In this wild folitude fo long fhould bide,
Of all things deftitute; and well I know,
Not without hunger. Others of fome note,
As,ftory tells, have trod this wilderness;
The fugitive bond-woman with her fon
Out-caft Nebaioth, yet found here relief
By a providing angel; all the race
Of Ifrael here had famifh'd, had not God
Rain'd from Heav'n manna; and that prophet, bold Native of Thebes, wand'ring here was fed
Twice by a voice inviting him to eat :
Of thee thefe forty days none hath regard,
Forty and more deserted here indeed.
To whom thus Jefus: What conclud'st thou hence?
They all had need, 1 as thou feeft have none.
How haft thou hunger then? Satan reply'd:
Tell me, if food were now before thee fet,
Wouldst thou not eat? Thereafter as I like
The giver, anfwer'd Jefus. Why should that
Caufe thy refufal? faid the fubtle fiend.
Haft thou not right to all created things?
Owe not all creatures by juft right to thee
Duty and fervice, not to ftay till bid,
But tender all their pow'r ? nor mention I
Meats by the law unclean, or offer'd first
To idols, these young Daniel could refufe;
Nor proffer'd by an enemy, though who
Would fcruple that, with want opprefs'd? Behold
Nature afham'd, or better to exprefs,
Troubled that thou shouldft hunger, hath purvey'd
From all the elements her choiceft ftore
To treat thee as befeems, and as her Lord,
With honour; only deign to fit and eat."
He fpake no dream; for as his words had end,
Our Saviour lifting up his eyes, beheld.
In ample space under the broadeft fhade.
A table richly spread, in regal mode,
With dishes pil'd, and meats of nobleft fort
And favour, beafts of chase, or fowl of game,
In paftry built, or from the fpit, or boil'd,
Gris-amber-fteam'd; all fish from sea or shore,
Frefhet, or purling brook, of fhell or fin,
And exquifiteft name, for which was drain'd
Pontus, and Lucrine bay, and Afric coaft.
Alas, how fimple to these cates compar'd,
Was that crude apple that diverted Eve!
And at a stately fide-board by the wine
That fragrant fmell diffus'd, in order ftood
Tall ftripling youths rich clad, of fairer hue
Than Ganymede or Hylas ; diftant. more
Under the trees now tripp'd, now folemn stood
Nymphs of Diana's train, and Naiades.
With fruits and flow'rs from Amalthea's horn,
And ladies of th' Hefperides, that feem'd
Fairer than feign'd of old, or fabled fince
Of fairy damfels met in foreft wide
By knights of Logres or of Lyones,
Lancelot, or Pelleas, or Pellenore :
And all the while harmonious airs were heard
Of chiming ftrings, or charming pipes, and winds
Of gentleft gale Arabian odours fann'd
From their foft wings, and Flora's earliest smells. 365
Such was the fplendor; and the tempter now
His invitation earneftly renew'd.
What doubts the Son of God to fit and eat?
These are not fruits forbidden; no interdi&
Defends the touching of these viands pure :
Their tafte no knowledge works at least of evil,
But life preferves, deftroys life's enemy,
Hunger, with fweet restorative delight.
All these are spi'rits of air, and woods, and fprings,
Thy gentle minifters, who come to pay
Thee homage, and acknowledge thee their Lord:
What doubt'ft thou, Son of God? fit down and eat.
To whom thus Jefus temp'rately reply'd:
Saidft thou not that to all things I had right?
And who withholds my pow'r that right to ufe? -380
Shall I receive by gift what of my own,
When and where likes me beft, I can command ?
I can at will, doubt not, as foon as thou,
Command a table in this wilderness,
And call swift flights of angels miniftrant,
Array'd in glory on my cup to' attend:
Why shouldst thou then obtrude this diligence
In vain, where no acceptance it can find?
And with my hunger what haft thou to do?
Thy pompous delicacies I contemn,
And count thy fpecious gifts no gifts, but guiles.
To whom thus answer'd Satan malecontent :
That I have also pow'r to give thou seest;
If of that pow'r I bring thee voluntary
What I might have bestow'd on whom I pleas'd,
And rather opportunely in this place
Chofe to impart to thy apparent need,
Why shouldst thou not accept it? but I fee
What I can do or offer is fufpect';
Of these things others quickly will difpofe,
Whofe pains have earn'd the far-fetch'd spoil.
Both table and provifion vanish'd quite
With found of harpies wings, and talons heard;
Only th' importune tempter ftill remain'd,
And with these words his temptation purfu'd:
By hunger that each other creature tames,
Thou art not to be harm'd, therefore not mov'd; } /
Thy temperance invincible befides,
For no allurement yields to appetite,
And all thy heart is set on high defigns,
High actions; but wherewith to be achiev'd?
Great acts require great means of enterprise :
Thou art unknown, unfriended, low of birth,
A carpenter thy father known, thyself
Bred up in poverty and ftraits at home,
Loft in a defert here, and hunger-bit :
Which way or from what hope doft thou aspire
To greatnefs? whence authority deriv❜st?
What followers, what retinue canft thou gain,
Or at thy heels the dizzy multitude,
Longer than thou canst feed them on thy coft? Money brings honour, friends, conqueft, and realms : What rais'd Antipater the Edomite,
And his fon Herod plac'd on Judah's throne,
Thy throne, but gold that got him puiffant friends?
Therefore, if at great things thou wouldst arrive,
Get riches firft, get wealth, and treasure heap,
Not difficult, if thou hearken to me;
Riches are mine, fortune is in my hand;
They whom I favour, thrive in wealth amain,
While virtue, valour, wisdom, fit in want.
To whom thus Jefus patiently reply'd:
Yet wealth without these three is impotent
To gain dominion, or to keep it gain'd.
Witnefs thofe ancient empires of the earth,
In height of all their flowing wealth diffolv'd:
But men epdu'd with these have oft attain'd,
In lowest poverty, to highest deeds:
Gideon and Jephtha, and the fhepherd lad,
Whofe offspring on the throne of Judah fat
So many ages, and fhall yet regain
That feat, and reign in Ifrael without end.
Among the Heathen, (for throughout the world
To me is not unknown what hath been done
Worthy' of memorial), canst thou not remember
Quinctius, Fabricius, Curius, Regulus ?
For I efteem thofe names of men fo
Who could do mighty things, and could contemn
Riches, though offer'd from the hand of kings.
And what in me seems wanting, but that I
May alfo in this poverty as foon
Accomplish what they did, perhaps and more?
Extol not riches, then, the toil of fools,
The wife man's cumbrance, if not snare, more apt
To flacken virtue, and abate her edge,
Than prompt her to do ought may merit praise.
What if with like averfion I reje&
Riches and realms; yet not, for that a crown,
Golden in fhow, is but a wreath of thorns,
Brings dangers, troubles, cares, and fleepless nights 460
To him who wears the regal diadem,
"When on his fhoulders each man's burden lies;
For therein ftands the office of a king,
His honour, virtue, merit, and chief praise,
That for the publick all this weight he bears.
Yet he who reigns within himself, and rules
Paffions, defires, and fears, is more a king;
Which every wife and virtuous man attains
And who attains not, ill aspires to rule
Cities of men, or headstrong multitudes,
Subject himself to anarchy within,
Of lawless paffions in him which he ferves.
But to guide nations in the way of truth
By faving doctrine, and from error lead
To know, and knowing worship God aright,
Is yet more kingly; this attracts the foul,
Governs the inner man, the nobler part;
That other o'er the body only reigns,
And oft by force, which to a gen'rous mind
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