The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (145 page)

The rest commit to me. I shall let pass

No advantage, and his strength as oft assay.”

He ceased, and heard their grant
⁶⁷⁷⁸
in loud acclaim,

Then forthwith to him takes a chosen band

Of Spirits likest to himself in guile,

To be at hand and at his beck
⁶⁷⁷⁹
appear

If cause were
⁶⁷⁸⁰
to unfold some active
⁶⁷⁸¹
scene

Of various persons, each to know his part,

Then to the desert takes with these his flight,

Where still, from shade to shade, the Son of God,

After forty days’ fasting, had remained,

Now hung’ring first,
⁶⁷⁸²
and to himself thus said:

“Where will this end? Four times ten days I have passed,

Wand’ring this woody maze, and human food

Nor tasted, nor had appetite. That fast

To virtue I impute
⁶⁷⁸³
not, or count part

Of what I suffer here. If Nature need not,

Or God support Nature without repast,

Though needing, what praise is it to endure?

But now I feel I hunger, which declares

Nature hath need of what she asks. Yet God

Can satisfy that need some other way,

Though hunger still remain. So
⁶⁷⁸⁴
it remain

Without this body’s wasting, I content me,

And from the sting of famine
⁶⁷⁸⁵
fear no harm,

Nor mind it, fed with better thoughts, that feed

Me hung’ring more to do my Father’s will.”

It was the hour of night, when thus the Son

Communed
⁶⁷⁸⁶
in silent walk, then laid him down

Under the hospitable covert nigh

Of trees thick interwoven. There he slept,

And dreamed, as appetite is wont to dream,

Of meats and drinks, Nature’s refreshment sweet.

Him thought he by the brook of Cherith
⁶⁷⁸⁷
stood,

And saw the ravens with their horny beaks

Food to Elijah bringing, even and morn,

Though ravenous, taught t’ abstain from what they brought.

He saw the prophet also, how he fled

Into the desert, and how there he slept

Under a juniper, then how, awaked,

He found his supper on the coals prepared,

And by the Angel was bid rise and eat,

And ate the second time after repose,

The strength whereof sufficed him forty days.

Sometimes that with Elijah he partook,
⁶⁷⁸⁸

Or as a guest with Daniel at his pulse.
⁶⁷⁸⁹

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 Savior, and found all was but a dream:

Fasting he went to sleep, and fasting waked.

Up to a hill anon
⁶⁷⁹⁰
his steps he reared,
⁶⁷⁹¹

From whose high top to ken
⁶⁷⁹²
the prospect
⁶⁷⁹³
round,

If cottage were in view, sheep-cote,
⁶⁷⁹⁴
or herd.

But cottage, herd, or sheep-cote none he saw,

Only in a bottom
⁶⁷⁹⁵
saw a pleasant grove,

With chant
⁶⁷⁹⁶
of tuneful birds resounding loud.

Thither he bent his way, determined there

To rest at noon, and entered soon the shade

High-roofed, and walks beneath, and alleys
⁶⁷⁹⁷
brown,

That opened
⁶⁷⁹⁸
in the midst a
⁶⁷⁹⁹
woody scene.

Nature’s own work it seemed (Nature taught
⁶⁸⁰⁰
art),

And, to a superstitious eye, the haunt

Of wood-gods and wood-nymphs. He viewed it round—

When suddenly a man before him stood,

Not rustic as before, but seemlier
⁶⁸⁰¹
clad,

As one in city or court or palace bred,

And with fair speech these words to him addressed:

“With granted leave officious
⁶⁸⁰²
I return,

But much more wonder that the Son of God

In this wild solitude so long should bide,
⁶⁸⁰³

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,
⁶⁸⁰⁴
with her son,

Outcast Nebaioth,
⁶⁸⁰⁵
yet found here relief

By a providing Angel. All the race

Of Israel here had
⁶⁸⁰⁶
famished, had not God

Rained from Heav’n manna. And that prophet bold,

Native of Thebez,
⁶⁸⁰⁷
wand’ring here, was fed

Twice by a voice inviting him to eat.

Of thee those forty days none hath regard,

Forty and more deserted here indeed.”

To whom thus Jesus:

“What conclud’st thou hence?

They all had need. I, as thou see’st, 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
⁶⁸⁰⁸
I like
⁶⁸⁰⁹

The giver,” answered Jesus.

“Why should that

Cause thy refusal?” said the subtle fiend.

“Hast thou not right to all created things?

Owe not all creatures, by just right, to thee

Duty and service, nor to stay till bid,

But tender
⁶⁸¹⁰
all their power?
⁶⁸¹¹
Nor mention I

Meats by the law unclean, or offered first

To idols—those young Daniel
⁶⁸¹²
could refuse.

Nor proffered by an enemy—though who

Would scruple
⁶⁸¹³
that, with want
⁶⁸¹⁴
oppressed? Behold!

Nature ashamed (or, better to express,

Troubled) that thou shouldst hunger, hath purveyed
⁶⁸¹⁵

From all the elements her choicest store,

To treat thee as beseems, and as her Lord

With honor. Only deign to sit and eat.”

He spoke no dream, for as his words had end

Our Savior, lifting up his eyes, beheld

In ample space under the broadest shade

A table richly spread in regal mode,

With dishes piled and meats of noblest sort

And savor,
⁶⁸¹⁶
beasts of chase, or fowl of game,

In pastry built,
⁶⁸¹⁷
or from the spit, or boiled,

Grisamber
⁶⁸¹⁸
steamed—all fish, from sea or shore,

Freshet
⁶⁸¹⁹
or purling
⁶⁸²⁰
brook, of shell or fin,

And exquisitest name,
⁶⁸²¹
for which was drained

Pontus,
⁶⁸²²
and Lucrine Bay,
⁶⁸²³
and Afric coast.

Alas! how simple,
⁶⁸²⁴
to these cates
⁶⁸²⁵
compared,

Was that crude apple that diverted
⁶⁸²⁶
Eve!

And at a stately
⁶⁸²⁷
sideboard,
⁶⁸²⁸
by the wine

That fragrant smell diffused,
⁶⁸²⁹
in order stood

Tall stripling
⁶⁸³⁰
youths rich-clad, of fairer hue

Than Ganymede
⁶⁸³¹
or Hylas.
⁶⁸³²
Distant more,

Under the trees now
⁶⁸³³
tripped,
⁶⁸³⁴
now solemn stood
⁶⁸³⁵

Nymphs of Diana’s train, and Naiades

With fruits and flowers from Amalthea’s horn,
⁶⁸³⁶

And ladies of the Hesperides,
⁶⁸³⁷
that seemed

Fairer than feigned
⁶⁸³⁸
of old, or fabled since

Of fairy damsels met in forest wide

By knights of Logres,
⁶⁸³⁹
or of Lyonesse,
⁶⁸⁴⁰

Lancelot, or Pelléas, or Pellenore.
⁶⁸⁴¹

And all the while harmonious airs were heard

Of chiming
⁶⁸⁴²
strings or charming pipes, and winds

Of gentlest gale
⁶⁸⁴³
Arabian odors fanned

From their soft wings, and Flora’s
⁶⁸⁴⁴
earliest smells.

Such was the splendor. And the Tempter now

His invitation earnestly renewed:

“What doubts
⁶⁸⁴⁵
the Son of God to sit and eat?

These are not fruits forbidd’n. No interdict
⁶⁸⁴⁶

Defends
⁶⁸⁴⁷
the touching of these viands
⁶⁸⁴⁸
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
⁶⁸⁴⁹
ministers,
⁶⁸⁵⁰
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
⁶⁸⁵¹
replied:

“Said’st thou not that to all things I had right?

And who withholds my pow’r that right to use?

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 swift flights of Angels ministrant,

Arrayed in glory, on my cup t’ attend.