Page:Paradise lost by Milton, John.djvu/280

274 more of talk where God or Angel guest With Man, as with his friend, familiar used To sit indulgent, and with him partake Rural repast, permitting him the while Venial discourse unblamed. I now must change Those notes to tragic; foul distrust, and breach Disloyal on the part of Man, revolt And disobedience; on the part of Heaven, Now alienated, distance and distaste, Anger and just rebuke, and judgement given, That brought into this world a world of woe, Sin and her shadow Death, and Misery, Death's harbinger: sad task! yet argument Not less but more heroic than the wrath Of stern Achilles, on his foe pursued Thrice fugitive about Troy-wall; or rage Of Turnus for Lavinia disespoused; Or Neptune's ire, or Juno's, that so long Perplexed the Greek, and Cytherea's son;— If answerable style I can obtain Of my celestial patroness, who deigns Her nightly visitation, unimplored, And dictates to me slumbering, or inspires Easy my unpremeditated verse, Since first this subject for heroic song Pleased me, long choosing and beginning late, Not sedulous by nature to indite Wars, hitherto the only argument