So spake the Son of God; and Satan stood A while as mute, confounded what to say, What to reply, confuted, and convinc't Of his weak arguing, and fallacious drift; At length, collecting all his serpent wiles, With soothing words renew'd, him thus accosts: 'I see thou know'st what is of use to know, What best to say canst say, to do canst do: Thy actions to thy words accord, thy words To thy large heart give utterance due, thy heart Contains of good, wise, just, the perfect shape. Should kings and nations from thy mouth consult, Thy counsel would be as the oracle Urim and Thummim, those oraculous gems On Aaron's breast; or tongue of seers old, Infallible or wert thou sought to deeds That might require th' array of war, thy skill Of conduct would be such, that all the world Could not sustain thy prowess, or subsist In battle, though against thy few in arms. These godlike virtues wherefore dost thou hide? Affecting private life, or more obscure In savage wilderness? Wherefore deprive All Earth her wonder at thy acts, thyself The fame and glory, glory the reward That sole excites to high attempts the flame Of most erected spirits, most temper'd pure Ethereal, who all pleasures else despise,
All treasures and all gain esteem as dross, And dignities and powers all but the highest? Thy years are ripe, and over-ripe; the son Of Macedonian Philip had ere these
Won Asia, and the throne of Cyrus held At his dispose; young Scipio had brought down The Carthaginian pride; young Pompey quell'd The Pontic king and in triumph had rode. Yet years, and to ripe years judgment mature, Quench not the thirst of glory, but augment. Great Julius, whom now all the world admires, The more he grew in years, the more inflam'd With glory, wept that he had liv'd so long Inglorious but thou yet art not too late.'
To whom our Saviour calmly thus repli’d. 'Thou neither dost persuade me to seek wealth For empire's sake, nor empire to affect For glory's sake, by all thy argument. For what is glory but the blaze of fame, The people's praise, if always praise unmixt? And what the people but a herd confus'd, A miscellaneous rabble, who extol
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Things vulgar, and, well weigh'd, scarce worth the praise? They praise and they admire they know not what, And know not whom, but as one leads the other; And what delight to be by such extoll'd, To live upon their tongues and be their talk ? Of whom to be disprais'd were no small praise, His lot who dares be singularly good. Th' intelligent among them and the wise Are few, and glory scarce of few is rais'd. This is true glory and renown, when God Looking on the Earth, with approbation marks The just man, and divulges him through Heaven To all his angels, who with true applause Recount his praises: thus he did to Job, When to extend his fame through Heaven and Earth, As thou to thy reproach may'st well remember,
He ask'd thee," Hast thou seen my servant Job?" Famous he was in Heaven, on Earth less known; Where glory is false glory, attributed
To things not glorious, men not worthy of fame. They err who count it glorious to subdue By conquest far and wide, to overrun Large countries, and in field great battles win, Great cities by assault: what do these worthies But rob and spoil, burn, slaughter, and enslave Peaceable nations, neighbouring, or remote, Made captive, yet deserving freedom more Than those their conquerors? who leave behind Nothing but ruin wheresoe'er they rove, And all the flourishing works of peace destroy; Then swell with pride, and must be titl'd Gods, Great Benefactors of mankind, Deliverers, Worshipt with temple, priest, and sacrifice. One is the son of Jove, of Mars the other; Till conqueror Death discover them scarce men, Rolling in brutish vices, and deform'd, Violent or shameful death their due reward. But if there be in glory aught of good, It may by means far different be attain'd, Without ambition, war, or violence;
By deeds of peace, by wisdom eminent, By patience, temperance: I mention still Him whom thy wrongs, with saintly patience borne, Made famous in a land and times obscure; Who names not now with honour patient Job? Poor Socrates (who next more memorable?) By what he taught and suffer'd for so doing, For truth's sake suffering death unjust, lives now Equal in fame to proudest conquerors. Yet if for fame and glory aught be done, Aught suffer'd; if young African for fame His wasted country freed from Punic rage; The deed becomes unprais'd, the man at least, And loses, though but verbal, his reward.
Shall I seek glory then, as vain men seek Oft not deserv'd? I seek not mine, but his Who sent me; and thereby witness whence I am.' To whom the Tempter murmuring thus repli'd. 'Think not so slight of glory; therein least Resembling thy great Father; he seeks glory, And for his glory all things made, all things Orders and governs; nor content in Heaven By all his angels glorifi'd, requires
Glory from men, from all men good or bad, Wise or unwise, no difference, no exemption; Above all sacrifice, or hallow'd gift Glory he requires, and glory he receives Promiscuous from all nations, Jew or Greek, Or barbarous, nor exception hath declar'd; From us his foes pronounc't glory he exacts.' To whom our Saviour fervently repli'd. And reason; since his word all things produc'd, Though chiefly not for glory as prime end, But to show forth his goodness, and impart His good communicable to every soul Freely; of whom what could he less expect Than glory and benediction, that is, thanks? The slightest, easiest, readiest recompense From them who could return him nothing else, And not returning that would likeliest render Contempt instead, dishonour, obloquy? Hard recompense, unsuitable return For so much good, so much beneficence. But why should Man seek glory, who of his own Hath nothing, and to whom nothing belongs But condemnation, ignominy, and shame? Who for so many benefits receiv'd Turn'd recreant to God, ingrate and false, And so of all true good himself despoil'd; Yet, sacrilegious, to himself would take That which to God alone of right belongs: Yet so much bounty is in God, such grace,
That who advance his glory, not their own, Them he himself to glory will advance.' So spake the Son of God; and here again Satan had not to answer, but stood struck With guilt of his own sin; for he himself Insatiable of glory had lost all: Yet of another plea bethought him soon.
'Of glory as thou wilt,' said he, 'so deem; Worth or not worth the seeking, let it pass. But to a kingdom thou art born, ordain'd To sit upon thy father David's throne, By mother's side thy father; though thy right Be now in powerful hands, that will not part Easily from possession won with arms: Judæa now and all the Promis'd Land, Reduc't a province under Roman yoke, Obeys Tiberius; nor is always rul'd With temperate sway; oft have they violated The Temple, oft the Law with foul affronts, Abominations rather, as did once Antiochus and think'st thou to regain Thy right by sitting still or thus retiring? So did not Maccabeus: he indeed Retir'd into the desert, but with arms: And o'er a mighty king so oft prevail'd, That by strong hand his family obtain'd, Tho' priests, the crown, and David's throne usurp'd, With Modin and her suburbs once content.
If kingdom move thee not, let move thee zeal And duty; zeal and duty are not slow, But on occasion's forelock watchful wait: They themselves rather are occasion best; Zeal of thy father's house, duty to free Thy country from her heathen servitude. So shalt thou best fulfil, best verify The prophets old, who sung thy endless reign: The happier reign the sooner it begins: Reign then; what canst thou better do the while?"
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