In favage wilderness? wherefore deprive
All earth her wonder at thy acts, thyself
The fame and glory, glory the reward
That fole excites to high attempts, the flame
Of moft erected spi'rits, moft temper'd pure
Ethereal, who all pleafures elfe defpife,
All treasures and all gain efteem as drofs,
And dignities and pow'rs all but the highest?
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
The Pontic king, and in triúmph 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 inflam'd
With glory, wept that he had liv'd fo long
Inglorious but thou yet art not too late.
To whom our Saviour calmly thus reply'd.
Thou neither dost persuade me to seek 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 praise, 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 praise, 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 small praise?
His lot who dares be fingularly good.
Th' intelligent among them and the wife
Are few, and glory scarce of few is rais'd.
This is true glory and renown, when God,
Looking on th' 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 afk'd thee, Haft thou feen my servant Job?
Famous he was in Heav'n, on Earth lefs known;
Where glory is falfe glory, attributed
To things not glorious, men not worthy' of fame.
They err who count it glorious to fubdue
By conqueft far and wide, to over-run
Large countries, and in field great battles win,
Great cities by affault: what do these worthies,
But rob and spoil, burn, flaughter, and inflave
Peaceable nations, neighb'ring, or remote,
Made captive, yet deserving freedom more
Than those their conquerors, who leave behind
Nothing but ruin wherefoe'er they rove,
And all the florishing works of peace destroy,
Then fwell with pride, and must be titled Gods,
Great Benefactors of mankind, Deliverers,
Worshipt with temple, prieft, and facrifice;
One is the fon of Jove, of Mars the other;
Till conqu'ror Death discover them scarce men,
Rolling in brutish vices, and deform'd,
Violent or fhameful death their due reward.
But if there be in glory ought 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 faintly patience borne
Made famous in a land and times obfcure;
Who names not now with honor patient Job?
Poor Socrates (who next more memorable?)
By what he taught and suffer'd for so doing,
For truth's fake fuffering death unjust, lives now
Equal in fame to proudest conquerors.
Yet if for fame and glory ought be done,
Ought fuffer'd; if young African for fame
His wafted country freed from Punic rage,
The deed becomes unprais'd, the man at least,
And lofes, though but verbal, his reward.
Shall I feek glory then, as vain men feek,
Oft not deferv'd? I seek not mine, but his
Who fent me', and thereby witness whence I am.
To whom the Tempter murm'ring thus reply'd.
Think not fo flight of glory; therein least
Refembling 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,
Wife or unwife, no difference, no exemption;
Above all facrifice, or hallow'd gift
Glory' he requires, and glory he receives.
Promifcuous 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 reply'd.
And reafon; fince his word all things produc'd,
Though chiefly not for glory as prime end,
But to show forth his goodnefs, and impart
His good communicable to every foul
Freely; of whom what could he lefs expect
Than glory' and benediction, that is thanks,
The flightest, eafieft, readieft recompenfe
From them who could return him nothing else,
And not returning that would likelieft render
Contempt instead, difhonor, obloquy?
Hard recompenfe, unfuitable return
For fo much good, so much beneficence.
But why should man feek glory, who' of his own
Hath nothing, and to whom nothing belongs
But condemnation, ignominy', and fhame?
Who for fo many benefits receiv'd
Turn'd recreant to God, ingrate and falfe,
And fo of all true good himself defpoil'd,
Yet, facrilegious, to himself would take
That which to God alone of right belongs;
Yet fo much bounty is in God, fuch grace,.
That who advance his glory, not their own,
Them he himself to glory will advance.
So fpake the Son of God; and here again
Satan had not to answer, but stood ftruck
With guilt of his own fin, for he himself
Infatiable of glory had lost all,
Yet of another plea bethought him foon.
Of glory, as thou wilt, faid he, so deem,
Worth or not worth the feeking, let it pafs:
But to a kingdom thou art born, ordain'd
To fit upon thy father David's throne;
By mother's fide thy father; though thy right
Be now in pow'rful hands, that will not part
Eafily from poffeffion 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 temp'rate 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 fitting ftill or thus retiring?
So did not Maccabeus: he indeed
Retir'd unto the defert, but with arms;
And o'er a mighty king fo oft prevail'd,
That by strong hand his family obtain'd,
Though priests, the crown, and David's throne ufurp'd, With Modin and her fuburbs once content.
If kingdom move thee not, let move thee zeal
And duty; zeal and duty are not slow;
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