350 355 He ended, and the Son of God reply'd. Think'st thou such force in bread? is it not written, For I discern thee other than thou seem'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 Moses was forty days, nor eat, nor drank; And forty days Elijah without food Wander'd this barren waste, the same I now. Why dost thou then suggest to me distrust, Knowing who I am, as I know who thou art? Whom thus answer'd th' arch fiend now undis'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 With them from bliss to the bottomless deep; Yet to that hideous place not so confin'd By rigour unconniving, but that oft, Leaving my dolorous prison, I enjoy 360 Large liberty, to round this globe of earth, $65 Or range in th' air, nor from the heaven of heavens I came among the sons of God, when he To prove him, and illustrate his high worth; 370 To draw the proud king Ahab into fraud, Of all his flattering prophets glibb'd with lies 373 To his destruction, as I had in charge; I lost not what I lost, rather by them 380 385 390 395 I gain'd what I have gain'd, and with them dwell, 385 attent] Fair. Q. vi. 9. 26. 'Hung still upon his melting mouth attent.' 400 and Hamlet, act i. sc. ii. 'With an attent ear.' Thyer. Dunster. 400 Nearer] 'Never' in Milton's ed. but the errata give Several editions retain the error. Todd. เ nearer. That fellowship in pain divides not smart, 405 To whom our Saviour sternly thus reply'd. Comes to the place where he before had sat To all the host of heaven. The happy place 415 420 401 fellowship] See Shakespeare's Rape of Lucrece. Aldine Poets, vol. xx. p. 128. 'It easeth some, though none it ever cur'd, 411 thrall] See Heywood's Hierarchie, p. 564. 'The power of women to make others thrall.' and H. More's Poems, p. 251. 'Yet wote I not what may these wretched thralls relieve.' 425 430 Extorts, or pleasure to do ill excites? 435 440 443 To thee not known, whence hast thou then thy truth, But from him or his angels president In ev'ry province? who, themselves disdaining T'approach thy temples, give thee in command 426 won] Verb neuter, so Spens. F. Q. i. vi. 39: 'And he the stoutest knight that ever won.' Newton. What to the smallest tittle thou shalt say Into the world to teach his final will, 450 455 460 And sends 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 disdain, Dissembled, and this answer smooth return'd. 470 Sharply thou hast insisted on rebuke, And urg'd me hard with doings, which not will, But misery, hath wrested from me; where Easily canst thou find one miserable, And not enforc'd ofttimes to part from truth; If it may stand him more in stead to lie, Say and unsay, feign, flatter, or abjure? But thou art plac'd above me, thou art Lord; 475 From thee I can, and must, submiss endure Check or reproof, and glad to escape so quit. 456 ceas'd] Juv. Sat. vi. 554. VOL. II. 'Delphis oracula cessant.' Dunster. 20 |