Page images
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors][merged small]

"Satyr, or Faun, or Sylvan? But these haunts

"Delight not all: among the sons of men,

"How many have, with a smile, made small account

"Of beauty and her lures, easily scorned

"All her assaults, on worthier things intent!

"Remember that Pelléan1 conqueror

"A youth,-how all the beauties of the East

190

195

"He slightly viewed, and slightly overpassed;
"How he, surnamed of Africa,2 dismissed,
"In his prime youth, the fair Iberian maid.
"For Solomon, he lived at ease; and, full

200

"Of honour, wealth, high fare, aimed not beyond

"Higher design than to enjoy his state;

"Thence to the bait of women lay exposed:

"But he, whom we attempt, is wiser far

205

"Than Solomon,-of more exalted mind,—

"Made and set wholly on the accomplishment

"Of greatest things. What woman will you find,
"Though of this age the wonder and the fame,
"On whom his leisure will vouchsafe an eye
"Of fond desire? Or should she, confident,
"As sitting, queen adored, on beauty's throne,
66 Descend, with all her winning charms begirt,
"To enamour, as the zone of Venus3 once
66 'Wrought that effect on Jove (so fables tell),
"How would one look from his majestic brow,
"Seated as on the top of Virtue's hill,*

210

215

1 Pelléan conqueror,-Alexander the Great, born at Pella, whose continence towards the queen of Darius, and other Persian ladies who became his captives, is commended by the historians.

2 Surnamed of Africa,--Scipio Africanus, whose continence and generosity, in restoring a handsome Spanish lady to her husband and friends, have been duly lauded.

3 The zone of Venus,-a magic girdle said to be in possession of Venus, which rendered any one who wore it immediately an object of love and desire.

4 One look from his majestic brow, seated as on the top of Virtue's hill.— Compare Shakspeare, Hamlet, act iii. sc. 4:

"See what a grace was seated on his brow:
Hyperion's curls; the front of Jove himself."

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]
[ocr errors]

self thus said:

[ocr errors]

four times ten days I've passed

maze, and human food

for our appetite; that fast

upute not, or count part

[graphic]
[ocr errors]

Though needing, what praise is it to endure? "But now I feel I hunger, which declares

"Nature hath need of what she asks; yet God "Can satisfy that need some other way,

Though hunger still remain: so it remain “Without uus body's wasting, I content me, “And from the sting of famine fear no harm; "Nor mind it, lui wisa better thoughts, that teed "Me hungerng more to do my Father's will."

It was the hour of night, when thus the Son Commment in silent walk, then laid him down Under fe hospitable covert nigh

Of trees huch interwoven; there he slept,
And dreameda appetite is wont to dream
Of meats and drinks, nature's refreshment sweet
Him dought, ne by the brook of Cherith stood,
Ant saw the ravens with their horny beaks

Food to Elijah bringing, even and morn,

Though

venons, taught to abstain from

brought

He saw the prophet also, how he fled
Into the desert, and how there he slept
Under a jumper; then how, awaked,
He found his supper on the coals prepared,
And by the Angel was bid rise and eat,
And eat the second time after repose,
The strength whereof sufficed him fʊrty i
Sometimes that with Elijah he partoor
Or as a guest with Daniel at his puis

Thus wore out night; and now t..
Leff his ground-nest, high towering *

[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

The Morn's approach, and greet her with his song:
As lightly from his grassy couch up rose
Our Saviour, and found all was but a dream;—
Fasting he went to sleep, and fasting waked.
Up to a hill anon his steps he reared,
From whose high top to ken the prospect round,
If cottage were in view, sheep-cote, or herd;
But cottage, herd, or sheep-cote, none he saw;
Only in a bottom1 saw a pleasant grove,
With chant of tuneful birds resounding loud:
Thither he bent his way, determined there
To rest at noon; and entered soon the shade

285

290

High roofed, and walks beneath, and alleys brown,3
That opened in the midst—a woody scene:

Nature's own work it seemed (Nature taught Art),

295

And, to a superstitious eye, the haunt

Of Wood-gods and Wood-nymphs: he viewed it round; When suddenly a man before him stood;

Not rustic as before, but seemlier clad,

As one in city, or court, or palace bred;

300

And with fair speech these words to him addressed : "With granted leave officious I return ;3

"But much more wonder that the Son of God
"In this wild solitude so long should bide,
"Of all things destitute; and, well I know,
"Not without hunger. Others of some note,
"As story tells, have trod this wilderness;
"The fugitive bond-woman,4 with her son,
"Outcast Nebaioth, yet found here relief
"By a providing Angel; all the race
"Of Israel here had famished, had not God

1 Bottom, -"low ground, dale, valley."

2 Alleys brown,-" dark from shady foliage."

305

310

3 With granted leave officious I return;-Satan, at parting, b. i. l. 483, 492, had asked leave to come again, but was neither bid nor forbid by the Saviour. It was quite in character to make him take permission for granted leave. Officious,-to render good offices, to minister to you.

The fugitive bond-woman,-Hagar, Gen. xvi. 6. Nebaioth,-son of Ishmael. Thebez,-Thisbe, or Tishbe; see before line 16, note.

"Rained from Heaven manna; and that prophet bold, "Native of Thebez, wandering here was fed1 "Twice by a voice inviting him to eat.

"Of thee these forty days none hath regard,— "Forty and more deserted here indeed!"

315

To whom thus Jesus:

"What concludest thou hence?

"They all had need; I, as thou seest, have none."
"How hast thou hunger then?" Satan replied.
"Tell me, if food were now before thee set,
"Wouldst thou not eat?"

320

[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

"Cause thy refusal?" said the subtle Fiend:
"Hast thou not right to all created things?
"Owe not all creatures, by just right, to thee
"Duty and service, nor to stay till bid,
"But tender all their power? Nor mention I
"Meats by the law unclean, or offered first
"To idols; those young Daniel could refuse:3
"Nor proffered by an enemy; though who

325

330

"Would scruple that, with want oppressed? Behold, "Nature ashamed, or, better to express,

"Troubled, that thou shouldst hunger, hath purveyed
"From all the elements her choicest store,
"To treat thee, as beseeins, and as her Lord,--
"With honour: only deign to sit and eat."

335

1 Wandering here was fed.-The incidents referred to in the preceding lines happened, no doubt, in deserts; but in quite different localities. Hagar was met by the angel in the wilderness of Beersheba, on the south border of Palestine; the Israelites were fed with manna in the wilderness of Sin, and during their forty years' wanderings, ere they entered the promised land; Elijah retired to the wilderness, " a day's journey from Beersheba;" and the scene of our Saviour's temptation was in the wilderness near Jordan and the Dead Sea. Poetic license may admit of these various scenes being treated as one; or it may be admitted, as in keeping with the tempter's character, to speak of them as if they were.

2 Thereafter as I like the giver,-Compare Ps. cxli. 4; Prov. xxiii. 3, 6. See a similar sentiment in Milton's Comus, l. 699–705.

3 Those young Daniel could refuse :-See Dan.

« PreviousContinue »