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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,

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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

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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

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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

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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;

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And

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?

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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

[guis'd.

Kept not my happy station, but was driven
With them from blifs to the bottomless deep,

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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,

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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.

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What

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,

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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:

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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;

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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

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;

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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,

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And run not fooner to his fatal fnare?

For God hath justly giv'n the nations up

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