Book I. PARADISE REOAIN'D, Among the prime in fplendor, now depos'd, Ejeded, emptied, gaz'd, unpity'd, fbunn'd, A fpedacle of ruin or of fcorn To all the holt of Fleav'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 Fleav'm 420 But thou art ferviceable to H:av'n's King. Wilt thou impute t' obedience what thy fear Extorts, or pleafure to do ill excites ? What but thy malice mov'd thee to mifdeem Of righteous Job, then cruelly to' Aid him 425 With all inflictions ? but his patience won. The other fervice was thy chofen talk, To be a liar in four hundred mouths ; For lying is thy fuftenance, thy food. Yet thou pretend'a to truth ; all oracles 436, By thee are giv'n, and what confefs'd more true Among the nations ? that hathabeen thy craft, By mixing fomewhat true to vent more lies. But what have been thy anfwers, what but dark, Ambiguous and with double fenfe deluding, 435; Which they who afk'd have feldom under(tood, And not well underftood as good not known ? Wno ever by confulting at thy (brine Return'd the wifcr, or the more intirud To fly or follow what conctrn'd him molt, 440 And run not sooner to his fatal snare ? For God hash juflly giv'n the nations up To thy delufions ; juflly, fince they fell Idolatrous : but when his purpofe is Among them to declare his providence 445 To thee not known, whence haft thou then thy truth, But from him or his Angels prefident F f f f
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=