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THIS first Book proposes first in brief the whole Subject, Mans
disobedience, and the loss thereupon of Paradise wherein he was plac't:
Then touches the prime cause of his fall, the Serpent, or rather Satan
in the Serpent; who revolting from God, and drawing to his side many
Legions of Angels, was by the command of God driven out of Heaven with
all his Crew into the great Deep. Which action past over, the Poem hasts
into the midst of things, presenting Satan with his Angels now fallen
into Hell describ'd here, not in the Center (for Heaven and Earth may be
suppos'd as yet not made, certainly not yet accurst) but in a place of
utter darknesse, fitliest call'd Chaos: Here Satan with his Angels lying
on the burning Lake, thunder-struck and astonisht, after a certain space
recovers, as from confusion, calls up him who next in Order and Dignity
lay by him; they confer of thir miserable fall. Satan awakens all his
Legions, who lay till then in the same manner confounded; They rise,
thir Numbers, array of Battel, thir chief Leaders nam'd according to the
Idols known afterwards in Canaan and the Countries adjoyning. To these
Satan directs his Speech, comforts them with hope yet of gaining Heaven,
but tells them lastly of a new World and new kind of Creature to be
created, according to an ancient Prophesie or report in Heaven; for that
Angels were long before this visible Creation, was the opinion of many
ancient Fathers. To find out the truth of this Prophesie, and what to
determin thereon he refers to a full councell. What his Associates
thence attempt. Pandemonium the palace of Satan rises, suddenly built
out of the Deep: The infernal Peers there sit in Counsel.
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