For that to me thou feem'ft the man, whom late
Our new baptizing Prophet at the ford
Of Jordan honor'd fo, and call'd thee Son
Of God; I saw and heard, for we fometimes 330
Whodwell this wild, constrain'd by want, come forth
To town or village nigh (nighest is far)
Where ought we hear, and curious are to hear,
What happens new; fame also finds us out.
To whom the Son of God. Who brought me hither, Will bring me hence, no other guide I seek. 336 By miracle he may, reply'd the swain,
What other way I see not, for we here
Live on tough roots and stubs, to thirft inur'ḍ
More than the camel, and to drink go far,
Men to much misery and hardship born;
But if thou be the Son of God, command
That out of these hard ftones be made thee bread,
So fhalt thou fave thyself and us relieve
With food, whereof we wretched feldom tafte. 345
He ended, and the Son of God reply'd.
Think'ft thou fuch force in bread? is it not written
(For I difcern thee other than thou seem'ft)
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
Wander'd this barren wafte; the fame I now:
Why doft thou then suggest to me distrust, 355 Knowing who I am, as I know who thou art?
Whom thus answer'd th' Arch-Fiend now undif'Tis true, I am that Spi'rit unfortunate, (guis'd. Who leagu'd with millions more in rash revolt Kept not my happy ftation, but was driven 360 With them from bliss to the bottomless deep, Yet to that hideous place not so 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 refort fometimes.
Hath he excluded my
I came among the Sons of God, when he
Gave up into my hands Uzzean Job
To prove him, and illuftrate 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 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 sense.
What can be then less in me than defire
To see thee and approach thee, whom I know
Declar'd the Son of God, to hear attent 385
Thy wisdom, and behold thy Godlike deeds?
Men generally think me much a foe
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 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, 395
Whereby they may direct their future life.
Envy they say excites me, thus to gain
Companions of my misery and woe.
At first it may be; but long fince with woe
Nearer acquainted, now I feel by proof,
That fellowship in pain divides not smart,
Nor lightens ought each man's peculiar load.
Small confolation then, were man adjoin'd:
This wounds me moft (what can it lefs?) that man,
Man fall'n fhall be reftor'd, I never more.
To whom our Saviour fternly thus reply'd.
Deservedly thou griev'ft, compos'd of lies
From the beginning, and in lies 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 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, fhunn'd,
A fpectacle of ruin or of fcorn
To all the hoft of Heav'n: the happy place
Imparts to thee no happiness, no joy,
Rather inflames thy torment, representing
Loft blifs, to thee no more communicable,
So never more in Hell than when in Heav'n. 420
But thou art serviceable 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 425
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'ft to truth; all oracles
By thee are giv'n, and what confefs'd more true
Among the nations? that hath been thy craft,
By mixing somewhat true to vent more lies.
But what have been thy answers, what but dark,
Ambiguous and with double sense deluding, 435
Which they who afk'd have feldom understood,
And not well understood as good not known?
Who ever by consulting at thy shrine
Return'd the wifer, or the more inftruct
To fly or follow what concern'd him most,
And run not fooner to his fatal fnare?
For God hath juftly 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 every province? who themselves difdaining
T'approach thy temples, give thee in command
What to the smallest tittle thou shalt fay
To thy adorers; thou with trembling fear,
Or like a fawning parafite obey'st;
Then to thyself afcrib'ft the truth foretold.
But this thy glory fhall 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 elsewhere,
At least in vain, for they fhall find thee mute.
God hath now fent his living oracle
Into the world to teach his final will,
And fends his Spi'rit of truth henceforth to dwell In pious hearts, an inward oracle
To all truth requifite for men to know.
So fpake our Saviour; but the fubtle Fiend, 465 Though inly ftung with anger and disdain,
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