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 replied. 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 glorify'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'd, glory he exacts. To whom our Saviour fervently replied. 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
130 that] Tickell and Fenton follow the corrupt reading of Tonson's edd. 1707, 1711, 'what.' The genuine reading restored in ed. 1747.
151 the] All the editions but the first read 'their.' Tonson's ed. 1747 restored the genuine reading: the correctness of this edition of Tonson makes it very valuable.
Be now in powerful hands, that will not part
Easily from possession won with arms.
Judæa now and all the promis'd land, Reduc'd 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 unto the desert, but with arms; And o'er a mighty king so oft prevail'd, That by strong hand his family obtain❜d, Though 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?
To whom our Saviour answer thus return'd.
171 move] Let move thee zeal;' a bolder Latinism than is quite consonant with English poetry. See also P. L. ii. 443, 'what remains him less; and ix. 41. Dunster.
All things are best fulfill'd in their due time, And time there is for all things, Truth hath said: If of my reign prophetic writ hath told
That it shall never end, so when begin
The Father in his purpose hath decreed,
He in whose hand all times and seasons roll.
What, if he hath decreed that I shall first Be try'd in humble state and things adverse, By tribulations, injuries, insults,
Contempts, and scorns, and snares, and violence, Suffering, abstaining, quietly expecting, Without distrust or doubt, that he may know What I can suffer, how obey? who best
Can suffer, best can do; best reign, who first Well hath obey'd; just trial, ere I merit My exaltation without change or end. But what concerns it thee when I begin My everlasting kingdom? why art thou Solicitous? what moves thy inquisition? Know'st thou not that my rising is thy fall, And my promotion will be thy destruction?
To whom the tempter, inly rack'd, replied. Let that come when it comes; all hope is lost Of my reception into grace: what worse? For where no hope is left, is left no fear : If there be worse, the expectation more Of worse torments me, than the feeling can. I would be at the worst; worst is my port,
189 adverse] S. Ital. iv. 605,
'Explorant adversa viros.' Dunster.
My harbour, and my ultimate repose; The end I would attain, my final good. My error was my error, and my crime My crime; whatever for itself condemn'd, And will alike be punish'd, whether thou
Reign or reign not; though to that gentle brow 215 Willingly could I fly, and hope thy reign,
From that placid aspect and meek regard, Rather than aggravate my evil state,
Would stand between me and thy father's ire, (Whose ire I dread more than the fire of hell,) A shelter, and a kind of shading cool Interposition, as a summer's cloud.
If I then to the worst that can be haste,
Why move thy feet so slow to what is best, Happiest both to thyself and all the world,
That thou who worthiest art should'st be their king? Perhaps thou linger'st in deep thoughts detain'd
Of the enterprize so hazardous and high :
No wonder, for, though in thee be united What of perfection can in man be found, Or human nature can receive, consider,
Thy life hath yet been private, most part spent At home, scarce view'd the Galilean towns, And once a year Jerusalem, few days
Short sojourn; and what thence couldst thou observe?
The world thou hast not seen, much less her glory, Empires, and monarchs, and their radiant courts,
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