To treat thee as beseems, and as her Lord 335 With honor, only deign to fit and eat.

He spake no dream, for as his words had

end,

340

Our Saviour lifting up his eyes beheld
In ample space under the broadest shade
A table richly spread, in regal mode,
With dishes pil'd, and meats of noblest sort
And favor, beasts of chase, or fowl of game,
In pastry built, or from the spit, or boil'd,
Gris-amber steam'd; all fish from fea or shore,
Freshet, or purling brook, of shell or fin, 345
And exquisitest name, for which was drain'd
Pontus, and Lucrine bay, and Afric coaft,

350

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 smell diffus'd, in order stood
Tall stripling youths rich clad, of fairer hue
Than Ganymed or Hylas; distant more

355

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' Hesperides, that seem'd
Fairer than feign'd of old, or fabled fince
Of faery damfels met in forest wide

By knights of Logres, or of Lyones,

.

360

Lancelot, or Pelleas, or Pellenore::
And all the while harmonious airs were heard

Of chiming strings, or charming pipes, and

winds

Of gentlest gale Arabian odors fann'd

From their soft wings, and Flora's earliest

Such was the splendor, and the Tempter now His invitation earnestly renew'd.

What doubts the Son of God to fit and eat? These are not fruits forbidden; no interdict Defends the touching of these viands pure; 370 Their taste no knowledge works at least of evil, But life preferves, 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 375 Thee homage, and acknowledge thee their

Lord:

What doubt'st thou Son of God? fit down and

eat.

To whom thus Iefus temp'rately reply'd. Said'st thou not that to all things I had right? And who withholds my pow'r that right to

Shall I receive by gift what of my own, When and where likes me best, I can com.

mand?

I can at will, doubt not, as soon as thou,
Command a table in this wilderness,

And call swift flights of Angels ministrant 385 Array'd in glory on my cup to' attend:

390

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 specious 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 1 might have bestow'd on whom I

pleas'd,

And rather opportunely in this place
Chose to impart to thy apparent need.
Why shouldst thou not accept it? but I fee
What I can do or offer is suspect;

395

Of these things others quickly will dispose, 400
Whose pains have earn'd the far fet spoil.

With that

Both table and provikon vanish'd quite

With found of harpies wings, and talons

heard;

Only th' importune Tempter still remain'd,
And with these words his temptation pur-

By hunger, that each other creaturc tames,

Thou art not to be harm'd, therefore not

mov'd;

Thy temperance invincible befides,

1

For no allurement yields to appetite,

And all thy heart is set on high designs, 410
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 straits at home, 415
Lost in a desert here and hunger-bit:

Which way or from what hope dost thou aspire
To greatness? whence authority deriv'st?
What followers, what retinue canst thou gain,
Or at thy heels the dizzy multitude,

420

Longer than thou canst feed them on thy.

coft?

Money brings honor, friends, conquest, and

realms:

What rais'd Antipater the Edomite,

And his fon Herod plac'd on Juda's throne.

(Thy throne) but gold that got him puissant

friends?

425

Therefore, if at great things thon would'st ar

rive,

Get riches first, get wealth, and treasure heap,
Not difficult, if thou hearken to me;
Riches are mine, fortune is in my hand;
They whom I favor, thrive in wealth

amain;

1

While virtue, valor, wisdom fit in want.
To whom thus Jesus patiently reply'd.

430

Yet

Yet wealth without these three is impotent
To gain dominion, or to keep it gain'd.

Witness those ancient empires of the earth, 435
In highth of all their flowing wealth diffolv'd:
But men indued with these have oft attain'd

1

In lowest poverty to highest deeds;
Gideon, and Jephtha, and the shepherd lad,
Whose offspring on the throne of Judah

fat

So many ages, and shall yet regain

440

That feat, 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 remem

Quintius, Fabricius, Curius, Regulus?
For I esteem those names of men so poor
Who could do migthy things, and could con-

temn

Riches though offer'd from the hand of kings. And what in me seems wanting, but/hat I

May alfo in this poverty as soon

450

• 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 flaken virtue, and abate her edge,

Than prompt her to do ought may

455

merit

praife.

L