Leifure or Opportunity to be Mafters of all, the Sciences? befides which it is neceffary they should understand the Hebrew, Chaldee, Arabic, Syriac, Phoenician, and Egyptian, and all the dead Languages, with the living and modern ones, in all their different Dialects: So that it has been a frequent Complaint of the Readers of MILTON, that he has not calculated his Poem for common Eyes, who paffing by the most inflructive Paffages, or elfe uncertainly gueffing at their Meaning and Reading altogether doubtfully, lofe the Pleafure and Benefit which might arife from the thorough Understanding of the improving Lecture, and the moral and philofophical Inftructions which are to be found in this inimitable Book; of which may be affirmed, what cannot be faid of any other Book in the World befide, that is, it never has been read and rightly understood by any, who have not given it the highest Encomiums. Therefore, that all. English Readers may have the like Pleafure, the following Work was taken in Hand; and to help Foreigners, whofe fmall Acquaintance with our Language, might otherwife prevent their Intelli gence of the finest Poem that ever was wrote.

THE

THE

FIRST BOOK

O F

PARADISE LOST.

The ARGUMENT.

PROPOSES the whole Subject, Man's Difobedience, and the Lofs thereupon of Paradife wherein he was placed. Then touches the prime Caufe of his Fall, which was 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 paffed over, the Author haftes into the midst of Things, prefenting Satan with his Angels now fallen into Hell, defcribed, not in the Centre (for Heaven and Earth may be fuppofed as not yet made, certainly not yet accurfed) but in a Place of utter Darkness, moft fitly called Chaos: Here Satan with his Angels lying on the burning Lake, thunder-flruck and aftonished, after a certain Space recovers, as from Confufion, calls up

him who next in Order and Dignity lay by him; they confer of their miferable Fall. Satan awakens all his Legions, who lay till then confounded; they rife, their Numbers, Array of Battle, their chief Leaders named, according to the Idols afterwards known in Canaan, and the Countries adjoining. Satan, though fenfible of the Diminution of bis Glory directs his Speech to the Fallen Angels, comforts them with Hope yet of regaining Heaven, but tells them of a new World, and new Kind of Creature to be created; according to an antient Prophecy or Report in Heaven, and threatens the Deity, which the rebellious Angels all affent to. The Affociates of Satan build Pandemonium, and the Infernal Peers fit there in Council.

CHA P. I.

The whole Subject is propofed, Man's Difobedience, and the Lofs thereupon of Paradife wherein he was placed. The prime Caufe of his Fall. Satan with his Angels now fallen into Hell deferibed, lying on the burning Lake. After a certain Space Satan calls to him who next lay by him. They confer of their miferable Fall.

H

EAVENLY Spirit of Truth and Harmony, affift me to write of Man's firft Difobedience, and of the Fruit of that forbidden Tree, the Tafting of which brought Death and all our Woe into the World, and occafioned the Lofs of Paradife, till JESUS CHRIST, a Man far greater than ADAM, reftore and redeem, and once more regain a Paradife for us,

THOU2

THOU, who from the thick Clouds on the fecret Top of Mount OREB (a), or, perhaps of SINAI (b) didit infpire MOSES when a Shepherd there, who firft taught the Children of ISRAEL, how Heaven and Earth were created from the Elements, which were till then nothing but a mixed and confused Heap, and without Form. Or if thy Prefence be more revealed on Mount SION (c), or by the Brook of SILOA (d), which

which runs down from thence to the Temple where thy Oracle is placed, I intreat the Influence of thy Spirit from thence, to aid me in treating of this difficult Subject, feeing I must elevate my Stile, above the best Poets, and discourse of such high, and facred Things, as have never been attempted before, either in Profe or Rhime. Inftruct me for thou knoweft, thou, who preferreft an upright and pure Heart before all Temples: Thou waft prefent from all Eternity, and moving on the great Deep didft infufe vital Heat, and as the Dove when the warms Eggs into Life make Nature prolific. What is dark in me do thou enlighten, and raise, and support me, where I am too low and weak, that I may affert the Wisdom and Juftice of Eternal Providence, in a manner worthy the Subject I have undertook to write on, and to justify thy Ways to Men.

of his Officers, efpecially his Houfe of Cedar Wood, which he I called the Cafile of Sion, and the Sepulchre of King David, Solomon, &c. within a Rock: Some of their Ruins are to be feen ftill. It is elegantly defcribed, P. xlviii. by Jofephus, Sands, &c. Sion was alfo called the Mount of the Houfe of the Sanctuary, and Millo, i. e. Plenty because there was Abundance of all good Things tor David's Family, and thofe of his Nobles. Sion was also a Type or Figure of the Church of Chrift, Heb. xii. 22. * * OBS. Mount Moriah and Mount Sion ftood directly in the Center, and Mount Calvary without the North Gate, in the Old Jerufalem, and at a confiderable Distance: But now Mount Sion

is without the Walls upon the South Side, and Mount Calvary, almoft in the Middle of it.

(d) Siloe, Siloah, Siloam, Shiloach, Heb. i. e. Sent ; for it was a Brook or Spring of Water gliding foftly down Mount Sion, on the East Side of the Temple of Jerufalem, and at the Bottom of it made a Pool, which was Sent from God, at the Prayer of Ifaias, a little before his Death, and when the City was closely befieged; as a Bleffing or Gift, to cure many Diseases among his People. Herein a Blind Man washed his Eyes at Chrift's Command, and received his EyeSight, John ix. 7. There a Tow`er was built over it, by the Fall of which eighteen Men were killed, Luke xiii. 4.

TAUGHT