I. Satan Persuading Beelzebub

from Book I

Satan to Beelzebub:

“What though the field be lost?

All is not lost; 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                          ask

With suppliant knee, and deify his power,

Who from the terror of this arm so late

Doubted^[1] his empire, that were low indeed,

That were an ignominy° and shame beneath                        disgrace

This downfall; since by fate the strength of gods

And this empyreal° substance cannot fail,                             celestial

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

Irreconcilable, to our grand foe,

Who now triumphs, and in th’ excess of joy

Sole reigning holds the tyranny of Heav’n.” (106-25)

“Is this the region, this the soil, the clime,”

Said then the lost Arch-Angel, “this the seat

That we must change for Heav’n, this mournful gloom

For that celestial light?  Be it so, since he

Who now is sovran° can dispose and bid                               sovereign 

What shall be right: farthest from him his best

Whom reason hath equaled, force hath made supreme

Above his equals.  Farewell happy fields

Where joy forever dwells: hail horrors, hail

Infernal world, and thou profoundest Hell

Receive thy new possessor: one who brings

A mind not to be changed by place or time.

The mind is its own place, and in itself

Can make a Heav’n of Hell, a Hell of Heav’n.

What matter where, if I be still the same,

And what I should be, all but less then he^[2]

Whom thunder hath made greater? Here at least

We shall be free; th’ Almighty hath not built

Here for his envy, will not drive us hence:

Here we may reign secure, and in my choice

To reign is worth ambition though in Hell:

Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav’n.

But wherefore let we then our faithful friends,

Th’ associates and copartners of our loss

Lie thus astonished on th’ oblivious pool,^[3]

And call them not to share with us their part

In this unhappy mansion, or once more

With rallied arms to try what may be yet

Regained in Heaven, or what more lost in Hell?”

So spake th’ apostate* angel, though in pain,                                                 rebellious, sacrilege

Vaunting* aloud, but racked with deep despair.  (243-74)                            boasting

II. Satan Persuading the Fallen Angels

from Book II

The Argument

The consultation begun, Satan debates whether another battle to be hazarded for the recovery of Heaven: some advise it, others dissuade:  A third proposal is preferred, mentioned before by Satan to search the truth of that prophesy or tradition in Heaven concerning another world, and another kind of creature equal or not much inferior to themselves, about this time to be created:  their doubt who shall be sent on this difficult search:  Satan their chief undertakes alone the voyage, is honored and applauded.  The council thus ended, the rest betake them several ways and to several employments, as their inclinations lead them, to entertain the time till Satan return. He passes on his journey to Hell gates, finds them shut, and who sat there to guard them, by whom at length they are op’ned, and discover to him the great gulf between Hell and Heaven; with what difficulty he passes through, directed by Chaos, the power of that place, to the sight of this new world which he sought.

High on a throne of royal state, which far

Outshone the wealth of Ormus^[4] and of Ind°,                       India

Or where the gorgeous East with richest hand

Show’rs on her kings barbaric pearl and gold,

Satan exalted sat, by merit raised

To that bad eminence; and from despair

Thus high uplifted beyond hope, aspires

Beyond thus high, insatiate° to pursue                                    insatiable

Vain war with Heav’n, and by success untaught

His proud imaginations thus displayed.

“Powers and dominions°, deities of Heav’n,                             orders of angels

For since no deep within her gulf can hold

Immortal vigor, though oppressed and fall’n,

I give not Heav’n for lost.  From this descent

Celestial virtues rising, will appear

More glorious and more dread then from no fall,

And trust themselves to fear no second fate:

Me though just right, and the fixed laws of Heav’n

Did first create your leader, next free choice,

With what besides, in counsel or in fight,

Hath been achieved of merit, yet this loss

Thus far at least recovered, hath much more

Established in a safe unenvied throne

Yielded with full consent.  The happier state

In Heav’n, which follows dignity, might draw

Envy from each inferior; but who here

Will envy whom the highest place exposes

Foremost to stand against the Thunderer’s aim

Your bulwark, and condemns to greatest share

Of endless pain?  Where there is then no good

For which to strive, no strife can grow up there

From faction; for none sure will claim in Hell

Precedence, none, whose portion is so small

Of present pain, that with ambitious mind

Will covet more.  With this advantage then

To union, and firm faith, and firm accord,

More than can be in Heav’n, we now return

To claim our just inheritance of old,

Surer to prosper then prosperity

Could have assured us; and by what best way,

Whether of open war or covert guile,

We now debate; who can advise, may speak.”

He ceased, and next him Moloch, sceptered king

Stood up, the strongest and the fiercest spirit

That fought in Heav’n; now fiercer by despair:

His trust was with th’ Eternal to be deemed

Equal in strength, and rather then be less

Cared not to be at all; with that care lost

Went all his fear: of God, or Hell, or worse

He recked° not, and these words thereafter spake                 cared, regarded

“My sentence is for open war: of wiles°,                                   covert schemes

More unexpert°, I boast not: them let those                            less experienced

Contrive who need, or when they need, not now.

For while they sit contriving, shall the rest,

Millions that stand in arms, and longing wait

The signal to ascend, sit ling’ring here

Heav’ns fugitives, and for their dwelling place

Accept this dark opprobrious den of shame,

The prison of his tyranny who reigns

By our delay?  No, let us rather choose

Armed with Hell flames and fury all at once

O’er Heav’ns high tow’rs to force resistless way,

Turning our tortures into horrid arms

Against the Torturer; when to meet the noise

Of his almighty engine° he shall hear                                        i.e., the thunder

Infernal thunder, and for lightning see

Black fire and horror shot with equal rage

Among his angels; and his throne it self

Mixed with Tartarean sulphur,^[5] and strange fire,

His own invented torments.  But perhaps

The way seems difficult and steep to scale

With upright wing against a higher foe.

Let such bethink them, if the sleepy drench°                           drink

Of that forgetful° lake benumb not still,                                    causing forgetfulness

That in our proper motion we ascend

Up to our native seat: descent and fall

To us is adverse. Who but felt of late

When the fierce foe hung on our brok’n rear

Insulting°, and pursued us through the deep,                          scorning

With what compulsion and laborious flight

We sunk thus low?  Th’ ascent is easy then;

Th’ event is feared; should we again provoke

Our stronger, some worse way his wrath may find

To our destruction: if there be in Hell

Fear to be worse destroyed: what can be worse

Then to dwell here, driv’n out from bliss, condemned

In this abhorred deep to utter woe;

Where pain of unextinguishable fire

Must exercise° us without hope of end                                     punish

The vassals° of his anger, when the scourge                             servants

Inexorably°, and the torturing hour                                           relentlessly

We should be quite abolished and expire.

What fear we then?  What doubt we to incense

His utmost ire?  Which to the height enraged,

Will either quite consume us, and reduce

To nothing this essential°, happier far                                        essence

Than miserable to have eternal being:

Or if our substance be indeed divine,

And cannot cease to be, we are at worst

On this side nothing;^[6] and by proof° we feel                           experience

Our power sufficient to disturb his Heav’n,

And with perpetual inroads to alarm,

Though inaccessible, his fatal^[7] throne:

Which if not victory is yet revenge.”

He ended frowning, and his look denounced°                             threatened 

Desperate revenge, and battle dangerous

To less then gods.  On th’ other side up rose

Belial, in act more graceful and humane°;                                   courteous, polite

A fairer person lost not Heav’n; he seemed

For dignity composed and high exploit:

But all was false and hollow; though his tongue

Dropped manna,^[8] and could make the worse appear

The better reason,^[9] to perplex and dash

Maturest counsels: for his thoughts were low;

To vice industrious, but to nobler deeds

Timorous° and slothful: yet he pleased the ear,                           fearful 

And with persuasive accent thus began.

“I should be much for open war, O peers,

As not behind in hate; if what was urged

Main reason to persuade immediate war,

Did not dissuade me most, and seem to cast

Ominous conjecture on the whole success:

When he who most excels in fact° of arms,                                   feat 

In what he counsels and in what excels

Mistrustful, grounds his courage on despair

And utter dissolution, as the scope°                                               target

Of all his aim, after some dire revenge.

First, what revenge?  The tow’rs of Heav’n are filled

With armed watch, that render all access

Impregnable^[10]; oft on the bordering deep

Encamp their legions, or with obscure wing

Scout far and wide into the realm of night,

Scorning surprise.  Or could we break our way

By force, and at our heels all Hell should rise

With blackest insurrection, to confound

Heav’ns purest light, yet our great enemy

All incorruptible would on his throne

Sit unpolluted, and th’ ethereal mold°                                           heavenly/pure fire

Incapable of stain would soon expel

Her mischief, and purge off the baser fire

Victorious.  Thus repulsed, our final hope

Is flat despair: we must exasperate

Th’ almighty victor to spend all his rage,

And that must end us, that must be our cure,

To be no more; sad cure; for who would loose,

Though full of pain, this intellectual being,

Those thoughts that wander through eternity,

To perish rather, swallowed up and lost

In the wide womb of uncreated night,

Devoid of sense and motion?  And who knows,

Let this be good, whether our angry foe

Can give it, or will ever?  How he can

Is doubtful; that he never will is sure.

Will he, so wise, let loose at once his ire,

Belike° through impotence, or unaware,                                       perhaps

To give his enemies their wish, and end

Them in his anger, whom his anger saves

To punish endless?  Wherefore cease we then?

Say they who counsel war, we are decreed,

Reserved and destined to eternal woe;

Whatever doing, what can we suffer more,

What can we suffer worse?  Is this then worst,

Thus sitting, thus consulting, thus in arms?

What when we fled amain, pursued and strook^[11]

With Heav’n’s afflicting thunder, and besought

The deep to shelter us?  This Hell then seemed

A refuge from those wounds: or when we lay

Chained on the burning lake?  That sure was worse.

What if the breath that kindled those grim fires

Awaked should blow them into sevenfold rage

And plunge us in the flames?  Or from above

Should intermitted° vengeance arm again                                    paused

His red right hand to plague us?  What if all

Her stores were opened, and this firmament

Of Hell should spout her cataracts° of fire                                   flood, downpour 

Impendent° horrors, threat’ning hideous fall                               threatening

One day upon our heads; while we perhaps

Designing or exhorting glorious war,

Caught in a fiery tempest shall be hurled

Each on his rock transfixed, the sport and prey

Of racking whirlwinds, or for ever sunk

Under yon boiling ocean, wrapped in chains;

There to converse with everlasting groans,

Unrespited, unpitied, unreprieved,

Ages of hopeless end; this would be worse.

War therefore, open or concealed, alike

My voice dissuades; for what can force or guile^[12]

With him, or who deceive his mind, whose eye

Views all things at one view?  He from heav’n’s height

All these our motions vain, sees and derides;

Not more almighty to resist our might

Then wise to frustrate all our plots and wiles.

Shall we then live thus vile, the race of Heav’n

Thus trampled, thus expelled to suffer here

Chains and these torments?  Better these then worse

By my advice; since fate inevitable

Subdues us, and omnipotent decree,

The victor’s will.  To suffer, as to do,

Our strength is equal, nor the law unjust

That so ordains: this was at first resolved,

If we were wise, against so great a foe

Contending, and so doubtful what might fall.

I laugh, when those who at the spear are bold

And vent’rous°, if that fail them, shrink and fear                         adventurous 

What yet they know must follow, to endure

Exile, or ignominy°, or bonds, or pain,                                          disgrace

The sentence of their conqueror: this is now

Our doom; which if we can sustain and bear,

Our supreme foe in time may much remit

His anger, and perhaps thus far removed

Not mind us not offending, satisfied

With what is punished; whence these raging fires

Will slack’n, if his breath stir not their flames.

Our purer essence then will overcome

Their noxious vapor, or inured^[13] not feel,

Or changed at length, and to the place conformed

In temper and in nature, will receive

Familiar the fierce heat, and void of pain;

This horror will grow mild, this darkness light,

Besides what hope the never-ending flight

Of future days may bring, what chance, what change

Worth waiting, since our present lot appears

For happy though but ill, for ill not worst,^[14]

If we procure° not to our selves more woe.”                                 accumulate 

Thus Belial with words clothed in reason’s garb

Counseled ignoble ease, and peaceful sloth,

Not peace: and after him thus Mammon spake.

“Either to disenthrone the King of Heav’n

We war, if war be best, or to regain

Our own right lost: him to unthrone we then

May hope when everlasting fate shall yield

To fickle chance, and Chaos judge the strife:

The former vain to hope argues as vain

The latter:^[15] for what place can be for us

Within Heav’n’s bound, unless Heav’n’s Lord supreme

We overpower?  Suppose he should relent

And publish grace to all, on promise made

Of new subjection; with what eyes could we

Stand in his presence humble, and receive

Strict laws imposed, to celebrate his throne

With warbled hymns, and to his Godhead sing

Forced halleluiahs; while he lordly sits

Our envied Sovran, and his altar breathes

Ambrosial odors and ambrosial flowers,^[16]

Our servile offerings.  This must be our task

In Heav’n this our delight; how wearisome

Eternity so spent in worship paid

To whom we hate.  Let us not then pursue

By force impossible, by leave obtained

Unacceptable, though in Heav’n, our state

Of splendid vassalage, but rather seek

Our own good from ourselves, and from our own

Live to our selves, though in this vast recess,

Free, and to none accountable, preferring

Hard liberty before the easy yoke°                                                bondage

Of servile pomp.  Our greatness will appear

Then most conspicuous, when great things of small,

Useful of hurtful, prosperous of adverse

We can create, and in what place soe’er

Thrive under evil, and work ease out of pain

Through labor and endurance.  This deep world

Of darkness do we dread? How oft amidst

Thick clouds and dark doth heav’n’s all-ruling Sire

Choose to reside, his glory unobscured,

And with the majesty of darkness round

Covers his throne; from whence deep thunders roar

Must’ring their rage, and Heav’n resembles Hell?

As he our darkness, cannot we his light

Imitate when we please? This desert soil

Wants° not her hidden luster, gems and gold;                             lacks

Nor want we skill or art, from whence to raise

Magnificence; and what can Heav’n show more?

Our torments also may in length of time

Become our elements, these piercing fires

As soft as now severe, our temper changed

Into their temper; which must needs remove

The sensible of pain.^[17]  All things invite

To peaceful counsels, and the settled state

Of order, how in safety best we may

Compose° our present evils, with regard                                       accept

Of what we are and were, dismissing quite

All thoughts of war: ye have what I advise.”

He scarce had finished, when such murmur filled

Th’ assembly, as when hollow rocks retain

The sound of blust’ring winds, which all night long

Had roused the sea, now with hoarse cadence°^[18] lull

Sea-faring men o’erwatched,^[19] whose bark by chance

Or pinnace° anchors in a craggy bay                                              boat

After the tempest: such applause was heard

As Mammon ended, and his sentence pleased,

Advising peace: for such another field°                                          battle

They dreaded worse then Hell: so much the fear

Of thunder and the sword of Michael^[20]

Wrought still within them; and no less desire

To found this nether empire, which might rise

By policy, and long process of time,

In emulation opposite to Heav’n.

Which when Beelzebub perceived, then whom,

Satan except, none higher sat, with grave

Aspect° he rose, and in his rising seemed                                       gaze, look

A pillar of state; deep on his front° engraven                                 brow

Deliberation sat and public care;

And princely counsel in his face yet shone,

Majestic though in ruin: sage he stood

With Atlantean^[21] shoulders fit to bear

The weight of mightiest monarchies; his look

Drew audience and attention still as night

Or summer’s noon-tide air, while thus he spake.

“Thrones and imperial powers, off-spring of Heav’n

Ethereal virtues; or these titles^[22] now

Must we renounce, and changing style be called

Princes of Hell?  For so the popular vote

Inclines, here to continue, and build up here

A growing empire; doubtless; while we dream,

And know not that the King of Heav’n hath doomed

This place our dungeon, not our safe retreat

Beyond his potent arm, to live exempt

From Heav’n’s high jurisdiction, in new league

Banded against his throne, but to remain

In strictest bondage, though thus far removed,

Under th’ inevitable curb, reserved

His captive multitude: For he, be sure

In height or depth, still first and last will reign

Sole king, and of his kingdom lose no part

By our revolt, but over Hell extend

His empire, and with iron scepter rule

Us here, as with his golden those in Heav’n.

What sit we then projecting peace and war?

War hath determined us,^[23] and foiled with loss

Irreparable; terms of peace yet none

Vouchsafed° or sought; for what peace will be giv’n                   bestowed

To us enslaved, but custody° severe,                                             imprisonment 

And stripes, and arbitrary punishment

Inflicted?  And what peace can we return,

But to our power^[24] hostility and hate,

Untamed reluctance°, and revenge though slow                         resistance

Yet ever plotting how the conqueror least

May reap his conquest, and may least rejoice

In doing what we most in suffering feel?

Nor will occasion want, nor shall we need

With dangerous expedition to invade

Heav’n, whose high walls fear no assault or siege,

Or ambush from the deep.  What if we find

Some easier enterprise?  There is a place

(If ancient and prophetic fame in Heav’n

Err not) another world, the happy seat

Of some new race called Man, about this time

To be created like to us, though less

In power and excellence, but favored more

Of him who rules above; so was his will

Pronounced among the gods, and by an oath,

That shook Heav’n’s whole circumference, confirmed.

Thither let us bend all our thoughts, to learn

What creatures there inhabit, of what mold,

Or substance, how endued°, and what their power,                   equipped, endowed

And where their weakness, how attempted^[25] best,

By force or subtlety: though Heav’n be shut,

And Heav’n’s high arbitrator sit secure

In his own strength, this place may lie exposed

The utmost border of his kingdom, left

To their defense who hold it: here perhaps

Some advantageous act may be achieved

By sudden onset, either with Hell fire

To waste his whole creation, or possess

All as our own, and drive as we were driven,

The puny habitants, or if not drive,

Seduce them to our party, that their God

May prove their foe, and with repenting hand

Abolish his own works.^[26] This would surpass

Common revenge, and interrupt his joy

In our confusion, and our joy upraise

In his disturbance; when his darling sons

Hurled headlong to partake with us,^[27] shall curse

Their frail original, and faded bliss,

Faded so soon.  Advise if this be worth

Attempting, or to sit in darkness here

Hatching vain empires.”  Thus Beelzebub

Pleaded his devilish counsel, first devised

By Satan, and in part proposed: for whence,

But from the author of all ill could spring

So deep a malice, to confound° the race                                    destroy 

Of mankind in one root,^[28] and earth with Hell

To mingle and involve, done all to spite

The great Creator? But their spite still serves

His glory to augment. The bold design

Pleased highly those infernal states,^[29] and joy

Sparkled in all their eyes; with full assent

They vote: whereat his speech he thus renews.

“Well have ye judged, well ended long debate,

Synod° of gods, and like to what ye are,                                    assembly 

Great things resolved; which from the lowest deep

Will once more lift us up, in spite of fate,

Nearer our ancient seat; perhaps in view

Of those bright confines, whence with neighboring arms

And opportune excursion we may chance

Re-enter Heav’n; or else in some mild zone

Dwell not unvisited of Heav’n’s fair light

Secure, and at the bright’ning orient beam

Purge off this gloom; the soft delicious air,

To heal the scar of these corrosive fires

Shall breathe her balm.  But first whom shall we send

In search of this new world, whom shall we find

Sufficient?  Who shall tempt with wand’ring feet

The dark unbottomed infinite abyss

And through the palpable obscure^[30] find out

His uncouth° way, or spread his airy flight                               unfamiliar

Upborne with indefatigable° wings                                            tireless 

Over the vast abrupt°, ere he arrive                                           (Chaos)

The happy isle; what strength, what art can then

Suffice, or what evasion bear him safe

Through the strict senteries° and stations thick                      sentries 

Of angels watching round?  Here he had need

All circumspection°, and we now no less                                   careful observation 

Choice in our suffrage;^[31] for on whom we send,

The weight of all and our last hope relies.”

This said, he sat; and expectation held

His look suspense, awaiting who appeared

To second^[32], or oppose, or undertake

The perilous attempt: but all sat mute,

Pondering the danger with deep thoughts; and each

In others count’nance read his own dismay

Astonished: none among the choice and prime

Of those Heav’n-warring champions could be found

So hardy as to proffer or accept

Alone the dreadful voyage; till at last

Satan, whom now transcendent glory raised

Above his fellows, with monarchal pride

Conscious of highest worth, unmoved thus spake.

“O progeny of Heav’n, empyreal thrones,

With reason hath deep silence and demur°                               delay

Seized us, though undismayed: long is the way

And hard, that out of Hell leads up to light;

Our prison strong, this huge convex of fire°,                             the vault of Hell

Outrageous to devour, immures us round

Ninefold,^[33] and gates of burning adamant

Barred over us prohibit all egress°.                                              escape 

These past, if any pass, the void profound

Of unessential Night receives him next

Wide gaping, and with utter loss of being

Threatens him, plunged in that abortive gulf.^[34]

If thence he scape into whatever world,

Or unknown region, what remains him less

Then unknown dangers and as hard escape.

But I should ill become this throne, O peers,

And this imperial sovranty, adorned

With splendor, armed with power, if aught proposed

And judged of public moment, in the shape

Of difficulty or danger could deter

Me from attempting.  Wherefore do I assume

These royalties, and not refuse to reign,

Refusing to accept as great a share

Of hazard as of honor, due alike

To him who reigns, and so much to him due

Of hazard more, as he above the rest

High honored sits? Go therefore mighty powers,

Terror of Heav’n, though fallen; intend at home,

While here shall be our home, what best may ease

The present misery, and render Hell

More tolerable; if there be cure or charm

To respite° or deceive, or slack the pain                                     pardon, relieve 

Of this ill mansion: intermit no watch

Against a wakeful foe, while I abroad

Through all the coasts of dark destruction seek

Deliverance for us all: this enterprise

None shall partake with me.  Thus saying rose

The monarch, and prevented all reply,

Prudent, least from his resolution raised

Others among the chief might offer now

(Certain to be refused) what erst they feared;

And so refused might in opinion stand

His rivals, winning cheap the high repute

Which he through hazard huge must earn.  But they

Dreaded not more th’ adventure then his voice

Forbidding; and at once with him they rose;

Their rising all at once was as the sound

Of thunder heard remote. Towards him they bend

With awful° reverence prone; and as a god                                full of awe

Extol him equal to the Highest in Heav’n:

Nor failed they to express how much they praised,

That for the general safety he despised

His own: for neither do the spirits damned

Loose all their virtue; least bad men should boast

Their specious deeds^[35] on earth, which glory excites,

Or close° ambition varnished o’er with zeal.                              hidden, secret 

Thus they their doubtful consultations dark

Ended rejoicing in their matchless chief:

As when from mountain tops the dusky clouds

Ascending, while the north wind sleeps, o’erspread

Heav’n’s cheerful face, the louring° element                             gloomy, threatening 

Scowls ore the dark’ned landscape snow, or show’r;

If chance the radiant sun with farewell sweet

Extend his evening beam, the fields revive,

The birds their notes renew, and bleating herds

Attest their joy, that hill and valley rings.

O shame to men!  Devil with devil damned

Firm concord holds, men only disagree

Of creatures rational, though under hope

Of heavenly Grace: and God proclaiming peace,

Yet live in hatred, enmity, and strife

Among themselves, and levy cruel wars,

Wasting the Earth, each other to destroy:

As if (which might induce us to accord)

Man had not hellish foes enow° besides,                                    enough

That day and night for his destruction wait.

III. Satan Persuading the Kids

IV. The Son Persuading the Father

from Book III

The Argument

God sitting on his throne sees Satan flying towards this world, then newly created; shows him to the Son who sat at his right hand; foretells the success of Satan in perverting mankind; clears his own justice and wisdom from all imputation, having created man free and able enough to have withstood his tempter; yet declares his purpose of grace towards him, in regard he fell not of his own malice; as did Satan, but by him seduced.  The Son of God renders praises to his Father for the manifestation of his gracious purpose towards man; but God again declares, that grace cannot be extended towards man without the satisfaction of divine justice; man hath offended the majesty of God by aspiring to Godhead, and therefore with all his progeny devoted to death must die, unless some one can be found sufficient to answer for his offence, and undergo his punishment.  The Son of God freely offers himself a ransom for man: the Father accepts him, ordains his incarnation, pronounces his exaltation above all names in Heaven and earth; commands all the angels to adore him; they obey, and hymning to their harps in full choir, celebrate the Father and the Son.  Meanwhile Satan alights upon the bare convex of this world’s outermost orb; where wand’ring he first finds a place since called The Limbo of Vanity; what persons and things fly up thither; thence comes to the Gate of Heaven, described ascending by stairs, and the waters above the firmament that flow about it: his passage thence to the orb of the Sun; he finds there Uriel the regent of that orb, but first changes himself into the shape of a meaner angel; and pretending a zealous desire to behold the new creation and man whom God had placed here, inquires of him the place of his habitation, and is directed; alights first on Mount Niphates.

“O Father, gracious was that word which closed

Thy sovran sentence, that man should find grace;

For which both Heav’n and earth shall high extol

Thy praises, with th’ innumerable sound

Of hymns and sacred songs, wherewith thy throne

Encompassed shall resound thee ever blest.

For should man finally be lost, should man

Thy creature late so loved, thy youngest Son

Fall circumvented thus by fraud, though joined

With his own folly?  That be from thee far,

That far be from thee, Father, who art judge

Of all things made, and judgest only right.

Or shall the Adversary thus obtain

His end, and frustrate thine, shall he fulfill

His malice, and thy goodness bring to naught,

Or proud return though to his heavier doom,

Yet with revenge accomplished and to Hell

Draw after him the whole race of mankind,

By him corrupted?  Or wilt thou thy self

Abolish thy creation, and unmake,

For him, what for thy glory thou hast made?

So should thy goodness and thy greatness both

Be questioned and blasphemed without defense.”

V. Satan Persuading Himself

O For that warning voice, which he who saw

Th’ Apocalyps, heard cry in Heaven aloud,

Then when the Dragon, put to second rout°,                             retreat

Came furious down to be reveng’d on men,

Wo to the Inhabitants on Earth! that now,

While time was°, our first Parents had bin warnd°                    there was; warned

The coming of thir° secret foe, and scap’d°                                 escaped 

Haply° so scap’d his mortal snare; for now                                  luckily

Satan, now first inflam’d with rage, came down,

The Tempter ere° th’ Accuser of man-kind,                                 earlier 

To wreck° on innocent frail man his loss                                      take vengeance

Of that first Battel°, and his flight to Hell:                                    battle

Yet not rejoycing in his speed, though bold,

Far off and fearless, nor with cause to boast,

Begins his dire attempt, which nigh° the birth                            soon, almost

Now rowling, boiles in his tumultuous brest,^[36]

And like a devillish Engine back recoiles

Upon himself; horror and doubt distract

His troubl’d thoughts, and from the bottom stirr

The Hell within him, for within him Hell

He brings, and round about him, nor from Hell

One step no more then from himself can fly

By change of place: Now conscience wakes despair

That slumberd, wakes the bitter memorie

Of what he was, what is, and what must be

Worse; of worse deeds worse sufferings must ensue.

Sometimes towards Eden which now in his view

Lay pleasant, his grievd° look he fixes sad,                                   troubled 

Sometimes towards Heav’n and the full-blazing Sun,

Which now sat high in his Meridian Towre^[37]:

Then much revolving, thus in sighs began.

O thou that with surpassing Glory crownd,

Look’st from thy sole Dominion like the God

Of this new World; at whose sight all the Starrs

Hide thir diminisht° heads; to thee I call,                                      diminished

But with no friendly voice, and add thy name

O Sun, to tell thee how I hate thy beams

That bring to my remembrance from what state

I fell, how glorious once above thy Spheare°;                               (heavenly) sphere

Till Pride and worse Ambition threw me down

Warring in Heav’n against Heav’ns matchless King:

Ah wherefore!° he deservd no such return                                   To what end!

From me, whom he created what I was

In that bright eminence, and with his good

Upbraided none; nor was his service hard.

What could be less then to afford him praise,

The easiest recompence°, and pay him thanks,                            compensation 

How due! yet all his good prov’d° ill in me,                                    proved

And wrought but° malice; lifted up so high.                                  only

I sdeind° subjection, and thought one step higher                      disdained

Would set me highest, and in a moment quit°                              paid back

The debt immense of endless gratitude,

So burthensome°, still paying, still to ow°;                                     burdensome; owe

Forgetful what from him I still receivd,

And understood not that a grateful mind

By owing owes not, but still pays, at once

Indebted and dischargd; what burden then?

O had his powerful Destiny ordaind°                                              ordained

Me some inferiour Angel, I had stood

Then happie; no unbounded hope had rais’d

Ambition. Yet why not? som° other Power                                    some

As great might have aspir’d, and me though mean

Drawn to his part; but other Powers as great

Fell not, but stand unshak’n, from within

Or from without, to all temptations arm’d.

Hadst thou the same free Will and Power to stand?

Thou hadst: whom hast thou then or what to accuse,

But Heav’ns free Love dealt equally to all?

Be then his Love accurst°, since love or hate,                                accursed

To me alike, it deals eternal woe.

Nay curs’d be thou; since against his thy will

Chose freely what it now so justly rues°.                                        regrets

Me miserable! which way shall I flie°                                              fly, escape

Infinite wrauth°, and infinite despaire?                                         wrath

Which way I flie is Hell; my self am Hell;

And in the lowest deep a lower deep

Still threatning to devour me opens wide,

To which the Hell I suffer seems a Heav’n.

O then at last relent°: is there no place                                          yield, give way 

Left for Repentance, none for Pardon left?

None left but by submission; and that word

Disdain forbids me, and my dread° of shame                                 fear 

Among the spirits beneath, whom I seduc’d°                                 tempted

With other promises and other vaunts°                                          boasts, speeches

Then to submit, boasting I could subdue

Th’ Omnipotent. Ay me, they little know

How dearly I abide° that boast so vaine,                                         suffer for

Under what torments inwardly I groane;                                       

While they adore me on the Throne of Hell,

With Diadem° and Scepter high advanc’d°                                      crown, raised

The lower still I fall, onely Supream°                                                only Supreme

In miserie; such joy Ambition findes.

But say I could repent and could obtaine

By Act of Grace my former state; how soon

Would highth recal high thoughts,^[38] how soon unsay°               take back

What feign’d° submission swore: ease would recant                      faked 

Vows made in pain, as violent and void.

For never can true reconcilement grow

Where wounds of deadly hate have peirc’d so deep:

Which would but lead me to a worse relapse

And heavier fall: so should I purchase deare

Short intermission bought with double smart°.                              pain

This knows my punisher; therefore as farr

From granting hee, as I from begging peace:

All hope excluded thus, behold in stead

Of us out-cast, exil’d, his new delight,

Mankind created, and for him this World.

So farwel° Hope, and with Hope farwel Fear,                                   farewell

Farwel Remorse: all Good to me is lost;

Evil be thou my Good; by thee at least

Divided Empire with Heav’ns King I hold

By thee, and more then half perhaps will reigne°;                           reign 

As Man ere long, and this new World shall know.