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 difhes pil'd, and meats of nobleft fort
And favor, beafts of chase, or fowl of game,
In pastry built, or from the spit, or boil'd,
Gris-amber fteam'd; all fifh from fea or shore,
Frefhet, or purling brook, of fhell or fin, 345
And exquifiteft name, for which was drain'd
Pontus, and Lucrine bay, and Afric coast,
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 stood
Tall ftripling youths rich clad, of fairer hue
Than Ganymed or Hylas; diftant more
Under the trees now tripp'd, now folemn stood
Nymphs of Diana's train, and Naiades.
355
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 faery damfels met in forest wide

By knights of Logres, or of Lyones,
Lancelot, or Pelleas, or Pellenore:

350

360

And all the while harmonious airs were heard

Of chiming strings, or charming pipes, and winds

Of gentleft gale Arabian odors fann'd

From their foft wings, and Flora's earliest

fmells.

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

What doubts the Son of God to fit and eat? Thefe are not fruits forbidden; no interdict Defends the touching of thefe 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 Spi'rits of air, and woods, and fprings,

Thy gentle ministers, who come to pay 375 Thee homage, and acknowledge thee their Lord:

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

eat.

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

ule?

1 380 Shall I receive by gift what of my own,

When and where likes me beft, 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:
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.

390

To whom thus answer'd Satan malecontent. That I have alfo pow'r to give thou feeft; 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

Chose to impart to thy apparent need.

Why shouldst thou not accept it? but I fee
What I can do or offer is fufpect;

395

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

Both table and provifion 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,

For no allurement yields to appetite,
And all thy heart is fet on high defigns, 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 ftraits at home,
Loft in a defert here and hunger-bit :
Which way or from what hope doft thou aspire
To greatnels? whence authority deriv❜st?
What followers, what retinue canft thou gain,
Or at thy heels the dizzy multitude, 420
Longer than thou canst feed them on thy.

coft?

415

Money brings honor, friends, conqueft, 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 firft, get wealth, and treafure heap, Not difficult, if thou hearken to me;

Riches are mine, fortune is in my hand; They whom I favor, thrive in, wealth

amain,

While virtue, valor, wifdom fit in want.
To whom thus Jefus 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 thefe have oft attain'd
In lowest poverty to highest deeds;

Gideon, and Jephtha, and the shepherd lad, Whole offspring on the throne of Judah fat

So many ages, and fhall yet regain

440

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) canft thou not remem ber

445.

Quintius, Fabricius, Curius, Regulus?
For I esteem thofe 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 450

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 fnare, more apt To flaken virtue, and abate her edge,

Than prompt her to do ought may

455

merit

praife.
L