The Printer to the Reader.
COurteous Reader, There was no Argument at firſt intended to the Book, but for the ſatisfaction of many that have deſired it, I have procur'd it, and withall a reaſon of that which ſtumbled many others, why the Poem Rimes not. S. Simmons.
THE
ARGUMENT:
Of the
FIRST BOOK.
THe firſt Book propoſes firſt in brief the whole Subject, Mans 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 haſts into the midſt of things, preſenting Satan with his Angels now fallen into Hell, deſcrib'd here, not in the Center (for Heaven and Earth may be ſuppos'd as yet not made, certainly not yet accurſt) but in a place of utter darkneſſe, fithiſt call'd Chaos: Here Satan with his Angels lying on the burning Lake, thunderſtruck and aſtoniſht, after a certain ſpace recovers, as from confuſion, calls up
