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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,
Lancelot or Pelleas, or Pellenore,

And all the while harmonious Airs were heard
Of chiming strings, or charming pipes and winds
Of gentleft gale Arabian odours fann'd

From their soft wings, and Flora's earliest fmells.
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
Defends the touching of these Viands pure,
Their taste no knowledge works at least of evil,
But life preferves, deftroys life's enemy,

Hunger, with sweet restorative delight.

All these are Spirits of Air, and Woods, and Springs,
Thy gentle Ministers, who come to pay
Thee homage, and acknowledge thee their Lord:
What doubt'st thou Son of God? fit down and eat,

To

To whom thus Jefus temp'rately reply'd:

Said'st thou not that to all things I had right? And who with-holds my pow'r that right to use? 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 foon as thou,
Command a Table in this Wilderness,
And call swift flights of Angels ministrant
Array'd in Glory on my Cup t'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 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,
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

Whofe

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 still remain'd,
And with these 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 befides,

For no allurement yields to appetite,

And all thy heart is fet 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 streights at home;
Loft in a Defart here and hunger-bit:
Which way or from what hope doft thou aspire
To greatness? whence Authority deriv❜ft,

What Followers, what Retinue canft thou gain,
Or at thy heels the dizzy Multitude,

Longer than thou canft feed them on thy cost?
Mony brings Honour, Friends,Conquest andRealms;
What rais'd Antipater the Edomite,

And

And his Son Herod plac'd on Juda'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 amain,
While Virtue, Valour, Wifdom 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 heighth 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 Shepherd lad,
Whofe Off-spring on the Throne of Judah fat
So many Ages, and shall 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) canst thou not remember

Quintus, Fabricius, Curius, Regulus?

For

For I cfteem 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 seems 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 aversion 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 shoulders each mans burden lies;
For therein stands the Office of a King,
His Honour, Virtue, Merit and chief Praise,
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 afpires to rule

T

Citics

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