The Complete Poetry of John Milton (137 page)

   440     
Whose off-spring on the Throne of
Juda
sat

               
So many Ages, and shall yet regain

               
That seat, and reign in
Israel
without end.

               
Among the Heathen (for throughout the World

               
To me is not unknown what hath been done

   445     
Worthy of Memorial) canst thou not remember

               
Quintius, Fabricius, Curius, Regulus?
³⁴

               
For I esteem those names of men so poor

               
Who could do mighty things, and could contemn

               
Riches though offer’d from the hand of Kings.

   450     
And what in me seems wanting, but that I

               
May also in this poverty as soon

               
Accomplish what they did, perhaps and more?

               
Extol not Riches then, the toyl
³⁵
of Fools,

               
The wise mans cumbrance if not snare, more apt

   455     
To slacken Virtue, and abate her edge,

               
Then prompt her to do aught may merit praise.

               
What if with like aversion I reject

               
Riches and Realms; yet not for that a Crown,

               
Golden in shew, is but a wreath of thorns,

   460     
Brings dangers, troubles, cares, and sleepless nights

               
To him who wears the Regal Diadem,

               
When on his shoulders each mans burden lies;

               
For therein stands the office of a King,

               
His Honour, Vertue, Merit and chief Praise,

   465     
That for the Publick all this weight he bears.

               
Yet he who reigns within himself, and rules

               
Passions, Desires, and Fears, is more a King;

               
Which every wise and vertuous man attains:

               
And who attains not, ill aspire to rule

   470     
Cities of men, or head-strong Multitudes,

               
Subject himself to Anarchy within,

               
Or lawless passions in him which he serves.

               
But to guide Nations in the way of truth

               
By saving Doctrine, and from errour lead

   475     
To know, and knowing worship God aright,

               
Is yet more Kingly, this attracts the Soul,

               
Governs the inner man, the nobler part,

               
That other o’re the body only reigns,

               
And oft by force, which to a generous mind

   480     
So reigning can be no sincere delight.

               
Besides to give a Kingdom hath been thought

               
Greater and nobler done, and to lay down

               
Far more magnanimous, then to assume.

               
Riches are needless then, both for themselves,

   485     
And for thy reason why they should be sought,

               
To gain a Scepter, oftest better miss’t.

    
             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;

   5          
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

   10        
To thy large heart give utterance due, thy heart

               
Conteins 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
,
¹
those oraculous gems

   15        
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

   20        
In battel, though against thy few in arms.

               
These God-like Vertues wherefore dost thou hide?

               
Affecting private life, or more obscure

               
In savage Wilderness, wherefore deprive

               
All Earth her wonder at thy acts, thy self

   25        
The fame and glory, glory the reward

               
That sole excites to high attempts the flame

               
Of most erected Spirits, most temper’d pure

               
Ætherial, who all pleasures else despise,

               
All treasures and all gain esteem as dross,

   30        
And dignities and powers all but the highest?

               
Thy years are ripe, and over-ripe, the Son

               
Of
Macedonian Philip
had e’re these

               
Won
Asia
and the Throne of
Cyrus
²
held

               
At his dispose, young
Scipio
had brought down

   35        
The
Carthaginian
pride, young
Pompey
quell’d

               
The
Pontic
King
³
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

   40        
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 reply’d.

               
Thou neither dost perswade me to seek wealth

   45        
For Empires sake, nor Empire to affect

               
For glories sake by all thy argument.

               
For what is glory but the blaze of fame,

               
The peoples praise, if always praise unmixt?

               
And what the people but a herd confus’d,

   50        
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,

   55        
To live upon thir tongues and be thir 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.

   60        
This is true glory and renown, when God

               
Looking on th’ Earth, with approbation marks

               
The just man, and divulges him through Heav’n

               
To all his Angels, who with true applause

               
Recount his praises; thus he did to
Job
,

   65        
When to extend his fame through Heav’n and Earth,

               
As thou to thy reproach mayst 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

   70        
To things not glorious, men not worthy of fame.

               
They err who count it glorious to subdue

               
By Conquest far and wide, to over-run

               
Large Countries, and in field great Battels win,

               
Great Cities by assault: what do these Worthies,

   75        
But rob and spoil, burn, slaughter, and enslave

               
Peaceable Nations, neighbouring, or remote,

               
Made Captive, yet deserving freedom more

               
Then those thir Conquerours, who leave behind

               
Nothing but ruin wheresoe’re they rove,

   80        
And all the flourishing works of peace destroy,

               
Then swell with pride, and must be titl’d Gods,

               
Great Benefactors of mankind, Deliverers,

               
Worship’t with Temple, Priest and Sacrifice;

               
One is the Son of
Jove
, of
Mars
the other,
⁴