Why dost 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 Spirit unfortunate,
(guis'd.
Who leagu'd with millions more in rash revolt
Kept not my happy station, but was driven 360
With them from bliss to the bottomless deep,
Yet to that hideous place not fo confin'd
By rigour unconniving, but that oft
Leaving my dolorous prison I enjoy
Large liberty to round this globe of earth, 365
Or range in th' air, nor from the Heav'n of Heav'ns
Hath he excluded my refort sometimes.
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 I do: though I have loft
Much luftre of my native brightness, lost
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 should so have lost all sense.
What can be then less in me than defire
To fee thee and approach thee, whom I know
Declar'd the Son of God, to hear attent
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 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 disposer; lend them oft my aid,
Oft my advice by presages and signs,
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 since with woe
Nearer acquainted, now I feel by proof,
That fellowship in pain divides not fmart,
Nor lightens ought each man's peculiar load.
Small confolation then, were man adjoin'd:
This wounds me most (what can it less?) that man,
Man fall'n shall be restor'd, I never more.
To whom our Saviour sternly thus reply'd.
Deservedly thou griev'st, compos'd of lies
From the beginning, and in lies wilt end;
Who boaft'st release from Hell, and leave to come
Into the Heav'n of Heav'ns: thou com'st indeed, 410
As a poor miferable captive thrall
Comes to the place where he before had fat
Among the prime in splendor, now depos'd,
Ejeaed, emptied, gaz'd, unpitied, shunn'd,
A spectacle of ruin or of scorn
To all the host of Heav'n: the happy place
Imparts to thee no happiness, no joy,
Rather inflames thy torment, representing
Loft bliss, 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 fustenance, thy food.
Yet thou pretend'st 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 confulting at thy shrine
Return'd the wiser, or the more instruct
To fly or follow what concern'd him most,
And run not fooner to his fatal snare?
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 hast thou then thy truth,
But from him or his Angels prefident
In every province? who themselves disdaining
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;
Then to thyself afcrib'st the truth foretold.
But this thy glory shall be foon retrench'd;
No more shalt 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 elsewhere,
At least in vain, for they shall find thee mute.
God hath now fent his living oracle
Into the world to teach his final will,
And fends his Spirit of truth henceforth to dwell In pious hearts, an inward oracle
To all truth requisite for men to know.
So spake our Saviour; but the subtle Fiend, 465
Though inly stung with anger and difdain,
Dissembled, and this answer smooth return'd.
Sharply thou hast insisted on rebuke, And urg'd me hard with doings, which not will But misery hath wrested from me: where
Eafily canft thou find one miferable,
And not enforc'd oft-times to part from truth;
If it may stand him more in stead to lie,
Say and unfay, feign, flatter, or abjure?
But thou art plac'd above me, thou art Lord; 475
From thee I can and must submiss indure
Check or reproof, and glad to 'scape so quit. Hard are the ways of truth, and rough to walk, Smooth on the tongue discours'd, pleasing to th’ear, And tuneable as fylvan pipe or fong;
What wonder then if I delight to hear
Her dictates from thy mouth? most men admire
Virtue, who follow not her lore: permit me
To hear thee when I come (fince no man comes)
And talk at least, though I despair to' attain. 485
Thy Father, who is holy, wife and pure,
Suffers the hypocrite or atheous prieft
To tread his facred courts, and minister
About his altar, handling holy things,
Praying or vowing, and vouchsaf'd his voice 490
To Balaam reprobate, a prophet yet
Inspir'd; disdain not fuch access to me.
To whom our Saviour with unalter'd brow.
Thy coming hither, though I know thy scope,
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