Paradise Regained Page 4

May also in this poverty as soon

  Accomplish what they did, perhaps and more?

  Extol not riches, then, the toil of fools,

  The wise man's cumbrance, if not snare; more apt

  To slacken virtue and abate her edge

  Than 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,

  Brings dangers, troubles, cares, and sleepless nights, 460

  To him who wears the regal diadem,

  When on his shoulders each man's burden lies;

  For therein stands the office of a king,

  His honour, virtue, merit, and chief praise,

  That for the public 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 virtuous man attains;

  And who attains not, ill aspires to rule

  Cities of men, or headstrong multitudes, 470

  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 error lead

  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'er the body only reigns,

  And oft by force--which to a generous mind

  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 themselves,

  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 perfet 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. 20

  These godlike virtues wherefore dost thou hide?

  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

  AEthereal, who all pleasures else despise,

  All treasures and all gain esteem as dross,

  And dignities and powers, all but the highest? 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

  The Carthaginian pride; young Pompey quelled

  The Pontic king, 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,

  The more he grew in years, the more inflamed 40

  With glory, wept that he had lived so long

  Ingloroious. But thou yet art not too late."

  To whom our Saviour calmly thus replied:--

  "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 unmixed?

  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, 60

  Looking on the 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 Heaven and Earth,

  As thou to thy reproach may'st well remember,

  He asked thee, 'Hast thou seen my servant Job?'

  Famous he was in Heaven; on Earth less known,

  Where glory is false glory, attributed

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

  They err who count it glorious to subdue

  By conquest far and wide, to overrun

  Large countries, and in field great battles win,

  Great cities by assault. What do these worthies

  But rob and spoil, burn, slaughter, and enslave

  Peaceable nations, neighbouring or remote,

  Made captive, yet deserving freedom more

  Than those their conquerors, who leave behind

  Nothing but ruin wheresoe'er they rove,

  And all the flourishing works of peace destroy; 80

  Then swell with pride, and must be titled Gods,

  Great benefactors of mankind, Deliverers,

  Worshipped with temple, priest, and sacrifice?

  One is the son of Jove, of Mars the other;

  Till conqueror Death discover them scarce men,

  Rowling in brutish vices, and deformed,

  Violent or shameful death their due reward.

  But, if there be in glory aught of good;

  It may be means far different be attained,

  Without ambition, war, or violence-- 90

  By deeds of peace, by wisdom eminent,

  By patience, temperance. I mention still

  Him whom thy wrongs, with saintly patience borne,

  Made famous in a land and times obscure;

  Who names not now with honour patient Job?

  Poor Socrates, (who next more memorable?)

  By what he taught and suffered for so doing,

  For truth's sake suffering death unjust, lives now

  Equal in fame to proudest conquerors.

  Yet, if for fame and glory aught be done, 100

  Aught suffered--if young African for fame

  His wasted country freed from Punic rage--

  The deed becomes unpraised, the man at least,

  And loses, though but verbal, his reward.<
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  Shall I seek glory, then, as vain men seek,

  Oft not deserved? I seek not mine, but His

  Who sent me, and thereby witness whence I am."

  To whom the Tempter, murmuring, thus replied:--

  "Think not so slight of glory, therein least

  Resembling thy great Father. He seeks glory, 110

  And for his glory all things made, all things

  Orders and governs; nor content in Heaven,

  By all his Angels glorified, requires

  Glory from men, from all men, good or bad,

  Wise or unwise, no difference, no exemption.

  Above all sacrifice, or hallowed gift,

  Glory he requires, and glory he receives,

  Promiscuous from all nations, Jew, or Greek,

  Or Barbarous, nor exception hath declared;

  From us, his foes pronounced, glory he exacts." 120

  To whom our Saviour fervently replied:

  "And reason; since his Word all things produced,

  Though chiefly not for glory as prime end,

  But to shew forth his goodness, and impart

  His good communicable to every soul

  Freely; of whom what could He less expect

  Than glory and benediction--that is, thanks--

  The slightest, easiest, readiest recompense

  From them who could return him nothing else,

  And, not returning that, would likeliest render 130

  Contempt instead, dishonour, obloquy?

  Hard recompense, unsuitable return

  For so much good, so much beneficience!

  But why should man seek glory, who of his own

  Hath nothing, and to whom nothing belongs

  But condemnation, ignominy, and shame--

  Who, for so many benefits received,

  Turned recreant to God, ingrate and false,

  And so of all true good himself despoiled;

  Yet, sacrilegious, to himself would take 140

  That which to God alone of right belongs?

  Yet so much bounty is in God, such grace,

  That who advances his glory, not their own,

  Them he himself to glory will advance."

  So spake the Son of God; and here again

  Satan had not to answer, but stood struck

  With guilt of his own sin--for he himself,

  Insatiable of glory, had lost all;

  Yet of another plea bethought him soon:--

  "Of glory, as thou wilt," said he, "so deem; 150

  Worth or not worth the seeking, let it pass.

  But to a Kingdom thou art born--ordained

  To sit upon thy father David's throne,

  By mother's side thy father, though thy right

  Be now in powerful hands, that will not part

  Easily from possession won with arms.

  Judaea now and all the Promised Land,

  Reduced a province under Roman yoke,

  Obeys Tiberius, nor is always ruled

  With temperate sway: oft have they violated 160

  The Temple, oft the Law, with foul affronts,

  Abominations rather, as did once

  Antiochus. And think'st thou to regain

  Thy right by sitting still, or thus retiring?

  So did not Machabeus. He indeed

  Retired unto the Desert, but with arms;

  And o'er a mighty king so oft prevailed

  That by strong hand his family obtained,

  Though priests, the crown, and David's throne usurped,

  With Modin and her suburbs once content. 170

  If kingdom move thee not, let move thee zeal

  And duty--zeal and duty are not slow,

  But on Occasion's forelock watchful wait:

  They themselves rather are occasion best--

  Zeal of thy Father's house, duty to free

  Thy country from her heathen servitude.

  So shalt thou best fulfil, best verify,

  The Prophets old, who sung thy endless reign--

  The happier reign the sooner it begins.

  Rein then; what canst thou better do the while?" 180

  To whom our Saviour answer thus returned:--

  "All things are best fulfilled in their due time;

  And time there is for all things, Truth hath said.

  If of my reign Prophetic Writ hath told

  That it shall never end, so, when begin

  The Father in his purpose hath decreed--

  He in whose hand all times and seasons rowl.

  What if he hath decreed that I shall first

  Be tried in humble state, and things adverse,

  By tribulations, injuries, insults, 190

  Contempts, and scorns, and snares, and violence,

  Suffering, abstaining, quietly expecting

  Without distrust or doubt, that He may know

  What I can suffer, how obey? Who best

  Can suffer best can do, best reign who first

  Well hath obeyed--just trial ere I merit

  My exaltation without change or end.

  But what concerns it thee when I begin

  My everlasting Kingdom? Why art thou

  Solicitous? What moves thy inquisition? 200

  Know'st thou not that my rising is thy fall,

  And my promotion will be thy destruction?"

  To whom the Tempter, inly racked, replied:--

  "Let that come when it comes. All hope is lost

  Of my reception into grace; what worse?

  For where no hope is left is left no fear.

  If there be worse, the expectation more

  Of worse torments me than the feeling can.

  I would be at the worst; worst is my port,

  My harbour, and my ultimate repose, 210

  The end I would attain, my final good.

  My error was my error, and my crime

  My crime; whatever, for itself condemned,

  And will alike be punished, whether thou

  Reign or reign not--though to that gentle brow

  Willingly I could fly, and hope thy reign,

  From that placid aspect and meek regard,

  Rather than aggravate my evil state,

  Would stand between me and thy Father's ire

  (Whose ire I dread more than the fire of Hell) 220

  A shelter and a kind of shading cool

  Interposition, as a summer's cloud.

  If I, then, to the worst that can be haste,

  Why move thy feet so slow to what is best?

  Happiest, both to thyself and all the world,

  That thou, who worthiest art, shouldst be their King!

  Perhaps thou linger'st in deep thoughts detained

  Of the enterprise so hazardous and high!

  No wonder; for, though in thee be united

  What of perfection can in Man be found, 230

  Or human nature can receive, consider

  Thy life hath yet been private, most part spent

  At home, scarce viewed the Galilean towns,

  And once a year Jerusalem, few days'

  Short sojourn; and what thence couldst thou observe?

  The world thou hast not seen, much less her glory,

  Empires, and monarchs, and their radiant courts--

  Best school of best experience, quickest in sight

  In all things that to greatest actions lead.

  The wisest, unexperienced, will be ever 240

  Timorous, and loth, with novice modesty

  (As he who, seeking asses, found a kingdom)

  Irresolute, unhardy, unadventrous.

  But I will bring thee where thou soon shalt quit

  Those rudiments, and see before thine eyes

  T
he monarchies of the Earth, their pomp and state--

  Sufficient introduction to inform

  Thee, of thyself so apt, in regal arts,

  And regal mysteries; that thou may'st know

  How best their opposition to withstand." 250

  With that (such power was given him then), he took

  The Son of God up to a mountain high.

  It was a mountain at whose verdant feet

  A spacious plain outstretched in circuit wide

  Lay pleasant; from his side two rivers flowed,

  The one winding, the other straight, and left between

  Fair champaign, with less rivers interveined,

  Then meeting joined their tribute to the sea.

  Fertil of corn the glebe, of oil, and wine;

  With herds the pasture thronged, with flocks the hills; 260

  Huge cities and high-towered, that well might seem

  The seats of mightiest monarchs; and so large

  The prospect was that here and there was room

  For barren desert, fountainless and dry.

  To this high mountain-top the Tempter brought

  Our Saviour, and new train of words began:--

  "Well have we speeded, and o'er hill and dale,

  Forest, and field, and flood, temples and towers,

  Cut shorter many a league. Here thou behold'st

  Assyria, and her empire's ancient bounds, 270

  Araxes and the Caspian lake; thence on

  As far as Indus east, Euphrates west,

  And oft beyond; to south the Persian bay,

  And, inaccessible, the Arabian drouth:

  Here, Nineveh, of length within her wall

  Several days' journey, built by Ninus old,

  Of that first golden monarchy the seat,

  And seat of Salmanassar, whose success

  Israel in long captivity still mourns;

  There Babylon, the wonder of all tongues, 280

  As ancient, but rebuilt by him who twice

  Judah and all thy father David's house

  Led captive, and Jerusalem laid waste,

  Till Cyrus set them free; Persepolis,

  His city, there thou seest, and Bactra there;

  Ecbatana her structure vast there shews,

  And Hecatompylos her hunderd gates;

  There Susa by Choaspes, amber stream,

  The drink of none but kings; of later fame,

  Built by Emathian or by Parthian hands, 290

  The great Seleucia, Nisibis, and there

  Artaxata, Teredon, Ctesiphon,

  Turning with easy eye, thou may'st behold.

  All these the Parthian (now some ages past

  By great Arsaces led, who founded first

  That empire) under his dominion holds,

  From the luxurious kings of Antioch won.

  And just in time thou com'st to have a view

  Of his great power; for now the Parthian king

  In Ctesiphon hath gathered all his host 300

  Against the Scythian, whose incursions wild

  Have wasted Sogdiana; to her aid

  He marches now in haste. See, though from far,

  His thousands, in what martial equipage

  They issue forth, steel bows and shafts their arms,

  Of equal dread in flight or in pursuit--

  All horsemen, in which fight they most excel;

  See how in warlike muster they appear,

  In rhombs, and wedges, and half-moons, and wings."

  He looked, and saw what numbers numberless 310

  The city gates outpoured, light-armed troops

  In coats of mail and military pride.

  In mail their horses clad, yet fleet and strong,

  Prauncing their riders bore, the flower and choice

  Of many provinces from bound to bound--

  From Arachosia, from Candaor east,

  And Margiana, to the Hyrcanian cliffs

  Of Caucasus, and dark Iberian dales;

  From Atropatia, and the neighbouring plains

  Of Adiabene, Media, and the south 320

  Of Susiana, to Balsara's haven.

  He saw them in their forms of battle ranged,

  How quick they wheeled, and flying behind them shot

  Sharp sleet of arrowy showers against the face

  Of their pursuers, and overcame by flight;

  The field all iron cast a gleaming brown.

  Nor wanted clouds of foot, nor, on each horn,

  Cuirassiers all in steel for standing fight,

  Chariots, or elephants indorsed with towers

  Of archers; nor of labouring pioners 330

  A multitude, with spades and axes armed,

  To lay hills plain, fell woods, or valleys fill,

  Or where plain was raise hill, or overlay

  With bridges rivers proud, as with a yoke:

  Mules after these, camels and dromedaries,

  And waggons fraught with utensils of war.

  Such forces met not, nor so wide a camp,

  When Agrican, with all his northern powers,

  Besieged Albracea, as romances tell,

  The city of Gallaphrone, from thence to win 340

  The fairest of her sex, Angelica,

  His daughter, sought by many prowest knights,

  Both Paynim and the peers of Charlemane.

  Such and so numerous was their chivalry;

  At sight whereof the Fiend yet more presumed,

  And to our Saviour thus his words renewed:--

  "That thou may'st know I seek not to engage

  Thy virtue, and not every way secure

  On no slight grounds thy safety, hear and mark

  To what end I have brought thee hither, and shew 350

  All this fair sight. Thy kingdom, though foretold

  By Prophet or by Angel, unless thou

  Endeavour, as thy father David did,

  Thou never shalt obtain: prediction still

  In all things, and all men, supposes means;