Daphne, or Semele, Antiopa,
Or Amymone, Syrinx, many more
Too long, then lay'dst thy scapes on names ador'd,
Apollo, Neptune, Jupiter, or Pan,
Satyr, or Fawn, or Silvan? But these haunts
Delight not all; among the Sons 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,
A Youth, how all the Beauties of the East
He flightly view'd, and flightly overpass'd;
How he firnam'd of Africa dismiss'd
In his prime youth the fair Iberian Maid.
For Solomon, he liv'd at ease, and full
Of honour, wealth, high fare, aim'd not beyond
Higher defign than to enjoy his State;
Thence to the bait of Women lay expos'd:
But he whom we attempt is wifer far
Than Solomon, of more exalted mind,
Made and fet wholly on th' accomplishment
Of greatest things; what Woman will you find,
Though of this age the wonder and the fame,
On whom his leisure will vouchafe an eye -
Of fond defire? or should the 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
Wrought that effect on Jove, so Fables tell;
How would one look from his Majestick brow,
Seated as on the top of Virtue's hill,
Discount'nance her defpis'd, and put to rout
All her array, her female pride deject,
Or turn to rev'rent awe? for Beauty stands
In th' 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 abaiht:
Therefore with manlier objects we must try
His conftancy, 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 fatisfy
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 shall let pass
No advantage, and his ftrength as oft affay.
He ceas'd, and heard their grant in loud acclaim; 235 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 Of various Ferfons each to know his part : Then to the Desart takes with these his flight; Where still from shade to shade the Son of God After forty days fafting had remain'd,
Now hungring firft, and to himself thus faid :
Where will this end? four times ten days I've pass'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 repaft 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 some other way,
Tho' hunger ftill remain: so it remain
Without this body's waiting, I content me,
And from the sting 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 slept
And dream'd, as appetite is wont to dream,
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,
Tho' rav'nous, taught t'abstain from what they brought:
He faw the Prophet also 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 rise and eat,
And eat the second time after repose,
The ftrength whereof fufficed 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 nest, high tow'ring to descry
The morn's approach, and greet her with his Song:
As lightly from his grassy couch up rose
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 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 faw,
Only 'n a bottom faw a pleasant Grove,
With chaunt of tuneful Birds resounding 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 feem'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 ftood,
(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.
With granted leave officious I return,
But much more wonder that the Son of God
In this wild folitude so long should bide,
Of all things destitute, 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 here relief
By a providing Angel; all the race
To whom thus Jesus: What conclud'st thou hence ? They all had need, I as thou seest 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 Jesus. Why should that
Caufe thy refusal, said the fubtle Fiend?
Haft thou not right to all created things?
Owe not all Creatures by just right to thee
Duty and service, 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, those young Daniel could refuse;
Nor proffer'd by an enemy, though who
Would fcruple that, with want opprest? Behold
Nature afnam'd, or, better to express,
Troubl'd that thou should'st hunger, hath purvey'd
From all the Elements her choicest store
To treat thee as beseems, 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 broadest shade
A Table richly spread, in Regal mode,
With dishes pil'd, and meats of noblest fort
And favour, Beasts of chafe, or Fowl of game,
In Paftry-built, or from the spit, or boil'd,
Gris-amber-steam'd; all Fish from Sea or Shore,
Freshet, or purling Brook, or shell or fin,
And exquifitest name, for which was drain'd
Pontus and Lucrine Bay, and Afric Coast.
Alas, how fimple, to these Cates compar'd,
Was that crude Apple that diverted Eve!
And at a stately fide-board by the wine
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