SparkNotes

1. Writer invokes God’s spirit/heavenly Muse to help him; story of Satan’s fall; Beelzebub: Satan’s aid, next in power & evil; both fallen from Heaven but still decide to fight against God; Satan call together a meeting including Moloch (child sacrifice, worshipped by the Ammonites, Solomon built his temple across the temple of God), Chemos (aka Peor, worshipped by Moab, enticed Israel in Sittim, lustful orgies, king Josiah drove them out), Baal & Astaroth (male/female spirits, can take any form), Astoreth (aka Astarte, queen of heaven), Thammuz (idolatry of Judah seen by Ezekiel), Dagon (sea-monster, upward man, downward fish, fell flat & shamed his worshippers), Rimmon (lost a leper, gained a king Ahaz who worshipped), Osiris, Isis, Orus (borrowed gold composed calf at Oreb, rebel king doubled sin in Bethel & Dan), Belial (no temple of his own but worshipped in temples when priests turn atheists like Eli’s sons → lust & violence, eg in Gibea where hospitable for exposed matron to avoid worse rape), Ionian gods (Titan, Saturn, Jove), Azazel at Satan’s right (Cherub), many spirits unite as a dreadful force; council at Pandemonium (capital of Hell)
2. Satan exalted on high royal throne, attempts vain war with Heaven; asks for advice: Moloch suggests open war, Belial suggests to accept their fate (rebellion would only make things worse), Mammon suggests peaceful counsels instead of war to best compose present evils, Beelzebub suggests building up a growing empire (peace is impossible) & focus on subdue a new race called Man on Earth either by force or seduction, this would go beyond common revenge bc turning man against their creator interrupts God’s joy → everyone agrees with the plan, but no one volunteers, finally Satan takes the challenge alone, no one disagrees → council dismissed; everybody goes to their own way to find their place in their new home, some end up singing of their own heroic deeds, some in philosophical reasoning; four infernal rivers, burning lake, frozen, dark continent beyond that, ethereal warmth replaced by extremes of fires and ice; Satan is about to fight Death (formidable Shape) at the gates of Hell when Sin (Satan’s daughter) interrupts them (she was born out of Satan’s head, Satan laid with her afterwards and thus Death was conceived, his mother fled him but Death overtook his mother and raped her which produced yelling monsters that go back into her womb to torture her from the inside); Satan changes to a friendly voice: he is no enemy but wants to set both of them free; Sin opens the gate using her key & lets Satan against God’s command; she opened the gate but couldn’t close it; Satan walks through Night, Chaos, promise to extend their territory; Sin & Death followed Satan’s track; Satan arrives to earth
3. God sees Satan approaching Adam & Eve, talks to his Son: ”So will fall // He and his faithless progeny: Whose fault? // Whose but his own? ingrate, he had of me // All he could have; I made him just and right, // Sufficient to have stood, though free to fall. […] So were created, nor can justly accuse // Their Maker, or their making, or their fate, // As if predestination over-rul’d Their will dispos’d by absolute decree // Or high foreknowledge they themselves decreed // Their own revolt, not I; if I foreknew, // Foreknowledge had no influence on their fault, // Which had no less proved certain unforeknown. […] So without least impulse or shadow of fate, // Or aught by me immutably foreseen, // They trespass, authors to themselves in all // Both what they judge, and what they choose; for so // I form’d them free: and free they must remain, // Till they enthrall themselves; I else must change // Their nature, and revoke the high decree // Unchangeable, eternal, which ordain’d // Their freedom: they themselves ordain’d their fall. […] Some I have chosen of peculiar grace, // Elect above the rest; so is my will: // The rest shall hear me call, and oft be warn’d // Their sinful state, and to appease betimes // The incensed Deity, while offer’d grace // Invites; for I will clear their senses dark, // What may suffice, and soften stony hearts // To pray, repent, and bring obedience due.”; the Son volunteers to atone for Man: ”Behold me then: me for him, life for life // I offer: on me let thine anger fall; // Account me Man; I for his sake will leave // Thy bosom, and this glory next to thee // Freely put off, and for him lastly die // Well pleased; on me let Death wreak all his rage.”; together they conceive the plan of salvation, all heaven praise the Almighty; meanwhile Satan walks through Chaos and Night, arrives at Heaven’s gates, walks down a stair to Earth; sees an Angel in the distance; Satan turns into a Cherub; arch-angel Uriel (one of the 7 spirits that stand before God) notices him; Satan deceives Uriel by pretending to wanting to find Man so he can admire God even more; ”So spake the false dissembler unperceived; // For neither Man nor Angel can discern // Hypocrisy, the only evil that walks // Invisible, except to God alone, // By his permissive will, through Heaven and Earth: // And oft, though wisdom wake, suspicion sleeps // At wisdom’s gate, and to simplicity // Resigns her charge, while goodness thinks no ill // Where no ill seems”; Uriel shows Satan the way to Paradise; Satan leaves
4. Satan arrives at Paradise; notices Adam and Eve innocently praising God and enjoying each other’s love; Uriel warns Gabriel who keeps watch at the gate about Satan’s arrival; Adam and Eve go to sleep at night & have sex in pure love; ”Hail, wedded Love, mysterious law, true source // Of human offspring, sole propriety // In Paradise of all things common else! […] Far be it, that I should write thee sin or blame, // Or think thee unbefitting holiest place”; Gabriel & Uriel watch over them during the night; Gabriel send two angels (Ithuriel & Zephon) to look for Satan; they find him in the shape of a frog whispering at Eve’s ear during her sleep; touch him with their spear → real identity revealed; Gabriel threatens Satan to bring him back to hell; they almost start fighting when God intervenes and interrupts them with a celestial sign;
5. Adam and Eve wake up; she tells about her bad dream in which she was tempted to eat from the forbidden tree (woke up right before she was offered to eat too); Adam consoles her; they worship God together and start working; God sends Rafael to warn Adam about Satan’s evil plan; Adam sees Rafael approaching and sends Eve to quickly collect some delicious fruit for their guest; Rafael passes on God’s warning to Adam: ”God made thee perfect, not immutable; // And good he made thee, but to persevere // He left it in thy power; ordained thy will /: By nature free, not over-ruled by fate // Inextricable, or strict necessity: // Our voluntary service he requires, // Not our necessitated; such with him // Finds no acceptance, nor can find; for how // Can hearts, not free, be tried whether they serve // Willing or no, who will but what they must // By destiny, and can no other choose?”; to answer Adam’s question, Rafael explains how the Spirits rebelled against God when he begot his Son and required everyone to worship him (→ Satan was envious because he wanted to be the Son of God); Satan stirs rebellion against God (wants to break free from his yoke); Abdiel alone confronts him from the crowd (God made everything even angels including Satan through his Word); leaves the meeting, scorned by the rebels;
6. Abdiel returns in the morning, receives praise for his steadfast faithfulness; God sends Gabriel & Rafael to lead the fight against Satan and his rebels & drive them to Tartarus; Satan argues with Abdiel: ”At first I thought that Liberty and Heaven To heavenly souls had been all one; but now // I see that most through sloth had rather serve, // Ministring Spirits, trained up in feast and song!”; Abdiel responds: ”Apostate! still thou errest, nor end wilt find // Of erring, from the path of truth remote: // Unjustly thou depravest it with the name // Of servitude, to serve whom God ordains, // Or Nature: God and Nature bid the same, // When he who rules is worthiest, and excels // Them whom he governs, This is servitude, // To serve the unwise, or him who hath rebelled // Against his worthier, as thine now serve thee, // Thyself not free, but to thyself enthralled; // Yet lewdly darest our ministring upbraid.”; Satan wounded by Gabriel’s sword, experiences pain for the first time but healed soon; Satan & his army leaves the fight at night, decide to continue their rebellion but they are defeated again; God empowers his Son to drive them out from Heaven; in reaction, rebels harden even more & became envious; in the third & final battle the Son asks the army to stay put & He defeated them alone & cast them out from Heaven to a bottomless pit; Hell finally received them after falling for 9 days; Heaven rejoiced over Christ’s triumph; Satan wants to seduce man to share his punishment and suffering
7. After Rafael warned Adam about the dire consequences of apostasy, Adam becomes more curious to know more of how Heaven began & what caused God to create; Rafael warned Adam against excessive desire to know: ”Yet what thou canst attain, which best may serve // To glorify the Maker, and infer // Thee also happier, shall not be withheld // Thy hearing; such commission from above // I have received, to answer thy desire // Of knowledge within bounds; beyond, abstain To ask; nor let thine own inventions hope // Things not revealed, which the invisible King, // Only Omniscient, hath suppressed in night; // To none communicable in Earth or Heaven: // Enough is left besides to search and know. // But knowledge is as food, and needs no less // Her temperance over appetite, to know // In measure what the mind may well contain; // Oppresses else with surfeit, and soon turns // Wisdom to folly, as nourishment to wind.”; Rafael’s answer: after Satan and his rebels were driven off from Heaven, the Son offered to ”repair the damage” by creating a new world to dwell in Heaven instead; gives detailed description of each day of the creation up to Adam’s creation; heaven sung worship to God on the seventh day; ”Thrice happy Men, // And sons of Men, whom God hath thus advanced! // Created in his image, there to dwell // And worship him; and in reward to rule // Over his works, on earth, in sea, or air, // And multiply a race of worshippers // Holy and just: Thrice happy, if they know // Their happiness, and persevere upright!”;
8. Adam thanks Rafael for the information; still has some doubts about why the Earth is so disproportionately small compared to the whole universe; and why they move while the Earth not; Eve leaves Adam and Rafael alone; sun & moon ~ male & female light; Rafael warns Adam about wanting to know too much: ”But whether thus these things, or whether not; // But whether the sun, predominant in Heaven, // Rise on the earth; or earth rise on the sun; // He from the east his flaming road begin; // Or she from west her silent course advance, // With inoffensive pace that spinning sleeps // On her soft axle, while she paces even, // And bears thee soft with the smooth air along; // Sollicit not thy thoughts with matters hid; // Leave them to God above; him serve, and fear! // Of other creatures, as him pleases best, // Wherever placed, let him dispose; joy thou // In what he gives to thee, this Paradise // And thy fair Eve; Heaven is for thee too high // To know what passes there; be lowly wise: // Think only what concerns thee, and thy being; // Dream not of other worlds, what creatures there // Live, in what state, condition, or degree; // Contented that thus far hath been revealed // Not of Earth only, but of highest Heaven.”; Adam receives Rafael’s admonishment with humility; Adam tells Rafael of how he was created & received Eve from God; Rafael gives final warning before he leaves Adam: ”The weal or woe in thee is placed; beware! // I in thy persevering shall rejoice, // And all the Blest: Stand fast; to stand or fall // Free in thine own arbitrement it lies. // Perfect within, no outward aid require; // And all temptation to transgress repel.”
9. Satan fled from Eden after Gabriel’s threats; returned at midnight as a Serpent, Satan expresses his frustration that he has to take a form of a creature to avoid being caught: ”O foul descent! that I, who erst contended // With Gods to sit the highest, am now constrained // Into a beast; and, mixed with bestial slime, // This essence to incarnate and imbrute, // That to the highth of Deity aspired! // But what will not ambition and revenge // Descend to? Who aspires, must down as low // As high he soared; obnoxious, first or last, // To basest things. Revenge, at first though sweet, // Bitter ere long, back on itself recoils: // Let it; I reck not, so it light well aimed, // Since higher I fall short, on him who next // Provokes my envy, this new favourite Of Heaven, this man of clay, son of despite, // Whom, us the more to spite, his Maker raised // From dust: Spite then with spite is best repaid.”; enters into Serpent while he is asleep; Eve suggests Adam to work separately, Adam reluctantly agrees because he worries about Eve being tempted by Satan; Eve’s reply: having to live in constant fear of temptation is not happiness at all & if happiness is only secured when they are together it is very weak; Adam gives her a warning but lets her finally leave (if she only stays with Adam because she has to she will be even more absent); asks her to return by noon; Satan was pleased to find Eve alone; praises Eve who is surprised to hear an animal speak & asks him how can he speak; Satan tells her that he had eaten from a tree which enabled him to speak; Eve becomes curious which tree this could be (there are many trees that they don’t know yet), the Serpent offers to bring her there; when they arrive Eve realizes that this is the forbidden tree & dismisses Satan’s temptation referring to God’s warning of death; Satan uses his own example to disprove God’s threat (he ate yet he still lives); ”Queen of this universe! do not believe // Those rigid threats of death: ye shall not die: // How should you? by the fruit? it gives you life // To knowledge; by the threatener? look on me, // Me, who have touched and tasted; yet both live, // And life more perfect have attained than Fate // Meant me, by venturing higher than my lot.”; further reasoning: 1) God will not be angry at Eve’s petty trespass but rather praise her cottage to denounce the threat of death; 2) Eve doesn’t even know what evil is since she has never experienced it 3) God cannot hurt Eve and be just at the same time, and if he is not just he is not God 4) God wanted to keep Eve low and ignorant 5) death might mean putting to death the human in order to achieve Gods; 6) God cannot be hurt by Eve’s knowledge; Eve concludes that God forbids them good, the fruit apparently doesn’t kill since the Serpent is still alive, God was not fair to prohibit humans to eat from the tree but let animals do the same; Eve eats from the tree & starts to worship it afterwards & commits to keep eating to grow in knowledge as the Gods; she also thanks Experience as her best guide: ”Experience, next, to thee I owe, // Best guide; not following thee, I had remained // In ignorance; thou openest wisdom’s way, // And givest access, though secret she retire.”; Eve starts calling God the great Forbidder instead of Creator; wonders whether she should share her knowledge to Adam or keep it to herself (reasoning: if Adam doesn’t join God might destroy her and create another Eve for Adam → doesn’t want that); Eve returns to Adam with the fruit, and tries to convince him to eat too (if he doesn’t join they might be separated): ”This tree is not, as we are told, a tree // Of danger tasted, nor to evil unknown // Opening the way, but of divine effect // To open eyes, and make them Gods who taste; // And hath been tasted such: The serpent wise, // Or not restrained as we, or not obeying, // Hath eaten of the fruit; and is become, // Not dead, as we are threatened, but thenceforth // Endued with human voice and human sense, // Reasoning to admiration; and with me // Persuasively hath so prevailed, that I // Have also tasted, and have also found // The effects to correspond; opener mine eyes, // Dim erst, dilated spirits, ampler heart, // And growing up to Godhead; which for thee // Chiefly I sought, without thee can despise. // For bliss, as thou hast part, to me is bliss; // Tedious, unshared with thee, and odious soon. // Thou therefore also taste, that equal lot // May join us, equal joy, as equal love; // Lest, thou not tasting, different degree // Disjoin us, and I then too late renounce // Deity for thee, when Fate will not permit.”; Adam stood speechless & pale; finally resolves to die with Eve (he cannot live without her love even if God creates another woman for him): ”How art thou lost! how on a sudden lost, // Defaced, deflowered, and now to death devote! // Rather, how hast thou yielded to transgress // The strict forbiddance, how to violate // The sacred fruit forbidden! Some cursed fraud // Of enemy hath beguiled thee, yet unknown, // And me with thee hath ruined; for with thee // Certain my resolution is to die: // How can I live without thee! how forego // Thy sweet converse, and love so dearly joined, // To live again in these wild woods forlorn! // Should God create another Eve, and I // Another rib afford, yet loss of thee // Would never from my heart: no, no! I feel // The link of Nature draw me: flesh of flesh, // Bone of my bone thou art, and from thy state // Mine never shall be parted, bliss or woe.”; his reasoning: 1) Eve might not die after all since the Serpent already tasted the fruit first and made it common, 2) the Serpent should have died but didn’t, rather lives on a higher degree, 3) God is unlikely to destroy his prime creatures, as this would be a win for his Adversary, 4) Adam and Eve are one flesh, their love bonds them together; Eve rejoices at Adam’s willingness to share fate; after Adam tastes the fruit, they begin to look at each other with lust and engage in casual sex & fall asleep; they wake up restless, looking at the world differently, realized their innocence/righteousness/honor are gone & have shame instead (~Samson woke up in Delilah’s lap realizing his power was gone); Adam starts complaining about losing his innocence; they cover their shame with fig leaves; they start to cry; ”They sat them down to weep; nor only tears // Rained at their eyes, but high winds worse within // Began to rise, high passions, anger, hate, // Mistrust, suspicion, discord; and shook sore // Their inward state of mind, calm region once // And full of peace, now tost and turbulent: // For Understanding ruled not, and the Will // Heard not her lore; both in subjection now // To sensual Appetite, who from beneath // Usurping over sovran Reason claimed // Superiour sway”; Adam starts blaming Eve for what happened (had she stayed with him they would have remained happy); Eve pushes back (this could have happened to Adam too & it was Adam’s fault because he should have stopped her as she is just a “lifeless rib” but Adam is the head); Adam dismisses Eve’s accusation (he did warn her, there was nothing else he could have done) but he admits to have overestimated Eve’s ability to resist temptation; his real crime was that he trusted her too much → concludes that man should not let woman rule because she is too weak to withstand evil but rather blames it on others; ”What could I more // I warned thee, I admonished thee, foretold // The danger, and the lurking enemy // That lay in wait; beyond this, had been force; // And force upon free will hath here no place. // But confidence then bore thee on; secure // Either to meet no danger, or to find // Matter of glorious trial; and perhaps // I also erred, in overmuch admiring // What seemed in thee so perfect, that I thought // No evil durst attempt thee; but I rue // The errour now, which is become my crime, // And thou the accuser. Thus it shall befall // Him, who, to worth in women overtrusting, // Lets her will rule: restraint she will not brook; // And, left to herself, if evil thence ensue, // She first his weak indulgence will accuse.”; Adam & Eve start endlessly arguments & blaming each other
10. The news about the fall reaches Heaven; the Father sends down the Son to judge the transgressors who reminds him of his sacrifice which will satisfy God’s justice; God summons Adam who blames Eve but God doesn’t accept his excuse: ”Was she thy God, that her thou didst obey // Before his voice? or was she made thy guide, // Superiour, or but equal, that to her // Thou didst resign thy manhood, and the place /: Wherein God set thee above her made of thee, // And for thee, whose perfection far excelled // Hers in all real dignity? Adorned // She was indeed, and lovely, to attract // Thy love, not thy subjection; and her gifts // Were such, as under government well seemed; // Unseemly to bear rule; which was thy part // And person, hadst thou known thyself aright.”; God summons Eve who blames the Serpent; God curses the Serpent, Eve and Adam; the Son covers them with animal skins not just to protect them outwards but also cover their inward nakedness with his own robe of righteousness covering them from the Father’s sight; meanwhile Death convinces Sin who opened the gates of Hell for Satan to get out to find Earth; Sin obeys and Chaos leaves to find his way to Earth; Satan saw the fall but escaped out of fear when the Son came to judge them, he was pleased to meet his son Death on his way back & hands him the Earth which he has won; Satan returns to Hell & tells his followers about his success; he expects their applause but receives hisses from them → they were all transformed into serpents as a punishment; garden of trees appear like the forbidden tree in Paradise but as soon as they are from it their fruit turned into ashes → they remained hungry; meanwhile Sin and Death arrive in Paradise to take it over; Death starts devouring herbs, fruits and flowers & Sin departs to find Man to “season him thy last and sweetest prey”; God allows Death & Sin to stay until judgement day when they will be locked up with Satan; God alters the universe which causes extreme weather conditions; Discord (Sin’s daughter) causes beasts to devour each other & not to respect Man anymore; Adam laments for the curse he brought upon the world, asks God to put an end to his suffering; ”Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay // To mould me Man? did I solicit thee // From darkness to promote me, or here place // In this delicious garden? As my will // Concurred not to my being, it were but right // And equal to reduce me to my dust; // Desirous to resign and render back // All I received; unable to perform // Thy terms too hard, by which I was to hold // The good I sought not.”; Adam is sorry that his descendants are going to inherit his curse; his burden is great though shared with “that bad Woman”; calls for Death but Eve appears, Adam gets angry at her and accuses & calls her names & wishes God hadn’t created her at all; Eve cries and begs for peace between them; Adam finally relents his anger and comforts her; Eve wants to die but Adam stops her; he encourages themselves to do their duty (labor & childbearing) despite the course & with God’s help; he also calls them to repent before God in humbleness;
11. Adam and Eve repent in prayer before God; the Son brings their prayers as an incense before God & intercedes on their behalf to let them live; God grants his request but orders them to leave Paradise; calls a heavenly assembly to announce his judgement; Michael tells Adam to leave Paradise per God’s order; Adam and Eve are shocked by the news but Michael reminds them of God’s omnipotence; Michael shows Adam how his son Cain will kill Abel in a vision (this is the first time Adam sees Death) & shows other forms of evil & suffering; Adam wonders of there is any better way to die → Michael responds by pointing to a temperate life (which observes the rule “Not too much”); Michael shows Adam several visions which appear good for him at first but later Michael reveals the evil reality behind them; Michael shows visions on war, Noah & flood; Adam is horrified by the future → concludes that man should not seen future telling; finally Michael shows how God will make a covenant with Noah after the flood & provide a rainbow as a sign;
12. Michael continues to tell Adam about the future & focusing on God’s promised Seed (Nimrod the great hunter, Tower of Babel, Noah & his cursed son, Abraham & his journey to Haran, his descendants moving to Egypt, oppressed & set free by Moses & Aaron, Israel receiving God’s law on mount Sinai & building a tabernacle for him); Adam’s question: why does God give so many laws? → Michael’s reply: to “evince their natural pravity” as “law can discover sin, but not remove”; they point to a better covenant based on grace & works of faith; Israel will be governed by judges, kings, Woman’s Seed will come from David; 70 years of Babylonian captivity as a result of turning from God; birth of the Saviour from a virgin, Seed will save Man “not by destroying Satan, but his works in Thee” & fulfilling God’s law & taking the penalty of death for Man’s transgression, nailed to the cross but resurrected on the third day, defeating Sin and Death, bring blessing to all the nations, Earth will be as Paradise; Adam rejoices on how God can turn evil to good; God will also send His Spirit after Christ ascends to guide them in truth & arm then with spiritual armour; Apostles will be followed by false teachers until Christ returns again to finally destroy Satan & create new Heaven & Earth; Adam’s conclusion: loving God & obeying him is the best thing he can do: ”Henceforth I learn, that to obey is best, // And love with fear the only God; to walk // As in his presence; ever to observe // His providence; and on him sole depend, // Merciful over all his works, with good // Still overcoming evil, and by small // Accomplishing great things, by things deemed weak // Subverting worldly strong, and worldly wise // By simply meek: that suffering for truth’s sake // Is fortitude to highest victory, // And, to the faithful, death the gate of life; // Taught this by his example, whom I now // Acknowledge my Redeemer ever blest.”; Michael agrees with Adam’s conclusion: ”This having learned, thou hast attained the sum // Of wisdom; hope no higher, though all the stars // Thou knewest by name, and all the ethereal powers, // All secrets of the deep, all Nature’s works, // Or works of God in Heaven, air, earth, or sea, // And all the riches of this world enjoyedst, // And all the rule, one empire; only add // Deeds to thy knowledge answerable; add faith, // Add virtue, patience, temperance; add love, // By name to come called charity, the soul // Of all the rest: then wilt thou not be loth // To leave this Paradise, but shalt possess // A Paradise within thee, happier far.”; Michael concludes his message, they descend from the hill; Michael tells Adam to wake up Eve & leave Paradise before the Cherubim take their position with their fiery swords; Eve is already awake & willing to be lead by Adam; they leave Eden sadly but trusting God, hand in hand.