Fairer than feign'd of old, or fabled since And all the while harmonious airs were heard From their soft wings, and Flora's earliest smells. Such was the splendour; and the tempter now His invitation earnestly renew'd: What doubts the Son of God to sit and eat? These are not fruits forbidden; no interdict Defends the touching of these viands.pure: Their taste no knowledge works, at least of evil; But life preserves, destroys life's enemy, Hunger, with sweet restorative delight. All these are spirits of air, and woods, and springs, Thy gentle ministers, who come to pay Thee homage, and acknowledge thee their Lord. What doubtst thou, Son of God? Sit down, and eat. To whom thus Jesus temperately replied: Said'st thou not that to all things I had right? And who withholds my power that right to use? Shall I receive by gift, what of my own, When and where likes me best, I can command? I can at will, doubt not, as soon as thou, Command a table in this wilderness, And call swift flights of angels ministrant 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 hast thou to do? Thy pompous delicacies I contemn, And count thy specious gifts no gifts, but guiles. To whom thus answer'd Satan malcontent: That I have also power to give, thou seest; If of that power I bring thee voluntary What I might have bestow'd on whom I pleased, And rather opportunely in this place Chose to impart to thy apparent need, Why shouldst thou not accept it? but I see Of these things others quickly will dispose, Whose pains have earn'd the far-fet spoil. With that, Both table and provision vanish'd quite With sound of harpies' wings and talons heard: Which way, or from what hope, dost thou aspire Longer thar. thou canst feed them on thy cost? Money brings honour, friends, conquest, and realms: What raised Antipater the Edomite, And his son Herod placed on Judah's throne, (Thy throne,) but gold, that got him puissant friends? Therefore, if at great things thou wouldst arrive, Get riches first get wealth, and treasure heap, Not difficult, if thou hearken to me: Riches are mine, fortune is in my hand: To whom thus Jesus patiently replied: That seat, and reign in Israel 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 Quintius, Fabricius, Curius, Regulus? For I esteem those names of men so poor, Who could do mighty things, and could con temn Riches, though offer'd from the hand of kings. And what in me seems wanting, but that I May also in this poverty as soon Accomplish what they did, perhaps, and more? Extol not riches then, the toil of fools, The wise man's cumbrance, if not snare; more apt To slacken Virtue, and abate her edge, Than prompt her to do aught may merit praise. What if with like avertion I reject Riches and realms? yet not, for that a crown, Golden in show, is but a wreath of thorns, Brings dangers, troubles, cares, and sleepless nights, To him who wears the regal diadem, When on his shoulders each man's burden lies; That for the public all this weight he bears. Or lawless passions in him, which he serves. PARADISE REGAINED. BOOK III. THE ARGUMENT. SATAN, in a speech of much flattering commendation, endeavours to awaken in Jesus a passion for glory, by particularising various instances of conquests achieved, and great actions performed, by persons at an early period of life. Our Lord replies, by showing the vanity of worldly fame, and the improper means by which it is generally attained; and contrasts with it the true glory of religious patience and virtuous wisdom, as exemplified in the character of Job. Satan justifies the love of glory from the example of God himself, who requires it from all his creatures. Jesus detects the fallacy of this argument, by showing that, as goodness is the true ground on which glory is due to the great Creator of all things, sinful man can have no right whatever to it.-Satan then urges our Lord respecting his claim to the throne of David: he tells him, that the kingdom of Judea, being at that time a province of Rome, cannot be got possession of without much personal exertion on his part, and presses him to lose no time in beginning to reign. Jesus refers him to the time allotted for this, as for all other things; and, after intimating somewhat respecting his own previous sufferings, asks Satan why he should be so solicitous for the exaltation of one whose rising was destined to be his fall. Satan replies, that his own desperate state, by excluding all hope, leaves little room for fear, and that, as his own punishment was equally doomed, he is not interested in preventing the reign of one, from whose apparent benevolence he might rather |