Page:The Complete Poetical Works of John Milton.djvu/134

 PARADISE LOST

��the division into acts. The fourth is of suf- ficient interest to be given entire :

"ADAM UNPAKADISED : The Angel Ga- briel, either descending or entering showing, since the globe is created, his frequency as much on Earth as in Heaven describes Para- dise. Next the Chorus, showing the reason of his coming to keep his watch, after Lucifer's rebellion, by the command of God and withal expressing his desire to see and know more concerning this excellent and new creature, Man. The Angel Gabriel, as by his name sig- nifying a Prince of Power, passes by the sta- tion of the Chorus, and, desired by them, re- lates what he knew of Man, as the creation of Eve, with their love and marriage. After this, Lucifer appears, after his overthrow ; be- moans himself ; seeks revenge upon Man. The Chorus prepares resistance at his first approach. At last, after discourse of enmity on either side, he departs ; whereat the Chorus sing of the battle and victory in Heaven against him and his accomplices, as before, after the first Act, was sung a hymn of the Creation. Here again may appear Lucifer, relating and consulting on what he had done to the destruction of Man. Man next and Eve, having been by this time seduced by the Serpent, appear confusedly, covered with leaves. Conscience, in a shape, accuses him ; Justice cites him to the place whither Jehovah called for him. In the mean- time the Chorus entertains the stage and is in- formed by some Angel of the manner of the Fall. Here the Chorus bewails Adam's fall. Adam and Eve return and accuse one another ; but especially Adam lays the blame to his wife is stubborn in his offence. Justice appears, reasons with him, convinces him. The Chorus admonishes Adam, and bids him beware Luci- fer's example of impenitence. The Angel is sent to banish them out of Paradise ; but, be- fore, causes to pass before his eyes, in shapes, a masque of all the evils of this life and world. He is humbled, relents, despairs. At last ap- pears Mercy, comforts him, promises him the Messiah ; then calls in Faith, Hope, Charity ; instructs him. He repents, gives God the glory, submits to his penalty. The Chorus briefly concludes. Compare this with the former Draft."

As will appear below, not only the idea of the dramatic form, but the specific handling here indicated, were beyond rea- sonable doubt suggested to Milton in Italy, where several dramas treating of the fall

��of Man, notably the Adamo of Andreini, can hardly have failed to fall under his notice. Though temporarily fascinated by these showy productions, he could not aban- don the epic form without long debate. The following passage frorn the Reason of Church Government, published in 1641, while this course of reading aud pondering was still in progress, is interesting, aside from the nobility of its diction, as showing his hesitation:

" Time serves not now ... to give any certain account of what the mind at home, in the spacious circuit of her musings, hath liberty to propose to herself, though of highest hope and hardest attempting whether that Epic form whereof the two poems of Homer and those other two of Virgil and Tasso are a diffuse, and the book of Job a brief model; . . . or whether those Dramatic constitutions wherein Soph- ocles and Euripides reign shall be found more doctrinal and exemplary to a nation."

He balances, too, the idea of a national historical Epic over against that of a drama or pastoral play drawn from Holy Writ:

"As Tasso gave to the prince of Italy his choice whether he would command him to write of Godfrey's expedition against the infidels ... or Charlemagne against the Lombards, if to the instinct of nature and the emboldening of art aught may be trusted ... it haply would be no rashness, from an equal diligence and inclination, [for me] to present the like offer in our an- cient stories. . . . The Scripture also affords us a divine Pastoral Drama in the song of Solomon . . . and the Apocalypse of St. John is the majestic image of a high and stately Tragedy, shutting up and intermin- gling her solemn scenes and acts with a sevenfold chorus of hallelujahs and harping symphonies."

Whatever should be the subject and form selected, the selection was to be made from the point of view of the moral teacher. Milton is already determined to be the assertor of Eternal providence:

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