Paradise Regained Read online

  *The Project Gutenberg Etext of Paradise Regained by John Milton*

  ******This file should be named rgain10.txt or rgain10.zip*******

  Corrected EDITIONS of our etexts get a new NUMBER, rgain11.txt.

  VERSIONS based on separate sources get new LETTER, rgain10a.txt.

  This etext was typed by Judy Boss in Omaha, Nebraska.

  Information about Project Gutenberg (one page)

  We produce about one million dollars for each hour we work. One

  hundred hours is a conservative estimate for how long it we take

  to get any etext selected, entered, proofread, edited, copyright

  searched and analyzed, the copyright letters written, etc. This

  projected audience is one hundred million readers. If our value

  per text is nominally estimated at one dollar, then we produce a

  million dollars per hour; next year we will have to do four text

  files per month, thus upping our productivity to two million/hr.

  The Goal of Project Gutenberg is to Give Away One Trillion Etext

  Files by the December 31, 2001. [10,000 x 100,000,000=Trillion]

  This is ten thousand titles each to one hundred million readers.

  We need your donations more than ever!

  All donations should be made to "Project Gutenberg/IBC", and are

  tax deductible to the extent allowable by law ("IBC" is Illinois

  Benedictine College). (Subscriptions to our paper newsletter go

  to IBC, too)

  For these and other matters, please mail to:

  David Turner, Project Gutenberg

  Illinois Benedictine College

  5700 College Road

  Lisle, IL 60532-0900

  Email requests to:

  Internet: [email protected] (David Turner)

  Compuserve: [email protected] (David Turner)

  Attmail: [email protected] (David Turner)

  MCImail: (David Turner)

  ADDRESS TYPE: MCI / EMS: INTERNET / MBX:[email protected]

  We would prefer to send you this information by email

  (Internet, Bitnet, Compuserve, ATTMAIL or MCImail).

  For general information about Project Gutenberg, please contact:

  [email protected] Director of Communications

  ******

  If you have an FTP program (or emulator), please:

  FTP directly to the Project Gutenberg archives:

  ftp mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu

  login: anonymous

  password: your@login

  cd etext/etext91

  or cd etext92 [for new books] [now also cd etext/etext92]

  or cd etext/articles [get suggest gut for more information]

  dir [to see files]

  get or mget [to get files. . .set bin for zip files]

  GET INDEX and AAINDEX

  for a list of books

  and

  GET NEW GUT for general information

  and

  MGET GUT* for newsletters.

  **Information prepared by the Project Gutenberg legal advisor**

  (Three Pages)

  ****START**THE SMALL PRINT!**FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS**START****

  Why is this "Small Print!" statement here? You know: lawyers.

  They tell us you might sue us if there is something wrong with

  your copy of this etext, even if you got it for free from

  someone other than us, and even if what's wrong is not our

  fault. So, among other things, this "Small Print!" statement

  disclaims most of our liability to you. It also tells you how

  you can distribute copies of this etext if you want to.

  *BEFORE!* YOU USE OR READ THIS ETEXT

  By using or reading any part of this PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm etext,

  you indicate that you understand, agree to and accept this

  "Small Print!" statement. If you do not, you can receive a

  refund of the money (if any) you paid for this etext by sending

  a request within 30 days of receiving it to the person you got

  it from. If you received this etext on a physical medium (such

  as a disk), you must return it with your request.

  ABOUT PROJECT GUTENBERG-TM ETEXTS

  This PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm etext, like most PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm

  etexts, is a "public domain" work distributed by Professor

  Michael S. Hart through the Project Gutenberg Association (the

  "Project"). Among other things, this means that no one owns a

  United States copyright on or for this work, so the Project (and

  you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without

  permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special

  rules, set forth below, apply if you wish to copy and distribute

  this etext under the Project's "PROJECT GUTENBERG" trademark.

  To create these etexts, the Project expends considerable efforts

  to identify, transcribe and proofread public domain works.

  Despite these efforts, the Project's etexts and any medium they

  may be on may contain "Defects". Among other things, Defects

  may take the form of incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data,

  transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual property

  infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other etext medium,

  a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be

  read by your equipment.

  DISCLAIMER

  But for the "Right of Replacement or Refund" described below,

  [1] the Project (and any other party you may receive this etext

  from as a PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm etext) disclaims all liability to

  you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees, and

  [2] YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE OR UNDER STRICT LIABILI-

  TY, OR FOR BREACH OF WARRANTY OR CONTRACT, INCLUDING BUT NOT

  LIMITED TO INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL

  DAMAGES, EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH

  DAMAGES.

  If you discover a Defect in this etext within 90 days of

  receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) you

  paid for it by sending an explanatory note within that time to

  the person you received it from. If you received it on a

  physical medium, you must return it with your note, and such

  person may choose to alternatively give you a replacement copy.

  If you received it electronically, such person may choose to

  alternatively give you a second opportunity to receive it elec-

  tronically.

  THIS ETEXT IS OTHERWISE PROVIDED TO YOU "AS-IS". NO OTHER

  WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ARE MADE TO YOU AS

  TO THE ETEXT OR ANY MEDIUM IT MAY BE ON, INCLUDING BUT NOT

  LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A

  PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

  Some states do not allow disclaimers of implied warranties or

  the exclusion or limitation of consequential damages, so the

  above disclaimers and exclusions may not apply to you, and you

  may have other legal rights.

  INDEMNITY

  You will indemnify and hold the Project, its directors,

  officers, members and agents harmless from all liability, cost

  and expense, including legal fees, that arise from any

  distribution of this etext for which you are responsible, and

  from
[1] any alteration, modification or addition to the etext

  for which you are responsible, or [2] any Defect.

  DISTRIBUTION UNDER "PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm"

  You may distribute copies of this etext electronically, or by

  disk, book or any other medium if you either delete this "Small

  Print!" and all other references to Project Gutenberg, or:

  [1] Only give exact copies of it. Among other things, this re-

  quires that you do not remove, alter or modify the etext or

  this "small print!" statement. You may however, if you

  wish, distribute this etext in machine readable binary,

  compressed, mark-up, or proprietary form, including any

  form resulting from conversion by word processing or hyper-

  text software, but only so long as *EITHER*:

  [*] The etext, when displayed, is clearly readable. We

  consider an etext *not* clearly readable if it

  contains characters other than those intended by the

  author of the work, although tilde (~), asterisk (*)

  and underline (_) characters may be used to convey

  punctuation intended by the author, and additional

  characters may be used to indicate hypertext links.

  [*] The etext may be readily converted by the reader at no

  expense into plain ASCII, EBCDIC or equivalent form

  by the program that displays the etext (as is the

  case, for instance, with most word processors).

  [*] You provide, or agree to also provide on request at no

  additional cost, fee or expense, a copy of the etext

  in its original plain ASCII form (or in EBCDIC or

  other equivalent proprietary form).

  [2] Honor the etext refund and replacement provisions of this

  "Small Print!" statement.

  [3] Pay a trademark license fee of 20% (twenty percent) of the

  net profits you derive from distributing this etext under

  the trademark, determined in accordance with generally

  accepted accounting practices. The license fee:

  [*] Is required only if you derive such profits. In

  distributing under our trademark, you incur no

  obligation to charge money or earn profits for your

  distribution.

  [*] Shall be paid to "Project Gutenberg Association /

  Illinois Benedictine College" (or to such other person

  as the Project Gutenberg Association may direct)

  within the 60 days following each date you prepare (or

  were legally required to prepare) your year-end tax

  return with respect to your income for that year.

  WHAT IF YOU *WANT* TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO?

  The Project gratefully accepts contributions in money, time,

  scanning machines, OCR software, public domain etexts, royalty

  free copyright licenses, and every other sort of contribution

  you can think of. Money should be paid to "Project Gutenberg

  Association / Illinois Benedictine College".

  WRITE TO US! We can be reached at:

  Project Gutenberg Director of Communications (PGDIRCOM)

  Internet: [email protected]

  Bitnet: pgdircom@uiucvmd

  CompuServe: >internet:[email protected]

  Attmail: internet!vmd.cso.uiuc.edu!pgdircom

  Drafted by CHARLES B. KRAMER, Attorney

  CompuServe: 72600,2026

  Internet: [email protected]

  Tel: (212) 254-5093

  *END*THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.07.02.92*END*

  PARADISE REGAINED

  THE FIRST BOOK

  I, WHO erewhile the happy Garden sung

  By one man's disobedience lost, now sing

  Recovered Paradise to all mankind,

  By one man's firm obedience fully tried

  Through all temptation, and the Tempter foiled

  In all his wiles, defeated and repulsed,

  And Eden raised in the waste Wilderness.

  Thou Spirit, who led'st this glorious Eremite

  Into the desert, his victorious field

  Against the spiritual foe, and brought'st him thence 10

  By proof the undoubted Son of God, inspire,

  As thou art wont, my prompted song, else mute,

  And bear through highth or depth of Nature's bounds,

  With prosperous wing full summed, to tell of deeds

  Above heroic, though in secret done,

  And unrecorded left through many an age:

  Worthy to have not remained so long unsung.

  Now had the great Proclaimer, with a voice

  More awful than the sound of trumpet, cried

  Repentance, and Heaven's kingdom nigh at hand 20

  To all baptized. To his great baptism flocked

  With awe the regions round, and with them came

  From Nazareth the son of Joseph deemed

  To the flood Jordan--came as then obscure,

  Unmarked, unknown. But him the Baptist soon

  Descried, divinely warned, and witness bore

  As to his worthier, and would have resigned

  To him his heavenly office. Nor was long

  His witness unconfirmed: on him baptized

  Heaven opened, and in likeness of a Dove 30

  The Spirit descended, while the Father's voice

  From Heaven pronounced him his beloved Son.

  That heard the Adversary, who, roving still

  About the world, at that assembly famed

  Would not be last, and, with the voice divine

  Nigh thunder-struck, the exalted man to whom

  Such high attest was given a while surveyed

  With wonder; then, with envy fraught and rage,

  Flies to his place, nor rests, but in mid air

  To council summons all his mighty Peers, 40

  Within thick clouds and dark tenfold involved,

  A gloomy consistory; and them amidst,

  With looks aghast and sad, he thus bespake:--

  "O ancient Powers of Air and this wide World

  (For much more willingly I mention Air,

  This our old conquest, than remember Hell,

  Our hated habitation), well ye know

  How many ages, as the years of men,

  This Universe we have possessed, and ruled

  In manner at our will the affairs of Earth, 50

  Since Adam and his facile consort Eve

  Lost Paradise, deceived by me, though since

  With dread attending when that fatal wound

  Shall be inflicted by the seed of Eve

  Upon my head. Long the decrees of Heaven

  Delay, for longest time to Him is short;

  And now, too soon for us, the circling hours

  This dreaded time have compassed, wherein we

  Must bide the stroke of that long-threatened wound

  (At least, if so we can, and by the head 60

  Broken be not intended all our power

  To be infringed, our freedom and our being

  In this fair empire won of Earth and Air)--

  For this ill news I bring: The Woman's Seed,

  Destined to this, is late of woman born.

  His birth to our just fear gave no small cause;

  But his growth now to youth's full flower, displaying

  All virtue, grace and wisdom to achieve

  Things highest, greatest
, multiplies my fear.

  Before him a great Prophet, to proclaim 70

  His coming, is sent harbinger, who all

  Invites, and in the consecrated stream

  Pretends to wash off sin, and fit them so

  Purified to receive him pure, or rather

  To do him honour as their King. All come,

  And he himself among them was baptized--

  Not thence to be more pure, but to receive

  The testimony of Heaven, that who he is

  Thenceforth the nations may not doubt. I saw

  The Prophet do him reverence; on him, rising 80

  Out of the water, Heaven above the clouds

  Unfold her crystal doors; thence on his head

  A perfet Dove descend (whate'er it meant);

  And out of Heaven the sovraign voice I heard,

  'This is my Son beloved,--in him am pleased.'

  His mother, than, is mortal, but his Sire

  He who obtains the monarchy of Heaven;

  And what will He not do to advance his Son?

  His first-begot we know, and sore have felt,

  When his fierce thunder drove us to the Deep; 90

  Who this is we must learn, for Man he seems

  In all his lineaments, though in his face

  The glimpses of his Father's glory shine.

  Ye see our danger on the utmost edge

  Of hazard, which admits no long debate,

  But must with something sudden be opposed

  (Not force, but well-couched fraud, well-woven snares),

  Ere in the head of nations he appear,

  Their king, their leader, and supreme on Earth.

  I, when no other durst, sole undertook 100

  The dismal expedition to find out

  And ruin Adam, and the exploit performed

  Successfully: a calmer voyage now

  Will waft me; and the way found prosperous once

  Induces best to hope of like success."

  He ended, and his words impression left

  Of much amazement to the infernal crew,

  Distracted and surprised with deep dismay

  At these sad tidings. But no time was then

  For long indulgence to their fears or grief: 110

  Unanimous they all commit the care

  And management of this man enterprise

  To him, their great Dictator, whose attempt

  At first against mankind so well had thrived

  In Adam's overthrow, and led their march

  From Hell's deep-vaulted den to dwell in light,

  Regents, and potentates, and kings, yea gods,

  Of many a pleasant realm and province wide.

  So to the coast of Jordan he directs

  His easy steps, girded with snaky wiles, 120

  Where he might likeliest find this new-declared,

  This man of men, attested Son of God,

  Temptation and all guile on him to try--

  So to subvert whom he suspected raised

  To end his reign on Earth so long enjoyed:

  But, contrary, unweeting he fulfilled

  The purposed counsel, pre-ordained and fixed,

  Of the Most High, who, in full frequence bright

  Of Angels, thus to Gabriel smiling spake:--

  "Gabriel, this day, by proof, thou shalt behold, 130

  Thou and all Angels conversant on Earth

  With Man or men's affairs, how I begin

  To verify that solemn message late,

  On which I sent thee to the Virgin pure

  In Galilee, that she should bear a son,

  Great in renown, and called the Son of God.

  Then told'st her, doubting how these things could be

  To her a virgin, that on her should come

  The Holy Ghost, and the power of the Highest

  O'ershadow her. This Man, born and now upgrown, 140

  To shew him worthy of his birth divine

  And high prediction, henceforth I expose

  To Satan; let him tempt, and now assay

  His utmost subtlety, because he boasts

  And vaunts of his great cunning to the throng

  Of his Apostasy. He might have learnt

  Less overweening, since he failed in Job,

  Whose constant perseverance overcame

  Whate'er his cruel malice could invent.

  He now shall know I can produce a man, 150

  Of female seed, far abler to resist

  All his solicitations, and at length

  All his vast force, and drive him back to Hell--

  Winning by conquest what the first man lost

  By fallacy surprised. But first I mean

  To exercise him in the Wilderness;

  There he shall first lay down the rudiments

  Of his great warfare, ere I send him forth

  To conquer Sin and Death, the two grand foes.

  By humiliation and strong sufferance 160

  His weakness shall o'ercome Satanic strength,

  And all the world, and mass of sinful flesh;

  That all the Angels and aethereal Powers--

  They now, and men hereafter--may discern

  From what consummate virtue I have chose

  This perfet man, by merit called my Son,

  To earn salvation for the sons of men."

  So spake the Eternal Father, and all Heaven