John Milton (1608-1674)

Paradise Lost: Satan – “If Thou Beest He” (1667)

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If thou beest he; But O how fall’n! how chang’d 
From him, who in the happy Realms of Light  
Cloth’d with transcendent brightness didst out-shine 
Myriads though bright: If he Whom mutual league, 
United thoughts and counsels, equal hope 
And hazard in the Glorious Enterprize, 
Joynd with me once, now misery hath joynd  
In equal ruin: into what Pit thou seest 
From what highth fall’n, so much the stronger prov’d 
He with his Thunder: and till then who knew 
The force of those dire Arms? yet not for those, 
Nor what the Potent Victor in his rage  
Can else inflict, do I repent or change, 
Though chang’d in outward lustre; that fixt mind 
And high disdain, from sence of injur’d merit, 
That with the mightiest rais’d me to contend, 

And to the fierce contention brought along  
Innumerable force of Spirits arm’d 
That durst dislike his reign, and me preferring, 
His utmost power with adverse power oppos’d 
In dubious Battel on the Plains of Heav’n, 
And shook his throne.  “… What though the field be lost? 
All is not lost—the unconquerable will, 
And study of revenge, immortal hate, 
And courage never to submit or yield: 
And what is else not to be overcome? 
That glory never shall his wrath or might 
Extort from me. To bow and sue for grace 
With suppliant knee, and deify his power 
Who, from the terror of this arm, so late 
Doubted his empire—that were low indeed; 
That were an ignominy and shame beneath 
This downfall; since, by fate, the strength of Gods, 
And this empyreal sybstance, cannot fail; 
Since, through experience of this great event, 
In arms not worse, in foresight much advanced, 
We may with more successful hope resolve 
To wage by force or guile eternal war, 
Irreconcilable to our grand Foe, 
Who now triumphs, and in th’ excess of joy 
Sole reigning holds the tyranny of Heaven.” 

Farewell happy fields, 
Where joy for ever dwells! Hail, horrors! hail, 
Infernal world! and thou, profoundest Hell, 
Receive thy new possessor–one who brings 
A mind not to be changed by place or time. 
The mind is its own place, and in itself 
Can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven. 
What matter where, if I be still the same, 
And what I should be, all but less than hee 
Whom thunder hath made greater? Here at least 
We shall be free; th’ Almighty hath not built 
Here for his envy, will not drive us hence: 
Here we may reign secure; and, in my choice, 
To reign is worth ambition, though in Hell: 
Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven. 

Readings

John Milton: 'Paradise Lost' - Satan: "If Thou Beest He" read by Colin Salmon
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