Extol not riches then, the toil of fools,
The wife man's cumbrance if not fnare, more apt To flacken virtue, and abate her edge, 455 Than prompt her to do ought may merit praise. What if with like averfion I reject
Riches and realms; yet not for that a crown, Golden in show, is but a wreath of thorns,
Brings dangers, troubles, cares, and fleepless nights To him who wears the regal diadem,
461 When on his shoulders each man's.burden lies; For therein stands the office of a king, His honor, virtue, merit and chief praife, That for the public all this weight he bears. Yet he who reigns within himself, and rules Paffions, defires, and fears, is more a king; Which every wife and virtuous man attains: And who attains not, ill afpires to rule Cities of men, or head-strong multitudes, Subject himself to anarchy within, Or lawless paffions in him which he ferves. But to guide nations in the way of truth By faving doctrin, and from error lead
To know, and knowing worship God aright, 475 Is yet more kingly; this attracts the foul, Governs the inner man, the nobler part; That other o'er the body only reigns, And oft by force, which to a generous mind So reigning can be no fincere delight. Befides to give a kingdom hath been thought Greater and nobler done, and to lay down Far more magnanimous, than to affume. Riches are needless then, both for themselves, And for thy reason why they fhould be fought, 485 To gain a scepter, ofteft better miss'd.
The end of the Second Book,
fpake the Son of God, and Satan ftood A while as mute confounded what to say, What to reply, confuted and convinc'd Of his weak arguing, and fallacious drift; At length collecting all his ferpent wiles, With foothing words renew'd, him thus accofts. I fee thou know'ft what is of ufe to know, What beft to fay can't say, to do can't do ; Thy actions to thy words accord, thy words To thy large heart give utterance due, thy heart 10 Contains of good, wife, juft, the perfect fhape. Should kings and nations from thy mouth confult, Thy counsel would be as the oracle
Urim and Thummim, thofe oraculous gems On Aaron's breaft; or tongue of feers old Infallible or wert thou fought to deeds That might require th' array of war, thy skill Of conduct would be fuch, that all the world Could not fuftain thy prowess, or subsist In battel, though against thy few in arms. Thefe God-like virtues wherefore doft thou hide, Affecting private life, or more obfcure In favage wilderness ? wherefore deprive All earth her wonder at thy acts, thyfelf The fame and glory, glory the reward That fole excites to high attempts, the flame
Of moft erected fpi'rits, moft temper'd pure Ethereal, who all pleasures else despise, All treasures and all gain esteem as drofs, And dignities and pow'rs all but the highest ? 30 Thy years are ripe, and over-ripe; the fon Of Macedonian Philip had ere thefe
Won Afia, and the throne of Cyrus held At his difpofe; young Scipio had brought down The Carthaginian pride; young Pompey quell'd 35 The Pontic king, and in triumph had rode. Yet years, and to ripe years judgment mature, Quench not the thirit of glory, but augment. Great Julius, whom now all the world admires, The more he grew in years, the more inflam'd 40 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 doft perfuade me to feek wealth For empire's fake, nor empire to affect For glory's fake by all thy argument. For what is glory but the blaze of fame, The peoples praife, if always praise unmix'd? And what the people but a herd confus'd, A mifcellaneous rabble, who extol Things vulgar, and well weigh'd, fcarce worth the They praife, and they admire they know not what, And know not whom, but as one leads the other; And what delight to be by fuch extoll'd,
To live upon their tongues and be their talk,
Of whom to be difprais'd were no fmall praife?
His lot who dares be fingularly good.
Th' intelligent among them and the wife
Are few, and glory fcarce of few is rais'd.
This is true glory and renown, when God
Looking on th' earth, with approbation marks
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