His constancy; with such as have more show Of worth, of honour, glory, & popular praise, Rocks, whereon greatest men have oftest wreck'd; Or that which only seems to satisfy Lawful desires of nature, not beyond; And now I know he hungers, where no food Is to be found, in the wide wilderness: The rest commit to me; I shall let pass No advantage, and his strength as oft assay."
He ceas'd, and heard their grant in loud acclaim; Then forthwith to him takes a chosen band Of Spirits, likest to himself in guile, To be at hand, and at his beck appear, If cause were to unfold some active scene Of various persons, each to know his part: Then to the desert takes with these his flight; Where, still from shade to shade, the Son of God After forty days fasting had remain'd, Now hungering first, and to himself thus said: [pass'd "Where will this end? four times ten days I've Wandering this woody maze, and human food Nor tasted, nor had appetite; that fast To virtue I impute not, or count part Of what I suffer here; if nature need not, Or God support nature without repast 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 this body's wasting, I content me, And from the sting of famine fear no harm; Nor mind it, fed with better thoughts, that feed Me hungering more to do my Father's will."
It was the hour of night, when thus the Son Commun'd in silent walk, then laid him down Under the hospitable covert nigh
Of trees thick interwoven; there he slept, And dream'd, as appetite is wont to dream, Of meats & drinks, nature's refreshment sweet: Him thought, he by the brook of Cherith stood, And saw the ravens with their horny beaks Food to Elijah bringing, even and morn, Though ravenous, taught to abstain from what they He saw the Prophet also, how he fled [brought: Into the desert, and how there he slept Under a juniper; then how awak'd
He found his supper on the coals prepar'd, And by the Angel was bid rise and eat, And eat the second time after repose, The strength whereof suffic'd him forty days: Sometimes that with Elijah he partook, Or as a guest with Daniel at his pulse. Thus wore out night; & now the herald lark Left his ground-nest, high towering to descry The Morn's approach, & 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 wak'd. Up to a hill anon his steps he rear'd, 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 bottom saw a pleasant grove, With chant of tuneful birds resounding loud: Thither he bent his way, determin'd there To rest at noon, and enter'd soon the shade High-roof'd, & walks beneath, & alleys brown, That open'd in the midst a woody scene; Nature's own work it seem'd, Nature taught And, to a superstitious eye, the haunt [Art, Of Wood-Gods & Wood-Nymphs: he viewed it When suddenly a man before him stood; [round. Not rustic as before, but seemlier clad, As one in city, or court, or palace bred, And with fair speech these words to him addressed: "With granted leave officious I return, 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, with her son Out-cast Nebaioth, yet found here relief By a providing Angel; all the race Of Israel here had famish'd, had not God [bold, Rain'd from Heaven manna; & that prophet Native of Thebez, wandering here was fed Twice by a voice inviting him to eat: Of thee these forty days none hath regard, Forty & more deserted here indeed." [hence?
To whom thus Jesus: "What conclud'st thou They all had need; I, as thou seest, have none."
"How hast tho' hunger then?" Satan replied.
"Tell me, if food were now before thee set, Would'st thou not eat."-"Thereafter as I like The giver," answered Jesus." Why should that 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 offer'd first To idols, those young Daniel could refuse; Nor proffer'd by an enemy, though who Would scruple that, with want oppress'd? be- Nature asham'd, or, better to express [hold Troubled, that thou shouldst hunger, hath pur- From all the elements her choicest store, [vey'd To treat thee, as beseems, and as her Lord, With honour only deign to sit and eat."
He spake no dream; for, as his words had Our Saviour lifting up his eyes beheld, [end, In ample space under the broadest shade, A table richly spread, in regal mode, With dishes pil'd, and meats of noblest sort And savour; beasts of chase, or fowl of game, In pastry built, or from the spit, or boil'd, Gris-amber-steam'd; all fish, from sea or shore, Freshet or purling brook, of shell or fin, And exquisitest name, for which was drain'd Pontus, and Lucrine bay, and Afric coast. (Alas, how simple, to these cates compar'd, Was that crude apple that diverted Eve!) And at a stately side-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 Under the trees now tripp'd, now solemn stood, Nymphs of Diana's train, and Naiades With fruits and flowers from Amalthea's horn, And ladies of the Hesperides, that seem'd Fairer than feign'd of old, or fabled since Of fairy damsels, met in forest wide By knights of Logres, or of Lyones, Lancelot, or Pelleas, or Pellenore. And all the while harmonious airs were heard Of chiming strings, or charming pipes, & winds Of gentlest gale Arabian odours fann'd From their soft wings, & Flora's earliest smells. Such was the splendour; & the Tempter now
His invitation earnestly renewed :
"What doubts the Son of God to sit and eat? These are not fruits forbidd'n; 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 doubt'st thou, Son of God? Sit down & 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 should'st 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 spacious 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 pleas'd And rather opportunely in this place Chose to impart to thy apparent need, Why should'st thou not accept it? but I see What I can do or offer is suspect: 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: Only the importune Tempter still remain'd, And with these words his temptation pursued: "By hunger, that each other creature tames, Thou art not to be harm'd, therefore not mov'd; Thy temperance, invincible besides, For no allurement yields to appetite; And all thy heart is set on high designs, 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, 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, Longer than thou can'st feed them on thy cost? Money brings honour, friends, conquest, and realms. What rais'd Antipater the Edomite,
And his son Herod plac'd on Judah's throne, Thy throne, but gold that got him puissant friends? Therefore, if at great things thou would'st arrive, 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 favour thrive in wealth amain, While virtue, valour, wisdom, sit in want.'
To whom thus Jesus patiently replied: "Yet wealth, without these three, is impotent To gain dominion, or to keep it gain'd. Witness those ancient empires of the earth, In height of all their flowing wealth dissolv'd: But men endued with these have oft attain'd In lowest poverty to highest deeds; Gideon, and Jephtha, and the shepherd lad, Whose offspring on the throne of Judah sat So many ages, and shall yet regain 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 Quintus, Fabricus, Curius, Regulus ?
For I esteem those names of men so poor, 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 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 aversion 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,
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