Summary and Reading Notes--Adam Kissel

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1-31, Satan flies near--unfortunately, Adam and Eve, "innocent" and "frail," have received no loud warning. He will come as tempter. He must stop: "horror and doubt distract/His troubled thoughts," for he has hell within him and cannot shake it off--"now conscience wakes despair/That slumbered," as S. remembers his situation and his fall--thus remembering, he considers that "of worse deeds worse sufferings must ensue." He wavers.

32-45, S. addresses the sun "with no friendly voice" [see R. M. Hutchins title]; it reminds him of his fall from glory; he wonders why he let pride and ambition lead him to challenge God, who had created him and "with his good/Upbraided none; nor was his service hard.
46-57, God deserved thanks and praise, but S disdained subjection and wanted to rise to God's level, so that he could "quit/The debt immense of endless gratitude,/So burthensome." He now understands, as he did not before,
     that a grateful mind
By owing owes not, but still pays, at once
Indebted and discharged.
58-61, [series of short sentences for confused deliberation] if S had started out more inferior, he would not have hoped with ambition.
62-65, S considers that, even so, he might have joined the rebellion of another, though others at lower levels did not succumb to temptation.
66-68, "Hadst thou the same free will and power to stand?/Thou hadst." He has no excuse.
69-70, God's gift of freedom has facilitated S's "eternal woe."
71-74, S reflects that he chose freely, and is thus cursed, unsure what to do in his "infinite despair."
75-78, He cannot escape hell; he is hell; and he could suffer worse.
79-86, Seems to have nowhere to turn for pardon, except "by submission; and that word/Disdain forbids me, and my dread of shame/Among the Spirits beneath."
86-92, The higher S. rises in hell, the lower he falls in misery: "such joy ambition finds."
93-102, Feigned submission would only inspire his ambition again, and his recanting of vows of obedience, toward a worse fall. He thinks he hates God too much to be reconciled with God.
103-07, S. again states his belief that God created the world to replace of the lost angels.
107-13, S has persuaded himself in despair, hopeless, fearless, remorseless, "Evil be thou my good." He at least will claim some spoils on earth, maybe even rule more than half of it. He resolves to learn about the world.
114-19, While S. speaks, his face reflects his changing negative emotions, unlike true cherubs who do not even have them.
119-30, Uriel has been looking on, having been warned, and S's expressions (despite his practiced concealment of before) have given him away.

131-42, Not knowing he is observed, S. flies to Eden. It is protected from entry by thickets, with many overhead trees.
142-59, Above the trees is a wall, and beyond, another row of trees, a lovely landscape with pure air.
159-65, The scent is most pleasant, like Arabic spices.
166-71, S. is very pleased with the sweet smell. Allusion to Asmodeus [see Norton note on Raphael's role].
172-93, S. circles Eden and finds best entry by leaping over the main gate, like a hungry wolf or a thief [cf. Jesus on thief and gate].
194-204, S. alights on the highest tree as a cormorant, which happens to be the Tree of Life; but like everyone but God, he fails to put the tree to its highest use--he just sits on it, devising death.
205-222, S views Paradise and the garden in the east. It has the best trees, including the Tree of Life and that one responsible for man's death, the Tree of Knowledge: "Knowledge of good bought dear by knowing ill" [i.e. beforehand being innocent of knowledge of either]. Gen 2:9
223-63, It has a river, splitting into four streams, watering from below all of Eden; the flowers grow naturally and beautifully; has groves and lawns and flocks; roses without thorns--all the splendors of nature. Like the gardens of Venus [Norton ed. note, taken from Fowler]. Gen 2:10-14
264-68, Also Eden has songbirds and an eternal spring (attended by the likes of Pan, the Graces, and the Hours).

268-311, Eden has no competitors for its beauty. Satan sees the naked people: "in their looks divine/The image of their glorious Maker shone,/Truth, wisdom, sanctitude severe and pure," living in "true filial freedom." They are unequal, being of different sexes: he is for contemplation and valor, which she for softness and "sweet attractive grace." Adam seems the ruler (considering his large front, and his eye). His hair goes not beneath the shoulders; hers to the waist. She seems made for subjection ("but required with gentle sway"), due to her more curly hair. Indeed she yields to him "with coy submission, modest pride,/And sweet reluctant amorous delay."
312-18, They are naked. Their "Simplicity and spotless innocence" is better than today's hiding of the naked parts, in which our covering them makes us seem pure (but not to be so).
319-24 , They have no shame, "for they thought no ill." They are "the loveliest pair/That ever since in love's embraces met."
325-40, Their light work done for the day [cf. demons on sloth], they eat and drink, and smile at each other, a "Fair couple, linked in happy nuptial league."
340-56, they are surrounded by lots of animals, wild but peaceful. Also the serpent "sly/Insinuating," who "of his fatal guile/Gave proof unheeded." It becomes evening, then night, as Satan looks on, and then Satan finally, sad, recovers his speech.

357-65, S. wonders at these beings, "Not Spirits, yet .../Little inferior; whom my thought pursue/With wonder, and could love, so lively shines/In them divine resemblance."
366-87, S predicts their change and downfall from joy to woe. He imagines he will open all of hell to them, in place of the confines of Eden. He feels slightly guilty that he will wrong them for the sake of wronging God in revenge.
388-94, He expresses more guilt; he is willing to sacrifice individuals for his "public" good of gaining honor and empire along with revenge, "To do what else though damned I should abhor."
396-410, S. will by guile get closer to the people, to observe them better. He is trying out different animal disguises when he hears Adam begin to speak to Eve.

411-32, Adam marvels at the infinite goodness of their creator, who they serve only by not eating of the Tree of Knowledge, after which they would die (not now knowing death). An easy rule to follow. Meanwhile, they have dominion "over all other creatures" on earth. [cf. Satan's power and his reaction to it] Gen 2:16-17
432-39, They should keep the commandment and praise God, extolling his bounty, tending the garden sweetly together.

440-43, Eve agrees. Says Adam is her guide and head; without him, she has no purpose. Gen 2:18-23
444-,

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