A LIB. XX I. Ahafuerus Jeafling, &c. Aha[uerus Feafling, Va!hti cafl off, Efiher chofm. M Hat bouods cao b~ fer to humane ambition( .Ah•fomu that is Xtrxts the fon of Darlw, is already the King ofan hundred ~nd fea~en and 1twenty Provinces, and now is ready to fight for mo(e. He hath new. ly fubdued Egypt, aod is now addrefling himfelfe for the conqueft ofGreece. He cannot hope ever to fee all the land that he poiTeiTeth I!.!:'=!=..S>IJ and yet he cannot be quiet, whiles he heares of more. Leffe the~ B two ells ofearth !hall erelong ferve him, whom, for the time, awhole world Jball fc~rce fatisfie1 in vaine n,.u_a man ft;ive t<;> have tha~ which he_cannot injoy, and to ID JOY ought by meere relauon ; It IS a WIDdte happ1Delfe that IS fought in the exag. gerarion ofthofe tides, which are taken upon others credit, without the fenfe of the owner: Nothing can fill the heart ofman,buthe that made it. This_great Monarch, partly in trium(!h o~the gre~tvi~ories, that he bath lately wonne ID Egypt, and partly, for the antmauon of hts Punccs, and fouldie!S to his future exploits, makes a feaft, like himfelfe, royal! andmagnificent. What is grearnelfe if it be not !bowed! And wherein ean grearnelfe be better flmwne, then in the acchievements ofwar, and the entertainmentofpeace! All orher feafts were but hunger to this of ..Ah•fotrm, whether we regard the C number of guefts, orthelargeneffeof preparation, or continuance oftime : DurinJl the fpace of a whole halfeyeare, all the tables were fumptuoufly furnifhed for all commers from ll•di•,to Elhi•pi•;A world of meat; every meale was fo fet on as ifit fhould ~ave becne the !aft: Yet al_lrhis long feaft hath an endi and all this glory is !hut up ID forgecfulnelfe; What IS Ah~{itermthc better, that biS Peereschen.faid, he was incomparably great ( What are hiS Peeres the better, that theyware feafted! Happy is he that cares bread, and drinkcs new wine in the Kingdom• ofGod; rhis banquet is for eternity; without intermifiion,without farietir. What variety ofhabits, oflanguages,ofmanncrs,met at the boardsof Ah•fotrt~~? What confluence offlrange guefts was there now toShufo•n! And, left the gloryof this great King might feeme, like fome cpurle pitlure, onely faire alarrc olf, after D the Princes and Nobles ofthe remote Provinces, all the people of Sh•fo•• are entertained, for (even dayes with equal! pompcaod ftate; The fpacious Conrt of the Palace is turned into a Royal! Hall, the wallsare ofrich hangings, the pillars ofmarble, the beds offilver and gold, the pavement ofporphyrie curioufly checl<crcd ; The wine and the veiTds ftrove \Yhecher fhould be the richer; no men drunkc in worfe then gold;and whiles themctall W3S the fame,the forme ofeach cupwas divcrfe;thc attendance was anfwerabletotbe chear; and the freedomc matched both: Here was no compulfion, either to themeafure, orqualityofthe draught1 everymans rule was his owne choife. Who can but blufh to fee forced healchs in Chriftian banquets, when the civility ofvery Pagans commands liberty! I cannot but envythe modefty ofheathenDames, r A{hti the Quoene, and her La· E dies, with all the feverall ranks ofchat fexc, feaft apart;entertaining each other,witb a bafhfullcourcctie,without wanronnolfe, without that wild fcurrility, which ufeth to haunt promifcuous meetings: Oh fhamefull unchaftity ofrhofe loofc Chriftians, who muiHeed theirluft, whiles they fill their bellies1 and thinke the feaft unperfit, where they may not fatiate their eye no leffe then palate. The !aftdayofthis pompous{call is now come: King Ah•fotrm is fo much more cheercfull, by how much his guefts arc neer to theirdifmiiTion.Every one is wont to clofe up hiscunefie with fo much more paflion,as tbelaft atls ufeto make tl!e deeper impreflion; And now, that he !Jiighrat once amaze,and indeare the bebolders,Y•foll cheCl!!_eene in all her royalty, is called for; Her fight !hall !hut up chefeaft, that the Princes and the people may fay, How happy is King .th.Joerm, not {o much in this greacneffc,as inthat beauty! SOY en 3333
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