English ahyme = A, B, AB, CD, CD, 27, £7, g g What needs my Shakespeare for his No less renowned than War: new foes What need'st thou such weak witness of Of hireling wolves, whose gospel is their thy name? maw. This First Book proposes, first in brief, the whole subject,-Man's disobedience, and the loss thereupon of Paradise, wherein he was placed: then touches the prime cause of his fall,-the Serpent, or rather Satan in the Serpent; who, revolting from God, and drawing to his side 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 hastens into the midst of things; presenting Satan, with his Angels, now fallen into Hell-described here, not in the Center (for Heaven and earth may be supposed as yet not made, certainly not yet accursed), but in a place of utter darkness, fitliest called Chaos. Here Satan with his Angels, lying on the burning lake, thunderstruck and astonished, after a certain space recovers, as from confusion; calls up him who, next in order and dignity, lay by him: they confer of their miserable fall. Satan awakens all his legions, who lay till then in the same manner confounded. They rise; their numbers; array of battle; their chief leaders named, according to the idols known afterwards in Canaan and the countries adjoining. To these Satan directs his speech; comforts them with hope yet of regaining Heaven; but tells them lastly of a new world and new kind of creature to be created, according to an ancient prophecy, or report, in Heaven-for that Angels were long before this visible 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 associates thence attempt. Pandemonium, the palace of Satan, rises, suddenly built out of the Deep: the infernal Peers there sit in council. Of Man's first disobedience, and the The mother of mankind, what time his fruit pride In the beginning how the heavens and With vain attempt. Him the Almighty Dove-like sat'st brooding on the vast Abyss, ful eyes, That witnessed huge affliction and dismay, And mad'st it pregnant: what in me is Mixed with obdurate pride, and steadfast dark, 1 close. hate. ΙΟΙ And to the fierce contention brought along His utmost power with adverse power opposed In dubious battle on the plains of Heaven, And shook his throne. What though the field be lost? 105 All is not lost: the unconquerable will, III With suppliant knee, and deify his power Who, from the terror of this arm, so late Doubted his empire1-that were low indeed; That were an ignominy and shame beneath 115 |