1
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Surnmi Poctx
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MILTONI:
JOHANNIS
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Vi &ghAmifdm Paradq~tn,grrndia nrgni
Car~inaMiltoni, quid niji cwnRa l c p ~?
Re$ crmltar, @ cun~tarumpri~o'rdia
mw;
&fines continet $c libtr.
aagni penrrralia mmdi,
Scribit~r& toto q u i c f ~ i $in Orbr lattt*
$7rrrrqut, ~ T ~ ! H / ~ Hnnrig,
C
cabqucp o f ~ d v
$ Snlpburtnq~eEnbi,j?nnniiomnaquc flt~W6.
%I&~~uc
&;
col~rztt t r r a , P o r ~ ~ w &
q ~T'rrmrr
e
cncn,
e d u r q u ccdunr @mi brida regna Poli*
,. Et quod~inquc*Nil rot~clnfimt f i f i n i b a wfquan,
Etfinc fine Chaw, & ji/~efiiteDXI
:
.
4 f i e fine mqb , fi qrrid m.lgir e l f finefine,
In CbriJIo nga humtnts conrifirr~amor*
H46 qui filmrtt q ~ ciderct
b
efi frrturnm ?
Et tawrn i ~ s bodie
c ttrrn Britanna lc'tit.
O qkanroj itr 6c1/2 D I ~ C!CqJ ~ p;ofl~!it
b
armd !
On4 c ~ n i t &
, qnmra pr~lrnnira tab^=
>-,
Cntej'tc~acits ! atqnc in ccrrrrnine Cs'um !
I\
~t quk ~ ~ l c f l p
e rq n l dccerct ngro~!
,
;Ouanrrwin llbrriid tollitfi Lucifer ilrlnb .'
13' \
.
Atq,le ip/o gradit~ruis Michaele m i m !
j ;!&rtrrir, 6-qwamfnncjtr conc~rrirnrirh
D ~ t fn e w hie j.islla p~orcgit, ilk rapit !
Dxm ~ U P
Jloaej
J CPU Y i l I~C C ~ P ~ O CtorlWfEt,
I
Et no): nortdi drfitper igue p l ~ ~ f:f r
8
3,
A
2
2
Stut
ON
sfatdrrbirumi fi partb ceaod~~
obqd
fit&
jr hrrj
in calrr Mefid ir$ignia f i ~ k m r ~
E~ clryrirl anirner , armaqwe d f i l l f i Deoj
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ t~d ) dr i d~e c td: r&Ipva
,a q , rotam''
f ~
Erii;flprntrorvirfit4 a.4 ~ ~ m j t l i b ~ ~
Er
ujr)~J?l&
~oj'fifpfl~fi
E~li,!fi,ij,ad yibrant, bL VeYA fonitrt14 ranCe
~ d , i ~ ; ,pAmmhi ) i / o n ~ e polo
~e :
~ ~ . i n r~t o r il t ! ri j
o.ninb, C? impl'tw omnij
L~c , q ~ i iAfxlllr'
r
i7rtta f i l d cddmr*
~d pei,fij firilmr, ci C N ~foret OrcNd
~ , ~ Ctrtaqt
f ~ ~condere
~ ~ fi
;t e n h i *
cedlre~ ~ n ~Scrrptort~,
a n i ctdite Graii
,ct rluor j.irm.l
Paradiie Loit.
Hen I beheld the Poet blind, yet bold,
In flender Book his valt Delign unfold,
Me@&Crown'd,Gods Reconcil'd Decree,
Rebelling Angels, t be Forbidden Tree,
Heav'n, Hell, Earth, Chaos, All ; the Argument
Held me a while mifdoubting llioInrent,
hat he would ruinc ( for I raw him firong )
The fatred Truths to Fable and old Song
( So Sampfin groap'd the Temples Pofij in f igbt)
The World o'rewhelming to revenge hir ight,
Yet as I read, foon growing Iefs revere,
I Iik'd his ProjtCt, the fuccefs did fear;
Through that wide Field how he his
fioddfind
O're wllich Inme Faith leads Llnderf andlng blind
1.4 he ptrplex'd the things he would expJaifi,,
And what was ealie he lhould render vain,
O r if a Work To infinite be fpnn'd,
Jealous I was tl~arrome irk skilful hand
(Such as diiquier always what is well,
Alid by ill lmicating would excell )
M i ~ ! l~
t I Cplae1ulne
~CC
tile iv!lole Crcarionsday
. To change in Sce~es,and i11ow it in 3 I'Jay*
Pdrdoll rile, Migl~tyPoet, nor defpife
, My c~uftlefs, yet not impious, furmifc,
. . n u t I am now tenvinc'd. and none will dare
' Wirllin rlly Labours to pretend a 1lIPre,
'I'll011 hafi not mfi'd one [ boughr [flat could befit,
And all [flat WPS irnpropci dolt omir ;
W
u a e ~ l rwe1 ctbby~vitdflla*
tircq ~ ~ ~ c , iegct
~ n ~ tnrlrm
ne
cfcinefe P~~~~~~~
hlPonidrm mnicf, I'irgiliunl rrllcrja
So
B o
P d
Ma Du
*
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So
y y
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BULto dele& their Ignorance or Theit.
That M3'efiy which through thy W o r k dotb Rtig11
Draws me bevout ,deterring the profane.
~ n things
d divine thou trcnR of in ruth ftnte
As them preferves, and thee, inviolate.
At once delight and horrour on us feirc,
~ h o GngR
u with fo much gravity and eafc ;
Add above humane flight dolt foqr aloft
With Plume lo Rrong; b equ~l,'andfo fort,
The Bird nam'd from that paradire you fing
SO nrcrr flaggs, but always keeps on Wing.
Wjlae couldlt rhou words ot fuch a cumplb find
:Vhe,lre furnih furh a vzR expence of mind ?
3 uR Hemln rhec like Tirepaliar to requite
ReIvards with prophetic thy 10fs of light.
well mightfi thou fcorn thy Readers to allure
With tinkling Rhinie, of thy own fcnfe fecure ;
While the T b w n - B a ~ fwrites
i
ail the while and fpells,
' ~ like
~ a pa&-hor
d
fe L ~ Cwithout
S
his Bells :
'Their Fancies li kc our Bullly-points appeu,
'The poets rag them, we for hfllion wear.
i too trrnrportcd by the Mode offelid,
~ ~ l dI meant to Praile thee muR Commend2 - h Vcrfe
~ crested 11kethy Theme rublime,
?nNumbel-, Weight, and Mafurc, needs not Rhimc
.
.,
THE
,
..
H E il~ea/~re
ir Englilh Heroic
~ e f mithowt
e
& h e , ns that of
Homer in Greek, and ,f
Virgil in Latin; Rime being
710 7zecefa1y ~ d j ~ ~ ,or
n @f r ~ e
Ornamc~tof Poem or good ~ ' e f e , i f 2 longer
work e/pecjah'y, b i t the inaeentiotz of a barIwous Age, to
off mretched matter rind
l a s e Merter ; g r d t izded J ~ c e by the
H/f of /onre famous modern Poet$, carrid am4y 11
6st mrvcb to thir own
vex~tion,hindrance and conJruint to exyt$ many tbingf othermiJp, and for the m e 8
p r t wofe thethen cl/e they rno~ldhave exppreR
thefit. Not withod c a u j thercforcfimt both
Italian and Spanilh poet^ of prime note have
rqeaedfiime 60thi~longer and jurter ~ d r k ~
M h a w a@ lo?%jhce o w be$ Englilh Gaged'",
thing if itjif; to alljnd~ciousedr~,
trived and of no irtie m$cal delight ; sl,jch
. "@s
one4 in d p t ~unzberr,ft pantity of
~ ~ h b l md
e ~ tl.rJnfi
,
varioztJg dmm* oxt
f i n one vefe into another, not in the jinSiind
fi~
om,
,
..
/o"d af bite enditlp, f&h
4
.
a u ~ d e dby
,
good Oratoy. Thir ncgle8 then of' Rii;~e]o
little is to be fnkcnjor n rle/eB, tbartcgll?tnzuy
l o pnhnps t u vtjjgar Readers, t l ~ a tit r d $her is to be pJleeczSrlas exomple Jut, the $r/t
i , Engli(h, of nncient li6:rty rcccver'd t u Hiroic POMfrom tbe trorrllejbm and a9dcr.m
bondige. of Riaei~zg.
BOOK I.
:
T H E ARGUMENT.
t;
e
$l~ir firh Book propofts, h r in~ brief, the whole
~ubjefi,Manr dr/bedicnce, and rhr lob t h r e v on
of Parad* wherein he war plac8t : Then touc es
the jrime cmfi of bti fill, tbe Serpnt, or wbr*
d Satan in the Serpent 5 whp revo!tin,o fron~God, wd
drawing to h2Jde mdny Legion, of An el,, WN by
.
I
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R
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,Y
.
b
tbe command of God driven OM of
raven with
h i Crew into tbc pent Deep. Which aAion
pall over, the Poem h a b into the midR of things,
' '
prekntin Satan with bb ~ q e l now
r fallen into
,! Hell, dr cribd here, nor i n j h e Colter ( for Heaven and Earth may be fuppor'd as yet riot made,
; certainly not yet accurfl ) brr in a place of ntter
;, hrbP/I,fitlief! ~1111'd
Chaos : Here S3t an with his
Ajgels lying on the bwning La ie, thunder-r-jtruck
and ajononijlt , nfter a certain j ~ c ertcouers, ad
from no,;ftI/;on, c ~ N r4 hint i ~ l i j o next i i Order
aid Ukniry Lzy by llim ; rhey confer thir mi'i all
.
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F
~ a r a d i k*: Jnnble Jd!?
i
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S~tilna~dyais1 h i ~ c g i a n j ,irho
B.
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3
a~@;
That with no middle .blight. istifidsto
@wttbiEe %OR+
n b Q % . ~p80abife
&at
'
rill rhej~it^ the [ame minner confoanhd; They -. Above th' Apm~hrMouat,*ile i t purfucs
.ribJ t/jir Numbers, arm9 of B ~ t d tbir
the Idoij bo*n af-6 T h i n g iinattemp'aed yet in Parore br Rbime;
Lcddtmnam'd , "cording
tcrwardJ , i i j canaan and tbe C O H R T ~ddh'ninge
~S
And chieflylhou 0 Spirit,%bardoll prefer
thefi Satan direAs hi4 Speech, co?fort~them*ith lnitruii
B e f ~ r ealltaw,Temples
th' uptigk h h r t sndtpac,
for Thou
know'it ; 'fhou f r o m tlx firR
hopeyet of regaittiflg Heat" but tell$ them
nnd ncw &nd of Creature t o be Wafl prelent, tihd with mighty wings ourfphaa
of nelv
or report Dove-like fatR brooding on $he vaR ~ b y f s
crenred,nccordirrg to art ancient
And mad'fialit pregnant : What in me is dark
is Henven; for that Angels Were 10% before
the opinion of many Il'umin, what i s low raife afidaf~pport;
"i[ible CrearionJ
htberi. T~find oHtthe truth of t h i That the'ln@"tb of rhk ~ e k t - ~ r g u r n e n t
to detevmin there012 be refen I mly affcrt Eternal Pr6vi&k.nce,
prqdhrjir, nnA
And jultitie ille wayes of God t o men,
t o t d fill! ~
~ ~ What
~ bir
d Agociates
~ ~ / thence
,
atorHen'll
llides nolllifig iron, thy
fi
t;wj,t,
Dan~rmonium,hC pdircc of Satan r$v, Nors~tlle'derp
Tratt cf Hell, fay firli wl?3t taufes
PddUZdcnl)' builr out of the Dcq:
i'lfernn' Pee'J : Mov'd our Grand
in thar I~~~~~
rhi-r fir in ~onl:celFavour'd of Heav'n b ,highly, to fall
will
F Mans FirR ifo obedience , and From tbir ~ f r & o r and
, mnfgt&
For
one
refirdint,
Lords
of
the
World
befiks ?
the Fruit
firR
frdbc2-I
them
to
that
foul
revolt
?
WIlo
ofthat Forbidden Tree,
, T l i infernal Serpent ; he it was,
guile . .
mortal tafi
~ ~ ~ u Death
g h t into the \v0r1d1: Stird up with Env)? and Re\~tige,deceived
The Mother of Mankind, whst time his Pride
and all our woe,
till
cafl
out from He3vVn,wi~ll311[)is HOlf
With I d s of Eden 3
Of
Rebel
Angels,
by whore aid afpirirlg
greater Man
.
TOfer himfelf in Glory above his Peers,
.:
~ m ~ , 3.fid
. ~rcg$n tbc blifsful Seat,
(rutled to 11rve equ~l'dthe molt Hig!,,
fecret top
Sing Heav'o\y blurt, t l l l t on
.If Ile oppm'd ; add with ambitious aim
of orrb,or of Sit~ii,didR infpire
t Throne and Monarchy of c o d
Seed, A g ~ i n f the
Tllrr ~ l ~ ~ ~ firR
l ~taugllt
~ ~thed chosen
,
lia's'd
impious
War in Heav'n and Barte] proud
ln rtle ~ ~ ~how irile Herv'ns
~ ~ andi East11
~ g
IVih vain attempt. Him the Almigtlty Powrr
~
~ outj of- ch.:~~
~ : Or if Sion Hill
Hulld
headl~ngH3ming from tlf E;hcreal Skis
~ ) ~ l i ~more,
\ ~ and sr1o.z'~Erook that flow'd
With hideous mine and combuftion dowtl
y , ~by the or3cle of God ; I tllence
To bottornlds
tilere LO dwtU
.
l!,vukc thy aid to my advc~lrrousSong,
That'
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MIT OpenCourseWare
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21L.705 Major Authors: John Milton
Spring 2008
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