Paradise Lost

John Milton (1608-1674)

The “arguments” or synopses of each of the epic poem’s twelve books are available, along with this edition of the poem, at the Dartmouth College website, The John Milton Reading Room. (The masque (or “mask”) Comus and all of Milton’s other works are also available there.)

I present the arguments of a few Books here to set up the reading from Book VIII below.

BOOK 1

THE ARGUMENT

This first Book proposes, first in brief, the whole Subject, Mans disobedience, and the loss thereupon of Paradise wherein he was placed: Then touches the prime cause of his fall, the Serpent, or rather 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 past over, the Poem hastens into the midst of things, presenting Satan with his Angels now fallen into Hell, described here, not in the Center (for Heaven and Earth may be suppos'd as yet not made, certainly not yet accurst) but in a place of utter darkness, fitliest call'd Chaos: Here Satan with his Angels lying on the burning Lake, thunder-struck 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 in the same manner confounded; They rise, their Numbers, array of Battel, their chief Leaders nam'd, according to the Idols known afterwards in Canaan and the Countries adjoyning. To these Satan directs his Speech, comforts them with hope yet of regaining Heaven, but tells them lastly of a new World and new kind of Creature to be created, according to an ancient Prophesie or report in Heaven; for that Angels were long before this visible Creation, was the opinion of many ancient Fathers. To find out the truth of this Prophesie, and what to determine thereon he refers to a full Council. What his Associates thence attempt. Pandemonium the Palace of Satan rises, suddenly built out of the Deep: The infernal Peers there sit in Council.

 

 

BOOK 5

THE ARGUMENT

Morning approacht, Eve relates to Adam her troublesome dream; he likes it not, yet comforts her: They come forth to their day labours: Their Morning Hymn at the Door of their Bower. God to render Man inexcusable sends Raphael to admonish him of his obedience, of his free estate, of his enemy near at hand; who he is, and why his enemy, and whatever else may avail Adam to know. Raphael comes down to Paradise, his appearance describ'd, his coming discern'd by Adam afar off sitting at the door of his Bower; he goes out to meet him, brings him to his lodge, entertains him with the choycest fruits of Paradise got together by Eve; their discourse at Table: Raphael performs his message, minds Adam of his state and of his enemy; relates at Adams request who that enemy is, and how he came to be so, beginning from his first revolt in Heaven, and the occasion thereof; how he drew his Legions after him to the parts of the North, and there incited them to rebel with him, perswading all but only Abdiel a Seraph, who in Argument dissuades and opposes him, then forsakes him.

BOOK 8

THE ARGUMENT

 

Adam inquires concerning celestial Motions, is doubtfully answer'd, and exhorted to search rather things more worthy of knowledge: Adam assents, and still desirous to detain Raphael, relates to him what he remember'd since his own Creation, his placing in Paradise, his talk with God concerning solitude and fit society, his first meeting and Nuptials with Eve, his discourse with the Angel thereupon; who after admonitions repeated departs.

 

THE Angel ended, and in Adams Eare

So Charming left his voice, that he a while

Thought him still speaking, still stood fixt to hear;

Then as new wak't thus gratefully repli'd.

What thanks sufficient, or what recompence [ 5 ]

Equal have I to render thee, Divine

Hystorian, who thus largely hast allayd

The thirst I had of knowledge, and voutsaf't

This friendly condescention to relate

Things else by me unsearchable, now heard [ 10 ]

With wonder, but delight, and, as is due,

With glorie attributed to the high

Creator; something yet of doubt remaines,

Which onely thy solution can resolve.

When I behold this goodly Frame, this World [ 15 ]

Of Heav'n and Earth consisting, and compute,

Thir magnitudes, this Earth a spot, a graine,

An Atom, with the Firmament compar'd

And all her numberd Starrs, that seem to rowle

Spaces incomprehensible (for such [ 20 ]

Thir distance argues and thir swift return

Diurnal) meerly to officiate light

Round this opacous Earth, this punctual spot,

One day and night; in all thir vast survey

Useless besides, reasoning I oft admire, [ 25 ]

How Nature wise and frugal could commit

Such disproportions, with superfluous hand

So many nobler Bodies to create,

Greater so manifold to this one use,

For aught appeers, and on thir Orbs impose [ 30 ]

Such restless revolution day by day

Repeated, while the sedentarie Earth,

That better might with farr less compass move,

Serv'd by more noble then her self, attaines

Her end without least motion, and receaves, [ 35 ]

As Tribute such a sumless journey brought

Of incorporeal speed, her warmth and light;

Speed, to describe whose swiftness Number failes.

 

So spake our Sire, and by his count'nance seemd

Entring on studious thoughts abstruse, which Eve [ 40 ]

Perceaving where she sat retir'd in sight,

With lowliness Majestic from her seat,

And Grace that won who saw to wish her stay,

Rose, and went forth among her Fruits and Flours,

To visit how they prosper'd, bud and bloom, [ 45 ]

Her Nurserie; they at her coming sprung

And toucht by her fair tendance gladlier grew.

Yet went she not, as not with such discourse

Delighted, or not capable her eare

Of what was high: such pleasure she reserv'd, [ 50 ]

Adam relating, she sole Auditress;

Her Husband the Relater she preferr'd

Before the Angel, and of him to ask

Chose rather: hee, she knew would intermix

Grateful digressions, and solve high dispute [ 55 ]

With conjugal Caresses, from his Lip

Not Words alone pleas'd her. O when meet now

Such pairs, in Love and mutual Honour joyn'd?

With Goddess-like demeanour forth she went;

Not unattended, for on her as Queen [ 60 ]

A pomp of winning Graces waited still,

And from about her shot Darts of desire

Into all Eyes to wish her still in sight.

And Raphael now to Adam's doubt propos'd

Benevolent and facil thus repli'd. [ 65 ]

 

To ask or search I blame thee not, for Heav'n

Is as the Book of God before thee set,

Wherein to read his wondrous Works, and learne

His Seasons, Hours, or Dayes, or Months, or Yeares:

This to attain, whether Heav'n move or Earth, [ 70 ]

Imports not, if thou reck'n right, the rest

From Man or Angel the great Architect

Did wisely to conceal, and not divulge

His secrets to be scann'd by them who ought

Rather admire; or if they list to try [ 75 ]

Conjecture, he his Fabric of the Heav'ns

Hath left to thir disputes, perhaps to move

His laughter at thir quaint Opinions wide

Hereafter, when they come to model Heav'n

And calculate the Starrs, how they will weild [ 80 ]

The mightie frame, how build, unbuild, contrive

To save appeerances, how gird the Sphear

With Centric and Eccentric scribl'd o're,

Cycle and Epicycle, Orb in Orb:

Alreadie by thy reasoning this I guess, [ 85 ]

Who art to lead thy ofspring, and supposest

That bodies bright and greater should not serve

The less not bright, nor Heav'n such journies run,

Earth sitting still, when she alone receaves

The benefit: consider first, that Great [ 90 ]

Or Bright inferrs not Excellence: the Earth

Though, in comparison of Heav'n, so small,

Nor glistering, may of solid good containe

More plenty then the Sun that barren shines,

Whose vertue on it self workes no effect, [ 95 ]

But in the fruitful Earth; there first receavd

His beams, unactive else, thir vigour find.

Yet not to Earth are those bright Luminaries

Officious, but to thee Earths habitant.

And for the Heav'ns wide Circuit, let it speak [ 100 ]

The Makers high magnificence, who built

So spacious, and his Line stretcht out so farr;

That Man may know he dwells not in his own;

An Edifice too large for him to fill,

Lodg'd in a small partition, and the rest [ 105 ]

Ordain'd for uses to his Lord best known.

The swiftness of those Circles attribute,

Though numberless, to his Omnipotence,

That to corporeal substances could adde

Speed almost Spiritual; mee thou thinkst not slow, [ 110 ]

Who since the Morning hour set out from Heav'n

Where God resides, and ere mid-day arriv'd

In Eden, distance inexpressible

By Numbers that have name. But this I urge,

Admitting Motion in the Heav'ns, to shew [ 115 ]

Invalid that which thee to doubt it mov'd;

Not that I so affirm, though so it seem

To thee who hast thy dwelling here on Earth.

God to remove his wayes from human sense,

Plac'd Heav'n from Earth so farr, that earthly sight, [ 120 ]

If it presume, might erre in things too high,

And no advantage gaine. What if the Sun

Be Centre to the World, and other Starrs

By his attractive vertue and their own

Incited, dance about him various rounds? [ 125 ]

Thir wandring course now high, now low, then hid,

Progressive, retrograde, or standing still,

In six thou seest, and what if sev'nth to these

The Planet Earth, so stedfast though she seem,

Insensibly three different Motions move? [ 130 ]

Which else to several Spheres thou must ascribe,

Mov'd contrarie with thwart obliquities,

Or save the Sun his labour, and that swift

Nocturnal and Diurnal rhomb suppos'd,

Invisible else above all Starrs, the Wheele [ 135 ]

Of Day and Night; which needs not thy beleefe,

If Earth industrious of her self fetch Day

Travelling East, and with her part averse

From the Suns beam meet Night, her other part

Still luminous by his ray. What if that light [ 140 ]

Sent from her through the wide transpicuous aire,

To the terrestrial Moon be as a Starr

Enlightning her by Day, as she by Night

This Earth? reciprocal, if Land be there,

Fields and Inhabitants: Her spots thou seest [ 145 ]

As Clouds, and Clouds may rain, and Rain produce

Fruits in her soft'nd Soile, for some to eate

Allotted there; and other Suns perhaps

With thir attendant Moons thou wilt descrie

Communicating Male and Femal Light, [ 150 ]

Which two great Sexes animate the World,

Stor'd in each Orb perhaps with some that live.

For such vast room in Nature unpossest

By living Soule, desert and desolate,

Onely to shine, yet scarce to contribute [ 155 ]

Each Orb a glimps of Light, conveyd so farr

Down to this habitable, which returnes

Light back to them, is obvious to dispute.

But whether thus these things, or whether not,

Whether the Sun predominant in Heav'n [ 160 ]

Rise on the Earth, or Earth rise on the Sun,

Hee from the East his flaming rode begin,

Or Shee from West her silent course advance

With inoffensive pace that spinning sleeps

On her soft Axle, while she paces Eev'n, [ 165 ]

And beares thee soft with the smooth Air along,

Sollicit not thy thoughts with matters hid,

Leave them to God above, him serve and feare;

Of other Creatures, as him pleases best,

Wherever plac't, let him dispose: joy thou [ 170 ]

In what he gives to thee, this Paradise

And thy faire Eve; Heav'n is for thee too high

To know what passes there; be lowlie wise:

Think onely what concernes thee and thy being;

Dream not of other Worlds, what Creatures there [ 175 ]

Live, in what state, condition or degree,

Contented that thus farr hath been reveal'd