Was John Milton Wrong?

[…] Here at least
we shall be free; the 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.
John Milton, Paradise Lost, Book I,  Lines 258-263


It is much to the Oracle of Ottawa's chagrin, that  he has yet to read Paradise Lost straight through. So many books so little time... but when the time comes I will be ready. I have more then one excellent edition. The modern facsimile of the Gustave Dore illustrated edition for the first light read through and then that really posh, annotated academic edition for the background and depth...Maybe I'll pull a Canadian style Northrup Frye and see it all in a brilliant new light! A reinterpretation of John Milton by the Oracle of Ottawa... Governor Generals Award for best non-fiction....Hey shit happens!

John Milton, Right or Wrong?

But even though I have yet to start and finish, I often ponder one line from the work..."Better to reign in Hell, then serve in Heaven." It stays in my head all the time. Especially watching the antics of the many political animals of which we have many in abundance in the fair City of Ottawa, at three levels of government! These people take it as a maxim wrapped in a mantra... The results of course are an unmitigated disaster. Any one who cops this line as a mantra, never ran anything ...

The edition I really, really want...

It is all about the power isn't it? Power is fascinating in youth and grows to revulsion in the seasoning of years. Another good analogy I have often heard is that power is like a candle that is lit at both ends, but that is not really true. Power is like a stick of dynamite that is lit at both ends, with variable speed burning fuses! You don't know which fuse is going to burn you first, all you know for sure is, eventually and sure as Hell, that sooner rather then later the goddamn thing is going to blow up like a bastard...That is when you hand it to the poor devil beside you and head for the peace and calm of Heaven...

A bit of an introduction....