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Now Daniel and his kinsmen had resolved to use a severe diet, and
to abstain from those kinds of food which came from the king's table, and
entirely to forbear to eat of all living creatures. So he came to Ashpenaz,
who was that eunuch to whom the care of them was committed,
1
and desired him to take and spend what was brought for them from the king,
but to give them pulse and dates for their food, and any thing else, besides
the flesh of living creatures, that he pleased, for that their inclinations
were to that sort of food, and that they despised the other. He replied,
that he was ready to serve them in what they desired, but he suspected
that they would be discovered by the king, from their meagre bodies, and
the alteration of their countenances, because it could not be avoided but
their bodies and colors must be changed with their diet, especially while
they would be clearly discovered by the finer appearance of the other children,
who would fare better, and thus they should bring him into danger, and
occasion him to be punished; yet did they persuade Arioch, who was thus
fearful, to give them what food they desired for ten days, by way of trial;
and in case the habit of their bodies were not altered, to go on in the
same way, as expecting that they should not be hurt thereby afterwards;
but if he saw them look meagre, and worse than the rest, he should reduce
them to their former diet. Now when it appeared that they were so far from
becoming worse by the use of this food, that they grew plumper and fuller
in body than the rest, insomuch that he thought those who fed on what came
from the king's table seemed less plump and full, while those that were
with Daniel looked as if they had lived in plenty, and in all sorts of
luxury. Arioch, from that time, securely took himself what the king sent
every day from his supper, according to custom, to the children, but gave
them the forementioned diet, while they had their souls in some measure
more pure, and less burdened, and so fitter for learning, and had their
bodies in better tune for hard labor; for they neither had the former oppressed
and heavy with variety of meats, nor were the other effeminate on the same
account; so they readily understood all the learning that was among the
Hebrews, and among the Chaldeans, as especially did Daniel, who being already
sufficiently skillful in wisdom, was very busy about the interpretation
of dreams; and God manifested himself to him.