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Or Neptun's ire or Juno's, that so long Perplex'd the Greek and Cytherea's Son; If answerable style I can obtaine 20 Of my Celestial Patroness, who deignes Her nightly visitation unimplor'd, And dictates to me slumbring, or inspires Easie my unpremeditated Verse: Since first this subject for Heroic Song Pleas'd me long choosing, and beginning late; Not sedulous by Nature to indite Warrs, hitherto the onely Argument Heroic deem'd, chief maistrie to dissect With long and tedious havoc fabl'd Knights 30 In Battels feign'd; the better fortitude Of Patience and Heroic Martyrdom Unsung; or to describe Races and Games, Or tilting Furniture, emblazon'd Shields, Impreses quaint, Caparisons and Steeds; Bases and tinsel Trappings, gorgious Knights At Joust and Torneament; then marshal'd Feast Serv'd up in Hall with Sewers, and Seneshals; The skill of Artifice or Office mean, Not that which justly gives Heroic name 40 To Person or to Poem. Mee of these Nor skilld nor studious, higher Argument Remaines, sufficient of it self to raise That name, unless an age too late, or cold Climat, or Years damp my intended wing Deprest, and much they may, if all be mine, Not Hers who brings it nightly to my Ear. The Sun was sunk, and after him the Starr Of Hesperus, whose Office is to bring Twilight upon the Earth, short Arbiter 50 Twixt Day and Night, and now from end to end Nights Hemisphere had veild the Horizon round: When Satan who late fled before the threats Of Gabriel out of Eden, now improv'd In meditated fraud and malice, bent On mans destruction, maugre what might hap Of heavier on himself, fearless return'd. By Night he fled, and at Midnight return'd >From compassing the Earth, cautious of day, Since Uriel Regent of the Sun descri'd 60 His entrance, and forewarnd the Cherubim That kept thir watch; thence full of anguish driv'n, The space of seven continu'd Nights he rode
With darkness, thrice the Equinoctial Line He circl'd, four times cross'd the Carr of Night >From Pole to Pole, traversing each Colure; On the eighth return'd, and on the Coast averse >From entrance or Cherubic Watch, by stealth Found unsuspected way. There was a place, Now not, though Sin, not Time, first wraught the change, 70 Where Tigris at the foot of Paradise Into a Gulf shot under ground, till part Rose up a Fountain by the Tree of Life; In with the River sunk, and with it rose Satan involv'd in rising Mist, then sought Where to lie hid; Sea he had searcht and Land >From Eden over Pontus, and the Poole Maeotis, up beyond the River Ob; Downward as farr Antartic; and in length West from Orantes to the Ocean barr'd 80 At Darien, thence to the Land where flowes Ganges and Indus: thus the Orb he roam'd With narrow search; and with inspection deep Consider'd every Creature, which of all Most opportune might serve his Wiles, and found The Serpent suttlest Beast of all the Field. Him after long debate, irresolute Of thoughts revolv'd, his final sentence chose Fit Vessel, fittest Imp of fraud, in whom To enter, and his dark suggestions hide 90 >From sharpest sight: for in the wilie Snake, Whatever sleights none would suspicious mark, As from his wit and native suttletie Proceeding, which in other Beasts observ'd Doubt might beget of Diabolic pow'r Active within beyond the sense of brute. Thus he resolv'd, but first from inward griefe His bursting passion into plaints thus pour'd: O Earth, how like to Heav'n, if not preferrd More justly, Seat worthier of Gods, as built 100 With second thoughts, reforming what was old! For what God after better worse would build? Terrestrial Heav'n, danc't round by other Heav'ns That shine, yet bear thir bright officious Lamps, Light above Light, for thee alone, as seems, In thee concentring all thir precious beams Of sacred influence: As God in Heav'n Is Center, yet extends to all, so thou Centring receav'st from all those Orbs; in thee,
- Page 217 and 218: His Loyaltie he kept, his Love, his
- Page 219 and 220: Fearless assault, and to the brow o
- Page 221 and 222: All are not of thy Train; there be
- Page 223 and 224: Of Battel, open when, and when to c
- Page 225 and 226: All his right side; then Satan firs
- Page 227 and 228: Not to be overpowerd, Companions de
- Page 229 and 230: Th' originals of Nature in thir cru
- Page 231 and 232: And to thir foes a laughter; for in
- Page 233 and 234: Warr wearied hath perform'd what Wa
- Page 235 and 236: Insensate, hope conceiving from des
- Page 237 and 238: Her mural breach, returning whence
- Page 239 and 240: Adam by dire example to beware Apos
- Page 241 and 242: Fell with his flaming Legions throu
- Page 243 and 244: In Gods Eternal store, to circumscr
- Page 245 and 246: Op'ning thir various colours, and m
- Page 247 and 248: And bended Dolphins play: part huge
- Page 249 and 250: Consummate lovly smil'd; Aire, Wate
- Page 251 and 252: But not in silence holy kept; the H
- Page 253 and 254: Diurnal) meerly to officiate light
- Page 255 and 256: By Numbers that have name. But this
- Page 257 and 258: And Day is yet not spent; till then
- Page 259 and 260: First Father, call'd by thee I come
- Page 261 and 262: Such as I seek, fit to participate
- Page 263 and 264: Such as I saw her in my dream, ador
- Page 265 and 266: The more she will acknowledge thee
- Page 267: THE ARGUMENT. Satan having compast
- Page 271 and 272: And flaming Ministers to watch and
- Page 273 and 274: Thee satiate, to short absence I co
- Page 275 and 276: Fraile is our happiness, if this be
- Page 277 and 278: Her self, though fairest unsupporte
- Page 279 and 280: But as in gaze admiring: Oft he bow
- Page 281 and 282: The vertue of that Fruit, in thee f
- Page 283 and 284: Op'nd and cleerd, and ye shall be a
- Page 285 and 286: Not without Song, each Morning, and
- Page 287 and 288: From his slack hand the Garland wre
- Page 289 and 290: Farr otherwise th' event, not Death
- Page 291 and 292: Our wonted Ornaments now soild and
- Page 293 and 294: And am I now upbraided, as the caus
- Page 295 and 296: All were who heard, dim sadness did
- Page 297 and 298: Whence Adam faultring long, thus an
- Page 299 and 300: Out of the ground wast taken, know
- Page 301 and 302: Deep to the Roots of Hell the gathe
- Page 303 and 304: Mine with this glorious Work, & mad
- Page 305 and 306: Of absolute perfection, therein Man
- Page 307 and 308: Yearly enjoynd, some say, to underg
- Page 309 and 310: With terror through the dark Aereal
- Page 311 and 312: Then cavil the conditions? and thou
- Page 313 and 314: Outstretcht he lay, on the cold gro
- Page 315 and 316: Creature so faire his reconcilement
- Page 317 and 318: Against us this deceit: to crush hi
Or Neptun's ire or Juno's, that so long<br />
Perplex'd the Greek and Cytherea's Son;<br />
If answerable style I can obtaine 20<br />
Of my Celestial Patroness, who deignes<br />
Her nightly visitation unimplor'd,<br />
And dictates to me slumbring, or inspires<br />
Easie my unpremeditated Verse:<br />
Since first this subject for Heroic Song<br />
Pleas'd me long choosing, and beginning late;<br />
Not sedulous by Nature to indite<br />
Warrs, hitherto the onely Argument<br />
Heroic deem'd, chief maistrie to dissect<br />
With long and tedious havoc fabl'd Knights 30<br />
In Battels feign'd; the better fortitude<br />
Of Patience and Heroic Martyrdom<br />
Unsung; or to describe Races and Games,<br />
Or tilting Furniture, emblazon'd Shields,<br />
Impreses quaint, Caparisons and Steeds;<br />
Bases and tinsel Trappings, gorgious Knights<br />
At Joust and Torneament; then marshal'd Feast<br />
Serv'd up in Hall with Sewers, and Seneshals;<br />
The skill of Artifice or Office mean,<br />
Not that which justly gives Heroic name 40<br />
To Person or to Poem. Mee of these<br />
Nor skilld nor studious, higher Argument<br />
Remaines, sufficient of it self to raise<br />
That name, unless an age too late, or cold<br />
Climat, or Years damp my intended wing<br />
Deprest, and much they may, if all be mine,<br />
Not Hers who brings it nightly to my Ear.<br />
The Sun was sunk, and after him the Starr<br />
Of Hesperus, whose Office is to bring<br />
Twilight upon the Earth, short Arbiter 50<br />
Twixt Day and Night, and now from end to end<br />
Nights Hemisphere had veild the Horizon round:<br />
When Satan who late fled before the threats<br />
Of Gabriel out of Eden, now improv'd<br />
In meditated fraud and malice, bent<br />
On mans destruction, maugre what might hap<br />
Of heavier on himself, fearless return'd.<br />
By Night he fled, and at Midnight return'd<br />
>From compassing the Earth, cautious of day,<br />
Since Uriel Regent of the Sun descri'd 60<br />
His entrance, and forewarnd the Cherubim<br />
That kept thir watch; thence full of anguish driv'n,<br />
The space of seven continu'd Nights he rode