And forty days Elijah without food
Wander'd this barren wafte; the fame I now:
Why dost thou then suggest to me distrust,
Knowing who I am, as I know who thou art?
Whom thus anfwer'd th' Arch-Fiénd now undif"Tis true, I am that Spirit unfortunate,
Who leagu'd with millions more in rash revolt
Kept not my happy station, but was driven
With them from bliss to the bottomlefs deep,
Yet to that hideous place not fo confin'd
By rigor 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 Heavens
Hath he excluded my resort fometimes.
I came among the fons of God, when he
Gave up into my hands Uzzean Job
Το 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 flattering prophets glibb'd with lies
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 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 Godlike deeds?
Men generally think me much a foe
To all mankind: why fhould 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,
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 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.
Defervedly thou griev'ft, compos'd of lies
From the beginning, and in lies wilt end;
Who boaft'ft releafe 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, shunn'd,
A fpectacle of ruin or of scorn
To all the host of Heav'n: the happy place
Imparts to thee no happinefs, no joy,
Rather inflames thy torment, reprefenting
Loft blifs, to thee no more communicable,
So never more in Hell than when in Heaven.
But thou art ferviceable to Heav'n's King.
Wilt thou impute to' 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 fervice was thy chofen 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 fomewhat true to vent more lies.
But what have been thy answers, what but dark,
Ambiguous, and with double fenfe deluding,
Which they who afk'd have seldom understood,
And not well understood as good not known?
Who ever by confulting 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 justly giv'n the nations up
To thy delufions; juftly since 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 president
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'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 facrifice
Shalt be inquir'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,
Diffembled, and this anfwer finooth return'd.
Sharply thou haft infifted on rebuke,
And urg'd me hard with doings, which not will
But mifery hath wrefted from me: where
Eafily canft thou find one miserable,
And not enforc'd oft-times to part from truth ;
If it may ftand him more in ftead to lie,
Say and unfay, feign, flatter, or abjure?
But thou art plac'd above me, thou art Lord;
From thee I can and must fubmifs indure
Check or reproof, and glad to 'fcape fo quit.
Hard are
Smooth on the tongue discours'd, pleasing to th' ear,
And tuneable as fylvan pipe or fong;
the ways of truth, and rough to walk,
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, though I despair to' 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 vouchsaf'd his voice
To Balaam reprobate, a prophet yet
Infpir'd; difdain not such access 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
Permiffion from above; thou canst not more.
He added not; and Satan bowing low
His gray diffimulation, difappear'd
Into thin air diffus'd: for now began
Night with her fullen wings to double-shade
The defert; 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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