The Hon. Colonel Leslie, 1st Guards, Little Earl of Pomfret P. The Honorable George Pitt -Petrie, Esq. Portland-place R. C. Paul, Esq. Great Ormond-street Mr. George Prince, Arundel street Geo. Pocock, Esq. Great George-street Mr. Parker, Fleet-street Mr. S. Petit, Bank Mr. G. Pettitt, Brewer-street Mr. Purripont, Stamford Mr. Parbury, Holborn Mrs. Pyke, Luton, Bedfordshire R. Her Grace the Duchess of Rutland The Marchioness of Rockingham Sir M. W. Ridley, Bart. Portland-place Mr. Rogers, King-street, Westminster S. The Most Noble the Marquis of Salisbury The Marchioness of Stafford The Earl of Shaftsbury Earl Stanhope Sir John Smith, Bart. Sydling, Dorsetshire Sir John Skynner, George-street LIST OF SUBSCRIBER S. Sackville, Esq. St. James's-street G. G. Stonestreet, Esq. Phoenix Fire-office Jos. Sales, Esq. Gower-street Geo. Steuart, Esq. Upper Harley-street Scrope, Esq. Bath Major Scott Flint Stacey, Esq. Maidstone Wm. Sharp, Esq. Winchester-street Capt. Shaw, Sloane-street H. C. Selby, Esq. Northumberland-house Mr. Spilsbury, Snow-hill Mr. J. S. Spilsbury, Lombard-street Mr. Swainson, Frith-street Mr. Stanger, St. James's-street Mr. Smith, Newgate-street, 2 copies Mr. Smith, Charlotte-street Mr. T. P. Stead, Bank Mr. Suett, Drury-lane Theatre Wm. Symes, Esq. Ufford, near Stamford Mr. C. Steer, Church-street, Spitalfields Mr. Simpson, St. Paul's Church-yard Mr. Stockwell, Crutched-friars The Rev. Mr. Skynner, Easton, near Stamford Mr. James Lumsden Sherriff, Deptford T. Charles Townley, Esq. Park-street J. H. Tooke, Esq. Wimbledon T. Turner, Esq. Caughley-hall, Salop John Travers, Esq. Crutched-friars Mrs. Thomas, Lindhurst, Hants Mr. Thomas Taylor, Red Lion-street Mr. Taylor, Bond-street Mr. Taylor, Grosvenor street Mr. Thompson, Strand, 2 copies U & V. Thomas Vaughan, Esq. Suffolk-street The Hon. G. Villiers, Upper Grosvenor-street Felix Vaughan, Esq. Essex-street The Earl of Wemyss The Earl of Warwick Lord Wycombe W. Sir John Wodehouse, Bart. Benj. Weft, Esq. R. A. President of the Royal Academy George Wrighte, Esq. Gayhurst Mrs. Willan, Mary-le-bonne Park Dr. J. Willis, Greatford, near Stamford J. Wingfield, Esq. Tickencote, near Stamford Mr. Wakelin, Panton-street Mr. Warren, Little Newport-street Mr. Whately, King-street, Covent-garden Mr. Whitaker, Castle-street Walker, Esq. King-street, Golden-square The Rev. Mr. Wheeldon Mr. West, 2 copies The Rev. Mr. Wight, Bridewell Hospital The Rev. Mr. Williams, Chelsea. Walker, Esq. Rotheram, Yorkshire Capt. Williams, Howland-street George Wilson, Esq. Bedford-street Y. John Yenn, Esq. R. A. Treasurer of the Royal Academy Mr. Yate, Borough THE ARGUMENT OF THE FIRST BOOK. THE first book proposes, first in brief the whole subject, man's disobedience, and the loss thereupon of Paradise wherein he was placed: 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 passed over, the poem hastens into the midst of things, presenting Satan with his angels now falling into hell, described here, not in the centre (for heaven and earth may be supposed as yet not made, certainly not yet accursed), but in a place of utter darkness, fitliest called Chaos: here Satan with his angels lying on the burning lake, thunderstruck and astonished, after a certain space recovers, as from confusion, calls up him who next in order and dignity lay by him; they confer of their miserable fall. Satan awakens all his legions, who lay till then in the same manner confounded; they rise, their numbers, array of battel, their chief leaders named, according to the idols known afterwards in Canaan and the countries adjoining; to these Satan directs his speech, comforts them with hope yet of regaining heaven, but tells them lastly of a new world, and new kind of creature to be created, according to an ancient prophecy 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 prophecy, and what to determine thereon, he refers to a full council. What his associates thence attempt. Pandæmonium the palace of Satan rises, suddenly built out of the deep: the infernal peers there sit in council. |