Page:The Complete Poetical Works of John Milton.djvu/307

 BOOK THIRD

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��So reigning can be no sincere delight. 480 Besides, to give a kingdom hath been

thought

Greater and nobler done, and to lay down Far more magnanimous, than to assume.

��Riches are needless, then, both for them- selves,

And for thy reason why they should be sought

To gain a sceptre, oftest better missed."

��THE THIRD BOOK

So spake the Son of God; and Satan stood A while 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 renewed, 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 10

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 the 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 godlike virtues wherefore dost thou

hide ? 21

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 tempered pure .^Ethereal, who all pleasures else despise, All treasures and all gain esteem as dross, And dignities and powers, all but the high- est ? 30 Thy 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 Hie Carthaginian pride; young Pompey

quelled

��The Pontic king, and in triumph' had rode. Yet years, and to ripe years judgment ma- ture,

Quench not the thirst of glory, but aug- ment.

Great Julius, whom now all the world ad- mires,

The more he grew in years, the more inflamed 4 o

With glory, wept that he had lived so long Inglorious. But thou yet art not too late." To whom our Saviour calmly thus re- plied: " 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 un- mixed ?

And what the people but a herd confused, A miscellaneous rabble, who extol 50

Things vulgar, and, well weighed, 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 extolled, 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. The 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 61

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 Heaven

and Earth,

As thou to thy reproach may'st well re- member,

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