To town or village nigh (nighest is far)
Where ought we hear, and curieus are to hear,
What happens new; fame alfo finds us out.
To whom the son of God. Who brought me hither
Will bring me hence, no other guide I feek.
By miracle he may, reply'd the fwain,
{{ What other way I fee not, for we here
Live on tough roots and stubs, to thirst inur'd
More than the camel, and to drink go far,
Men to much mifery and hardship born;
But if thou be the fon of God, command
That out of these hard stones be made thee bread;
So fhalt thou fave thyself and us relieve
With food, whereof we wretched feldom taste. 345
He ended, and the fon of God reply'd.
Think'st thou fuch force in bread; is it not written
(For I difcern thee other than thou feem'ft)
Man lives not by bread only, but each word
Proceeding from the mouth of God? who fed
Our fathers here with manna; in the mount
Mofes was forty days, nor eat nor drank,
And forty days Elijah without food
Wandred this barren wafte, the fame I now:
Why dost thou then fuggeft to me diftraft,
Knowing who I am, as I know who thou art?
Whom thus anfwer'd th' arch-fiend now undifguis'd.
(Tis true, I am that spirit unfortunate,
Who leagu'd with millions more in rash revolt
Kept not my happy ftation, but was driv'n
With them from blifs to the bottomless deep,
Yet to that hideous place not fo confin'd
By rigour unconniving, but that oft
Leaving my dolorous prifon I enjoy
Large liberty to round this globe of earth,
Or range in th' air, nor from the heav'n of heav'ns
I came among the fons of God, when he
Gave up into my hands Uzzean Job
To prove him, and illuftrate his high worth;
And when to all his angels he propos'd
To draw the proud king Ahab into fraud,
That he might fall in Ramoth, they demurring,
I undertook that office; and the tongues
(Of all his flatt'ring prophets glibb'd with lyes
To his destruction, as I had in charge,
For what he bids I do; though I have loft
Much luftre of my native brightness, loft
To be belov'd of God, I have not loft
To love, at least contemplate and admire
What I fee excellent in good, or fair,
Or virtuous, I fhould fo have loft all fenfe.
What can be then lefs in me than defire
To fee thee, and approach thee, whom I know
Declar'd the Son of God, to hear attent
(To all mankind: why fhould I? they to me Never did wrong or violence, by them
Thy wisdom, and behold thy God-like deeds?
Men generally think me much a foe
I lost not what I lost, rather by them
I gain'd what I have gain'd, and with them dwell
Copartner in these regions of the world,
If not difpofer; lend them oft my aid,
Oft my advice by prefages and figns,
› And answers, oracles, portents and dreams,
Whereby they may direct their future life.
Envy they fay excites me, thus to gain
Companions of my mifery and woe.
At first it may be; but long fince with wo
Nearer acquainted, now I feel by proof,
That fellowship in pain divides not smart,
Nor lightens aught each man's peculiar load;
Small confolation then, were man adjoin'd:
This wounds me most (what can it lefs) that man,
Man fall'n fhall be reftor'd, I never more."
To whom our Saviour fternly thus reply'd : Defervedly thou griev'ft, compos'd of lyes
" From the beginning, and in lyes wilt end;
Who boast'st release from hell, and leave to come
Into the heav'n of heav'ns: thou com'ft indeed, 410
As a poor miferable captive thrall,
+ Comes to the place where he before had fat
Among the prime in fplendor, now depos'd,
Ejected, emptied, gaz'd, unpitied, shun'd,
A fpectacle of ruin or of scorn
" To all the host of heav'n; the happy place
Imports to thee no happiness, no joy,
Rather inflames thy torment, reprefenting
Loft blifs, to thee no more communicable,
So never more in hell than when in heav'n.
But thou art ferviceable to heav'n's king.
Wilt thou impute t' obedience what thy fear
Extorts, or pleasure to do ill excites?
What but thy malice mov'd thee to misdeem
Of righteous Job, then cruelly to afflict him
With all inflictions? but his patience won.
The other service was thy chofen task,
To be a lyar in four hundred months;
For lying is thy fuftenance, thy food.
Yet thou pretend'ft to truth; all oracles
By thee are giv'n, and what confest more true
Among the nations; that hath been thy craft,
By mixing somewhat true to, vent more lyes.
But what have been thy answers, what but dark,
Ambiguous, and with double fenfe deluding,
Which they who afk'd have feldom understood,
And not well understood as good not known?
Who ever by confulting at thy shrine
Return'd the wifer, or the more instruct
To fly or follow what concern'd him most,
And run not fooner to his fatal fnare?
For God hath justly giv'n the nations up
To thy delufions, juftly, fince they fell
Idolatrous, but when his purpose is
Among them to declare his providence
"To thee not known, whence haft thou then thy truth, "But from him or his angels prefident
In ev'ry province, who, themselves disdaining
T' approach thy temple, give thee in command
What to the smallest title thou shalt say
To thy adorers? thou with trembling fear,
Or like a fawning parafite obey'lt;
Then to thyself afcrib'ft the truth foretold.
But this thy glory shall be soon retrench'd;
No more fhalt thou by oracling abuse
The Gentiles; henceforth oracles are ceas'd;
And thou no more with pomp and facrifice
Shalt be enquir'd at Delphos or elfe-where,
At least in vain, for they fhall find thee mute.
*God hath now fent his loving oracle
Into the world to teach his final will,
And fends his fpirit of truth henceforth to dwell
In pious hearts, an inward oracle
To all truth requisite for men to know.
So fpake our Saviour; but the fubtle fiend, 465
Though inly ftung with anger and disdain,
Diffembled, and this anfwer fmooth return'd.
Sharply thou haft infifted on rebuke,
And urg'd me hard with doings, which not will
But mifery hath wrested from me: where
Eafily canft thou find one miferable,
And not inforc'd oft-times to part from truth,
If it may ftand him more in stead to lye,
Say and unfay, feign, flatter, or abjure?
But thou art plac'd above me, thou art lord;
From thee I can and muft fubmifs endure
Check or reproof, aud glad t' efcape fo quit.
Hard are the ways of truth, and rough
Smooth on the tongue difcours'd, pleafing to th' ear,
And tuneable as filvan pipe or fong;
What wonder then if I delight to hear
Her dictates from thy mouth? moft men admire
Virtue, who follow not her lore: permit me
To hear thee when I come (fince no man comes)
And talk at least, tho' I defpair t' attain.
Thy father, who is holy, wife and pure,
!!Suffers the hypocrite or atheous priest
To tread his facred courts, and minister
About his altar, handling holy things,
// Praying or vowing, and vouchfaf'd his voice To Balaam reprobate, a prophet yet
"Infpir'd; difdain not fuch accefs to me."
(To whom our Saviour with unalter'd brow. "Thy coming hither, though I know thy scope, I bid not or forbid; do as thou find'st
( Permission from above: thou canst not more.") He added not; and Satan bowing low
His gray diffimulation, disappear'd
Into thin air diffus'd: for now began
Night with her fullen wings to double-1hade
The defart, fowls in their clay nefts were couch'd; And now wild beafts came forth the woods to roam.
The End of the First Book..
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