To warm him wet return'd from Field at Eve,
He faw approach, who firft with curious eye
Perus'd him, then with words thus utter'd fpake. 320
Sir, what ill chance has brought thee to this place So far from path or road of men, who pass
In Troop or Caravan, for fingle none
ever, who return'd, and drøpt not here His Carcafs, pin'd with hunger and with droughth, 325 I ask the rather, and the more admire,
For that to me thou feem'ft the man, whom late
Our new baptizing Prophet at the Ford
Of Jordan honour'd fo, and call'd thee Son
Of God; I faw and heard, for we fometimes 330
Who dwell this wilde, constrain'd by want, come forth
To Town or Village nigh (nighest is far)
Where ought we hear, and curious are to hear,
What happ'ns new; Fame alfo finds us out.
To whom the Son of God. Who brought me hither Will bring me hence, no other Guide I seek,
By Miracle he may, reply'd the Swain, 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, 340 Men to much mifery and hardship born;
But if thou be the Son of God, Command
That out of thefe hard ftones be made thee Bread;
So fhalt thou fave thy felf and us relieve
With Food, whereof we wretched seldom taste. 345
He ended, and the Son of God reply'd..
Think'st thou fuch force in Bread? is it not written
(For I difcern thee other than thou seem'st)
Man lives not by Bread only, but each Word
Proceeding from the mouth of God; who fed 350
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 doft thou then fuggeft to me diftruft,
Knowing who I am, as I know who thou art?
Whom thus anfwer'd th' ArchFiend now undisguis'd.
'Tis true, I am that Spirit unfortunate,
Who leagu'd with millions more in rash revolt
Kept not my happy Station, but was driv'n. $60
With them from bliss to the bottomlefs deep,
Yet to that hideous place not fo confin'd
By rigour upconniving, but that oft
Leaving my dolorous Prison I enjoy
Large Liberty to round this Globe of Earth, 365.
range in th' Air, nor from the Heav'n of Heav'ns Hath he excluded my refort fometimes.
I came among the Sons of God, when he
Gave up into my hands Uzzean Job
To prove him, and illustrate his high worth ; 370
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 flattering Prophets glibb'd with lies 375,
To his deftruction, as I had in charge,
For what he bids 1 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 see thee and approach thee, whom I know
Declar'd the Son of God, to hear attent
Thy Wisdom, and behold thy God-like deeds?
Men generally think me much a foc
To all mankind: why should I? they to me
Never did wrong or violence, by them
I loft not what I loft, rather by them
I gain'd what I have gain'd, and with them dwell Copartner in thefe Regions of the World,
If not difpofer; lend them oft my aid,
Oft my advice by presages 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 wo.
At first it may be; but long fince with wo
Never acquainted, now I feel by proof,
That fellowship in pain divides not smart,
Nor lightens ought each mans 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 mote.
To whom our Saviour fternly thus reply'd:
Defervedly thou griev’ft, compos'd of lies
From the beginning, and in lies wilt end;
Who boaft'ft release from Hell, and leave to come
Into the Heav'n of Heav'ns; thou com'ft indeed, 410
As a poor miserable captive thrall,
Comes to the place where he before had fat
Among the Prime in Splendor, now depos'd,
Ejected, emptied, gaz'd, unpitied, fhun'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 ferviceble to Heav'ns 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 chosen task,
To be a liar in four hundred mouths;
For lying is thy fuftenance, thy food.
Yet thou pretend'st to truth; all Oracles
By thee are giv'n, and what confeft more true
Among the Nations? that hath been thy craft,
By mixing fomewhat true to vent more lies.
But what have been thy anfwers, what but dark
Ambiguous and with double fenfe deluding,
Which they who ask'd have feldom understood,
And not well understood as good not known?
Who ever by confulting at thy fhrineTM
Return'd the wifer, or the more inftruct
To flie 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; justly, fince they fell-
Idolatrous, but when his purpose is
Among them to declare his Providence
To thee not known,whence haft thou then thỳ trath, But from him or his Angels President
In ev'ry Province, who themselves difdaining
T' approach thy Temples, give thee in command
What to the smallest tittle thou shalt say ́
To thy Adorers; thou with trembling fear,
Or like a fawning Parafite obey'st i
Then to thy felf afcrib'ft the truth foretold.
But this thy glory fall be foon retrench'd}
No more fhalt thou by oracling abuse
The Gentiles; henceforth Oracles are ceas'd,
And thou no more with Pomp and Sacrifice
Shalt be enquir'd at Delphos or else-where,
At least in vain, for they shall find thee mute.
God hath now fent his loving Oracle
Into the World to teach his final will,
And fends his Spirit of Truth henceforth to dwell In pious Hearts, and inward Oracle
To all truth requifite for men to know.
So fpake our Saviour; but the fubtle Fiend, 465 Though inly stung with anger and disdain, Diffembled, and this Anfwer fmooth return'd,
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