Sunday, January 26, 2014

Illustrations of Paradise Lost 7

                                             From Text of Book I
Hurld headlong flaming from th' Ethereal Skie With hideous ruine and combustion down To bottomless perdition, there to dwell In Adamantine Chains and penal Fire, Who durst defie th' Omnipotent to Arms.
From Text of Book VI
 Go then thou Mightiest in thy Fathers might, Ascend my Chariot, guide the rapid Wheeles That shake Heav'ns basis, bring forth all my Warr, My Bow and Thunder, my Almightie Arms Gird on, and Sword upon thy puissant Thigh; Pursue these sons of Darkness, drive them out From all Heav'ns bounds into the utter Deep:

The Rout of the Rebel Angels
From the Thomas Set
Wiki Common
Paradise Lost
The central figure right below Christ's arrow is Satan head first, genitals 
prominently showing..
Christ has seven arrows for his bow.
Six angels are gathered above and around the Sun.
Like many of the falling rebels he's holding his head, an indication
that the fall is mental as well as physical.
Dr. Essick refers us to the Book of Milton, Plate 34:
"These are the Gods of the Kingdoms of the Earth: in contrarious
And cruel opposition: Element against Element,  opposed in War
Not Mental as the Wars of Eternity but a Corporeal Strife"

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