Paradise Lost In Plain and Simple English (Digital Download)
Buy Paradise Lost In Plain and Simple English Now! Do you need to understand Paradise Lost and want something more interactive? Try our free app, SwipeSpeare! Excerpt From Paradise Lost In Plain and Simple English THE ARGUMENTThis first Book proposes, first in brief, the whole Subject, Mans disobedience, and the loss thereupon of Paradise wherein he was plac't: 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 hasts into the midst of things, presenting Satan with his Angels now fallen into Hell, describ'd 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 astonisht, after a certain space recovers, as from confusion, calls up him who next in Order and Dignity lay by him; they confer of thir miserable fall. Satan awakens all his Legions, who lay till then in the same manner confounded; They rise, thir Numbers, array of Battel, thir 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 determin thereon he refers to a full Councel. What his Associates thence attempt. Pandemonium the Palace of Satan rises, suddenly built out of the Deep: The infernal Peers there sit in Councel.This first book introduces, briefly at first, the whole subject of Man’s disobedience, and the loss of Paradise in which he had been placed.Then it touches on the main cause of his fall, the serpent, or rather Satan disguised as a serpent.He rebelled against God, and with the many regiments of Angels he had drawn to his side he was banished from Heaven by God into the great Deep.Passing over this action, the Poem goes straight to the center of things, showing Satan and his Angels fallen into Hell, which is described here, not in the Center of Earth (for it should be imagined that Heaven and Earth have not yet been made, and certainly not cursed) but in a place of utter darkness which has the appropriate name of Chaos.Here Satan and his Angels lie on the burning lake, astonished and stunned.After a while Satan recovers and calls up his leaders and they discuss their miserable fall.Satan wakes his armies, who had been in the same state.They rise up, and their numbers, battle order and the names of their chief leaders (those by which they were known in Canaan and neighboring lands) are listed.Satan speaks to them and comforts them with the hope of recapturing Heaven, but also tells them of a new world and a new kind of Creature which will be created according to an ancient prophesy and rumors in Heaven (because the opinion of many wise men is that Angels existed long before the creation of Earth).To find out the truth of this prophesy, and to decide what to do about it, he calls a full council, which all his confederates attend.Pandemonium, the palace of Satan, is suddenly built out of the pit, and the Lords of Hell meet there in debate. Of Mans First Disobedience, and the FruitOf that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal tastBrought Death into the World, and all our woe,With loss of EDEN, till one greater ManRestore us, and regain the blissful Seat,Sing Heav'nly Muse, that on the secret topOf OREB, or of SINAI, didst inspireThat Shepherd, who first taught the chosen Seed,In the Beginning how the Heav'ns and EarthRose out of CHAOS: Or if SION HillDelight thee more, and SILOA'S Brook that flow'dFast by the Oracle of God; I thenceInvoke thy aid to my adventrous Song,That with no middle flight intends to soarAbove th' AONIAN Mount, while it pursuesThings unattempted yet in Prose or Rhime.Of the first disobedience of Man, and the fruitOf the forbidden tree, the taste of whichBrought Death and sorrow into the worldAnd barred us from Paradise, until a greater ManLed us back to the Heavenly lands,Sing, sacred Inspiration, you who on the secret mountainOf Oreb, or in the Sinai Desert, inspiredThe Shepherd who first taught the chosen peopleHow in the beginning Heaven and EarthWas created from disorder.Or if Sion Hill,Is your chosen spot, or Siloa’s stream which flowedSwiftly past God’s messenger; from thereI call you to help me as I sing my ambitious song,Which I don’t intend to take the easy wayAbove the mountain of inspiration, while it triesThings never yet seen in either prose or poetry. And chiefly Thou O Spirit, that dost preferBefore all Temples th' upright heart and pure,Instruct me, for Thou know'st; Thou from the firstWast present, and with mighty wings outspreadDove-like satst brooding on the vast AbyssAnd mad'st it pregnant: What in me is darkIllumine, what is low raise and support;That to the highth of this great ArgumentI may assert th' Eternal Providence,And justifie the wayes of God to men. And chiefly, Spirit, which valuesMore than temples the pure and honest heart,Guide me, for you have the wisdom;from the startYou were there, and with your great wings spread outSat like a dove, perched over the great gorgeAnd bred life from it:shine a lightInto the darkness inside me, lift up what is low,So that I can do justice to this great subjectAnd show the actions of God,And explain the ways of God to men. Say first, for Heav'n hides nothing from thy viewNor the deep Tract of Hell, say first what causeMov'd our Grand Parents in that happy State,Favour'd of Heav'n so highly, to fall offFrom their Creator, and transgress his WillFor one restraint, Lords of the World besides?Who first seduc'd them to that fowl revolt?Th' infernal Serpent; he it was, whose guileStird up with Envy and Revenge, deceiv'dThe Mother of Mankinde, what time his PrideHad cast him out from Heav'n, with all his HostOf Rebel Angels, by whose aid aspiringTo set himself in Glory above his Peers,He trusted to have equal'd the most High,If he oppos'd; and with ambitious aimAgainst the Throne and Monarchy of GodRais'd impious War in Heav'n and Battel proudWith vain attempt. Him the Almighty PowerHurld headlong flaming from th' Ethereal SkieWith hideous ruine and combustion downTo bottomless perdition, there to dwellIn Adamantine Chains and penal Fire,Who durst defie th' Omnipotent to Arms.Firstly, because you see all that is in HeavenAnd in the deep pit of Hell, say what madeOur grandparents, living that happy existence,So much blessed by Heaven, break awayFrom their Creator, and disobey his orders,His one law, apart from which they were Lords of the World.Who led them into that awful rebellion?The hellish snake; it was he whose cunningDriven by envy and revenge, trickedThe Mother of Mankind, after his prideCaused him to be thrown out of heaven, with his armyOf rebel Angels, with whose help he had plannedTo set himself up in heaven as the highest,Thinking he could even take on the role of GodIf he fought Him; and driven by ambitionAgainst the throne and kingship of GodStarted a blasphemous war in heaven and fought proudlyBut in vain.The Almighty Power threw himDown in flames from the skies of HeavenWith terrible flame and destruction, downTo the bottomless pit of hell, to live thereBound in unbreakable chains, burned with punishing fire,For having dared challenge the Almighty to battle. Nine times the Space that measures Day and NightTo mortal men, he with his horrid crewLay vanquisht, rowling in the fiery GulfeConfounded though immortal: But his doomReserv'd him to more wrath; for now the thoughtBoth of lost happiness and lasting painTorments him; round he throws his baleful eyesThat witness'd huge affliction and dismayMixt with obdurate pride and stedfast hate:At once as far as Angels kenn he viewsThe dismal Situation waste and wilde,A Dungeon horrible, on all sides roundAs one great Furnace flam'd, yet from those flamesNo light, but rather darkness visibleServ'd only to discover sights of woe,Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peaceAnd rest can never dwell, hope never comesThat comes to all; but torture without endStill urges, and a fiery Deluge, fedWith ever-burning Sulphur unconsum'd:Such place Eternal Justice had prepar'dFor those rebellious, here their Prison ordain'dIn utter darkness, and their portion setAs far remov'd from God and light of Heav'nAs from the Center thrice to th' utmost Pole.For nine days, as they are measuredBy men, he and his terrible gangLay beaten, thrashing in the fiery sea,Defeated though still immortal: But his fateRaised further anger in him; for now the thoughtOf the happiness he had lost and the pain he now facesTortures him: he cast around his hate filled eyesWhich showed great pain and terrorMixed with unyielding pride and unmoving hate:As far as Angels can see he seesThe terrible place, bleak and wild,A horrible dungeon, whose walls all aroundBurned like one great oven, but from those flamesThere is no light, but a visible darknessWhich only showed things of sadness,Lands of sorrow, miserable shadows, where peaceAnd rest are unknown, where the hope that comes to allNever comes; endless tortureDrives on forever, and there is a fiery storm, fedBy sulphur which burns forever and never runs out:This was the place God’s justice had madeFor these rebels, here he had ordered their prison builtIn total darkness, and their allotted placeWas to be as far away from God and Heaven’s lightAs three times distance from the equator to the Poles. O how unlike the place from whence they fell!There the companions of his fall, o'rewhelm'dWith Floods and Whirlwinds of tempestuous fire,He soon discerns, and weltring by his sideOne next himself in power, and next in crime,Long after known in PALESTINE, and nam'dBEELZEBUB. To whom th' Arch-Enemy,And thence in Heav'n call'd Satan, with bold wordsBreaking the horrid silence thus began.If thou beest he; But O how fall'n! how chang'dFrom him, who in the happy Realms of LightCloth'd with transcendent brightnes didst outshineMyriads though bright: If he whom mutual league,United thoughts and counsels, equal hope,And hazard in the Glorious Enterprize,Joynd with me once, now misery hath joyndIn equal ruin: into what Pit thou seestFrom what highth fal'n, so much the stronger provdHe with his Thunder: and till then who knewThe force of those dire Arms? yet not for thoseNor what the Potent Victor in his rageCan else inflict do I repent or change,Though chang'd in outward lustre; that fixt mindAnd high disdain, from sence of injur'd merit,That with the mightiest rais'd me to contend,And to the fierce contention brought alongInnumerable force of Spirits arm'dThat durst dislike his reign, and me preferring,His utmost power with adverse power oppos'dIn dubious Battel on the Plains of Heav'n,And shook his throne. What though the field be lost?All is not lost; the unconquerable Will,And study of revenge, immortal hate,And courage never to submit or yield:And what is else not to be overcome?That Glory never shall his wrath or mightExtort from me. To bow and sue for graceWith suppliant knee, and deifie his powerWho from the terrour of this Arm so lateDoubted his Empire, that were low indeed,That were an ignominy and shame beneathThis downfall; since by Fate the strength of GodsAnd this Empyreal substance cannot fail,Since through experience of this great eventIn Arms not worse, in foresight much advanc't,We may with more successful hope resolveTo wage by force or guile eternal WarrIrreconcileable, to our grand Foe,Who now triumphs, and in th' excess of joySole reigning holds the Tyranny of Heav'n. Oh, how different it was to their former home!There those who fell with him, beaten downWith floods and whirlwinds of stormy flames,He soon makes out, and in turmoil by his sideIs one almost equal in power, as bad in crime,Who in later times appeared in Palestine, and his nameWas Beelzebub.The Arch Enemy,Who was now called Satan in Heaven, with bold wordsBreaking through the ghastly silence, spoke to him:“Is that you?How you have fallen, how changed you areFrom the one who in the happy Lands of Light,Dressed in heavenly brightness outshoneSo many others, though bright themselves.If it’s youWho joined with me in thought, plans, hopeAnd risk in our great adventure,Then now we’re joined again in suffering,In our destruction:you see the pit,How low we have fallen, which shows how much strongerGod’s thunder was: but before we fought Him who knewJust how strong He was?But for all his strengthAnd anything else the winner might do in his anger,I have no regret, I won’t change my mind,Even though my appearance has changed: I am stayingTrue to my hatred, caused by my sense of injustice,Which led me to take on the Mighty in battle,And to bring along to the fightA numberless force of SpiritsWho also hated His rule, and preferred me.We took on the ultimate power with the power of our own,In a hard fought battle on the fields of HeavenAnd shook his throne.So what if we lost the battle?All is not lost:we shall keep our unquenchable ambition,And look out for revenge, hating forever,And be brave enough never to give in,And so what has He truly won?All His strength and anger will neverTake that away from me.To bow and beg for pardonOn bended knee, and worship the powerThat so recently feared for his rule in the faceOf my own power, that would be too low,That would be a disgrace and shame far worseThan this fall: the Eternal Laws state that our strengthAnd this stuff we’re made of cannot be destroyed,So our experience in this great battle hasn’tTaken our strength and has increased our cunning,So we can hope for greater success as we set outTo fight an everlasting war with strength or cunning,Never giving in to our great enemy,Who has won, for now, and with great happinessHas sole possession of the title of Tyrant of Heaven.” So spake th' Apostate Angel, though in pain,Vaunting aloud, but rackt with deep despare:And him thus answer'd soon his bold Compeer.O Prince, O Chief of many Throned Powers,That led th' imbattelld Seraphim to WarrUnder thy conduct, and in dreadful deedsFearless, endanger'd Heav'ns perpetual King;And put to proof his high Supremacy,Whether upheld by strength, or Chance, or Fate,Too well I see and rue the dire event,That with sad overthrow and foul defeatHath lost us Heav'n, and all this mighty HostIn horrible destruction laid thus low,As far as Gods and Heav'nly EssencesCan Perish: for the mind and spirit remainsInvincible, and vigour soon returns,Though all our Glory extinct, and happy stateHere swallow'd up in endless misery.But what if he our Conquerour, (whom I nowOf force believe Almighty, since no lessThen such could hav orepow'rd such force as ours)Have left us this our spirit and strength intireStrongly to suffer and support our pains,That we may so suffice his vengeful ire,Or do him mightier service as his thrallsBy right of Warr, what e're his business beHere in the heart of Hell to work in Fire,Or do his Errands in the gloomy Deep;What can it then avail though yet we feelStrength undiminisht, or eternal beingTo undergo eternal punishment?So the rebel Angel spoke, although he was in pain,Boasting out loud, but inside torn with despair,And soon his arrogant comrade replied:“Oh Prince, the ruler over many thrones,Who led the Angels in armor to warUnder your orders, and with terrible deeds, withoutFear, challenged the power of Heaven’s eternal King,And tested his mighty rule.Whether he won through strength, or luck, or fate,I can see and regret the terrible result all too well.Our terrible loss and casting downHas barred us from Heaven, and all this great armyHas been thrown down in ruin,As close to death as Gods and Heavenly formsCan come, for the mind and spiritCannot be beaten, and strength will come back, even ifAll our light has been extinguished, and our happinessIs drowned here in this endless suffering.But what if he who beat us (who I nowMust acknowledge as Almighty in strength, since onlySuch a one could have beaten our armies)Has left our spirit and strength intactSo that we can better feel pain,So He can go on taking his revenge,Or carry on serving him as slaves,His by right of victory: to order us, whatever he’s up to,To work in the fire here in the heart of Hell,To do his errands in these gloomy depths;In that case how will it help us to feelUndiminished strength, or eternal life?It’ll just help us to suffer eternal punishment.” Whereto with speedy words th' Arch-fiend reply'd.Fall'n Cherube, to be weak is miserableDoing or Suffering: but of this be sure,To do ought good never will be our task,But ever to do ill our sole delight,As being the contrary to his high willWhom we resist. If then his ProvidenceOut of our evil seek to bring forth good,Our labour must be to pervert that end,And out of good still to find means of evil;Which oft times may succeed, so as perhapsShall grieve him, if I fail not, and disturbHis inmost counsels from their destind aim.But see the angry Victor hath recall'dHis Ministers of vengeance and pursuitBack to the Gates of Heav'n: The Sulphurous HailShot after us in storm, oreblown hath laidThe fiery Surge, that from the PrecipiceOf Heav'n receiv'd us falling, and the Thunder,Wing'd with red Lightning and impetuous rage,Perhaps hath spent his shafts, and ceases nowTo bellow through the vast and boundless Deep.Let us not slip th' occasion, whether scorn,Or satiate fury yield it from our Foe.Seest thou yon dreary Plain, forlorn and wilde,The seat of desolation, voyd of light,Save what the glimmering of these livid flamesCasts pale and dreadful? Thither let us tendFrom off the tossing of these fiery waves,There rest, if any rest can harbour there,And reassembling our afflicted Powers,Consult how we may henceforth most offendOur Enemy, our own loss how repair,How overcome this dire Calamity,What reinforcement we may gain from Hope,If not what resolution from despare. The leader of the demons swiftly replied:“Fallen Angel, weakness is a miserable thing,In action or in suffering: but I can promise you,We will never do anything good.To always do harm will be our only pleasure,Because it will go against the desiresOf him we are fighting.If God triesTo create good from our evilThen we must work to twist his goalAnd make sure that evil comes out of good;This might happen often, and perhapsCause him grief, if my plans work, and knockHis most cherished plans off course.But look, the furious winner has called backHis agents of revenge who chased us,To the Gates of Heaven: the fiery hailThat stormed after us has blown out now.The wave of fire that followed usAs we fell from the edge of Heaven, and the thunder,Accompanied by red lightning and furious angerHas perhaps been exhausted, and has stoppedBellowing through this huge and bottomless pit.Let’s not miss our chance, whether it is contemptOr the end of his anger that makes our enemy give it to us.Do you see that miserable plain, abandoned and wild,Desolate, without lightApart from the flicker which these angry flamesGive, pale and horrid?Let us go there,Away from these waves of fire,And rest, if there is any rest to be had there,And gather up our damaged forces,Debate how from now on we can do most damageTo our enemy, how we can make up for our loss,How we can overcome this terrible disaster,How we can get strength from hope,Or at least how we can gain determination from despair.”
