John Milton's Paradise Lost
IN PLAIN ENGLISH
X-1. Meanwhile the hainous and despightfull act / Of Satan done in Paradise, and how / Hee in the Serpent, had perverted Eve, / Her Husband shee, to taste the fatall fruit, / Was known in Heav'n;
X-1. God knew all about how the snake got Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, and how she did the same to her husband.
X-5. for what can scape the Eye / Of God All-seeing, or deceave his Heart / Omniscient,
X-5. He knows and sees everything.
X-8. who in all things wise and just, / Hinder'd not Satan to attempt the minde / Of Man, with strength entire, and free will arm'd, / Complete to have discover'd and repulst / Whatever wiles of Foe or seeming Friend. / For still they knew, and ought to have still remember'd / The high Injunction not to taste that Fruit, / Whoever tempted;
X-8. He didn't try to stop Satan because the couple had free will, which was all they needed to defend themselves.
X-14. which they not obeying, / Incurr'd, what could they less, the penaltie, / And manifold in sin, deserv'd to fall.
X-14. But they disobeyed God and now they had to pay the penalty.
X-17. Up into Heav'n from Paradise in haste / Th' Angelic Guards ascended,
X-17. The guardian angels flew up to Heaven.
X-19. mute and sad / For Man, for of his state by this they knew, / Much wondring how the suttle Fiend had stoln / Entrance unseen.
X-19. They knew about man's fall and they were sad. They couldn't figure out how Satan had got past them.
X-21. Soon as th' unwelcome news / From Earth arriv'd at Heaven Gate,
X-21. Soon the news reached Heaven.
X-23. displeas'd / All were who heard, dim sadness did not spare / That time Celestial visages, yet mixt / With pitie, violated not thir bliss.
X-23. Those who heard it were sorry and full of pity (though angels can never really be sad).
X-26. About the new-arriv'd, in multitudes / Th' ethereal People ran, to hear and know / How all befell: they towards the Throne Supream / Accountable made haste to make appear / With righteous plea, thir utmost vigilance,
X-26. They surrounded the ones who returned from Earth to hear all about it, but they were hurrying to God's throne to explain how they tried their best to keep Satan out.
X-31. And easily approv'd; when the most High / Eternal Father from his secret Cloud, / Amidst in Thunder utter'd thus his voice.
X-31. God reassured them that he was not holding them responsible.
X-34. Assembl'd Angels, and ye Powers return'd / From unsuccessful charge, be not dismaid, / Nor troubl'd at these tidings from the Earth,
X-34. “Those of you who have just returned from Earth, don't feel bad.
X-37. Which your sincerest care could not prevent,
X-37. Nothing you did could have prevented man's fall.
X-38. Foretold so lately what would come to pass, / When first this Tempter cross'd the Gulf from Hell. / I told ye then he should prevail and speed / On his bad Errand, Man should be seduc't / And flatter'd out of all, believing lies / Against his Maker;
X-38. Back when Satan was headed for Earth, I told you this would happen.
X-43. no Decree of mine / Concurring to necessitate his Fall, / Or touch with lightest moment of impulse / His free Will, to her own inclining left / In eevn scale.
X-43. Nothing I did affected man's fall. I left him entirely to his own free will, without the slightest influence from me.
X-47. But fall'n he is, and now / What rests but that the mortal Sentence pass / On his transgression Death denounc't that day,
X-47. But he did fall, and now we have to pass sentence on him, which will be death.
X-50. Which he presumes already vain and void, / Because not yet inflicted, as he fear'd, / By some immediate stroak; but soon shall find / Forbearance no acquittance ere day end. / Justice shall not return as bountie scorn'd.
X-50. He's trying to convince himself that it's not going to happen, since he didn't die immediately. He's wrong.
X-55. But whom send I to judge them? whom but thee / Vicegerent Son,
X-55. There's nobody else I would send to judge them but you, my son.
X-56. to thee I have transferr'd / All Judgement whether in Heav'n, or Earth, or Hell.
X-56. I gave over all jurisdiction to you in Heaven, Hell, and Earth.
X-58. Easie it might be seen that I intend / Mercie collegue with Justice,
X-58. It's not hard to see that by sending you I want to add mercy to justice.
X-60. sending thee / Mans Friend his Mediator, his design'd / Both Ransom and Redeemer voluntarie, / And destin'd Man himself to judge Man fall'n.
X-60. You're man's friend. You volunteered to become man yourself one day and be his Savior.”
X-63. So spake the Father, and unfoulding bright / Toward the right hand his Glorie, on the Son / Blaz'd forth unclouded Deitie; he full / Resplendent all his Father manifest / Express'd, and thus divinely answer'd milde.
X-63. The Son appeared on the right side of his father with the glory of his father's light shining on him.
X-68. Father Eternal, thine is to decree, / Mine both in Heav'n and Earth to do thy will / Supream, that thou in mee thy Son belov'd / Mayst ever rest well pleas'd.
X-68. He said, “Father, you just say it and I'll do whatever it takes to please you.
X-71. I go to judge / On Earth these thy transgressors,
X-71. I'll go judge the sinners.
X-73. but thou knowst, / Whoever judg'd, the worst on mee must light, / When time shall be,
X-73. But you and I both know I'll be the one who gets the worst of the punishment sooner or later.
X-75. for so I undertook / Before thee; and not repenting, this obtaine / Of right, that I may mitigate thir doom / On me deriv'd,
X-75. I promised it so they wouldn't have to die, and I have no regrets."
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