Chapter Panyer's Alley to Paradise Lost of P by Brewer's Readers Handbook

not open for such an offering. She then carried up the repentant tear of an old man converted by the prayers of a little child. All heaven rejoiced, the gates were flung open, and the peri was received with a joyous welcome.—Moore: Lalla Rookh (“Second Tale,” 1817).

Paradise Lost. Satan and his crew, still suffering from their violent expulsion out of heaven, are roused by Satan’s telling them about a “new creation;” and he calls a general council to deliberate upon their future operations (bk. i.). The council meet in the Pandemonium hall, and it is resolved that Satan shall go on a voyage of discovery to this “new world” (bk. ii.). The Almighty sees Satan, and confers with His Son about man. He foretells the Fall, and arranges the scheme of man’s redemption. Meantime, Satan enters the orb of the sun, and there learns the route to the “new world” (bk. iii.). On entering Paradise, he overhears Adam and Eve talking of the one prohibition (bk. iv.). Raphael is now sent down to warn Adam of his danger, and he tells him who Satan is (bk. v.); describes the war in heaven, and the expulsion of the rebel angels (bk. vi.). The angel visitant goes on to tell Adam why and how this world was made (bk. vii.); and Adam tells Raphael of his own experience (bk. viii.). After the departure of Raphael, Satan enters into a serpent, and, seeing Eve alone, speaks to her. Eve is astonished to hear the serpent talk, but is informed that it had tasted of “the tree of knowledge,” and had become instantly endowed with both speech and wisdom. Curiosity induces Eve to taste the same fruit, and she persuades Adam to taste it also (bk. ix.). Satan now returns to hell, to tell of his success (bk. x.). Michael is sent to expel Adam and Eve from the garden (bk. xi.); and the poem concludes with the expulsion, and Eve’s lamentation (bk. xii.).—Milton (1665).

(Paradise Lost was first published by Matthias Walker of St. Dunstan’s. He gave for it £5 down; on the sale of 1300 copies, he gave another £5. On the next two impressions, he gave other like sums. For the four editions, he therefore paid £20. The agreement between Walker and Milton is preserved in the British Museum.)

It must be remembered that the wages of an ordinary workman was at the time about 3d. a day, and we now give 3s.; so that the price given was equal to about £250, according to the present value of money. Goldsmith tells us that the clergyman of his “deserted village” was “passing rich” with £40 a year = £500 present value of money.