Of wood-gods and wood-nymphs; he view'd it round,
When suddenly a man before him stood,
Not rustic as before, but seemlier 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 solitude so long should bide
Of all things destitute, and well I know,
Not without hunger. Others of some note,
As story tells, have trod this wilderness;
The fugitive bond-woman with her son
Out-cast Nebaioth, yet found here relief
By a providing angel; all the race

Of Israel here had famish'd, had not God
Rain'd from heav'n manna; and that prophet bold
Native of Thebez wand'ring here was fed

Twice by a voice inviting him to eat.

300

305

310

Of thee these forty days none hath regard,
Forty and more deserted here indeed.

315

To whom thus Jesus. What conclud'st thou hence? They all had need; I, as thou seest, have none.

How hast thou hunger then? Satan replied.
Tell me, if food were now before thee set,
Would'st thou not eat? Thereafter as I like

The giver, answer'd Jesus. Why should that
Cause thy refusal? said the subtle fiend.
Hast thou not right to all created things?

320

309 here] In Milton's own edition, it is found he relief,' perhaps an unnoticed error of the press. Todd.

Owe not all creatures by just right to thee
Duty and service, nor to stay till bid,
But tender all their power? nor mention I
Meats by the law unclean, or offer'd first
To idols, those young Daniel could refuse;
Nor proffer'd by an enemy, though who
Would scruple that, with want opprest? behold
Nature asham'd, or, better to express,

Troubled that thou shouldst 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 sit 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 sort
And savour, beasts of chase, or fowl of

game,
In pastry-built, or from the spit, or boil'd,
Gris-amber steam'd; all fish from sea or shore,

326 nor] So in Milton's own edition; in most others, ‘not.' 334 elements] Juv. Sat. xi. 14.

325

330

335

340

'Interea gustus elementa per omnia quærunt.' Dunster. 340 A table] Then dreamt he saw a table richly spread.' Whiting's Albino and Bellama, p. 105, (1637.)

340 in regal mode] 'Regales Epulæ.' Apulei Metam. Lib. v. p. 143. ed. Delph.

341 dishes pil'd] Milton's Prose Works, vol. iv. p. 312, (a brief History of Moscovia) 'Then followed a number more of strange, and rare dishes piled, boiled, roast, and baked,' &c.

344 Gris-amber] Osborne's Memoirs of James I. vol. ii. p. 157, ‘a whole pye, reckoned to my lord at ten pounds, being composed of amber-grece, magisterial of pearl, musk.'

Freshet or purling brook, of shell or fin,
And exquisitest name, for which was drain'd
Pontus, and Lucrine bay, and Afric coast.
Alas how simple, to these cates compar'd,
Was that crude apple that diverted Eve!
And at a stately side-board by the wine
That fragrant smell diffus'd, in order stood
Tall stripling youths rich clad, of fairer hue
Than Ganymed or Hylas; distant more
Under the trees now tripp'd, now solemn stood
Nymphs of Diana's train, and Naiades
With fruits and flowers from Amalthea's horn,
And ladies of the Hesperides, that seem'd
Fairer than feign'd of old, or fabled since
Of fairy damsels 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 strings or charming pipes, and winds

345 Freshet] Brown B. Past. b. ii. s. 3. (1616.)

'Now love the freshet, and then love the sea.' Todd.

347 Lucrine] Hor. Epod. ii. 49.

'Non me Lucrina juverint conchylia;'

and Sat. ii. iv. 32.

Dunster.

345

350

355

360

349 diverted] In the latter sense, turn aside;' so Drayton's Owle,

1604.

'Holla! thou wandering infant of my braine,

Whither thus flingst thou; yet divert thy strayne;
Return we back.'

Todd.

353 Ganymed] A train of sleek, smooth, beauteous youths ap

pear'd,

The Ganymedes and Hylasses.'

Mountford's Henry II. act iv. sc. 1.

Of gentlest gale Arabian odours fann'd

From their soft wings, and Flora's earliest smells. Such was the splendour, and the tempter now

His invitation earnestly renew'd.

What doubts the Son of God to sit 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 preserves, destroys 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? sit down and eat.

To whom thus Jesus temperately replied. Said'st thou not that to all things I had right?

366

370

375

And who withholds my pow'r that right to use?
Shall I receive by gift what of my own,

380

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 swift flights of angels ministrant,
Array'd in glory, on my cup to attend ;

Why should'st thou then obtrude this diligence,
In vain, where no acceptance it can find?

385 flights] Hamlet, act v. sc. 6.

'And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.' Newton.

385

385 ministrant] Cic. Tusc. Disp. 1. c. 26. Non ambrosia Deos, aut nectare, aut juventute pocula ministrante; and Ov. Met. x. 100. Dunster.

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 power to give, thou seest.

If of that power I bring thee voluntary

390

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 should'st thou not accept it? but I see
What I can do or offer is suspect;

400

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 sound of Harpies' wings and talons heard;
Only the 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 besides,

For no allurement yields to appetite,

And all thy heart is set on high designs,

391 no gifts] Sophocl. Ajax. 675,

Εχθρῶν ἄδωρα δῶρα κ' ουκ ὀνήσιμα. Newton.

405

410

401 far-fet] 'fet,'' far-fetched,' used by Chaucer, Spenser, &c. see Newton's note.

403 Harpies] Hark! how the Harpies' wings resound.'

Al. Ross Mel Heliconium, p. 64.

404 importune] Spenser, F. Q. i. xii. 16.

'And often blame the too importune fate.' Newton.