can best induce Christ to hear him. Then, feigning to believe that
Christ has refused his offers simply because he has never seen aught
save Jerusalem, Satan conveys him in the twinkling of an eye to the
summit of a mountain, whence, pointing eastward, he shows him all the
great kingdoms of Asia. Thus, he reveals the glories of Assyria,
Babylonia, and Persia,--of whose histories he gives a brief
résumé,--before pointing out a large Parthian army setting out to war
against the Scythians, for he hopes by this martial display to
convince Christ that, in order to obtain a kingdom, he will have to
resort to military force. Then he adds he can easily enlist the
services of this army, with which Christ can drive the Romans out of
Judea, and triumphantly reign over the land of his ancestors, whence
his glory will extend far and wide, until it far surpasses all that
Rome and Caesar achieved. Jesus, however, demonstrates the vanity of
all military efforts, declaring his time has not yet come, but
assuring him he will not be found wanting when the moment comes for
him to ascend the throne, for he hopes to prove an able ruler.

Then he reminds Satan how he tempted David to take a census against
God's wish, and led Israel astray, until the Ten Tribes were taken off
into captivity in punishment for their idolatry. He also comments upon
Satan's extraordinary anxiety to restore the very people whose foe he
has always been, as he has proved time and again by leading them into
idolatry, adding that God may yet restore them to their liberty and to
their native land. These arguments silence even Satan, for such is
ever the result when "with truth falsehood contends."

_Book IV._ With all the persistency of his kind, Satan refuses to
acknowledge himself beaten, and, leading Christ to the western side of
the mountain, reveals to him all the splendor of Rome, exhibiting its