Adam Unparadised. The Angel Gabriel, either descending or entering-showing, since this globe was created, his frequency as much on Earth as in Heavendescribes Paradise. Next the Chorus, showing the reason of his coming to keep his watch in Paradise, after Lucifer's rebellion, by command from God-and withal expressing his desire to see and know more concerning this excellent and new creature, Man. The Angel Gabriel, as by his name signifying a Prince of Power, tracing Paradise with a more free office, passes by the station of the Chorus, and, desired by them, relates what he knew of Man, as the creation of Eve, with their love and marriage. After this, Lucifer appears, after his overthrow; bemoans himself; seeks revenge upon Man. The Chorus prepare resistance at his first approach. At last, after discourse of enmity on either side, he departs; whereat the Chorus sings of the battle and victory in Heaven against him and his accomplices, as before, after the first Act, was sung a hymn of the Creation.-Here again may

+ Masson's modernized transcript, corrected by the MS.

appear Lucifer, relating and insulting in what he had done to the destruction of Man. Man next and Eve, having been by this time seduced by the Serpent, appears confusedly, covered with leaves. Conscience, in a shape, accuses him; Justice cites him to the place whither Jehovah called for him. In the meantime the Chorus entertains the stage and is informed by some Angel of the manner of the Fall. Here the Chorus bewails Adam's fall.-Adam then and Eve return and accuse one another; but especially Adam lays the blame to his wife-is stubborn in his offence. Justice appears, reasons with him, convinces him. The Chorus admonisheth Adam, and bids him beware Lucifer's example of impenitence.—The Angel is sent to banish them out of Paradise; but, before, causes to pass before his eyes, in shapes, a masque of all the evils of this life and world. He is humbled, relents, despairs. At last appears Mercy, comforts him, promises him the Messiah; then calls in Faith, Hope, Charity; instructs him. He repents, gives God the glory, submits to his penalty. The Chorus briefly concludes.-Compare this with the former Draft.

Circa 1642. Edward Phillips states that Milton showed him the opening verses of his tragedy.

STAGES IN THE COMPOSITION OF THE POEM. There is no evidence as to the exact time when Milton finally determined to throw his material into epic form. Deeply engaged though he was from 1641 on with prose controversy and the affairs of the Commonwealth, it is probable that his literary purposes were often in his mind. Its actual composition was not, however, begun until the period of leisure following upon the termination of his literary war with Morus in 1655 and the appoint

1667

ment of Andrew Marvel as assistant Latin Secretary in 1657.

Aubrey, on the oral authority of Edward Phillips, states that the poem was begun about two years before the king came in, i. e., about May, 1658. Phillips in his published life of Milton is less definite. It seems improbable that Milton had progressed far in the work before the stormy and dangerous moment of the Restoration intervened again to disturb him. Masson guesses that Books I and II might have been complete before this event and the poem resumed after Milton had been released from custody and become permanently domiciled in Jewin Street. He points with good reason to a passage in the invocation of Book VII:

On evil days though fallen, and evil tongues, In darkness, and with dangers compassed round; as clearly reflecting Milton's situation after the Restora

tion.

The poem is said by Aubrey to have been finished in 1663. It was certainly complete before the autumn of 1665, when Thomas Ellwood, according to a well-known anecdote recorded in his autobiography,5 was handed the manuscript by Milton at Chalfont St. Giles. The minimum period probably covered by its composition was, therefore, some five years, with interruptions. For the recorded details of Milton's habits of dictation, etc., see above, pp. 44 ff.

5 "After some discourse had passed between us, he called for a manuscript of his; which being brought, he delivered to me. When I came home and had set myself to read it, I found it was that excellent poem which he entitled 'Paradise Lost.'" Ellwood's Life, quoted by Masson, VI, 496.

6

PUBLICATION. Paradise Lost was published in 1667, The articles of agreement (now in the British Museum) between Milton and his printer, Samuel Symmons, are dated April 27; the poem is entered in the Stationers' Register August 20. The actual printing of the work presumably followed in the autumn. Thirteen hundred copies had been sold by April, 1669, when Milton received the second payment of five pounds due to him according to the agreement. Of this first impression only a part was actually put on sale in 1667. The printer issued subsequent installments from time to time with different title pages. Accordingly, the preserved copies of the first edition bear varying dates-1667, 1668, and 1669. In some cases Milton's name is used; in others, simply his initials. For the 1668 issue Milton added the arguments to the various books, printed together at the beginning of the volume, and the prefatory note on the verse.

The second edition appeared in 1674, the year of Milton's death. Besides making a few textual changes and distributing the arguments in their proper places throughout the poem, Milton now divided Books VII and X into two each, thereby making an epic of twelve books instead of the original ten.

The original manuscript of Paradise Lost is not preserved. There is, however, in the Morgan library in New York a fair copy of Book I. This transcript is generally supposed to have been prepared not for the press but for inspection by the licenser, whose "imprimatur" it bears.

6 Facsimile in Sotheby, Ramblings, Plate XVIII.

EXPOSITORY OUTLINE

Book I. Following the practice of Homer and Virgil, Milton begins with a statement of his theme (lines 1-5): the fall of man in Adam, who is at once the progenitor and the representative of the race, the cause and type of human sin. Consideration of this subject carries the Christian inevitably on to the redemption, without which sin is unintelligible in a world governed by a wise and merciful Providence. Milton thus affirms (lines 24-5) that his purpose in the poem is to assert Providence as opposed to Fate and to “justify," i. e., to make apparent the justice of, God's dealings with men.

In the invocation to the Muse (lines 6-23) Milton follows a poetic tradition adopted from antiquity-not conventionally, but in such a way as to fill it with significance. The Heavenly Muse (i. e., Urania, originally the Muse of astronomy) is in reality that divine inspiration which revealed the truths of religion to Moses. It is also the spirit of God which dwells in the heart of every believer. In Christian terminology it is the Holy Ghost. Milton's invocations are, therefore, really prayers.

The studied and significant parallelism with ancient epic continues (lines 27-49) in the adoption of the formula "what cause?" and its answer, "the infernal serpent," the origin of whose malice, viz., pride and ungrateful rebellion, is here briefly alluded to, and the proper subject of the poem is begun at the logical point, the moment when Satan recovering from the confusion of his grand defeat raises his head from the burning lake.

Surveying with comprehensive sweep the fearful scene about him, he beholds Beelzebub, called the prince of