“Ye mighty ones,
It hath been known to you these many days
How that for piety I am much famed. 
I am exceeding pious:  if I lie,
As hath been whispered, it is but for sake
Of God, and that ye should not think Him hard,
For I am all for God.  Now some have thought
that He hath also (and it, may be so
Or yet may not be so) on me been hard;
Be not ye therefore wroth, for my poor sake;
I am contented to have earned your weal,
Though I must therefore suffer.

“Now to-day
One cometh, yea, an harmless man, a fool,
Who boasts he hath a message from our God,
And lest that you, for bravery of heart
And stoutness, being angered with his prate,
Should lift a hand, and kill him, I am here.”

Then spoke the Leader, “How now, snake?  Thy words
Ring false.  Why ever liest thou, snake, to us? 
Thou coward! none of us will see thee harmed. 
I say thou liest.  The land is strewed with slain;
Myself have hewn down companies, and blood
Makes fertile all the field.  Thou knowest it well;
And hast thou, driveller, panting sore for age,
Come with a force to bid us spare one fool?”

And Satan answered, “Nay you! be not wroth;
Yet true it is, and yet not all the truth. 
Your servant would have told the rest, if now
(For fulness of your life being fretted sore
At mine infirmities, which God in vain
I supplicate to heal) ye had not caused
My speech to stop.”  And he they called “the Oak”
Made answer, “’Tis a good snake; let him be. 
Why would ye fright the poor old craven beast? 
Look how his lolling tongue doth foam for fear. 
Ye should have mercy, brethren, on the weak. 
Speak, dragon, thou hast leave; make stout thy heart. 
What! hast thou lied to this great company? 
It was, we know it was, for humbleness;
Thou wert not willing to offend with truth.”

“Yea, majesties,” quoth Satan, “thus it was,”
And lifted up appealing eyes, and groaned;
“O, can it be, compassionate as brave,
And housed in cunning works themselves have reared,
And served in gold, and warmed with minivere,
And ruling nobly,—­that He, not content
Unless alone He reigneth, looks to bend
O break them in, like slaves to cry to Him,
‘What is Thy will with us, O Master dear?’
Or else to eat of death?

“For my part, lords,
I cannot think it:  for my piety
And reason, which I also share with you,
Are my best lights, and ever counsel me,
’Believe not aught against thy God; believe,
Since thou canst never reach to do Him wrong,
That He will never stoop to do thee wrong. 
Is He not just and equal, yea, and kind?’
Therefore, O majesties, it is my mind
Concerning him ye wot of, thus to think
The message is not like what I have learned
By reason and experience, of the God. 
Therefore no message ’tis.  The man is mad.” 
Thereat the great Leader laughed for scorn.  “Hold, snake;
If God be just, there SHALL be reckoning days. 
We rather would He were a partial God,
And being strong, He sided with the strong. 
Turn now thy reason to the other side,
And speak for that; for as to justice, snake,
We would have none of it.”