Caft wanton eyes on the daughters of men,
And coupled with them, and begot a race.
Have we not feen, or by relation heard,
In courts and regal chambers how thou lurk'dft,
In wood or grove by moffy fountain fide
"In valley or green meadow to way-lay
Some beauty rare, Calisto, Clymene,

་་ Daphne, or Semele, Antiopa,

Or Amymone, Syrinx, many more

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"Too long, then layd'ft thy fcapes on names ador'd, Apollo, Neptune, Jupiter, or Pan,

" Satyr, or fawn, or filvan? but these haunts
" Delight not all; among the fons of men,

How many have with a smile made small account
Of beauty and her lures, easily scorn'd
<<'All her affaults, on worthier things intent?
Remember that Pellean conqueror,

es A youth, how all the beauties of the east
"He flightly view'd, and flightly overpafs'd;
How he firnam'd of Africa difmifs'd

In his prime youth the fair Iberian maid.
For Solomon, he liv'd at eafe, and full

et Of honour, wealth, high fare, aim'd not beyond

CHigher design than to enjoy his state;
Thence to the bait of women lay expos'd:

find,

But he whom we attempt is wiser far
Than Solomon, of more exafted mind,
Made and fet wholly on th' accomplishment.
<Of greatest things; what woman will you
Though of this age the wonder and the fame,
On whom his leifure will vouchfafe an eye
Of fond defire? or fhould fhe confident,
As fitting queen ador'd on beauty's throne,
<< Defcend with all her winning charms begirt
T'enamour, as the zone of Venus once
44Wrought that effect on Jove, fo fables tell;
How would one look from his majestic brow,
Seated as on the top of virtue's hill,

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Discount'nance her defpis'd, and put to rout
All her array, her female pride deject,
Or turn to reverent awe? for beauty stands
‹‹In the admiration only of weak minds

Led captive; cease t' admire, and all her plumes ‹‹ Fall flat and shrink into a trivial toy,

At every fudden flighting quite abasht: Therefore with manlier objects we must try His conftancy, with fuch 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 fatisfy

Lawful defires of nature, not beyond..

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And now I know he hungers where no food

Is to be found, in the wild wilderness;

The rest commit to me, I fhall let pafs

(No advantage, and his ftrength as oft affay.

He ceas'd, and heard their grant in loud acclaim;

Then forthwith to him takes a chofen band

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Of fpirits likeft to himself in guile

To be at hand, and at his beck appear,

If caufe were to unfold some active scene
Of various perfons each to know his part:
Then to the defart takes with these his flight;
Where still from shade to fhade the fon of God
After forty days fasting had remain'd,

Now hungring firft, and to himself thus faid:

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Where will this end? four times ten days I've pafs'd
Wandring this woody maze, and human food
Nor tafted, nor had appetite, that fast

<< To virtue I impute not, or count part
Of what I fuffer here; if nature need not,
Or God fupport nature without repast

< Though needing, what praife is it to endure?
But now I feel I hunger, which declares
Nature hath need of what she asks; yet God

<< Can fatisfy that need fome other way, Tho' hunger ftill remain: fo it remain

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Without this body's 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 father's will.`)

It was the hour of night, when thus the Son
Commun'd in filent walk, then laid him down
Under the hofpitable covert nigh

Of trees thick interwoven; there he flept
And dream'd, as appetite is wont to dream,

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Of meats and drinks, nature's refreshment sweet: 265
He thought, he by the brook of Cherith stood
And faw the ravens with their horny beaks
Food to Elijah bringing even and morn,

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Tho rav'nous, taught t'abstain from what they brought:
He faw the prophet alfo how he fled
Into the defert, and how there he slept
Under a juniper; then how awak'd,
He found his fupper on the coals prepar'd,
And by the angel was bid rife and eat,
And eat the fecond time after repofe,

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The strength whereof fuffic'd him forty days;
Sometimes that with Elijah he partook,

Or as a guest with Daniel at his pulse.

Thus wore out night, and now the herald lark

Left his ground-neft, high tow'ring to defcry

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The morn's approach, and greet her with his fong:

As lightly from his graffy couch up rofe

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Our Saviour, and found all was but a dream;
Fafting he went to fleep, and fafting wak'd.
Up to a hill anon his steps he rear'd,
From whofe high top to ken the profpect round,
If cottage were in view, fheep-cote or herd;
But cottage, herd, or sheep-cote none he faw,
Only in a bottom faw a pleasant grove,
With chant of tuneful birds refounding loud;
Thither he bent his way, determin'd there
To reft at noon, and enter'd foon the shade
High rooft, and walks beneath, and alleys brown,

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That open'd in the midst a woody scene;

Nature's own work it seem'd (nature taught art) 295 And to a fuperftitious eye the haunt

Of wood-gods and wood-nymphs; he view'd it round,
When fuddenly a man before him stood,
(Not ruftic as before, but feemlier clad,

As one in city, or court, or palace-bred)
And with fair speech these words to him address'd.
u 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 ftory tells, have trod this wilderness;
The fugitive bond-woman with her fon,
Out-cast Nebaioth, yet found here relief
By a providing angel; all the race

Of Ifrael here had famifh'd, had not God
Rain'd from heav'n manna, and that prophet bold
"Native of Thebes wand'ring 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.">

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To whom thus Jefus what conclud'st thou hence? 'They all had need, I as thou feeft have none. How haft thou hunger then? Satan reply'd;"' Tell me if food were now before thee fet, **Would'st thou not eat? thereafter as I like The giver, answer'd Jefus? Why should that Caufe thy refufal, faid the fubtle fiend? Haft thou not right to all created things? ** Owe not all creatures by just right to thee Duty and fervice, not to stay till bid, But tender all their pow'r? nor mention I Meats by the law unclean, nor offer'd first To idols, thofe young Daniel could refuse e; Nor proffer'd by an enemy, though who Would fcruple that, with want oppreft? behold

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"

Nature asham'd, or, better to express,
Troubl'd that thou fhould'st hunger, hath purvey'd

८ From all the elements her choiceft ftore

To treat thee as befeems, and as her lord,
With honour, only deign to fit and eat.''

He spake no dream; for as his words had end,
Our Saviour lifting up his eyes,' beheld
In ample space under the broadeft fshade
A table richly spread, in regal mode,
With dishes pil'd, and meats of nobleft fort
And favour, beafts of chafe, or fowl of game,
In pastry-built, or from the fpit, or boil'd,
Gris-amber-fteam'd; all fifh from fea or fhore,
Frefhet, or purling brook, or shell or fin,
And exquifiteft name, for which was drain'd
Pontus and Lucrine bay, and Afric coaft.
Alas, how.fimple, to thefe 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; diftant more
Under the trees now tripp'd, now folemn ftood.
Nymphs of Diana's train, and Naiades

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With fruits and flow'rs from Amalthea's horn,

And ladies of th' Hefperides, that feem'd

Fairer than feign'd of old, or fabl'd fince"

Of fairy damfels met in foreft wide

By knights of Logres, or of Lyones,

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Lancelot, or Pelleas, or Pellenore.

And all the while harmonious airs were heard

Of chyming strings, or charming pipes; and winds Of gentleft gale Arabian odours 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? These are not fruits forbidden, no interdict