Paradise Lost Quotes - Page 2 | Just Great DataBase

Henceforth an individual solace dear; Part of my Soul I seek thee, and thee claim My other half: with that thy gentle hand Seisd mine, I yielded, and from that time see How beauty is excelld by manly grace.

WE know no time when we were not as now..

Confounded, though immortal. But his doom, reserved him to more wrath; for now the thought both of lost happiness and lasting pain torments him.

Infernal world, and thou profoundest HellReceive thy new Possessor: One who bringsA mind not to be chang'd by Place or Time.The mind is its own place, and in it selfCan make a Heav'n of Hell, a Hell of Heav'n.

We live Law to ourselves. Our reason is our Law.

Majestic though in ruin: sage he stood With Atlantean shoulders fit to bear The weight of mightiest Monarchies his look Drew audience and attention still as Night Or Summers Noon-tide air while thus he spake.

Thus it shall befall Him, who to worth in women over-trusting, Lets her will rule: restraint she will not brook; And left to herself, if evil thence ensue She first his weak indulgence will accuse.

While yet we live, scarce one short hour perhaps,Between us two let there be peace, both joining,As joined in injuries, and enmityAgainst a foe by doom express assigned us,That cruel serpent.

Immediate are the acts of God, more swift than time or motion.

O fairest of all creation, last and bestOf all God's works, creature in whom excelledWhatever can to sight or thought be formed,Holy, divine, good, amiable, or sweet!How art thou lost, how on a sudden lost,Defaced, deflow'red, and now to death devote?

And on their naked limbs the flowry roof/Show'r'd Rose, which the Morn repair'd.

Consult.../what reinforcement we may gain from hope,/If not, what resolution from despair.

He also went invisible, yet stayed (such privilege hath omnipresence).

To mee, who with eternal Famine pine,Alike is Hell, or Paradise, or Heaven,There best, where most with ravin I might meet; Which here, though plenteous, all too little seemsTo stuff this Maw, this vast unhide-bound Corpse.

What reinforcement we may gain from hope,If not what resolution from despair.

And chiefly thou, O spirit, that dost preferBefore all temples the upright heart and pure,Instruct me, for thou know'st. Thou from the firstWast present, and, with mighty wings outspread,Dove-like sattest brooding on the vast abyss,And madst it pregnant.

Heaven's last best gift, my ever new delight.

But what will not ambition and revengeDescend to?

Thou at the sightPleased, out of Heaven shalt look down and smile,While by thee raised I ruin all my foes,Death last, and with his carcass glut the grave.

I sung of chaos and eternal night, Taught by the heav'nly Muse to venture down the dark decent, and up to reascend...

Firm they might have stood, yet fell; remember, and fear to transgress.

What think'st thou then of mee, and this my State,Seem I to thee sufficiently possestOf happiness, or not? who am alone From all Eternitie, for none I knowSecond to mee or like, equal much less.

Wolves shall succeed for teachers, grievous wolves,Who all the sacred mysteries of HeavenTo their own vile advantages shall turnOf lucre and ambition, and the truthWith superstitions and traditions taint,Left only in those written records pure,Thought not but by the spirit understood.

Gabriel, to thee thy course by lot hath given Charge and strict watch that to this happy place No evil thing approach or enter in.

High on a throne of royal state, which far

Upon himself; horror and doubt distract His troubl’d thoughts, and from the bottom stirr The Hell within him, for within him Hell He brings, and round about him, nor from Hell One step no more then from himself can fly By

Thou therefore on these Herbs, and Fruits, and Flow'rsFeed first, on each Beast next, and Fish, and Fowl, No homely morsels, and whatever thingThe Scyth of Time mows down, devour unspar'd, Till I in Man residing through the Race, His thoughts, his looks, words, actions all infect, And season him thy last and sweetest prey.

Shalt thou give law to God, shalt thou disputeWith Him the points of liberty who madeThee what thou art and formed the pow'rs of Heav'nSuch as He pleased and circumscribed their being?

...So little knowsAny but God alone to value rightThe good before him but perverts best thingsTo worst abuse or to their meanest use.

but the sword   Of MICHAEL from the Armorie of God   Was giv'n him temperd so, that neither keen   Nor solid might resist that edge: it met   The sword of SATAN with steep force to smite   Descending, and in half cut sheere, nor staid,   But with swift wheele reverse, deep entring shar'd   All his right side; then SATAN first knew pain,

In blissful solitude; he then survey’d Hell and the Gulf between, and Satan there Coasting the wall of Heav’n on this side Night In the dun Air sublime,

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

  And ignominie, yet to glorie aspires   Vain glorious, and through infamie seeks fame:   Therfore Eternal silence be thir doome.

    Thus while he spake, each passion dimm'd his face   Thrice chang'd with pale, ire, envie and despair,   Which marrd his borrow'd visage, and betraid   Him counterfet, if any eye beheld.

  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.

  Out of such prison, though Spirits of purest light,   Purest at first, now gross by sinning grown.

With thee conversing I forget all time,All seasons and their change,All please alike.

Some natural tears they dropt, but wiped them soon;The world was all before them, where to chooseTheir place of rest, and Providence their guide:They, hand in hand, with wandering steps and slow,Through Eden took their solitary way.

    To whom the wilie Adder, blithe and glad.

  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.

  Hee boulder now, uncall'd before her stood;   But as in gaze admiring: Oft he bowd   His turret Crest, and sleek enamel'd Neck,   Fawning, and lick'd the ground whereon she trod.

    So spake the Son, and into terrour chang'd   His count'nance too severe to be beheld   And full of wrauth bent on his Enemies.

    The Earth was form'd, but in the Womb as yet   Of Waters, Embryon immature involv'd,   Appeer'd not: over all the face of Earth   Main Ocean flow'd, not idle, but with warme   Prolific humour soft'ning all her Globe,   Fermented the great Mother to conceave,   Satiate with genial moisture, when God said   Be gather'd now ye Waters under Heav'n   Into one place, and let dry Land appeer.

  And all amid them stood the Tree of Life,   High eminent, blooming Ambrosial Fruit   Of vegetable Gold; and next to Life   Our Death the Tree of Knowledge grew fast by,   Knowledge of Good bought dear by knowing ill.

  Least total darkness should by Night regaine   Her old possession, and extinguish life   In Nature and all things, which these soft fires   Not only enlighten, but with kindly heate   Of various influence foment and warme,   Temper or nourish, or in part shed down   Thir stellar vertue on all kinds that grow   On Earth, made hereby apter to receive   Perfection from the Suns more potent Ray.

His Sons, the fairest of her Daughters Eve. Under a tuft of shade that on a green Stood whispering soft, by a fresh Fountain side They sat them down, and after no more toil Of thir sweet Gardning labour then suffic’d To recommend coole Zephyr, and made ease More easie, wholsom thirst and appetite More grateful, to thir Supper Fruits they fell, Nectarine Fruits which the compliant boughes Yeilded them, side-long as they sat recline On the soft downie Bank damaskt with flours: The savourie pulp they chew, and in the rinde Still as they thirsted scoop the brimming stream; Nor gentle purpose, nor endearing smiles Wanted, nor youthful dalliance as beseems Fair couple, linkt in happie nuptial League, Alone as they. About them frisking playd All Beasts of th’ Earth, since wilde, and of all chase In Wood or Wilderness, Forrest or Den; Sporting the Lion rampd, and in his paw Dandl’d the Kid; Bears, Tygers, Ounces, Pards Gambold before them, th’ unwieldy Elephant To make them mirth us’d all his might, & wreathd His Lithe Proboscis; close the Serpent sly Insinuating, wove with Gordian twine His breaded train, and of his fatal guile Gave proof unheeded; others on the grass Coucht, and now fild with pasture gazing sat, Or Bedward ruminating: for the Sun Declin’d was hasting now with prone carreer To th’ Ocean Iles, and in th’ ascending Scale Of Heav’n the Starrs that usher Evening rose: When Satan still in gaze, as first he stood, Scarce thus at length faild speech recoverd sad. O Hell! what doe mine eyes with grief behold, Into our room of bliss thus high advanc’t Creatures of other mould, earth-born perhaps, Not

  Thus her reply with accent sweet renewd.     If this be our condition, thus to dwell   In narrow circuit strait'nd by a Foe,   Suttle or violent, we not endu'd   Single with like defence, wherever met,   How are we happie, still in fear of harm?

  And ye that live and move, fair Creatures, tell,   Tell, if ye saw, how came I thus, how here?   Not of my self; by some great Maker then,   In goodness and in power praeeminent;   Tell me, how may I know him, how adore,   From whom I have that thus I move and live,   And feel that I am happier then I know.

  Let us not then suspect our happie State   Left so imperfet by the Maker wise,   As not secure to single or combin'd.   Fraile is our happiness, if this be so,   And EDEN were no EDEN thus expos'd.

  Doctrin which we would know whence learnt: who saw   When this creation was? rememberst thou   Thy making, while the Maker gave thee being?   We know no time when we were not as now;   Know none before us, self-begot, self-rais'd   By our own quick'ning power, when fatal course   Had circl'd his full Orbe, the birth mature   Of this our native Heav'n, Ethereal Sons.