, or change, Though changed in outward lustre, that fix'd mind And high disdain from sense of injured merit, That with the Mightiest raised me to contend, And to the fierce contention brought along Innumerable force of spirits arm'd,
That durst dislike his reign; and, me preferring, His utmost power with adverse power opposed In dubious battel on the plains of heaven, And shook his throne. What though the field be
All is not lost; 20 the unconquerable will, And study of revenge, immortal hate, And courage never to submit or yield, And what is else not to be overcome; That glory never shall his wrath or might Extort from me: to bow and sue for grace With suppliant knee, and deify his power, Who from the terrour of this arm so late Doubted his empire; that were low indeed; That were an ignominy and shame beneath This downfall; since, by fate, the strength of gods 21
And this empyreal substance cannot fail; Since, through experience of this great event, In arms not worse, in foresight much advanced, We may with more successful hope resolve To wage by force or guile eternal war, Irreconcileable to our grand Foe,
Who now triumphs, and in the excess of joy Sole reigning holds the tyranny of heaven.
So spake the apostate angel, though in pain, 125 Vaunting aloud,22 but rack'd with deep despair: And him thus answer'd soon his bold
O prince, O chief of many throned powers, That led the imbattel'd seraphim to war Under thy conduct, and, in dreadful deeds Fearless, endanger'd heaven's perpetual King ; And put to proof his high supremacy,
Whether upheld by strength, or chance, or fate: Too well I see and rue the dire event, That with sad overthrow and foul defeat Hath lost us heaven, and all this mighty host
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