Paradise Lost Book 2: Line 370-373 - Explanation

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Line. 370-373: This would surpass.....his disturbance.

      Holding forth his plea that the best way the fallen angles could revenge themselves on the Almighty would be by seducing Man in newly created universe, Beelzebub says that his plan is much better than any others that had been previously suggested. Moloch's plan, for example, was the most dangerous, since it would expose them to as great a risk as they had previously undergone, and, if they should fail, it would bring a worse punishment on their hands. Belial and Mammon’s proposals ignore that God is still the ruler also of Hell, and that He is a jealous and vindictive God. Whatever they might do in Hell, whether they take their ease, or build an empire, it would provoke God to greater anger, whereas his subtale plan of the seduction of Man would put God entirely out of His homor. It would interfere with His rejoicing it their downfall and misery and it would fill them with great rejoicing to find that God too is suffering for when their plan succeeds, God would repent His folly in having created this new race, who had let Him down so badly by turning a traitor to Him.

      It may be here justly questioned how Beelzebub could be so sure that they would be able to escape the jealous eyes of the ever wakeful God so as to enter the new universe and tempt man to his fall. The argument with which he dismissed Belial and Mammon's proposals also holds good in this case. But Milton desires us to understand that the fall of man has also been anticipated, though not in an ancient prophecy, yet by the Creator Himself, and the subtle fiend may have inferred it, knowing as he did the mind of God. In the following book, God draws the attention of His only begotten Son to the sight of Satan winning his way through Chaos, and entering the new world with purpose to assay man, and He tells Him that he shall easily pervert man, "For Man will hearken to his glozzing lies, And easily transgress the sole comman, Sole pledge of his obedience: so will fall He and his faithless progency." This was before the event actually happened, and God with his foreknowledge absolute" is about to see it all. Satan, and here his lieutenant, who is in his inmost counsels, must be gifted with a little of this foreknowledge, and they ought to have discussed the matter thoroughly between them, before Beelzebub brought it in the conclave. This explains the confidence with which he expects the plan to succeed.

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