WORKS
Book I of Paradise Lost
Book II of Paradise Lost
Book IV of Paradise Lost
BOOK I OF PARADISE LOST
“This first Book proposes, first in brief, the whole Subject, Man’s 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 hastes into the midst of things, presenting Satan with his Angels now fallen into Hell, describ’d here, not in the Centre (for Heaven and Earth may be suppos’d as yet not made, certainly not yet accurst) but in a place of utter darkness, 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 Battle, thir chief Leaders nam’d, 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. Pandemonium the Palace of Satan rises, suddenly built out of the Deep: The infernal Peers there sit in Council.”
— John Milton, “The Argument,” Book I of Paradise Lost (1674 edition)
Satan Calling His Spirits from the Fiery Lake
[Satan Exulting]
Date
ca. 1794
Medium
Watercolor over graphite, on paper
Dimensions
Height: 56.5 cm
Width: 38.6 cm
Location
The Morgan Library & Museum, New York
PL Lines
“He call’d so loud, that all the hollow Deep
Of Hell resounded.…
Awake, arise, or be for ever fall’n.”
(Paradise Lost, Book I, 314–15, 330)
BOOK II OF PARADISE LOST
“The Consultation begun, Satan debates whether another Battle be to be hazarded for the recovery of Heaven: some advise it, others dissuade: A third proposal is preferr’d, mention’d before by Satan, to search the truth of that Prophecy or Tradition in Heaven concerning another world, and another kind of creature equal or not much inferior to themselves, about this time to be created: Thir doubt who shall be sent on this difficult search: Satan thir chief undertakes alone the voyage, is honor’d and applauded. The Council thus ended, the rest betake them several ways and to several employments, as thir inclinations lead them, to entertain the time till Satan return. He passes on his Journey to Hell Gates, finds them shut, and who sat there to guard them, by whom at length they are op’n’d, and discover to him the great Gulf between Hell and Heaven; with what difficulty he passes through, directed by Chaos, the Power of that place, to the sight of this new World which he sought.”
— John Milton, “The Argument,” Book II of Paradise Lost (1674 edition)
The Birth of Sin
Engraver
F. P. Simon, after Richard Westall
Date
1794
Medium
Stipple engraving
Dimensions
Height: 22.54 cm
Width: 15.87 cm
Location
[See William L. Pressly, The Life and Art of James Barry (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1981), p. 167; William L. Pressly, James Barry: The Artist as Hero (London: Tate Gallery Publications Department, 1983), p. 111.]
PL Lines
“…In Heav’n, when at th’ Assembly, and in sight
Of all the Seraphim with thee combin’d
In bold conspiracy against Heav’n’s King,
All on a sudden miserable pain
Surpris’d thee, dim thine eyes, and dizzy swum
In darkness, while thy head flames thick and fast
Threw forth, till on the left side op’ning wide,
Likest to thee in shape and count’nance bright,
Then shining heav’nly fair, a Goddess arm’d
Out of thy head I sprung: amazement seiz’d
All th’ Host of Heav’n…”
(Paradise Lost, Book II, 749–59)
BOOK IV OF PARADISE LOST
“Satan now in prospect of Eden, and nigh the place where he must now attempt the bold enterprise which he undertook alone against God and Man, falls into many doubts with himself, and many passions, fear, envy, and despair; but at length confirms himself in evil, journeys on to Paradise, whose outward prospect and situation is described, overleaps the bounds, sits in the shape of a Cormorant on the Tree of Life, as highest in the Garden to look about him. The Garden describ’d; Satan’s first sight of Adam and Eve; his wonder at thir excellent form and happy state, but with resolution to work thir fall; overhears thir discourse, thence gathers that the Tree of Knowledge was forbidden them to eat of, under penalty of death; and thereon intends to found his Temptation, by seducing them to transgress: then leaves them a while, to know further of thir state by some other means. Meanwhile Uriel descending on a Sun-beam warns Gabriel, who had in charge the Gate of Paradise, that some evil spirit had escap’d the Deep, and past at Noon by his Sphere in the shape of a good Angel down to Paradise, discovered after by his furious gestures in the Mount. Gabriel promises to find him ere morning. Night coming on, Adam and Eve discourse of going to thir rest: thir Bower describ’d; thir Evening worship. Gabriel drawing forth his Bands of Night-watch to walk the round of Paradise, appoints two strong Angels to Adam’s Bower, lest the evil spirit should be there doing some harm to Adam or Eve sleeping; there they find him at the ear of Eve, tempting her in a dream, and bring him, though unwilling, to Gabriel; by whom question’d, he scornfully answers, prepares resistance, but hinder’d by a Sign from Heaven, flies out of Paradise.”
— John Milton, “The Argument,” Book IV of Paradise Lost (1674 edition)
Satan Alarm’d—Dilated Stood
Date
1794
Medium
Watercolor, pen and ink, and gouache, over graphite on laid paper
Dimensions
Height: 61.6 cm (image)
Width: 50.5 cm (image)
Height: 68.3 cm (sheet)
Width: 57.2 cm (sheet)
Location
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
[See also Google Arts & Culture]
PL Lines
“On th’ other side Satan alarm’d
Collecting all his might dilated stood,
Like Teneriff or Atlas unremov’d:
His stature reacht the Sky, and on his Crest
Sat horror Plum’d; nor wanted in his grasp
What seem’d both Spear and Shield…”
(Paradise Lost, Book IV, 985–90)
Satan Alarm’d—Dilated Stood
Engraver
Simon Jean Pierre, after Richard Westall
Date
1794
Medium
Engraving and etching, printed on chine collé
Dimensions
Height: 20.8 cm
Width: 15 cm
Location
British Museum, London
[See also Art of the Print]
[See also William L. Pressly, The Life and Art of James Barry (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1981), p. 157.]
PL Lines
“On th’ other side Satan alarm’d
Collecting all his might dilated stood,
Like Teneriff or Atlas unremov’d:
His stature reacht the Sky, and on his Crest
Sat horror Plum’d; nor wanted in his grasp
What seem’d both Spear and Shield…”
(Paradise Lost, Book IV, 985–90)