Paradise Lost Ⅸ-第1章
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THE ARGUMENT
@小‘说〃网
satan having past the earth; with meditated guile returns as a mist by night into paradise; enters into the serpent sleeping。 adam and eve in the morning go forth to thir labours; which eve proposes to divide in several places; each labouring apart: adam consents not; alledging the danger; lest that enemy; of whom they were forewarnd; should attempt her found alone: eve loath to be thought not circumspect or firm enough; urges her going apart; the rather desirous to make tryal of her strength; adam at last yields: the serpent finds her alone; his subtle approach; first gazing; then speaking; with much flattery extolling eve above all other creatures。 eve wondring to hear the serpent speak; asks how he attaind to human speech and such understanding not till now; the serpent answers; that by tasting of a certain tree in the garden he attaind both to speech and reason; till then void of both: eve requires him to bring her to that tree; and finds it to be the tree of knowledge forbidden: the serpent now grown bolder; with many wiles and arguments induces her at length to eat; she pleasd with the taste deliberates a while whether to impart thereof to adam or not; at last brings him of the fruit; relates what perswaded her to eat thereof: adam at first amazd; but perceiving her lost; resolves through vehemence of love to perish with her; and extenuating the trespass; eats also of the fruit: the effects thereof in them both; they seek to cover thir nakedness; then fall to variance and accusation of one another。
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Paradise Lost Ⅸ1
小!说
no more of talk where god or angel guest
with man; as with his friend; familiar usd
to sit indulgent; and with him partake
rural repast; permitting him the while
venial discourse unblamd: i now must change ' 5 '
those notes to tragic; foul distrust; and breach
disloyal on the part of man; revolt;
and disobedience: on the part of heavn
now alienated; distance and distaste;
anger and just rebuke; and judgement givn; ' 10 '
that brought into this world a world of woe;
sinne and her shadow death; and miserie
deaths harbinger: sad task; yet argument
not less but more heroic then the wrauth
of stern achilles on his foe pursud ' 15 '
thrice fugitive about troy wall; or rage
of turnus for lavinia disespousd;
or neptuns ire or junos; that so long
perplexd the greek and cythereas son;
if answerable style i can obtaine ' 20 '
of my celestial patroness; who deignes
her nightly visitation unimplord;
and dictates to me slumbring; or inspires
easie my unpremeditated verse:
since first this subject for heroic song ' 25 '
pleasd me long choosing; and beginning late;
not sedulous by nature to indite
warrs; hitherto the onely argument
heroic deemd; chief maistrie to dissect
with long and tedious havoc fabld knights ' 30 '
in battels feignd; the better fortitude
of patience and heroic martyrdom
unsung; or to describe races and games;
or tilting furniture; emblazond shields;
impreses quaint; caparisons and steeds; ' 35 '
bases and tinsel trappings; gorgious knights
at joust and torneament; then marshald feast
servd up in hall with sewers; and seneshals;
the skill of artifice or office mean;
not that which justly gives heroic name ' 40 '
to person or to poem。 mee of these
nor skilld nor studious; higher argument
remaines; sufficient of it self to raise
that name; unless an age too late; or cold
climat; or years damp my intended wing ' 45 '
deprest; and much they may; if all be mine;
not hers who brings it nightly to my ear。
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Paradise Lost Ⅸ2
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the sun was sunk; and after him the starr
of hesperus; whose office is to bring
twilight upon the earth; short arbiter ' 50 '
twixt day and night; and now from end to end
nights hemisphere had veild the horizon round:
when satan who late fled before the threats
of gabriel out of eden; now improvd
in meditated fraud and malice; bent ' 55 '
on mans destruction; maugre what might hap
of heavier on himself; fearless returnd。
by night he fled; and at midnight returnd。
from passing the earth; cautious of day;
since uriel regent of the sun descrid ' 60 '
his entrance; and forewarnd the cherubim
that kept thir watch; thence full of anguish drivn;
the space of seven continud nights he rode
with darkness; thrice the equinoctial line
he circld; four times crossd the carr of night ' 65 '
from pole to pole; traversing each colure;
on the eighth returnd; and on the coast averse
from entrance or cherubic watch; by stealth
found unsuspected way。 there was a place;
now not; though sin; not time; first wraught the change; ' 70 '
where tigris at the foot of paradise
into a gulf shot under ground; till part
rose up a fountain by the tree of life;
in with the river sunk; and with it rose
satan involvd in rising mist; then sought ' 75 '
where to lie hid; sea he had searcht and land
from eden over pontus; and the poole
m?otis; up beyond the river ob;
downward as farr antartic; and in length
west from orontes to the ocean barrd ' 80 '
at darien; thence to the land where flowes
ganges and indus: thus the orb he roamd
with narrow search; and with inspection deep
considerd every creature; which of all
most opportune might serve his wiles; and found ' 85 '
the serpent suttlest beast of all the field。
。。
Paradise Lost Ⅸ3
×××小×说×网
him after long debate; irresolute
of thoughts revolvd; his final sentence chose
fit vessel; fittest imp of fraud; in whom
to enter; and his dark suggestions hide ' 90 '
from sharpest sight: for in the wilie snake;
whatever sleights none would suspicious mark;
as from his wit and native suttletie
proceeding; which in other beasts observd
doubt might beget of diabolic powr ' 95 '
active within beyond the sense of brute。
thus he resolvd; but first from inward griefe
his bursting passion into plaints thus pourd:
o earth; how like to heavn; if not preferrd
more justly; seat worthier of gods; as built ' 100 '
with second thoughts; reforming what was old!
for what god after better worse would build?
terrestrial heavn; danct round by other heavns
that shine; yet bear thir bright officious lamps;
light above light; for thee alone; as seems; ' 105 '
in thee concentring all thir precious beams
of sacred influence: as god in heavn
is center; yet extends to all; so thou
centring receavst from all those orbs; in thee;
not in themselves; all thir known vertue appeers ' 110 '
productive in herb; plant; and nobler birth
of creatures animate with gradual life
of growth; sense; reason; all summd up in man。
with what delight could i have walkt thee round;
if i could joy in aught; sweet interchange ' 115 '
of hill; and vallie; rivers; woods and plaines;
now land; now sea; and shores with forrest crownd;
rocks; dens; and caves; but i in none of these
find place or refuge; and the more i see
pleasures about me; so much more i feel ' 120 '
torment within me; as from the hateful siege
of contraries; all good to me bees
bane; and in heavn much worse would be my state。
but neither here seek i; no nor in heavn
to dwell; unless by maistring heavns supreame; ' 125 '
nor hope to be my self less miserable
by what i seek; but others to make such
as i; though thereby worse to me redound:
for onely in destroying i find ease
to my relentless thoughts; and him destroyd; ' 130 '
or won to what may work his utter loss;
for whom all this was made; all this will soon
follow; as to him linkt in weal or woe;
in wo then: that destruction wide may range:
to mee shall be the glorie sole among ' 135 '
the infernal powers; in one day to have marrd
what he almightie styld; six nights and days
continud making; and who knows how long
before had bin contriving; though perhaps
not longer then since i in one night freed ' 140 '
from servitude inglorious welnigh half
th angelic name; and thinner left the throng
of his adorers: hee to be avengd;
and to repaire his numbers thus impaird;
whether such vertue spent of old now faild ' 145 '
more angels to create; if they at least
are his created; or to spite us more;
determind to advance into our room
a creature formd of earth; and him endow;
exalted from so base original; ' 150 '
with heavnly spoils; our spoils: what he decreed
he effected; man he made; and for him built
magnificent this world; and earth his seat;
him lord pronouncd; and; o indignitie!
。。
Paradise Lost Ⅸ4
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subjected to his service angel wings; ' 155 '
and flaming ministers to watch and tend
thir earthy charge: of these the vigilance
i dread; and to elude; thus wrapt in mist
of midnight vapor glide obscure; and prie
in every bush and brake; where hap may finde ' 160 '
the serpent sleeping; in whose mazie foulds
to hide me; and the dark intent i bring。
o foul descent! that i who erst contended
with gods to sit the highest; am now constraind
into a beast; an