Printed by JAMES KNOX, and fold at his Shop, near the

Head of the Salt-mercat,

M.DCC.LXV.

BOOK I.

THE ARGUMENT.

This first book propofes, first in brief, the whole fubject, Man's difcbedience, and the lofs thereupon of Paradife wherein be was placed: Then touches the prime caufe of his fall, the Serpent, or rather Satan in the Serpent; 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 passed over, the poem haftes into the midst of things, presenting Satan with his Angels now fallen into Hell, defcribed here, not in the centre (for Heaven and Earth may be fuppofed as yet not made, certainly not yet accurfed) but in a place of utter darkness, fitlieft called Chaos: Here Satan with his Angels lying on the burning lake, thunder-ftruck and aftonished, 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 named, 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 antient prophecy or report in Heaven; for that Angels were long before this vifible creation, was the opinion of many antient 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.

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

Restore us, and regain the blissful feat,
Sing heav'nly Mufe, that on the facred top
Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didft infpire

That hepherd, who fira 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 adventrous fong,
That with no middle flight intends to foar
Above th' Aonian mount, while it purfues
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 firft
Waft prefent, and with mighty wings outspread
Dove-like fat ft brooding on the vast abyss,
And mad'ft it pregnant: what in me is dark
Illumin, what is low raife and fupport;
That to the highth of this great argument
I may affert eternal Providence,

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And juftify the ways of God to Men.

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 Late,
Favor'd of Heav'n fo highly, to fall off
From their Creator, and tranfgrefs his will
For one reftraint, lords of the world befides?
Who first feduc'd them to that foul revolt?
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 whose aid aspiring
To fet himself in glory' above his peers

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He trufted to have equall'd the moft High,
If he oppos'd; and with ambitious aim
Against the throne and monarchy of God
Rais'd impious war in Heaven 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 bottomless 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 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 witnefs'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 vifible.
Serv'd only to discover fights of woe,

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 unconfum'd:
Such place eternal Juftice had prepar'd!
For thofe rebellious, here their pris'on ordain'd
In utter darknefs, and their portion fet
As far remov'd from God and light of Heav'n,
As from the center thrice to the utmost pole.
O how unlike the place from whence they fell!

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