Say first, for Heav'n hides nothing from thy view Things unattempted yet in Prose or Rhime.Īnd mad'st it pregnant: What in me is dark That with no middle flight intends to soarĪbove th' Aonian Mount, while it pursues In the Beginning how the Heav'ns and Earthĭelight thee more, and Siloa's Brook that flow'd That Shepherd, who first taught the chosen Seed, Sing Heav'nly Muse, that on the secret top Restore us, and regain the blissful Seat, [ 5 Of that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal tastīrought Death into the World, and all our woe, Out of the Deep: The infernal Peers there sit in Councel. Pandemonium the Palace of Satan rises, suddenly built To find out the truth of this Prophesie, and what to determin thereon he refers to a full Councel. That Angels were long before this visible Creation, was the opinion of many ancient Fathers. To be created, according to an ancient Prophesie or report in Heaven for Regaining Heaven, but tells them lastly of a new World and new kind of Creature

To these Satan directs his Speech, comforts them with hope yet of Rise, thir Numbers, array of Battel, thir chief Leaders nam'd, according to the Idols known afterwards in Canaan and the Countries adjoyning. SatanĪwakens all his Legions, who lay till then in the same manner confounded They Order and Dignity lay by him they confer of thir miserable fall. Here, not in the Center (for Heaven and Earth mayīut in a place of utter darkness, fitliest call'd Chaos: Here Satan with his Angels lying on the burning Lake,Īfter a certain space recovers, as from confusion, calls up him who next in Presenting Satan with his Angels now fallen into Hell, describ'd Over, the Poem hasts into the midst of things, God, and drawing to his side many Legions of Angels, was by the command of Godĭriven out of Heaven with all his Crew into the great Deep. Or rather Satan in the Serpent who revolting from Wherein he was plac't: Then touches the prime cause of his fall, the Serpent, First in brief, the whole Subject, Mans disobedience, and the loss thereupon of Paradise

Paradise lost paradise regained book