no true musical delight: which confifts only in apt numbers, fit quantity of syllabes, and the fenfe variously drawn out from one verse into another not in the jingling found of like endings; a fault avoided by the learned Antients both in Poetry, and all good Oratory. This neglect then of Rhyme fo little is to be taken for a defect; (though it may seem so perhaps to vulgar readers) that it rather is to be efteem'd an example fet, (the first in English,) of antient l'berty recover'd to Heroic Poem, from the trouble-fome and modern Bondage of Rhyming.

PARADISE

PARADISE LOST:

BOOK I.

The ARGUMENT.

This firft book propofes, firft in brief, the whole fubject, man's difobedience, and the lofs thereupon of Paradife wherein he was placed. 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 fallen into hell, defcrib'd here, not in the centre for heav'n and earth may be

Tome I.

A

:

,

fuppos'd as yet not made, certainly not yet accurs'd) but in a place of utter darknefs, 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 new kind of creature to be created; according te 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 councill. 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

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

Reftore us,

and regain the blissful feat,

Sing heav'nly Mufe! that on the fecret top
Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didft inspire

That shepherd, 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, ad Siloa's brook that flow'd
Faft by the oracle of God; I thence
Invoke thy aid to my advent'rous 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, O Spirit! that doft prefer
Before all temples th' upright heart and pure,
Inftru&t me,
for thou know'ft: thou from the first
Waft prefent, and with mighty wings out-f

t-spread, Dove-like fat'ft brooding on the vaft Abyss, And mad'ft it pregnant : what in me is dark Illumine what is low, raife and support! That to the height of this great argument I may affert eternal Providence, And juftifie the ways of God to men.

Say firft, (for heav'n hides nothing from th

view,

Nor the deep tract of hell say first what cause
Mov'd our grand Parents, in that happy state
Favour'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 firft feduc'd them to that foul revolt?
Th' infernal ferpent! 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
Ta fet himself in glory above his Peers
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 heav'n, and battel proud,
With vain attempt. Him the Almighty Pow'r
Hurl'd headlong flaming from th' ethereal sky,
With hideous ruin and combuftion, down
To bottomlefs perdition: there to dwell
In adamantine chains and penal fire,
Who durft defy th' Omnipotent to arms.
Nine times the space that measures day and night
To mortal men, he with his horrid crew
Lay vanquish'd, relling 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 2