"Defends the touching of thefe viands pure; Their taste no knowlege works at least of evil, But life preferves, destroys life's enemy,
Hunger, with fweet restorative delight.
All these are spirits of air, and woods, and springs, Thy gentle minifters, who come to pay
Thee homage, and acknowlege thee their lord:
What doubt'st thou, Son of God? fit down and eat.
To whom thus Jefus temp'rately reply'd:
Saidft thou not, that to all things I had right?
And who withholds my pow'r that right to use? 380
Shall I receive by gift, what of my own,
When and where likes me beft, I can command?
I can at will, doubt not, as soon as thou,
Command a table in this wilderness,
And call fwift flights of angels ministrant
Array'd in glory on my cup t' attend.
Why should't 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.
To whom thus answer'd Satan malecontent:"
That I have also pow'r to give, thou seest;
If of that pow'r I bring thee voluntary
What I might have bestow'd on whom I pleas'd, 395 And rather opportunely in this place
Chofe to impart to thy apparent need;
Why fhouldst thou not accept it? but I fee
What I can do or offer is fufpect;
Of these things others quickly will difpofe,
Whose pains have earn'd the far-fetcht fpoil. With that
Both table and provifion vanifh'd quite
With found of harpies wings, and talons heard;
Only th' importune tempter ftill remain'd,
And with thefe words his temptation pursu'd.
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 atchiev'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,
4 Loft in a defert here, and hunger-bit:
Which way, or from what hope dost thou afpire To greatness? whence authority deriv❜st? (( What followers, what retinue canft thou gain, 44 Or at thy heels the dizzy multitude,
Longer than thou canst feed them on thy cost? Money brings honour, friends, conqueft and realms. What rais'd Antipater the Edomite,
And his fon Herod plac'd on Judah's throne,
Thy throne, but gold that got him puiffant 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 main,
While virtue, valour, wifdom fit and want.
To whom thus Jefus patiently reply'd:
Yet wealth without thefe three is impotent
To gain dominion; or to keep it gain'd.
Witness those antient empires of the earth,
In height of all their flowing wealth diffolv'd:
But men endu'd with thefe, have oft attain'd
In lowest poverty to highest deeds;
Gideon and Jephtha, and the fhepherd lad,
Whose offspring on the throne of Judah fat
So many ages, and fhall yet regain
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 memorial) canft thou not remember
Quintius, Fabricius, Curius, Regulus?
(For I esteem thofe names of men fo poor,
Who could do mighty things, and could contemn
Riches, though offer'd from the hand of kings.
And what in me feems wanting, but that I
May alfo in this poverty as foon
Accomplish what they did, perhaps and more!
Extol not riches then, the toyl of fools,
(The wife man's cumbrance, if not fnare, more apt ((To flacken virtue, and abate her edge,
Than prompt her to do aught may merit praise.
What if with like averfion I reject
Riches and realms? yet not, for that a crown, (Golden in fhew, is but a wreath of thorns,
< (Brings dangers, troubles, cares, and fleepless nights
(To him who wears the regal diadem,
When on his fhoulders each man's burden lies:
For therein ftands the office of a king,
His honour, virtue, merit, and chief praife,
That for the public all this weight he bears.
Yet he who reigns within himself, and rules
Paffions, defires, and fears, is more a king:
Which ev'ry wife and virtuous man attains:
And who attains not, ill afpires to rule
Cities of men or headstrong multitudes,
Subject himself to anarchy within,
Or lawless paffions in him, which he ferves.
But to guide nations in the way of truth
By faving doctrine, and from error lead
To know, and knowing worship God aright,
Is yet more kingly; this attracts the foul,
Governs the inner man, the nobler part:
That other o'er the body only reigns;
And oft by force, which to a gen'rous mind
So reigning, can be no fincere delight.
Befides, to give a kingdom hath been thought
Greater and nobler done, and to lay down
Far more magnanimous, than to affume.
Riches are needlefs, then, both for themselves,
And for thy reafon why they fhould be fought, 485 ((To gain a fceptre, ofteft better mifs'd.)
The End of the Second Book,
So fpake the Son of God; and Satan stood
A while as mute, confounded what to fay,
What to reply, confuted and convinc'd
Of his weak arguing, and fallacious drift:
At length collecting all his ferpent wiles,
With foothing words renew'd, him thus accosts.
I fee thou know'lt what is of ufe to know,
What best to say canst say, to do canst do:
(Thy actions to thy words accord, thy words
To thy large heart give utterance due; thy heart 10
**Contains of good, wife, juft, the perfect fhape.
Should kings and nations, from thy mouth confult,
Thy counfel would be as the oracle
Urim and Thummim, thofe oraculous gems
On Aaron's breast, or tongue of feers old
Infallible; or wert thou fought to deeds
That might require th' array of war, thy skill
Of conduct would be fuch, that all the world
Could not fuftain thy prowefs, or fubfift
In battle, though against thy few in arms.
Thefe god-like virtues wherefore doft thou hide,
Affecting private life, or more obfcure
In favage wilderness? wherefore deprive
All earth her wonder at thy acts, thyself
The fame and glory; glory, the reward
That fole excites to high attempts, the flame
Of moft erected fpirits, moft temper'd pure
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