The state of innocence, and the fall of man, described in Milton's Paradise Lost. Rendered into prose; with historical, philosophical, and explanatory notes. From the French of the learned R. de St. Maur

Book I

Chap. I.~The whole subject is proposed, Man's disobedience, and the loss thereupon of Paradise wherein he was placed. The prime cause of his fall. Satan with his angels now fallen into hell described, lying on the burning lake. After a certain space Satan calls to him who lay by him. They confer of their miserable fall - ll

Chap. II. — Satan awakens all his legions, who lay until then confounded; they rise. Their numbers. Array of battle. Their chief leaders named, according to the idols known in Canaan and the countries adjoining 27

Chap. III. — Satan, though sensible of the diminution of his glory, directs his speech to the fallen angels, and comforts them with hope yet of regaining heaven. Then tells them of a new world, and a new kind of creature to be created, according to an ancient prophesy, or report in heaven; and threatens the Deity: which the rebellious angels all assent to - - 53

Chap. IV. — The associates of Satan build Pandemonium,

and the infernal powers sit there in council 68 iV CONTENTS.

Book II

Chap. I. — The consultation begun, Satan debates concerning another battle, in order to recover heaven: proposes to search the truth of that prophesy in heaven, concerning another world and new creature. Their doubt who should be sent on this difficult search. Satan, their chief, under^ takes alone the difficult task, is honoured and applauded » - - - - - 78

Chap. II.— -The council thus ended, the rest betake them several ways, and to several employments, as their inclinations lead them, until Satan returns ....... 89

Chap. III. — Satan passes on his journey to hell gates; finds them shut, and who sat there to guard them, by whom at length they are opened; and discover to him the great gulf between hell and heaven ---'--»- 96

Chap, IV.- — With what difficulty Satan passes the gulf directed by Chaos, the power of that place, to the sight of this new world which he sought 107

Book III

l

Chap. L— .God sees Satan flying towards this world, foretells his success in perverting mankind; and declares his purpose of grace thereupon - 110

Chap. II. — The Son of God on his Father's declaring that divine justice must be satisfied for Man's sin, freely offers himself a ransom for them; which the Father accepts - - - - 120

Chap. III. — Satan lights upon the convex of the world's outermost orb, where he first finds a place since called the Limbo of Vanity r - 128

CONTENTS. v

Chap. IV. — Satan comes to the gates of heaven; his passage thence to the orb of the sun; where he finds Uriel the regent thereof, and upon inquiry is directed to the habitation of Man - 135

Book IV

Chap. I.— Satan, in prospect of Eden, falls into many doubts with himself, yet journeys on to Paradise, which is described ----- 149

Chap. II. — Paradise described; Satan's first sight of Adam and Eve, at which he is greatly surprised; overhears their discourse, and from thence meditates their destruction 155

Chap. III. — Uriel warns Gabriel, that some evil spirit had passed by his sphere. Night comes on, Adam and Eve discourse of going to their rest: their bower described and evening worship - 16S

Chap. IV. — Gabriel appoints two angels to Adam's bower; who find Satan at the ear of Eve; they bring him to Gabriel; Satan's behaviour thereon, and flight out of Paradise - 175

Chap. I. — Eve relates to Adam her dream; they come

forth to their day labour: the morning hymn 185

Chap. II. — Raphael is sent to admonish Man of his obedience, comes down to Paradise; his appearance described: Adam discerns his coming; goes to meet him, and brings him to his bower; where Raphael performs his message - - - 19 1

Chap. III. — Raphael tells Adam who his great enemy is, informs him of Satan's first revolt, and what was the occasion thereof, Abdiel forsakes Satan and his party - 203 vi CONTENTS,

Book VI

Chap. I. — Raphael relates how Michael and Gabriel went forth to battle against Satan; the first fight described 215

Chap. II. — Satan and his powers retire under night, he puts Michael and his angels to some disorder in the second day's fight, but they overwhelm both his force and his engines - 226

Chap. III. — The tumult not ending, God sends the Messiah his Son, who alone overcomes his enemies; drives them out of heaven, and returns with triumph to his Father - - - - 233

Book VII

Chap. I. — Raphael tells Adam how and why the world

was first created 243

Chap. II. — God sends his Son to perform the work of creation; which the angels celebrate: his reascension into heaven - . ■<• ' - r - . - 248

Book VIII

Chap. I. — Adam inquires concerning celestial motions: is doubtfully answered, and exhorted to search rather after things more worthy of knowledge 265

Chap. II. — Adam assents to the advice of Raphael, and being still desirous to detain him, relates what he remembered since his own creation - - 270

Chap. III.— Adam relates his first meeting and nuptials

with Eve, his discourse with the angel - 277

CONTENTS. vii

Book IX

Chap. I.— Satan having compassed the earth, with meditated guile returns by night into Paradise, and enters into the serpent sleeping - - - 285

Chap. II.— Adam and Eve in the morning go forth to their labours, which Eve proposes to divide in several places, each labouring apart: Adam endeavours to dissuade Eve therefrom; but not prevailing, at length consents - 292

Chap. 111. — The serpent finds Eve alone; approaches and speaks to her, with many wiles and arguments induces her to taste the Tree of Knowledge forbidden: she resolves to impart thereof to Adam - - - - - -297

Chap. IV. — Eve brings of the fruit to Adam, he eats also

the effects thereof on them both - - 313

Book X

Chap. I. — The guardian angels leave Paradise on Man's transgression: God thereupon sends his Son to judge the transgressors - 327

Chap. II. — Sin and Death make a bridge over Chaos, and travel from hell to earth: Satan arrives at Pandsemonium, and in full assembly relates his success against Man - 334

Chap. HI. — The proceedings of Sin and Death; God foretells the final victory over them, and the renewing of all things; but for the present commands several alterations to be made in the elements 349

Chap. IV. — Adam bewails his fallen condition; Eve endeavours to appease him, but does not succeed. He exhorts her to seek peace by repentance 357 viii CONTENTS.

Book XI

Chap. I. — The Son of God presents to his Father the prayers of Adam and Eve. Michael is sent to put them out of Paradise, and reveal future things to Adam - - - - - 371

Chap. II. — Miehael denounces their departure; Eve's lamentation. Adam pleads, but submits - 378

Chap. III. — The angel sets before Adam in a vision, what

shall happen until the flood - - . 385

Chap. I. — The angel relates what shall happen after the

flood, and foretells the coming of Christ - 419

Chap. II.— Adam recomforted, descends the hill with Michael 439

Chap. III. — Michael leads Adam and Eve out of Paradise; the fiery sword waving behind them, and the cherubim taking their station to guard the place 445

THE FIRST BOOK

OF

PARADISE LOST.

Proposes the whole subject, Man's disobedience, and the loss thereupon of Paradise wherein lie was placed. Then touches the prime cause of his fall, which was 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 author hastes into the midst of things, presenting Satan with his angels now fallen into hell deseribed ? not in the centre (for heaven and earth may be supposed as not yet made, certainly not yet accursed) but in a place of Utter darkness, most fitly 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 confounded; they rise, their numbers, array of battle, their chief leaders named, according to the idols afterwards known in Canaan, and the countries adjoining. Satan, though sensible of the diminution of his glory, directs his speech to the fallen angels, comforts them with hope yet of regaining heaven, but tells them of a new world, and new kind of creature to be created; according to an ancient prophecy or report in heaven, and threatens the Deity, which the rebellious angels all assent to. The associates of Satan build Pandsemonium, and the infernal peers sit tliera in council.

Chapter I

The whole subject is proposed, Man's disobedience, and the loss thereupon of Paradise wherein he was placed. The prime cause of his fall. Satan with his angels now fallen into hell described, lying on the burning lake. After a certain space Satan calls to him who next lay by him. They confer of their miserable fall.

HEAVENLY Spirit of truth and harmony assist me! to write of Man's first disobedience, and of the fruit of that forbidden tree, the tasting of which brought death and all our woe into the world, and occasioned the loss of paradise, till Jesus Christ, a Man far greater than Adam, restore and redeem, and once more regain a Paradise for us.

Thou, who from the thick clouds on the sceret top of mount Oreb, (a) or, perhaps of Sinai (&) didst inspire

(a) Oreb, Horeb, or Choreb, Heb. i. e. dryness; for it was a desert or dry mountain in Arabia the Stony, where there was little or no water, Dent. viii. ±5. Horeb is a part of mount Sinai on the west side; and Sinai lies on the east side of it. There Moses fed the flock of Jethro, and there God appeared to him first in a burning bush, Exod. iii. 1.

(b) Sinai, Heb. from Seneh, i. e. a bush, or thorn; because these bushes grew thereon in abundance. It is a very steep and high mountain in Arabia the Stony, about 156 miles from Jerusalem to the south. These are not two distinct mountains but one, which is parted into two tops, like Parnassus, Sfc. of which Sinai is the highest; having a fair and spacious plain between them: that top towards the west is called Horeb, and that to the east Sinai. The mountain is round, takes 7,000 steps to the top, has some olive-trees, fig-trees, date -trees, Sfc. and several chapels, monasteries, cells, and mosques, Sfc. It is called the mount of God, because it is a great one; or because God appeared thereon frequently to Moses, and delivered his law there; by the Turks, Gibol Mousa, i. e. the mount of Moses; by the Arabians, Tor, i. e. the mountain. Very much venc-

\% PARADISE LOST, book ?,

Moses when a shepherd there, who first taught the children of Israel, how heaven and earth were created from the elements, which were till then nothing but a mixed and confused heap, and without form. Or if thy presence be more revealed on mount Sion, (c) or by the brook of Siloa, (d) which runs down from thence to the

ration is still paid to tins mountain, on account of that ancient and extraordinary holiness, when the Almighty appeared upon it to Moses,

(c) Sion, Zion, or Tzion, Heb. i. e. a watch tower; because it is the highest hill thereabout, and from it one might see the Holy Land far and near, A mountain on the north side, and some part of it within the city of Jerusalem, surrounded with steep sides, high rocks, and deep ditches, except on the north side; therefore it was very strong. Some of the Jebusites (part of the old Canaanites) defended it against all the force of the Israelites, Josh. xv. 63. until the valiant king David took it from them; there he fortified the old castle, built the Upper Town, surrounded it with new walls, and called it the city of David; there he kept his court and retinue, 2 Sam. v. 6. There were many fair buildings and houses of his officers, especially his house of Cedar-wood, which he called the Castle of Sion, and the Sepulchre of king David, Solomon, Sfc. within a rock: some of their ruins are to be seen still. It is elegantly described, Psal. xlviii, by Josephus, Sands, <J*c, Sion was also called the Mount of the House of the Sanctuary, and Milo, i. e. 'plenty; because there was abundance of all good things for David's family, and those of his nobles. Sion was also a type or figure of the church of Christ, Heb. xii. 22.

%* Obs. Mount Moriah and mount Sion stood directly in the centre, and mount Calvary without the north gate, in the Old Jerusalem, and at a considerable distance : but now mount Sion is without the walls upon the south side, and mount Calvary almost in the middle of it.

(d) Siloe, Siloah, Siloam, SJdloah, Heb. i. e. sent; for it was a brook or spring of water gliding softly down mount Sion, on the east side of the Temple of Jerusalem, and at the bottom of it made a pool, which was sent from God, at the prayer of Isaias, a little before his death, and when the city was closely besieged; as a blessing or gift, to cure many diseases among his ghaf. i. PARADISE LOST. 13

temple where thy oracle is placed, I intreat the influence of thy Spirit from thence, to aid me in treating of this difficult subject, seeing I must elevate my style, above the best poets, and discourse of such high, and j| sacred things, as have never been attempted before, either in prose or rhyme. Instruct me, for thou knowest, thou, who preferest an upright and pure heart before all temples: Thou wast present from all eternity, and moving on the great deep didst infuse vital heat, and as the dove when she warms eggs into life make nature prolific. What is dark in me do thou enlighten, and raise, and support me, where I am too low and weak, that I may assert the wisdom and justice of eternal Providence, in a manner worthy the subject I have undertook to write on, and so justify thy ways to men. Taught by thee (for the highest heaven nor lowest hell hide nothing from thee) let me relate what was the cause that moved our first parents, when they were placed in so happy an estate, and favoured so highly of heaven, to lose obedience to their Creator, and transgress his command, when he had laid on them but one restraint, and given them power over the whole world besides: and who it was that first seduced them to that foul rebellion: It was the chief of the fallen angels (e)

people. Herein a blind man washed Ms eyes at Christ's command, and received his eye -sight, John ix. 7. There a tower was built over it, by the fall of which 18 men were killed, Luke xiii. 4.

(e) Angels: All the modern languages of Europe borrow this word angel from the Greek, i. e. a messenger; and the Hebrew Malachi signifies the same, because these celestial beings are the messengers of God. It denotes their ofiice rather than their nature. In other words they are called spirits, ministers, gods, sons of God, thrones, &c. Angels are pure, intellectual spiritual beings, more noble by far than man, the glory and perfection of the creation; of all creatures they come nearest to the eternal Father of spirits, in their spiritual nature and vast perfections; which the Almighty makes use of as his servants, to exconcealed in the form of a serpent, whose fraud, stirred up with revenge, and envy, deceived the first mother of mankind: before which his pride had occasioned him to be cast out from heaven, with all the rest of the rebellious angels, by whose assistance he aspired first to set himself up in glory above what he was, and imagined that he might equal himself to the almighty and most high God, if he did but strive, and oppose him; and with this ambitious aim made war in heaven, and fought against his government, absolute power and dominion, with proud battle, but the attempt was in vain, for the power of the Almighty cast him down from the heavens, with most dreadful ruin, and burning, down to the bottomless pit, and everlasting destruction, where he was doomed to live, in such pains and bondage, as are best expressed by chains and fire; who had the presumption to defy, and set himself against the omnipotent Creator of all things.

As long as would seem many days and nights to mortal men, he lay with his horrid companions, totally subdued, and restless, as if they had been rolling in a fiery gulf; for though they were immortal spirits, yet were they confounded: but his doom was to be reserved to more wrath, for now the thought of the happiness he had lost, and the lasting pain which had seized, tormented him, and speaking after the manner of men, lie cast his sorrowful eyes around, which shewed that he was dismayed, and very much afflicted; but not so, but that he retained stedfast hate, and inflexible pride. At once, as far as it was in the power of an angel to discern, he perceived the dismal situation, that it was waste, and wild, and his idea represented to him a hor-

ecute his orders through the whole creation, although he stands in no need of their services. Angels of the presence: and so they are called Shinan, i. e. second: because they are second or next to God, Psal. Ixviii. 17. Here, Satan who had once been an holy, but is now an apostate and rebellious angel.

eHAP. i. PARADISE LOST. 15

rible dungeon, that flamed round on all sides, like a great furnace, and yet there seemed to be no light, but only perceptible darkness; in which terrible sights of woe might be discovered; regions of sorrow, shades of hell, where peace and rest could never have habitation, where hope the only comforter never comes, but endless tortures urge continually, and a fiery deluge, fed with what always burns, and never consumes: This place eternal Justice had prepared for those rebellious angels, and here given them their portion, farther removed from the light of heaven, and from God, than it is from the centre (f) three times to the farthest pole, (g) -that but oh! how unlike was this place from that he fell from! There he soon discerned the companions of his fall ovenv helmed as with floods and whirlwinds of tempestuous fire; and weltering by his side, one that was next himself in power, and next in wickedness, who a great while afterwards was worshipped in Palestine, (h) and called Beelzebub, (i) to whom the arch-

(/) Centre; Fr. Ital. Span. Lat. from the Gr. i. e. a point, an astronomical T. The middle point of a circle. Here, the middle point of the earth, i. e. three times as far from heaven as the two poles are distant from the equator, whieh is a vast distance indeed.

(g) Pole; Fr. Lat. Gr. i. e. turning round. An astron. T. The two ends of an imaginary circle, on which astronomers say the world turns round from east to west daily. The poles are two, the Artie or north pole; and the Antartic or south pole.

(h) Palestine; Heb. i. e. sprinkled with dust and sand; because it is a very dry land. A country of Asia upon the Mediterranean Sea. It was called, 1. Canaan, from Canaan the son of Ham; 2. Philistcea or Palestine, from a mighty people descended from Mizraim, another of his sons, Gen. x. 14. who

(i) Beel-zebub, Baal-zebub, or Bel-zebub; Heb. i. e. The Lord of flies; either because the people believed, that he drove away and destroyed flies, which very much infested them; or because multitudes of these vermin swarmed about the blood of the sacrifices offered to him. He was worshipped first at Ba-

46 PARADISE LOST. book t.

enemy (who thenceforward in heaven, was called &a~ Ian (k) breaking the horrid silence with bold words thus began to speak:

If thou art he, who in the happy kingdoms of light, cloathed with excessive brightness, didst outshine millions of the other angels, though they were bright! If misery hath now joined with me in the same ruin, him whose united thoughts, and counsels, whose equal hope, and hazard with mutual league, joined with me once in the glorious enterprise: how art thou fallen and / ; changed! Thou seest into what pit, and from what height we are thrown down; so much stronger He proved with his thunders, and till then who had ever known the force of those fatal arms? And yet not on the account of those, or what the powerful Conquerer in his

inhabited some part of it. 3. Tlie land of promise; beeause God promised to. give it to Abraham and his posterity, for an inheritance. 4. Judea; from Judah, whose offspring had it long in possession. And 5. the Holy Land; because it was honoured with God's extraordinary presence, worship, mereies, blessings, miracles above all countries upon earth; and with the nativity, life, actions, and doctrine of the holy Jesus and his apostles. The Jews expelled the Philistines for their abominable idolatry and other crimes; the Romans demolished those; the Saracens and Turks have been masters of it these thousand years past. # Obs. That though idolatry was practised all the world over, yet our author mentions this nation in particular; because the idols hereafter described, were chiefly worshipped in it. bylon, and then every where; but chiefly by the people of Ekron, 3 Kings i. 2. Here it is the name of one grand prince of the devils, and next to Satan; our Saviour calls him the prince of the devils, Matth. xii. 24.

(k) Satan; Heb. L e. the adversary. The very prince of all devils. As there are different orders and degrees of the holy angels, so there are still among the wicked ones: their chief prince is called Satan, Bel-zebub, the old serpent, &c. for as every good angel is not a Michael or a Gabriel; so every devil is not a Satan, a Lucifer, &c. And a kingdom is ascribed to him, Matth. xii. 26. Eph. ii. 2.

chai>. i. PARADISE LOST. 1?

greatest anger can inflict else, do I either change, or repent of that fixed mind (though my outward lustre may seem diminished) nor of that high disdain which arose in me from a sense of injured merit, that raised me to contend with him who is called Mightiest, and brought along to the fierce contention, a numberless force of armed spirits, who durst disapprove of his government; and preferring me, with adverse power opposed his utmost power, in a doubtful battle fought in heaven, in such a manner as shook his throne. What though we have suffered some loss? we have not lost all, our will still remains unconquered; immortal hate, and study of revenge yet remain, and a courageous resolution never to yield or submit, that glory his greatest wrath or power shall never extort from me (what other proof needs there, that we are not overcome?) To bow and petition for grace, and with supplications and bended knees, acknowledge a power to be infinite, and di* vine, who so laiely had reason from the terror of my power to doubt the continuance of his dominion: that would be low indeed, that would be worse disgrace, worse shame and ignominy than this downfal. Since we have (as well as he) by fate (/) the strength of gods, and the substance of which Ave are, is immortal and cannot fail; since by this last great event we have gained much experience and foresight, and for opposition still are not worse, we may now make a resolution (and hope well for success) to make either by force or fraud eternal and irreconcileable war upon our great Enemy; who now indeed triumphs in the excess of joy, and having no competitor arbitrarily holds the tyranny of heaven.

(/) Fate; Fr. hat. i. e. the. speech or decree of God. A word much used by the stoics, and other heathen philosophers for the providence of God: the eternal and unchangeable course of thingg, the unalterable law of nature, destiny. 3

IB PARADISE LOST..

Book I

Thus vaunting aloud spoke the. apostate angel, though he was in great pain, and stung with tortures of the deepest despair; and his intrepid companion Beelzebub soon replied:

Great prince! chief of the many throned powers, (m) that lead the seraphim {n) to war in order of battle under thy conduct, and fearless, brought into danger the perpetual King of heaven, and put his high supremacy to the proof; whether he be upheld by strength, by chance, or by fate, I see too well and am grieved for the sorrowful event, that with foul defeat and sad destruction hath lost us heaven, and with horrible overthrow, thus low, laid all this mighty host, as far as gods, and heavenly beings can perish; for the mind and spirit remain invincible, and vigour soon returns; though all our glory is extinct, and our happy estate here swallowed up in endless misery* But what if our Conqueror (whom I now by force believe to be almighty, since nothing short of omnipotence could have overcome such force as ours) hath left us this our spirit, and this our strength entire, only to enable us to endure our pains; that so we may afford satisfaction to his wrath, or do him greater service, as his captives by right of war; whatever his business may be, either to work in fire, here in the midst of hell, or do his errands m the dark and gloomy deep? Then what can it avail, that we feel no decay of our strength; or is eternal being

(m) Powers; Fr. from the Lai. Such angels as have ability, authority, might and force in heaven. Here, such princes among the fallen angels, who still retained that . high order among themselves, which they had before their fall.

(to) Seraphim and seraph, Heb. i.e. burning and flaming like fire, to shew the vast love and zeal of those blessed spirits to C-.od. In serjptnre this word denotes holy angels of the first order of the celestial hierarchy. Here, Satan, who had been ®tlc of -that .high and happy order*

a good, only to undergo eternal punishment? Whereto Satan, breaking in upon his discourse, replied:

Fallen cherub! (o) to be weak is to be miserable, either acting or suffering; but be certain of this, that to do any thing good will never be our business, but our only glit always to do ill, as being directly contrary to his high will, whom we oppose: so that if his providence seeks out of our evil to bring forth any good, it must be our labour to pervert that end, and still to find means of evil out of good; which may often succeed, so as perhaps shall molest him (if I fail not) and hinder his most secret designs and councils from their intended aim. But look, the angry Conqueror hath recalled his (p) ministers of pursuit and vengeance back to heaven; the fiery hail, that was shot after us in a storm, is now blown over, and hath laid the burning ilood, which from the precipice of heaven received us as we fell, and the thunder which broke on us, following red lightning with violent force, perhaps hath spent its shafts; for now it ceases to bellow through the great and boundless deep: then let us not slip the opportunity, whether scorn or satisfied fury yield it us from our enemy. Dost thou see yonder dismal plain, wild and comfortless, a seat of desolation and without light, except what the glimmering of these livid flames casts pale and very dreadful? thither let us repair from off the violent and painful tossing of tliese waves of fire; there let ns rest, if any rest can be had there, and assembling our afflicted powers again, consult how we may henceforward most annov our great

(o) Cherub, in the singular number, and cheruhim in the plural, Heb. L e. fullness of knowWgv. angels of the first order first mentioned, Gen. iii. 2-1. They were represented in the tabernaele and temple in human shape, with two wings, Exod. xxv. 18. 2 Chrcn, iii. 10.

(/;) Ministers; Fr. Lett, servants. Here, the executioners of God's vengeance upon these rebels: the holy angels. .See i^&lin <iii. 20.

foe, how repair our own loss, Iioav overcome this doleful calamity, what new strength and courage we may gain from hope, and if none from thence, what resolution we may gain from despair.

Thus Satan liejst talking to Beelzebub, with his head lifted up above the waves, and glancing his eyes from side to side; as for his other parts, he lay extended in a melancholy condition, floating in length and breadth over a vast space of the abyss; as large in bulk as those, whom fables have named of prodigious size, as (q) Titanian, or earth-born, who is said to have made war on Jove; Briareus, or Typhon, (r) who was buried in a