BOOK THIRD
��265
��So reigning can be no sincere delight. 480 Besides, to give a kingdom hath been
thought
Greater and nobler done, and to lay down Far more magnanimous, than to assume.
��Riches are needless, then, both for them- selves,
And for thy reason why they should be sought
To gain a sceptre, oftest better missed."
��THE THIRD BOOK
So spake the Son of God; and Satan stood A while as mute, confounded what to say, What to reply, confuted and convinced Of his weak arguing and fallacious drift; At length, collecting all his serpent wiles, With soothing words renewed, 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 10
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 the 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 ? 21
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 tempered pure .^Ethereal, who all pleasures else despise, All treasures and all gain esteem as dross, And dignities and powers, all but the high- est ? 30 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 Hie Carthaginian pride; young Pompey
quelled
��The Pontic king, and in triumph' had rode. Yet years, and to ripe years judgment ma- ture,
Quench not the thirst of glory, but aug- ment.
Great Julius, whom now all the world ad- mires,
The more he grew in years, the more inflamed 4 o
With glory, wept that he had lived so long Inglorious. But thou yet art not too late." To whom our Saviour calmly thus re- plied: " 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 un- mixed ?
And what the people but a herd confused, A miscellaneous rabble, who extol 50
Things vulgar, and, well weighed, 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 extolled, To live upon their tongues, and be their
talk? Of whom to be dispraised were no small
praise
His lot who dares be singularly good. The intelligent among them and the wise Are few, and glory scarce of few is raised. This is true glory and renown when God, Looking on the Earth, with approbation marks 61
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 re- member,
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