Transcription
John Milton’sParadise Lost Simplified!Includes Modern Edition of the Text, Study Guide, Historical Context, Biography, and Character IndexBookCaps Study Guideswww.bookcaps.comCover Image claireliz - Fotolia.com 2013. All Rights Reserved.1
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IntroductionThere are but a few epic poems in literary history that hope to match the scope of Milton’s Paradise Lost. Milton, aftersuffering great personal tragedies in his own life (more about that below), wanted to write an epic tragedy, a poem about lossand redemption. While so many epics in history, like those of Homer or Virgil, celebrated military men and their victories inwar, Milton chose to write about a different kind of heroism—a spiritual one. And so was born the spiritual epic calledParadise Lost. Before we launch into details, let’s get an overview of the poem, a general summary.4
Plot SummaryParadise Lost opens with Satan and his fellow fallen angels waking up in Hell. They’ve recently fallen there after defeat inHeaven. They gather together and build a fortress, a council they call Pandemonium. Inside the council, they plan how theycan fight back and defeat God. Some want to escape Hell and demand a rematch, but others are afraid to fight God again,knowing they will only lose and be punished more. Satan ends up deciding to use cunning and deceit to win against God.Rumor has it God has created a New World, with Man as a new creation there. If they can cause ruin in this new race ofbeings, they’ll deliver a massive blow to God’s plans.Satan volunteers to escape Hell and investigate this new creation. At the gates of Hell, he meets Sin and Death. He discoversthat Sin is his daughter/bride, and Death is their child. Satan promises to return and allow Sin and Death to roam free onEarth. He escapes out into Chaos and, after talking to Chaos himself, finds his way to the World, which hangs from Heavenby a golden chain. Satan enters the World and starts looking for Man.Meanwhile, in Heaven, God knows what Satan is doing and planning. He knows that Adam and Eve will fall prey to Satan’stricks and eat of the Forbidden Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. This will cause great problems for Mankind, so God asks fora volunteer—someone willing to intervene in man’s behalf and help fix the problems Satan is about to cause. God’s own Sonvolunteers, and all of Heaven rejoices at this.We jump back down to Earth. We see Adam and Eve through Satan’s eyes. They work together in the garden and then theygo back home and make love. God send angels down to the garden to find Satan. Satan is forced to flee the scene.God sends Raphael to talk to Adam and warn him of Satan’s plans. He tells Adam about the war in Heaven, how Satan lostand was thrown down to Hell. Adam shares his first memories after being created. Raphael ends off by warning Adam aboutSatan.Satan returns after being gone from the garden for about a week. He takes the form of a serpent and looks for Eve, who hasdecided to work apart from Adam today. Satan convinces her to eat the fruit. She does, and then she brings some of theforbidden fruit to Adam. He eats as well, and they make love right there on the ground.After the sin in Paradise, Satan returns to Hell to celebrate. Sin and Death are let loose on Earth. When Satan gets back toPandemonium, he and his followers are temporarily turned to snakes as punishment. Back on Earth, Adam and Eve areforced to leave Paradise because they have eaten the fruit. Before leaving, though, Adam is given a vision of the future, inwhich he sees all the suffering his mistakes will cause. On the other hand, he also sees that salvation will come through God’sSon, who will take the form of a man named Jesus.Paradise Lost – Original and Modern Translation5
BOOK I6
THE ARGUMENTThis first Book proposes, first in brief, the whole Subject, Mans disobedience, and the loss thereupon of Paradise wherein hewas plac't: Then touches the prime cause of his fall, the Serpent, or rather Satan in the Serpent; who revolting from God, anddrawing to his side many Legions of Angels, was by the command of God driven out of Heaven with all his Crew into thegreat Deep. Which action past over, the Poem hasts into the midst of things, presenting Satan with his Angels now fallen intoHell, describ'd here, not in the Center (for Heaven and Earth may be suppos'd as yet not made, certainly not yet accurst) butin a place of utter darkness, fitliest call'd Chaos: Here Satan with his Angels lying on the burning Lake, thunder-struck andastonisht, after a certain space recovers, as from confusion, calls up him who next in Order and Dignity lay by him; theyconfer of thir miserable fall. Satan awakens all his Legions, who lay till then in the same manner confounded; They rise, thirNumbers, array of Battel, thir chief Leaders nam'd, according to the Idols known afterwards in Canaan and the Countriesadjoyning. To these Satan directs his Speech, comforts them with hope yet of regaining Heaven, but tells them lastly of a newWorld and new kind of Creature to be created, according to an ancient Prophesie or report in Heaven; for that Angels werelong before this visible Creation, was the opinion of many ancient Fathers. To find out the truth of this Prophesie, and what todetermin thereon he refers to a full Councel. What his Associates thence attempt. Pandemonium the Palace of Satan rises,suddenly built out of the Deep: The infernal Peers there sit in Councel.This first book introduces, briefly at first, the whole subject of Man’s disobedience, and the loss of Paradise in which he hadbeen placed.Then it touches on the main cause of his fall, the serpent, or rather Satan disguised as a serpent.He rebelledagainst God, and with the many regiments of Angels he had drawn to his side he was banished from Heaven by God into thegreat Deep.Passing over this action, the Poem goes straight to the center of things, showing Satan and his Angels fallen intoHell, which is described here, not in the Center of Earth (for it should be imagined that Heaven and Earth have not yet beenmade, and certainly not cursed) but in a place of utter darkness which has the appropriate name of Chaos.Here Satan andhis Angels lie on the burning lake, astonished and stunned.After a while Satan recovers and calls up his leaders and theydiscuss their miserable fall.Satan wakes his armies, who had been in the same state.They rise up, and their numbers, battleorder and the names of their chief leaders (those by which they were known in Canaan and neighboring lands) arelisted.Satan speaks to them and comforts them with the hope of recapturing Heaven, but also tells them of a new world and anew kind of Creature which will be created according to an ancient prophesy and rumors in Heaven (because the opinion ofmany wise men is that Angels existed long before the creation of Earth).To find out the truth of this prophesy, and to decidewhat to do about it, he calls a full council, which all his confederates attend.Pandemonium, the palace of Satan, is suddenlybuilt out of the pit, and the Lords of Hell meet there in debate.Of Mans First Disobedience, and the FruitOf that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal tastBrought Death into the World, and all our woe,With loss of EDEN, till one greater ManRestore us, and regain the blissful Seat,Sing Heav'nly Muse, that on the secret topOf OREB, or of SINAI, didst inspireThat Shepherd, who first taught the chosen Seed,In the Beginning how the Heav'ns and EarthRose out of CHAOS: Or if SION HillDelight thee more, and SILOA'S Brook that flow'dFast by the Oracle of God; I thenceInvoke thy aid to my adventrous Song,That with no middle flight intends to soarAbove th' AONIAN Mount, while it pursuesThings unattempted yet in Prose or Rhime.Of the first disobedience of Man, and the fruitOf the forbidden tree, the taste of which7
Brought Death and sorrow into the worldAnd barred us from Paradise, until a greater ManLed us back to the Heavenly lands,Sing, sacred Inspiration, you who on the secret mountainOf Oreb, or in the Sinai Desert, inspiredThe Shepherd who first taught the chosen peopleHow in the beginning Heaven and EarthWas created from disorder.Or if Sion Hill,Is your chosen spot, or Siloa’s stream which flowedSwiftly past God’s messenger; from thereI call you to help me as I sing my ambitious song,Which I don’t intend to take the easy wayAbove the mountain of inspiration, while it triesThings never yet seen in either prose or poetry.And chiefly Thou O Spirit, that dost preferBefore all Temples th' upright heart and pure,Instruct me, for Thou know'st; Thou from the firstWast present, and with mighty wings outspreadDove-like satst brooding on the vast AbyssAnd mad'st it pregnant: What in me is darkIllumine, what is low raise and support;That to the highth of this great ArgumentI may assert th' Eternal Providence,And justifie the wayes of God to men.And chiefly, Spirit, which valuesMore than temples the pure and honest heart,Guide me, for you have the wisdom;from the startYou were there, and with your great wings spread outSat like a dove, perched over the great gorgeAnd bred life from it:shine a lightInto the darkness inside me, lift up what is low,So that I can do justice to this great subjectAnd show the actions of God,And explain the ways of God to men.Say first, for Heav'n hides nothing from thy viewNor the deep Tract of Hell, say first what causeMov'd our Grand Parents in that happy State,Favour'd of Heav'n so highly, to fall offFrom their Creator, and transgress his WillFor one restraint, Lords of the World besides?Who first seduc'd them to that fowl revolt?Th' infernal Serpent; he it was, whose guileStird up with Envy and Revenge, deceiv'dThe Mother of Mankinde, what time his PrideHad cast him out from Heav'n, with all his HostOf Rebel Angels, by whose aid aspiringTo set himself in Glory above his Peers,He trusted to have equal'd the most High,8
If he oppos'd; and with ambitious aimAgainst the Throne and Monarchy of GodRais'd impious War in Heav'n and Battel proudWith vain attempt. Him the Almighty PowerHurld headlong flaming from th' Ethereal SkieWith hideous ruine and combustion downTo bottomless perdition, there to dwellIn Adamantine Chains and penal Fire,Who durst defie th' Omnipotent to Arms.Firstly, because you see all that is in HeavenAnd in the deep pit of Hell, say what madeOur grandparents, living that happy existence,So much blessed by Heaven, break awayFrom their Creator, and disobey his orders,His one law, apart from which they were Lords of the World.Who led them into that awful rebellion?The hellish snake; it was he whose cunningDriven by envy and revenge, trickedThe Mother of Mankind, after his prideCaused him to be thrown out of heaven, with his armyOf rebel Angels, with whose help he had plannedTo set himself up in heaven as the highest,Thinking he could even take on the role of GodIf he fought Him; and driven by ambitionAgainst the throne and kingship of GodStarted a blasphemous war in heaven and fought proudlyBut in vain.The Almighty Power threw himDown in flames from the skies of HeavenWith terrible flame and destruction, downTo the bottomless pit of hell, to live thereBound in unbreakable chains, burned with punishing fire,For having dared challenge the Almighty to battle.Nine times the Space that measures Day and NightTo mortal men, he with his horrid crewLay vanquisht, rowling in the fiery GulfeConfounded though immortal: But his doomReserv'd him to more wrath; for now the thoughtBoth of lost happiness and lasting painTorments him; round he throws his baleful eyesThat witness'd huge affliction and dismayMixt with obdurate pride and stedfast hate:At once as far as Angels kenn he viewsThe dismal Situation waste and wilde,A Dungeon horrible, on all sides roundAs one great Furnace flam'd, yet from those flamesNo light, but rather darkness visibleServ'd only to discover sights of woe,Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peaceAnd rest can never dwell, hope never comes9
That comes to all; but torture without endStill urges, and a fiery Deluge, fedWith ever-burning Sulphur unconsum'd:Such place Eternal Justice had prepar'dFor those rebellious, here their Prison ordain'dIn utter darkness, and their portion setAs far remov'd from God and light of Heav'nAs from the Center thrice to th' utmost Pole.For nine days, as they are measuredBy men, he and his terrible gangLay beaten, thrashing in the fiery sea,Defeated though still immortal: But his fateRaised further anger in him; for now the thoughtOf the happiness he had lost and the pain he now facesTortures him: he cast around his hate filled eyesWhich showed great pain and terrorMixed with unyielding pride and unmoving hate:As far as Angels can see he seesThe terrible place, bleak and wild,A horrible dungeon, whose walls all aroundBurned like one great oven, but from those flamesThere is no light, but a visible darknessWhich only showed things of sadness,Lands of sorrow, miserable shadows, where peaceAnd rest are unknown, where the hope that comes to allNever comes; endless tortureDrives on forever, and there is a fiery storm, fedBy sulphur which burns forever and never runs out:This was the place God’s justice had madeFor these rebels, here he had ordered their prison builtIn total darkness, and their allotted placeWas to be as far away from God and Heaven’s lightAs three times distance from the equator to the Poles.O how unlike the place from whence they fell!There the companions of his fall, o'rewhelm'dWith Floods and Whirlwinds of tempestuous fire,He soon discerns, and weltring by his sideOne next himself in power, and next in crime,Long after known in PALESTINE, and nam'dBEELZEBUB. To whom th' Arch-Enemy,And thence in Heav'n call'd Satan, with bold wordsBreaking the horrid silence thus began.If thou beest he; But O how fall'n! how chang'dFrom him, who in the happy Realms of LightCloth'd with transcendent brightnes didst outshineMyriads though bright: If he whom mutual league,United thoughts and counsels, equal hope,And hazard in the Glorious Enterprize,Joynd with me once, now misery hath joynd10
In equal ruin: into what Pit thou seestFrom what highth fal'n, so much the stronger provdHe with his Thunder: and till then who knewThe force of those dire Arms? yet not for thoseNor what the Potent Victor in his rageCan else inflict do I repent or change,Though chang'd in outward lustre; that fixt mindAnd high disdain, from sence of injur'd merit,That with the mightiest rais'd me to contend,And to the fierce contention brought alongInnumerable force of Spirits arm'dThat durst dislike his reign, and me preferring,His utmost power with adverse power oppos'dIn dubious Battel on the Plains of Heav'n,And shook his throne. 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 mightExtort from me. To bow and sue for graceWith suppliant knee, and deifie his powerWho from the terrour of this Arm so lateDoubted his Empire, that were low indeed,That were an ignominy and shame beneathThis downfall; since by Fate the strength of GodsAnd this Empyreal substance cannot fail,Since through experience of this great eventIn Arms not worse, in foresight much advanc't,We may with more successful hope resolveTo wage by force or guile eternal WarrIrreconcileable, to our grand Foe,Who now triumphs, and in th' excess of joySole reigning holds the Tyranny of Heav'n.Oh, how different it was to their former home!There those who fell with him, beaten downWith floods and whirlwinds of stormy flames,He soon makes out, and in turmoil by his sideIs one almost equal in power, as bad in crime,Who in later times appeared in Palestine, and his nameWas Beelzebub.The Arch Enemy,Who was now called Satan in Heaven, with bold wordsBreaking through the ghastly silence, spoke to him:“Is that you?How you have fallen, how changed you areFrom the one who in the happy Lands of Light,Dressed in heavenly brightness outshoneSo many others, though bright themselves.If it’s youWho joined with me in thought, plans, hopeAnd risk in our great adventure,Then now we’re joined again in suffering,11
In our destruction:you see the pit,How low we have fallen, which shows how much strongerGod’s thunder was: but before we fought Him who knewJust how strong He was?But for all his strengthAnd anything else the winner might do in his anger,I have no regret, I won’t change my mind,Even though my appearance has changed: I am stayingTrue to my hatred, caused by my sense of injustice,Which led me to take on the Mighty in battle,And to bring along to the fightA numberless force of SpiritsWho also hated His rule, and preferred me.We took on the ultimate power with the power of our own,In a hard fought battle on the fields of HeavenAnd shook his throne.So what if we lost the battle?All is not lost:we shall keep our unquenchable ambition,And look out for revenge, hating forever,And be brave enough never to give in,And so what has He truly won?All His strength and anger will neverTake that away from me.To bow and beg for pardonOn bended knee, and worship the powerThat so recently feared for his rule in the faceOf my own power, that would be too low,That would be a disgrace and shame far worseThan this fall: the Eternal Laws state that our strengthAnd this stuff we’re made of cannot be destroyed,So our experience in this great battle hasn’tTaken our strength and has increased our cunning,So we can hope for greater success as we set outTo fight an everlasting war with strength or cunning,Never giving in to our great enemy,Who has won, for now, and with great happinessHas sole possession of the title of Tyrant of Heaven.”So spake th' Apostate Angel, though in pain,Vaunting aloud, but rackt with deep despare:And him thus answer'd soon his bold Compeer.O Prince, O Chief of many Throned Powers,That led th' imbattelld Seraphim to WarrUnder thy conduct, and in dreadful deedsFearless, endanger'd Heav'ns perpetual King;And put to proof his high Supremacy,Whether upheld by strength, or Chance, or Fate,Too well I see and rue the dire event,That with sad overthrow and foul defeatHath lost us Heav'n, and all this mighty HostIn horrible destruction laid thus low,As far as Gods and Heav'nly EssencesCan Perish: for the mind and spirit remainsInvincible, and vigour soon returns,12
Though all our Glory extinct, and happy stateHere swallow'd up in endless misery.But what if he our Conquerour, (whom I nowOf force believe Almighty, since no lessThen such could hav orepow'rd such force as ours)Have left us this our spirit and strength intireStrongly to suffer and support our pains,That we may so suffice his vengeful ire,Or do him mightier service as his thrallsBy right of Warr, what e're his business beHere in the heart of Hell to work in Fire,Or do his Errands in the gloomy Deep;What can it then avail though yet we feelStrength undiminisht, or eternal beingTo undergo eternal punishment?So the rebel Angel spoke, although he was in pain,Boasting out loud, but inside torn with despair,And soon his arrogant comrade replied:“Oh Prince, the ruler over many thrones,Who led the Angels in armor to warUnder your orders, and with terrible deeds, withoutFear, challenged the power of Heaven’s eternal King,And tested his mighty rule.Whether he won through strength, or luck, or fate,I can see and regret the terrible result all too well.Our terrible loss and casting downHas barred us from Heaven, and all this great armyHas been thrown down in ruin,As close to death as Gods and Heavenly formsCan come, for the mind and spiritCannot be beaten, and strength will come back, even ifAll our light has been extinguished, and our happinessIs drowned here in this endless suffering.But what if he who beat us (who I nowMust acknowledge as Almighty in strength, since onlySuch a one could have beaten our armies)Has left our spirit and strength intactSo that we can better feel pain,So He can go on taking his revenge,Or carry on serving him as slaves,His by right of victory: to order us, whatever he’s up to,To work in the fire here in the heart of Hell,To do his errands in these gloomy depths;In that case how will it help us to feelUndiminished strength, or eternal life?It’ll just help us to suffer eternal punishment.”Whereto with speedy words th' Arch-fiend reply'd.Fall'n Cherube, to be weak is miserableDoing or Suffering: but of this be sure,13
To do ought good never will be our task,But ever to do ill our sole delight,As being the contrary to his high willWhom we resist. If then his ProvidenceOut of our evil seek to bring forth good,Our labour must be to pervert that end,And out of good still to find means of evil;Which oft times may succeed, so as perhapsShall grieve him, if I fail not, and disturbHis inmost counsels from their destind aim.But see the angry Victor hath recall'dHis Ministers of vengeance and pursuitBack to the Gates of Heav'n: The Sulphurous HailShot after us in storm, oreblown hath laidThe fiery Surge, that from the PrecipiceOf Heav'n receiv'd us falling, and the Thunder,Wing'd with red Lightning and impetuous rage,Perhaps hath spent his shafts, and ceases nowTo bellow through the vast and boundless Deep.Let us not slip th' occasion, whether scorn,Or satiate fury yield it from our Foe.Seest thou yon dreary Plain, forlorn and wilde,The seat of desolation, voyd of light,Save what the glimmering of these livid flamesCasts pale and dreadful? Thither let us tendFrom off the tossing of these fiery waves,There rest, if any rest can harbour there,And reassembling our afflicted Powers,Consult how we may henceforth most offendOur Enemy, our own loss how repair,How overcome this dire Calamity,What reinforcement we may gain from Hope,If not what resolution from despare.The leader of the demons swiftly replied:“Fallen Angel, weakness is a miserable thing,In action or in suffering: but I can promise you,We will never do anything good.To always do harm will be our only pleasure,Because it will go against the desiresOf him we are fighting.If God triesTo create good from our evilThen we must work to twist his goalAnd make sure that evil comes out of good;This might happen often, and perhapsCause him grief, if my plans work, and knockHis most cherished plans off course.But look, the furious winner has called backHis agents of revenge who chased us,To the Gates of Heaven: the fiery hailThat stormed after us has blown out now.14
The wave of fire that followed usAs we fell from the edge of Heaven, and the thunder,Accompanied by red lightning and furious angerHas perhaps been exhausted, and has stoppedBellowing through this huge and bottomless pit.Let’s not miss our chance, whether it is contemptOr the end of his anger that makes our enemy give it to us.Do you see that miserable plain, abandoned and wild,Desolate, without lightApart from the flicker which these angry flamesGive, pale and horrid?Let us go there,Away from these waves of fire,And rest, if there is any rest to be had there,And gather up our damaged forces,Debate how from now on we can do most damageTo our enemy, how we can make up for our loss,How we can overcome this terrible disaster,How we can get strength from hope,Or at least how we can gain determination from despair.”Thus Satan talking to his neerest MateWith Head up-lift above the wave, and EyesThat sparkling blaz'd, his other Parts besidesProne on the Flood, extended long and largeLay floating many a rood, in bulk as hugeAs whom the Fables name of monstrous size,TITANIAN, or EARTH-BORN, that warr'd on JOVE,BRIARIOS or TYPHON, whom the DenBy ancient TARSUS held, or that Sea-beastLEVIATHAN, which God of all his worksCreated hugest that swim th' Ocean stream:Him haply slumbring on the NORWAY foamThe Pilot of some small night-founder'd Skiff,Deeming some Island, oft, as Sea-men tell,With fixed Anchor in his skaly rindMoors by his side under the Lee, while NightInvests the Sea, and wished Morn delayes:So stretcht out huge in length the Arch-fiend layChain'd on the burning Lake, nor ever thenceHad ris'n or heav'd his head, but that the willAnd high permission of all-ruling HeavenLeft him at large to his own dark designs,That with reiterated crimes he mightHeap on himself damnation, while he soughtEvil to others, and enrag'd might seeHow all his malice serv'd but to bring forthInfinite goodness, grace and mercy shewnOn Man by him seduc't, but on himselfTreble confusion, wrath and vengeance pour'd.Forthwith upright he rears from off the PoolHis mighty Stature; on each hand the flames15
Drivn backward slope their pointing spires, & rowldIn billows, leave i'th' midst a horrid Vale.Then with expanded wings he stears his flightAloft, incumbent on the dusky AirThat felt unusual weight, till on dry LandHe lights, if it were Land that ever burn'dWith solid, as the Lake with liquid fire;And such appear'd in hue, as when the forceOf subterranean wind transports a HillTorn from PELORUS, or the shatter'd sideOf thundring AETNA, whose combustibleAnd fewel'd entrals thence conceiving Fire,Sublim'd with Mineral fury, aid the Winds,And leave a singed bottom all involv'dWith stench and smoak: Such resting found the soleOf unblest feet. Him followed his next Mate,Both glorying to have scap't the STYGIAN floodAs Gods, and by their own recover'd strength,Not by the sufferance of supernal Power.Thus Satan spoke to his lieutentant,With his head lifted above the waves, and his eyesBurning with fire, the rest of himLaid out on the lake of fire, stretching far and wideOver many acres, as hugeAs the one named in legends as being of monstrous size,Titan, or “The one born of earth”, who battled Jupiter,Briaros and Typhon, who lurked in his caveBy ancient Tarsus, or the sea monsterLeviathan, the biggest thing God createdWhich swims in the oceans’ currents:When he might be sleeping in the Norwegian SeaThe sailors say often the pilot of some small craft,Caught out at night, thinks that he’s an islandAnd fixes an anchor in his scaly skin,Ties up in the shelter of his side while nightRules the sea and keeps off the hoped for morning:So the chief demon lay, his great length stretched out,Chained to the burning lake from whichHe could never have arisen, except that the willAnd permission of all powerful HeavenLeft him to carry on his own evil plans,So that by repeating his crimes he mightDraw further punishment down on himself as he triedTo do wrong to others, and to his fury he would seeHow his evil only brought outInfinite goodness, grace and mercy givenTo the Man he tried to pervert, but on himselfA triple dose of horror, anger and vengeance was poured.He pulls his great bulk upright from the pool;On either side the flames,16
With their leaping points blown backwards,Rolled away in waves, leaving a horrid valley in the center.Then with his wings outstretched he took offInto the dark air,Which felt unusually heavy, until he came to dry landAnd landed, if it could be called land that burnedWith a solid fire just as the lake burned with liquid fire.In color it was like a hill whenThe force of underground winds move it,Tears it away from Pelorus, or from the broken slopesOf thunderous Mount Etna, whose burningAnd powerful innards kindle fire,Fuelled by dissolved minerals, and leaveThe lands around burntAnd wrapped in stench and smoke; such was the landThe soles of the cursed feet found.His lieutenant followed,Both of them happy to have escaped the hellish floodLike Gods, and having done it under their own steam.Not with the permission of the Divine Power.Is this the Region, this the Soil, the Clime,Said then the lost Arch Angel, this the seatThat we must change for Heav'n, this mournful gloomFor that celestial light? Be it so, since heeWho now is Sovran can dispose and bidWhat shall be right: fardest from him is bestWhom reason hath equald, force hath made supreamAbove his equals. Farewel happy FieldsWhere Joy for ever dwells: Hail horrours, hailInfernal world, and thou profoundest HellReceive thy new Possessor: One who bringsA mind not to be chang'd by Place or Time.The mind is its own place, and in it selfCan 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 heeWhom Thunder hath made greater? Here at leastWe shall be free; th' Almighty hath not builtHere for his envy, will not drive us hence:Here we may reign secure, and in my choyceTo reign is worth ambition though in Hell:Better to reign in Hell, then serve in Heav'n.But wherefore let we then our faithful friends,Th' associates and copartners of our lossLye thus astonisht on th' oblivious Pool,And call them not to share with us their partIn this unhappy Mansion, or once moreWith rallied Arms to try what may be yetRegaind in Heav'n, or what more lost in Hell?“Is this the country, the land, the atmosphere,”17
Said the fallen Archangel, “Is this the placeThat we must swap for Heaven, this mournful gloomFor that heavenly light?So be it, because heWho rules can now orderThings as He wishes.It’s best to be farthest from HimWhose genius is equal to, and whose force is greaterThan, others.Farewell to the happy fields,Where joy lives forever: welcome horrors, welcomeThe world of devils, and you, deepest Hell,Welcome your new Master: One who bringsA mind that will not be changed by its place or by time.The mind is a place in itself, and inside it oneCan turn Heaven into Hell or Hell into Heaven.Who cares where I am, if I’m still the same,And why should I be any different just becauseHe was made greater by force?Here we willBe free at least: God didn’t build this place for himself,He won’t make us leave:Here we shall rule undisturbed, and in my opinion,To rule is something worth wanting, even in Hell:It’s better to rule in Hell t
He tells Adam about the war in Heaven, how Satan lost and was thrown down to Hell. Adam shares his first memories after being created. Raphael ends off by warning Adam about Satan. Satan returns after being gone from the garden for about a week. He takes the form of a serpent and looks for Eve, who ha
