that, owing to a prolonged fast, he may be susceptible to the
temptation of hunger, so, taking a select band of spirits, he returns
to the desert to renew his attempts in a different form.

Transferring us again to the solitude, the poet describes how our
Saviour passed the night dreaming of Elijah fed by the ravens and of
Daniel staying his hunger with pulse Awakened at last by the song of
the larks, our Lord rises from his couch on the hard ground, and,
strolling into fertile valley, encounters Satan, who, superbly
dressed, expresses surprise he should receive no aid in the wilderness
when Hagar, the Israelites, and Elijah were all fed by divine
intervention. Then Satan exhibits the wonderful banquet he has
prepared, inviting Christ to partake of it; but the Son of God
haughtily informs him he can obtain food whenever he wishes, and hence
need not accept what he knows is offered with evil intent. Seeing our
Lord cannot be assailed on the ground of appetite, Satan causes the
banquet to vanish, but remains to tempt Christ with an offer of
riches, artfully setting forth the power that can be acquired by their
means. He adds, since Christ's mind is set on high designs, he will
require greater wealth than stands at the disposal of the Son of
Joseph the carpenter. But, although Satan offers to bestow vast
treasures upon him, Christ rejects this proffer too, describing what
noble deeds have been achieved by poor men such as Gideon, Jephtha,
and David, as well as by certain Romans. He adds that riches often
mislead their possessor, and so eloquently describes the drawbacks of
wealth that Satan realizes it is useless to pursue this attempt.

_Book III._ Again complimenting Christ on his acumen, Satan rehearses
the great deeds performed by Philip of Macedon and by Julius Caesar,
who began their glorious careers earlier in life than he. Then, hoping