THE VERSE THE Measure is English Heroic Verse without Rime, as that of Homer in Greek, and Virgil in Latin; Rhime being no necessary Adjunct or true Ornament of Poem or good Verse, in longer Works especially, but the Invention of a Paradise Lost barbarous Age, to set off wretched matter and lame Meeter; grac't indeed since by the use of some famous modern Poets, carried away by Custom, but much to thir own vexation, hindrance, and constraint to express many And things otherwise, and for the most part worse then else they would have exprest them. Not without cause therefore some both Italian, and Spanish Poets of prime note have rejected Rhime both in longer and shorter Paradise Regained Works, as have also long since our best English Tragedies, as a thing of itself, to all judicious ears, triveal, and of no true musical delight; which consists onely in apt Numbers, fit quantity of Syllables, and the sense variously drawn out from one Verse into another, not in the jingling sound of like endings, a fault avoyded by the learned Ancients both in Poetry and all good Oratory. This neglect then of Rhime so little is to be John Milton taken for a defect, though it may seem so perhaps to vulgar Readers, that it rather is to be esteem'd an example set, the first in English, of ancient liberty recover'd to heroic Poem from the troublesom and modern bondage of Rimeing. Paradise Lost & Paradise Regained John Milton Page 1 of 146 Paradise Lost Satan rises, suddenly built out of the Deep: Mov'd our Grand Parents in that happy State, BOOK 1 The infernal Peers there sit in Councel. Favour'd of Heav'n so highly, to fall off [30] THE ARGUMENT From thir Creator, and transgress his Will --------------------------------------------------------- For one restraint, Lords of the World besides? This first Book proposes, first in brief, the Who first seduc'd them to that foul revolt? whole Subject, Mans disobedience, and the OF Mans First Disobedience, and the Fruit Th' infernal Serpent; he it was, whose guile loss thereupon of Paradise wherein he was Of that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal tast Stird up with Envy and Revenge, deceiv'd [35] plac't: Then touches the prime cause of his Brought Death into the World, and all our The Mother of Mankind, what time his Pride fall, the Serpent, or rather Satan in the woe, Had cast him out from Heav'n, with all his Serpent; who revolting from God, and drawing With loss of Eden, till one greater Man Host to his side many Legions of Angels, was by Restore us, and regain the blissful Seat, [5] Of Rebel Angels, by whose aid aspiring the command of God driven out of Heaven Sing Heav'nly Muse,that on the secret top To set himself in Glory above his Peers, with all his Crew into the great Deep. Which Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didst inspire He trusted to have equal'd the most High, [40] action past over, the Poem hasts into the That Shepherd, who first taught the chosen If he oppos'd; and with ambitious aim midst of things, presenting Satan with his Seed, Against the Throne and Monarchy of God Angels now fallen into Hell, describ'd here, not In the Beginning how the Heav'ns and Earth Rais'd impious War in Heav'n and Battel in the Center (for Heaven and Earth may be Rose out of Chaos: Or if Sion Hill [10] proud suppos'd as yet not made, certainly not yet Delight thee more, and Siloa's Brook that With vain attempt. Him the Almighty Power accurst) but in a place of utter darkness, flow'd Hurld headlong flaming from th' Ethereal Skie fitliest call'd Chaos: Here Satan with his Fast by the Oracle of God; I thence [45] Angels lying on the burning Lake, thunder- Invoke thy aid to my adventrous Song, With hideous ruine and combustion down struck and astonisht, after a certain space That with no middle flight intends to soar To bottomless perdition, there to dwell recovers, as from confusion, calls up him who Above th' Aonian Mount, while it pursues [15] In Adamantine Chains and penal Fire, next in Order and Dignity lay by him; they Things unattempted yet in Prose or Rhime. Who durst defie th' Omnipotent to Arms. confer of thir miserable fall. Satan awakens all And chiefly Thou O Spirit, that dost prefer Nine times the Space that measures Day and his Legions, who lay till then in the same Before all Temples th' upright heart and pure, Night [50] manner confounded; They rise, thir Numbers, Instruct me, for Thou know'st; Thou from the To mortal men, he with his horrid crew array of Battel, thir chief Leaders nam'd, first Lay vanquisht, rowling in the fiery Gulfe according to the Idols known afterwards in Wast present, and with mighty wings Confounded though immortal: But his doom Canaan and the Countries adjoyning. To outspread [20] Reserv'd him to more wrath; for now the these Satan directs his Speech, comforts Dove-like satst brooding on the vast Abyss thought them with hope yet of regaining Heaven, but And mad'st it pregnant: What in me is dark Both of lost happiness and lasting pain [55] tells them lastly of a new World and new kind Illumin, what is low raise and support; Torments him; round he throws his baleful of Creature to be created, according to an That to the highth of this great Argument eyes ancient Prophesie or report in Heaven; for I may assert Eternal Providence, [25] That witness'd huge affliction and dismay that Angels were long before this visible And justifie the wayes of God to men. Mixt with obdurate pride and stedfast hate: Creation, was the opinion of many ancient At once as far as Angels kenn he views Fathers. To find out the truth of this Say first, for Heav'n hides nothing from thy The dismal Situation waste and wilde, [60] Prophesie, and what to determin thereon he view A Dungeon horrible, on all sides round refers to a full Councel. What his Associates Nor the deep Tract of Hell, say first what As one great Furnace flam'd, yet from those thence attempt. Pandemonium the Palace of cause flames Paradise Lost & Paradise Regained John Milton Page 2 of 146 No light, but rather darkness visible He with his Thunder: and till then who knew So spake th' Apostate Angel, though in pain, Serv'd onely to discover sights of woe, The force of those dire Arms? yet not for [125] Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where those, Vaunting aloud, but rackt with deep despare: peace [65] Nor what the Potent Victor in his rage [95] And him thus answer'd soon his bold And rest can never dwell, hope never comes Can else inflict, do I repent or change, Compeer. That comes to all; but torture without end Though chang'd in outward lustre; that fixt Still urges, and a fiery Deluge, fed mind O Prince, O Chief of many Throned Powers, With ever-burning Sulphur unconsum'd: And high disdain, from sence of injur'd merit, That led th' imbattelld Seraphim to Warr Such place Eternal Justice had prepar'd [70] That with the mightiest rais'd me to contend, Under thy conduct, and in dreadful deeds For those rebellious, here thir Prison ordain'd And to the fierce contention brought along [130] In utter darkness, and thir portion set [100] Fearless, endanger'd Heav'ns perpetual King; As far remov'd from God and light of Heav'n Innumerable force of Spirits arm'd And put to proof his high Supremacy, As from the Center thrice to th' utmost Pole. That durst dislike his reign, and me preferring, Whether upheld by strength, or Chance, or O how unlike the place from whence they fell! His utmost power with adverse power oppos'd Fate, [75] In dubious Battel on the Plains of Heav'n, Too well I see and rue the dire event, There the companions of his fall, o'rewhelm'd And shook his throne. What though the field That with sad overthrow and foul defeat [135] With Floods and Whirlwinds of tempestuous be lost? [105] Hath lost us Heav'n, and all this mighty Host fire, All is not lost; the unconquerable Will, In horrible destruction laid thus low, He soon discerns, and weltring by his side And study of revenge, immortal hate, As far as Gods and Heav'nly Essences One next himself in power, and next in crime, And courage never to submit or yield: Can perish: for the mind and spirit remains Long after known in Palestine, and nam'd [80] And what is else not to be overcome? Invincible, and vigour soon returns, [140] Beelzebub. To whom th' Arch-Enemy, That Glory never shall his wrath or might [110] Though all our Glory extinct, and happy state And thence in Heav'n call'd Satan, with bold Extort from me. To bow and sue for grace Here swallow'd up in endless misery. words With suppliant knee, and deifie his power, But what if he our Conquerour, (whom I now Breaking the horrid silence thus began. Who from the terrour of this Arm so late Of force believe Almighty, since no less Doubted his Empire, that were low indeed, Then such could hav orepow'rd such force as If thou beest he; But O how fall'n! how That were an ignominy and shame beneath ours) [145] chang'd [115] Have left us this our spirit and strength intire From him, who in the happy Realms of Light This downfall; since by Fate the strength of Strongly to suffer and support our pains, [85] Gods That we may so suffice his vengeful ire, Cloth'd with transcendent brightness didst out- And this Empyreal substance cannot fail, Or do him mightier service as his thralls shine Since through experience of this great event By right of Warr, what e're his business be Myriads though bright: If he Whom mutual In Arms not worse, in foresight much advanc't, [150] league, We may with more successful hope resolve Here in the heart of Hell to work in Fire, United thoughts and counsels, equal hope [120] Or do his Errands in the gloomy Deep; And hazard in the Glorious Enterprize, To wage by force or guile eternal Warr What can it then avail though yet we feel Joynd with me once, now misery hath joynd Irreconcileable, to our grand Foe, Strength undiminisht, or eternal being [90] Who now triumphs, and in th' excess of joy To undergo eternal punishment? [155] In equal ruin: into what Pit thou seest Sole reigning holds the Tyranny of Heav'n.