PARADISE LOST. BOOK I. Or man's first disobedience, and the fruit That shepherd, who first taught the chosen seed, Delight thee more, and Siloa's brook that flow'd And chiefly Thou, O SPIRIT! that dost prefer Illumine! what is low, raise and support! 25 I may assert eternal Providence, And justify the ways of God to men. Say first, for heav'n hides nothing from thy view, From their Creator, and transgress his will The infernal Serpent. He it was, whose guile, 50 Who durst defy the Omnipotent to arms. Nine times the space that measures day and night Lay vanquish'd, rolling in the fiery gulf, 55 Both of lost happiness, and lasting pain, Torments him. Round he throws his baleful eyes, 60 The dismal situation waste and wild : A dungeon horrible on all sides round As one great furnace flam'd; yet from those flames Serv'd only to discover sights of woe! 65 Regions of sorrow! doleful shades! where peace With ever-burning sulphur unconsum'd! Beelzebub. To whom th' arch-enemy, And thence in heav'n call'd Satan,-with bold words. Breaking the horrid silence, thus began: "If thou be'st he,-but O, how fall'n! how chang'd 85 "From him, who, in the happy realms of light, "Cloth'd with transcendent brightness, didst outshine 90 66 Myriads though bright!-if he, whom mutual league, "United thoughts and counsels, equal hope "And hazard in the glorious enterprise, "Join'd with me once, now misery hath join'd "In equal ruin; into what pit, thou seest, "From what height fall'n! so much the stronger prov'd "He with his thunder: and till then who knew "The force of those dire arms? Yet not for those, 95"Nor what the potent victor in his rage "Can else inflict, do I repent, or change, "Though chang'd in outward lustre, that fix'd mind, "And high disdain, from sense of injur'd merit, "That with the Mightiest rais'd me to contend; 100 "And to the fierce contention brought along "Innumerable force of spirits arm'd, "That durst dislike his reign; and, me preferring, 105 "And shook his throne. What though the field be lost? "All is not lost; th' unconquerable will, "And study of revenge, immortal hate, "And courage never to submit or yield, "And what is else not to be overcome,110 That glory never shall his wrath, or might, "Extort from me. To bow and sue for grace "With suppliant knee, and deify his power, 66 Who, from the terror of this arm, so late "Doubted his empire! That were low indeed! 115 "That were an ignominy, and shame beneath "This downfal! since, by Fate, the strength of gods "And this empyreal substance cannot fail; "Since, through experience of this great event,— "In arms not worse, in foresight much advanc'd,120 "We may, with more successful hope, resolve "To wage by force or guile eternal war, "Irreconcileable to our grand foe, 125 "Who now triumphs, and in the excess of joy "O Prince! O chief of many throned Powers! 135 "That with sad overthrow and foul defeat "Hath lost us heaven; and all this mighty host "Can perish; for the mind and spirit remains 140"Invincible, and vigour soon returns, 66 Though all our glory extinct, and happy state "But what if He our Conqueror (whom I now 145 "Than such could have o'erpower'd such force as ours) Strength undiminish'd, or eternal being, 155"To undergo eternal punishment?" 160 Whereto with speedy words th' arch-fiend replied: "Fall'n Cherub! to be weak is miserable, "Doing, or suff'ring; but of this be sure, "To do aught good never will be our task, "But ever to do ill our sole delight, "As being the contrary to His high will, "Whom we resist. If then his providence "Out of our evil seek to bring forth good, "Our labour must be to pervert that end, 165 "And out of good still to find means of evil; "Which oft-times may succeed, so as perhaps "Shall grieve him, if I fail not, and disturb "His inmost counsels from their destin'd aim. "But see! the angry Victor hath recall'd 170"His ministers of vengeance and pursuit "Back to the gates of heav'n: the sulph'rous hail, "Shot after us in storm, o'erblown hath laid "The fiery surge, that from the precipice |