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 so confin'd
By rigour unconniving, but that oft
Leaving my dolorous Prison I enjoy
Large Liberty to round this Globe of Earth,
Or 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 Uzzaan 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 lyes 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 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 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 390
I gain'd what I have gain'd, and with them dwell Co-partner 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 mifery and wo.
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 sternly thus reply'd: Deservedly 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,
As a poor miferable 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 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 Hear'n.
But thou art ferviceable 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 mifdeem
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 lyar 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 lyes.
But what have been thy anfwers, what but dark,
Ambiguous, and with double sense deluding, 435
Which they who afk'd have feldom underftood,
And not well understood as good not known?
Who ever by confulting at thy fhrine
Return'd the wifer, or the more inftru&t
To fly or follow what concern'd him moft, 440
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 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'ft;
Then to thyfelf 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 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 Spirit 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 stung with anger and disdain, Diffembled, and his Answer smooth 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 inforc'd oft-times to part from truth,
If it may ftand him more in ftead to lye,
Say and unfay, feign, flatter, or abjure?
But thou art plac'd above me, thou art Lord; 475
From thee I can and muft fubmifs, endure
Check or reproof, and glad t'efcape fo quit.
Hard are the ways of truth, and rough to walk,
Smooth on the tongue discours'd, pleafing to th'ear,
And tuneable as Silvan Pipe or Song.;
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, tho' I defpair t' attain.
Thy Father, who is holy, wife and pure,
Suffers the Hypocrite or Atheous Priest
To tread his Sacred Courts, and minister
About his Altar, handling holy things,
Praying or vowing; and vouchsaf'd his voice 490
To Balaam Reprobate, a Prophet yet
Infpir'd; difdain not fuch 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'ft
Permiffion 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-fhade 500 The Defart, Fowls in their clay nefts were couch'd; And now wild beafts come forth the Woods to roam,
The End of the First Book.
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