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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,

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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

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480

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,

THE

THIRD BOOK

OF

PARADISE REGAIN'D.

PARADISE REGAIN'D.

S

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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

E

15

20

25

of

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.

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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,

[praife?

To live upon their tongues and be their talk,

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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

69

Looking on th' earth, with approbation marks

The

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