So farwel Hope, and with Hope farwel Fear, Farwel Remorse: all Good to me is lost; Evil be thou my Good; by thee at least Divided Empire with Heav'ns King I hold By thee, and more then half perhaps will reigne; As Man ere long, and this new World shall know. Thus

The Tempter ere th' Accuser of man-kind, To wreck on innocent frail man his loss Of that first Battel, and his flight to Hell: Yet

The griding sword with discontinuous wound   Pass'd through him, but th' Ethereal substance clos'd   Not long divisible, and from the gash   A stream of Nectarous humor issuing flow'd   Sanguin, such as Celestial Spirits may bleed,   And all his Armour staind ere while so bright.

All is not lost; the unconquerable will, And study of revenge, immortal hate, And courage never to submit or yield: And what else is not to be overcome? That glory never shall his wrath or might Extort from me.

But listen not to his temptations, warn Thy weaker. Let it profit thee to have heard, By terrible example, the reward Of disobedience. Firm they might have stood, Yet fell. Remember, and fear to transgress.

Th' Angelic Guards ascended, mute and sad   For Man, for of his state by this they knew,   Much wondring how the suttle Fiend had stoln   Entrance unseen. Soon as th' unwelcome news   From Earth arriv'd at Heaven Gate, displeas'd   All were who heard, dim sadness did not spare   That time Celestial visages, yet mixt   With pitie, violated not thir bliss.

In this unhappy Mansion, or once more 269: With rallied Arms to try what may be yet 270: Regaind in Heav'n, or what more lost in Hell?

Book X ... Satan arrives at Pandemonium; in full assembly relates, with boasting, his success against Man; instead of applause is entertained with a general hiss by all his audience, transformed, with himself also, suddenly into serpents, according to his doom given in paradise; then, deluded with a show of the forbidden tree springing up before them, they, greedily reaching to take of the fruit, chew dust and bitter ashes...

Horror and doubt distract his troubled thoughts, and from the bottom stir the Hell within him; for within him Hell he brings, and round about him, nor from Hell one step, no more than from himself, can fly by change of place.

For now, and since first break of dawne the Fiend,   Meer Serpent in appearance, forth was come,   And on his Quest, where likeliest he might finde   The onely two of Mankinde, but in them   The whole included Race, his purposd prey.

To do ought good never will be our task,   But ever to do ill our sole delight,   As being the contrary to his high will   Whom we resist.

The towers of Heaven are filled With armed watch that render all access Impregnable,; oft on the bordering deep Encamp their legions or with obscure wing Scout far and wide into the realm of night, Scorning surprise.