For what concerns my knowledge God reveals. So fpake our Morning ftar then in his rise, And looking round on every fide beheld A pathlefs defert, dusk with horrid fhades; The way he came not having mark'd, return Was difficult, by human steps untrod; And he still on was led, but with such thoughts Accompanied of things past and to come Lodg'd in his breast, as well might recommend Such folitude before choiceft fociety.
Full forty days he pafs'd, whether on hill Sometimes, anon in fhady vale, each night Under the covert of fome ancient oak, Or cedar, to defend him from the dew,
Or harbour'd in lone cave, is not reveal'd;
Nor tafted human food, nor hunger felt
Till thofe days ended, hunger'd then at last
Among wild beafts: they at his fight grew mild, 310 Nor fleeping him nor waking harm'd, his walk The fiery ferpent fled, and noxious worm, The lion and fierce tiger glar'd aloof.
But now an aged man in rural weeds,
Following, as feem'd, the queft of fome ftray ewe, 315 Or wither'd sticks to gather, which might ferve Against a winter's day when winds blow keen, To warm him wet return'd from field at eve, He faw approach, who first with curious eye Perus'd him, then with words thus utter'd fpake. Sir, what ill chance hath brought thee to this place
So far from path or road of men, who pass
In troop or caravan? for fingle none
Durft ever, who return'd, and dropt not here
His carcass, pin'd with hunger and with drouth. 325 I ask the rather, and the more admire,
For that to me thou seem'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 faw and heard, for we sometimes
Who dwell this wild, conftrain'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 alfo finds us out.
To whom the Son of God. Who brought me hither, Will bring me hence; no other guide I feek. By miracle he may, reply'd the swain, What other way I fee not, for we here Live on tough roots and ftubs, to thirst inur'd More than the camel, and to drink go far, Men to much mifery 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 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 feem'st) Man lives not by bread only, but each word Proceeding from the mouth of God, who fed 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 dost thou then fuggeft 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 blifs to the bottomless deep,
Yet to that hideous place not so 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 refort fometimes.
I came among the fons of God, when he Gave up into my hands Uzzean Job
To 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 brightnefs, 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 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 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 prefages and figns,
And anfwers, oracles, portents, and dreams, Whereby they may direct their future life. Envy they fay 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. Defervedly thou griev'ft, compos'd of lies From the beginning, and in lies wilt end;
Who boast'ft release from Hell, and leave to come hito 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, fhunn'd, A fpectacle 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 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 mifdeem Of righteous Job, then cruelly to' afflict him. With all inflictions? but his patience won. The other fervice was thy chofen tafk, 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 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 anfwers, what but dark, Ambiguous, and with double sense deluding, Which they who afk'd have seldom understood, And not well understood as good not known ? Who ever by consulting at thy shrine Return'd the wifer, or the more instruct 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
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