The Annotated Read Online

A firm decree

I will declare. The Lord to me hath said

Thou art my Son, I have begotten thee

This day. Ask of me, and the grant is made.

As thy possession I on thee bestow

Th’ heathen, and as thy conquest (to be swayed 1279 )

Earth’s utmost bounds. Them shalt thou bring full low,

With iron scepters bruised,1280 and them disperse

Like to a potter’s vessel, shivered so.

And now be wise at length,1281 ye kings averse,1282

Be taught, ye judges of the earth—with fear

Jehovah serve, and let your joy converse1283

With trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he appear

In anger and ye perish in the way,1284

If once his wrath take fire, like fuel sere.1285

Happy all those who have him in their stay.1286

3

When he1287 fled from Absalom.1288

Lord, how many are my foes,

How many those

That in arms against me rise.

Many are they

That of my life distrustfully thus say:

No help for him in God there lies.

But thou, Lord, art my shield, my glory,

Thee through my story1289

Th’ exalter of my head I count.

Aloud I cried

Unto Jehovah. He full soon1290 replied

And heard me from His holy mount.

I lay and slept, I waked again,

For my sustain

Was the Lord. Of many millions

The populous rout 1291

I fear not, though encamping round about

They pitch1292 against me their pavilions.1293

Rise, Lord. Save me, my God, for Thou

Hast smote 1294 ere now

On the cheek-bone all my foes,

Of men abhorred

Hast broke the teeth. This help was from the Lord,

Thy blessing on Thy people flows.

4

Answer me when I call,

God of my righteousness.1295

In straits1296 and in distress

Thou didst me disenthrall 1297

And set at large.1298 Now spare,

Now pity me, and hear my earnest prayer.

Great ones, how long will ye

My glory have in scorn?

How long be this forborn1299

Still to love vanity,

To love, to seek, to prize

Things false and nothing else but lies?

Yet know the Lord hath chose,

Chose to Himself apart

The good and meek of heart

(For whom to choose He knows).

Jehovah from on high

Will hear my voice, what time1300 to Him I cry.

Be awed,1301 and do not sin.

Speak to your hearts alone,

Upon your beds, each one,

And be at peace within.

Offer the offerings just1302

Of righteousness, and in Jehovah trust.

Many there be that say

“Who yet will show us good?”

Talking like this world’s brood! 1303

But Lord, thus let me pray:

On us lift up the light,

Lift up the favor of Thy count’nance bright.

Into my heart more joy

And gladness Thou has put

Than when a year of glut1304

Their stores1305 doth over-cloy1306

And from their plenteous grounds1307

With vast increase their corn1308 and wine abounds.

In peace at once will I

Both lay me down and sleep,

For Thou alone dost keep

Me safe, where ere I lie.

As in a rocky cell

Thou, Lord, alone in safety mak’st me dwell.

5

Jehovah, to my words give ear,

My meditation1309 weigh,1310

The voice of my complaining hear,

My King and God, for unto Thee I pray.

Jehovah, Thou my early voice

Shalt in the morning hear.

I’ th’ morning I to Thee, with choice,1311

Will rank 1312 my prayers and watch till Thou appear.

For Thou art not a God that takes

In wickedness delight.

Evil with Thee no biding 1313 makes.

Fools or madmen stand 1314 not within Thy sight.

All workers of iniquity 1315

Thou hat’st, and them unblessed

Thou wilt destroy that speak a lie.

The bloodi’ and guileful 1316 man God doth detest.

But I will in Thy mercies dear,

Thy numerous mercies go

Into Thy house, I in Thy fear 1317

Will towards Thy holy temple worship low.1318

Lord, lead me in Thy righteousness,

Lead me because of those

That do observe 1319 if I transgress.1320

Set Thy right ways before 1321 where my step goes.

For in his 1322 falt’ring mouth unstable 1323

No word is firm or sooth:1324

Their inside troubles miserable,

An open grave their throat; their tongue they smooth.

God, find them guilty, let them fall

By their own counsels quelled,1325

Push them in their rebellions all

Still on, for against Thee they have rebelled.

Then all who trust in Thee shall bring

Their joy, while Thou from blame

Defend’st them. They shall ever sing

And shall triumph in Thee, who love Thy name.

For Thou, Jehovah, wilt be found

To bless the just man still,1326

As with a shield. Thou will surround

Him with Thy lasting favor and good will.

6

Lord, in Thine anger do not reprehend 1327 me,

Nor in Thy hot displeasure me correct.

Pity me, Lord, for I am much deject,

Am very weak and faint. Heal and amend me,

For all my bones that even with anguish ache

Are troubled, yea, my soul is troubled sore.

And Thou, O Lord, how long? Turn, Lord, restore 1328

My soul, O save me for Thy goodness sake,

For in death is no remembrance of Thee.

Who in the grave can celebrate Thy praise?

Wearied I am with sighing out my days,

Nightly my couch1329 I make a kind of sea,

My bed I water with my tears, mine eye

Through grief consumes,1330 is waxen 1331 old and dark

I’ th’ midst of all mine enemies, that mark.1332

Depart all ye that work iniquity! 1333

Depart from me, for the voice of my weeping

The Lord hath heard, the Lord hath heard my prayer,

My supplication 1334 with acceptance fair

The Lord will own,1335 and have me in His keeping.

Mine enemies shall be all blank 1336 and dashed 1337

With much confusion, then grown red with shame

They shall return in haste the way they came,

And in a moment shall be quite abashed.1338

7

Upon the words of Chush, the Benjamite,1339 against him.1340

Lord, my God, to Thee I fly,

Save me and secure me under

Thy protection, while I cry,

Lest as a lion (and no wonder)

He haste to tear my soul asunder—

Tearing, and no rescue nigh.

Lord, my God, if I have thought

Or done this, if wickedness

Be in my hands, if I have wrought 1341

Ill to him that meant me peace,

Or to him have rendered 1342 less

And not freed my foe for naught,1343

Let th’ enemy pursue my soul

And overtake it, let me tread 1344

My life down to the earth and roll

In the dust my glory dead—

In the dust, and there outspread

Lodge 1345 it with dishonor foul.

Rise, Jehovah, in Thine ire,1346

Rouse Thyself amidst the rage

Of my foes, that urge 1347 like fire,

And wake 1348 for me, their furi’1349 assuage.1350

Judgment here1351 thou didst engage1352

And command, which I desire.

So th’ assemblies of each nation

Will surround Thee, seeking right.

Thence to Thy glorious habitation

Return on high, and in their sight.

Jehovah judgeth most upright

All people, from this world’s foundation.1353

Judge me, Lord, be judge in this

According to my righteousness

And the innocence which is

Upon me. Cause at length to cease

Of evil men the wickedness,

And their power, that do amiss.1354

But the just establish1355 fast,1356

Since Thou art the just God that tries1357

Hearts and reins.1358 On God is cast

My defence, and in Him lies,

In Him who both just and wise

Saves th’ upright of heart at last.1359

God is a just judge, and severe,1360

And God is every day offended.

If th’ unjust will not forbear 1361

His sword He whets,1362 His bow hath bended

Already, and for him intended

The tools of death, that waits1363 Him near.

(His arrows purposely made He

For them that persecute.)1364 Behold,

He1365 travels big 1366 with vanity,

Trouble he hath conceived of old

As in a womb, and from that mould

Hath at length brought forth a lie.

He digged a pit, and delved 1367 it deep,

And fell into the pit he made.

His mischief that due1368 course1369 doth keep,

Turns on his head, and his ill trade 1370

Of violence will undelayed

Fall on his crown1371 with ruin steep.1372

Then will I Jehovah’s praise

According to His justice raise,1373

And sing the name and deity

Of Jehovah, the most high.

8

O Jehovah, our Lord, how wondrous great

And glorious is Thy name through all the earth!

So as above the Heav’ns Thy praise to set

Out of the tender mouths of latest birth.

Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings Thou

Hast founded 1374 strength, because of all Thy foes,

To stint 1375 th’ enemy and slack 1376 th’ avenger’s brow

That bends his rage Thy providence t’ oppose.

When I behold Thy Heav’ns, Thy fingers’ art,

The moon and stars which Thou so bright hast set

In the pure firmament, then saith my heart:

O what is man, that Thou remembrest yet

And think’st upon him, or of man begot 1377

That him Thou visit’st and of 1378 him art found.

Scarce to be less than gods Thou mad’st his lot,

With honor and with state1379 Thou hast him crowned.

O’er the works of Thy hand Thou mad’st him lord.

Thou hast put all under his lordly feet

All flocks, and herds, by Thy commanding word,

All beasts that in the field or forest meet,1380

Fowl of the Heav’ns, and fish that through the wet

Sea-paths in shoals do slide. And know no dearth.1381

O Jehovah, our Lord, how wondrous great

And glorious is Thy name through all the earth.

PARADISE LOST

1642?–1655?

THE VERSE

The measure1382 is English heroic verse1383 without rhyme, as that of Homer in Greek and of Virgil in Latin, rhyme being no necessary adjunct or true ornament of poem or good verse (in longer works especially) but the invention of a barbarous Age, to set off wretched matter1384 and lame meter—graced indeed, since, by the use of some famous modern poets, carried away by custom, but much to their own vexation, hindrance, and constraint to express many things otherwise1385 and for the most part worse than they would have expressed them. Not without cause, therefore, some both Italian and Spanish poets of prime note have rejected rhyme both in longer and shorter works, as have also long since our best English tragedies, as a thing of itself to all judicious ears trivial and of no musical delight, which [delight] consists only in apt numbers,1386 fit 1387 quantity of syllables, and the sense variously drawn out from one verse into another, not in the jingling sound of like endings, a fault avoided by the ancients both in poetry and all good oratory. This neglect, then, of rhyme so little is to be taken for a defect—though it may seem so, perhaps, to vulgar1388 readers—that it rather is to be esteemed1389 an example set, the first in English, of ancient liberty recovered to heroic poem from the troublesome and modern bondage of rhyming.

BOOK I

THE ARGUMENT

This first Book proposes first in brief the whole subject, man’s 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 hastes 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 supposed as yet not made, certainly not yet accursed) but in a place of utter darkness, fitliest1390 called Chaos. Here Satan with his Angels lying on the burning lake, thunder-struck and astonished, after a certain space1391 recovers, as from confusion, calls up him who next in order and dignity lay by him.

They confer of1392 their miserable fall. Satan awakens all his legions, who lay till then in the same manner confounded. They rise, their numbers, array of battle, their chief leaders named, according to the idols known afterwards in Canaan1393 and the countries adjoining. 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 prophecy 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 prophecy, 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.