Nymphs of Diana's train, and Naiades
With fruits and flow'rs from Amalthea's horn,
And ladies of th' Hefperides, that seem'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 :
And all the while harmonious airs were heard
Of chiming ftrings, or charming pipes, and winds
Of gentleft gale Arabian odors fann'd
From their foft wings, and Flora's earliest smells. 365
Such was the splendor, 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 Defends the touching of these viands pure; Their taste no knowledge works at least of evil, But life preferves, destroys life's enemy, Hunger, with fweet reftorative delight.
All these are Spi'rits of air, and woods, and springs, Thy gentle minifters, 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 Jefus temp'rately reply'd. Said'st 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 best, 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 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.
To whom thus anfwer'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 Chose to impart to thy apparent need, Why shouldst thou not accept it? but I see What I can do or offer is fufpect;
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 found of harpies wings, and talons heard;
Only th' importune Tempter ftill remain'd,
And with these words his temptation pursu'd. 405
By hunger, that each other creature 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 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, thyfelf
Bred up in poverty and ftraits at home,
Loft in a desert here and hunger-bit :
Which way or from what hope doft thou aspire
To greatnefs? whence authority deriv❜st?
What followers, what retinue canft thou gain,
Or at thy heels the dizzy multitude,
Longer than thou canft feed them on thy coft?
Money brings honor, friends, conqueft, and realms:
What rais'd Antipater the Edomite,
And his fon Herod plac'd on Juda's throne, 424
(Thy throne) but gold that got him puiffant friends?
Therefore, if at great things thou would'ft 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 favor thrive in wealth amain,
While virtue, valor, wisdom fit in want.
To whom thus Jefus patiently reply'd. Yet wealth without these three is impotent To gain dominion, or to keep it gain'd.. Witness those ancient empires of the earth, In highth of all their flowing wealth diffolv'd: But men indued with thefe have oft attain'd In lowest poverty to higheft deeds;
Gideon, and Japhtha, and the shepherd lad,
Whofe ofspring on the throne of Judah fat
So many ages, and shall yet regaini
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 remember 445
Quintius, Fabricius, Curius, Regulus?
For I esteem those 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 seems wanting, but that I
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 snare, more apt
To flacken virtue, and abate her edge,
Than prompt her to do ought may merit praise.
What if with like averfion 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 To him who wears the regal diadem,
When on his fhoulders each man's burden lies; For therein stands the office of a king,
His honor, virtue, merit and chief praise,
That for the public all this weight he bears. 465 Yet he who reigns within himself, and rules
Paffions, defires, and fears, is more a king;
Which every wife and virtuous man attains:
And who attains not, ill aspires to rule
Cities of men, or head-ftrong multitudes,
Subject himself to anarchy within,
Or lawless paffions in him which he serves.
But to guide nations in the way of truth
By faving doctrin, and from error lead
To know, and knowing worship God aright, 475
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 generous mind
So reigning can be no fincere delight.
Besides 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 reason why they should be fought, 485
To gain a scepter, ofteft better miss'd.
The end of the Second Book.
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