In the admiration only of weak minds
Led captive; ceafe to admire, and all her Plumes
Fall flat and shrink into a trivial toy,
At every fudden flighting quite abafht:
Therefore with manlier objects we must try
His constancy, with such as have more shew
Of worth, of honour, glory, and popular praise;
Rocks whereon greatest Men have often wreck'd;
Or that which only feems to fatisfie
230 Lawful defires of Nature, not beyond;
And now I know he hungers where no food
Is to be found, in the wild Wilderness,
The reft commit to me, I fhall let pafs
No advantage, and his strength as oft afsay.
He ceas'd, and heard their grant in loud acclaim;
Then forthwith to him takes a chofen band
Of Spirits likeft to himself in guile
To be at hand, and at his beck appear,
If cause were to unfold fome active Scene
240 Of various Perfons each to know his part;
Then to the Defart takes with these his flight;
Where ftill from shade to shade the Son of God
After forty days fasting had remain’d,
Now hungring first, and to himself thus faid.
Where will this end? four times ten days I have pafs'd Wandring this woody maze, and humane Food
Nor tafted, nor had appetite; that Fast
To Vertue I impute not, or count part
Of what I fuffer here; if Nature need not,
250 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 fatisfic that need fome other way,
Though hunger ftill remain: fo it remain
Without this bodies wafting, I content me,
And from the fting of Famine fear no harm,
Nor mind it, fed with better thoughts that feed
Me hungring more to do my Fathers will.
It was the hour of night, when thus the Son
Commun'd in filent walk, then laid him down
Under the hospitable covert nigh
Of trees thick interwoven; there he flept,
And dream'd, as appetite is wont to dream,
Of meats and drinks, Nature's refreshment sweet;
Him thought, he by the Brook of Cherith stood
And faw the Ravens with their horny beaks
Food to Elijah bringing Even and Morn,
Though ravenous, taught to abstain from what they
270 He faw the Prophet alfo how he fled.
Into the Defart, and how there he flept
Under a Juniper; then how awak't,
He found his Supper on the coals prepar'd,
And by the Angel was bid rife and eat,
And cat the second time after repofse,
The strength whereof fuffic'd him forty days;
Sometimes that with Elijah he partook,
Or as a guest with Daniel at his Pulfe.
Thus wore out night, and now the Herald Lark
2 Left his ground-neft, high towring to defcry
The morns approach, and greet her with his Song:
As lightly from his graffy couch up rose
Our Saviour, and found all was but a dream,
Fasting he went to fleep, and fasting wak'd.
Up to a hill anon his steps he rear'd,
From whofe 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 faw a pleasant Grove,
290 With chaunt of tuneful Birds refounding loud
Thither he bent his way, determin'd there
To rest at noon, and enter'd foon the shade
High rooft and walks beneath, and alleys brown
That open'd in the midst a woody Scene,
Nature's own work it seem'd (Nature taught Art)
And to a Superftitious eye the haunt
Of Wood-Gods and Wood-Nymphs; he view'd it round,
When fuddenly a man before him ftood,
Not ruftic as before, but seemlier clad,
300 As one in City, or Court, or Palace bred,
And with fair fpeech these words to him addrefs'd.
With granted leave officious I return,
But much more wonder that the Son of God
In this wild folitude fo long should bide
Of all things deftitute, and well I know,
Not without hunger. Others of fome note,
As story tells, have trod this Wilderness ;
The fugitive Bond-woman with her Son
Out-caft Nebaioth, yet found he relief
310 By a providing Angel; all the race
Of Ifrael here had famish'd, had not God
Rain'd from Heaven Manna, and that Prophet bold
Native of Thebes wandring here was fed
Twice by a voice inviting him to eat,
Of thee these forty days none hath regard,
Forty and more deferted here indeed.
To whom thus Jefus; what conclud'ft thou hence?
They all had need, I as thou feest have none.
How hast thou hunger then? Satan reply'd,'
320 Tell me if Food were now before thee fet,
Would'st thou 'not eat? Thereafter as I like
The giver, anfwer'd Jesus. Why should that
Cause thy refusal, faid the fubtle Fiend,
Haft thou not right to all Created things,
Owe not all Creatures by juft right to thee
Duty and fervice, 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;
330 Nor proffer'd by an Enemy, though who
Would fcruple that, with want oppreft? Behold
Nature afham'd, or better to express,
Troubl'd that thou should'ft hunger, hath purvey'd
From all the Elements her choicest store
To treat thee as befeems, and as her Lord
With honour, only deign to fit and eat.
He fpake no dream, for as his words had end,
Our Saviour lifting up his eyes beheld
In ample space under the broadest shade
340 A Table richly fpred, in Regal mode,
With dishes pill'd, and meats of noblest sort
And favour, Beasts of chase, or Fowl of game,
In Pastry-built, or from the fpit, or boyl❜d,
Gris-amber-fteam'd; all Fifh from Sea or Shore,
Freshet, or purling Brook, of shell or fin,
And exquifiteft name, for which was drain'd
Pontus and Lucrine Bay, and Afric-Coast.
Alas how fimple, to thefe Cates compar'd,
Was that crude Apple that diverted Eve!
350 And at a stately fide-board by the wine
That fragrant fmell diffus'd, in order stood
Tall ftripling youths rich clad, of fairer hew
Than Ganymed or Hylas, diftant more
Under the Trees now trip'd, now folemn stood
Nymphs of Diana's train, and Naiades
With fruits and flowers from Amalthea's horn,
And Ladies of the Hefperides, that seem'd
Fairer than feign'd of old, or fabl'd fince
Of Fairy Damfels met in foreft wide
360 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 and winds
Of gentleft gale Arabian odours fann'd
From their foft wings, and Flora's earliest smells.
Such was the splendour, and the Tempter now
His invitation carnestly renew'd.
What doubts the Son of God to fit and eat?
These are not fruits forbidden, no interdict
370 Defends the touching of these Viands pure,
Their taste no knowledge works at least of evil,
But life preferves, deftroys 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'ft thou Son of God? fit down and eat.
To whom thus Jefus temperately reply'd: Said❜ft thou not that to all things I had right? 380 And who withholds my pow'r that right to use?
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