That fragrant smell diffus'd, in order fstood
Tall stripling youths, rich clad, of fairer hue
Than Ganymed or Hylas; distant more
Under the Trees now tripp'd, now folemn stood
Nymphs of Diana's train, and Naiades
With fruits and flow'rs from Amalthea's horn,
And Ladies of th' Hesperides, that feem'd
Fairer than feign'd of old, or fabl'd fince
Of Fairy Damsels met in foreft wide
By Knights of Logres, or of Lyones,
Lancelot, or Pelleas, or Pellenore.
And all the while harmonious Airs were heard
Of chyming ftrings, or charming pipes; and winds
Of gentlest gale Arabian odours fann'd
From their foft wings, and Flora's earliest smells. 365
Such was the splendor; and the Tempter now
His Invitation carneilly 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 sweet restorative delight.
All these are Spirits of Air, and Wood, and Springs,
Thy gentle Minifters, who come to pay
Thee homage, and acknowledge thee their Lord :
What doubt'it thou Son of God? fit down and eat.
To whom thus Jesus 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 best, I can command?
I can at will, doubt not, as foon as thou,
Command a Table in this Wilderness,
And call swift flights of Angels miniftrant
Array'd in Glory on my Cup t'attend..
Why should'ft thou then obtrude this diligence
In vain, where no acceptance it can find,
And with my hunger what hast thou to do?
Thy pompous Delicacies I contemn,
And count thy specious gifts no gifts, but guiles.
To whom thus answer'd Satan malecontent:
That I have also pow'r to give, thou seeft;
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 fee
What I can do or offer is suspect;
Of these things others quickly will dispose,
Whose pains have earn'd the far-fetcht spoil. With that
Both Table and Provision vanish'd quite
With found of Harpies wings, and Talons heard;
Only the importune Tempter still remain'd,
And with these Words his Temptation pursu'd. 40
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 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, thy felf
Bred up in poverty and straits at home,
Loft in a Desert here, and hunger-bit:
Which way, or from what hope doft thou afpire
To greatness? whence Authority deriv'st?
What Followers, what Retinue canft thou gain,
Or at thy heels the dizzy Multitude,
Longer than thou canst feed them on thy cost?
Mony brings Honour, Friends, Conquest and Realms.
What rais'd Antipater the Edomite,'
And his Son Herod plac'd on Judah's Throne,
Thy Throne, but Gold that got him puissant Friends?
Therefore, if at great things thou would'ît arrive, 426
Get Riches firft, get Wealth, and Treafure heap,
Not difficult, if thou hearken to me:
Riches are mine, Fortune is in my hand;
They whom I favour thrive in wealth amain,
While Virtue, Valour, Wisdom fit and want.
To whom thus Jesus patiently reply'd :
Yet Wealth without these 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 wealths dissolv'd:
But men endu'd with these, have oft attain'd
In lowest poverty to highest deeds;
Gideon and Jephtha, and the Shepherd Lad,
Whose Offspring on the Throne of Judah fat
So many Ages, and shall yet regain
That Seat, 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
Quintus, Fabricius, Curius, Regulus?
For I esteem those names of men so 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 snare, more apt
To flacken Virtue, and abate her edge,
Than prompt her to do aught may merit praise.
What if with like aversion I reject
Riches and Realms? yet not, for that a Crown,
Golden in shew, is but a wreath of thorns,
Brings dangers, troubles, cares, and fleepless nights
To him who wears the Regal Diadem.
When on his shoulders each man's burden lies:
For therein stands the Office of a King,
His Honour, Virtue, Merit, and chief Praife,
That for the Publick 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 aspires to rule
Cities of men or headstrong multitudes,
Subject himself to Anarchy within,
Or lawless Passions in him, which he serves.
But to guide Nations in the way of truth
By saving Doctrine, and from error lead
To know, and knowing worship God aright,
Is yet more Kingly; this attracts the Soul,
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 assume.
Riches are needless, then, both for themselves,
And for thy reason why they should be fought,
To gain a Sceptre, oftest better miss'd,
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