BOOK III.

So spake the Son of GOD, and Satan stood
Awhile 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 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 god-like 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?
The 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 inflamed
With glory, wept that he had lived so long
Inglorious, but thou yet art not too late.

To whom our Saviour calmly thus replied.

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 confused,

A miscellaneous rabble, who extol

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 dispraised 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 raised.

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 heav'n 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 heav'n, 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 titled gods,
Great benefactors of mankind, deliverers,
Worshipp'd 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

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,
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
Willingly I could 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 shouldst 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,

Best school of best experience, quickest insight

In all things that to greatest actions lead

The wisest, unexperienced, will be ever
Timorous and loth, with novice modesty,
As he who seeking asses found a kingdom,
Irresolute, unhardy, unadvent'rous.