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PARADISE REGAIN'D.

воок III.

So fpake the Son of God, and Satan flood

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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't what is of ufe to know,
What beft to fay canft say, to do canft do;
Thy actions to thy words accord, thy words
To thy large heart give utterance due, thy heart
Contains of good, wife, juft, the perfect shape. II
Should kings and nations from thy mouth confult,
Thy counfel would be as the oracle

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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 fubfift
In battel, though against thy few in arms.
Thefe God-like virtues wherefore doft thou hide,
Affecting private life, or more obfcure
In favage wildernefs? 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 fpirits, moft temper'd pure
Ethereal, who all pleafures elfe defpife,
All treafures and all gain efteem as drofs,
And dignities and pow'rs all but the higheft?
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'a
The Pontic king, and in triúmph 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 fo long
Inglorious: but thou yet art not too late.
To whom our Saviour calmly thus reply'd.

VOL. II.

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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 upen 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,

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Looking on th' earth, with approbation marks
The juft man, and divulges him through Heaven
To all his Angels, who with true applaufe
Recount his praifes: thus he did to Job,
When, to extend his fame through Heav'n and

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As thou to thy reproach may'st well remember,
He afk'd thee, Haft thou feen my fervant 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.

30 They err who count it glorious to fubdue

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By conquelt far and wide, to over-run
Large countries, and in field great battels win,
Great cities by affault: what do thefe worthies,
But rob and spoil, burn, flaughter, and inflave 75
Peaceable nations, neighb'ring, or remote,
Made captive, yet deferving freedom more
Than thofe their conquerors, who leave behind
Nothing but ruin wherefoe'er they rove,

And all the florishing works of peace deftroy, o
Then fwell with pride, and must be titled Goda,
Great Benefactors of mankind, Deliverers,
Worshipt with ten ple, prieft, and facrifice;
One is the fon of Jove, of Mars the other;

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Made famous in a land and times obfcure:
Who names not now with honor patient Job? 95
Poor Socrates (who next more memorable?)
By what he taught and suffer'd for fo doing,
For truth's fake fuffering death unjuft, lives now
Equal in fame to proudeft conquerors.
Yet if for fame and glory ought be done,
Ought suffer'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 feek not mine, but his
Who fent me', and thereby witnefs whence I am.
To whom the Tempter murm'ring thus reply'd.
Think not fo flight of glory; there in least
Refembling thy great Father: he feeks glory, 110
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. 120
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 fhow forth his gooducfs, and impart
His good communicable to every foul
Freely; of whom what could he lefs expect
Than glory' and benediction, that is thanks,
The flighteft, eafieft, readieft recompenfe
From them who could return him nothing elfe,
And not returning what would like lieft render 130
Contempt inftead, difhonor, obloquy?
Hard recompenfe, unfuitable return
For fo much good, fo much beneficence.
But why fhould man feck glory, who' of his own
Hath nothing, and to whom nothing belongs 135
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 anfwer, but food ftruck
With guilt of his own fin, for he himself
Infatiable of glory had loft all,

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Yet of another plea bethought him foon.

Of glory, as thou wilt, faid he, so deem th
Worth or not worth the feeking, let it paf
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 m
Be now in pow'rful hands, that will not pa
Eafily from poffeffion won with arms:
Judea now and all the promis'd land,
Reduc'd a province under Roman yoke,
Obeys Tiberius; nor is always rul'd
With temperate fway; oft have they violat
The temple, oft the law with foul affront
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 priefts, the crown, and David's
ufurp'd,

With Modin and her fuburbs once content.
If kingdom move thee not, let move the
And duty; zeal and duty are not flow;
But on occafion's forelock watchful wait.
They themselves rather are occafion beft,
Zeal of thy father's houfe, duty to free
Thy country from her Heathen fervitude;
So fhalt thou beft fulfil, beft verify
The prophets old, who fung thy endless reig
The happier reign the fooner it begins;
Reign then; what canft thou better do the

To whom our Saviour answer thus retur
All things are best fulfill'd in their due time
And time there is for all things, Truth hath
If of my reign propheticrit hath told,
That it fhall never end, fo when begin
The Father in his purpose hath decreed,
He in whofe hand all times and feafons roll. I
What if he hath decreed that I fhall first
Be try'd in humble state, and things adverfe
By tribulations, injuries, infults,
Contempts, and fcorns, and fnares, and viol
Suffering, abftaining, quietly expecting,
Without distrust or doubt, that he may know
What I can fuffer, how obey? who beft
Can fuffer, beft can do; beft reign, who firft
Well hath obey'd; juft trial ere I merit
My exaltation without change or end.
But what concerns it thee when I begin
My everlafting kingdom, why art thou
Solicitous, what moves thy inquifition?
Know'ft thou not that my rifing is thy fall,
And my promotion will be thy deftruction?

To whom the Tempter inly rack'd reply'd. Let that come when it comes; all hope is loft Of my reception into grace; what worse? For where no hepe is left, is left no fear: If there be worfe, 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 repofe, The end I would attain, my final good. My error was my error, and my crime

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My crime; whatever for itself condemn'd,
And will alike be punish'd, whether thou
Reign or reign not; though to that gentle brow
Willingly I could fly, and hope thy reign,
From that placid afpéct and meek regard,
Bather than aggravate my evil ftate,
Would stand between me and thy Father's ire
(Whofe ire I dread more than the fire of Hell)
Ahelter and a kind of fhading cool
Interpofition, as a fummer's cloud.

If I then to the worst that can be hafte,

Why move thy feet fo flow to what is beft,
Happieft both to thyfelf and all the world,

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That thou who worthicft art fhould'ft be their king?

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Perhaps thou linger'ft in deep thoughts detain'd
Of th' enterprise fo hazardous and high;
No wonder, for though in thee be united
What of perfection can in man be found,
Or human nature can receive, confider
Thy life hath yet been private, moft part spent
At home, fcarce view'd the Galilean towns,
And once a year Jerufalem, few days

Stort fojourn; and what thence couldft thou ob-
ferve?

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The world thou haft not feen, much lefs her
glory,

Empires, and monarchs, and their radiant courts,
Beft fchool of beft experience, quickest infight
In all things that to greatest actions lead.
The wifeft, unexperienc'd, will be ever
Tumorous and loath, with novi e modefty,
(As he who fecking affes found a kingdom)
Irefolute, unhardy, unadventrous:

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Araxes and the Cafpian lake, thence on
As far as Indus eaft, Euphrates weft,
And oft beyond; to fouth the Perfian bay,
And inacceffible th' Arabian drouth:
Here Nineveh, of length within her wall
Several days journey, built by Ninus old,
Of that firft golden monarchy the feat,
And feat of Salmanaffar, whofe fuccefs
Ifrael in long captivity still mourns;
There Babylon, the wonder of all tongues,
As ancient, but rebuilt by him who twice
Judah and all thy father David's houfe
Led captive, and Jerufalem laid waste,
Till Cyrus fet them free: Perfepolis
His city there thou feeft, and Bactra there;
Ecbatana her fstructure vaft there fhows,.
And Hecatompylos her hundred gates;
There Sufa by Choafpes, amber stream,
The drink of none but kings; of later fame
Built by Emathian, or by Parthian hands,
The great Seleucia, Nifibis, and there
Artaxata, Teredon, Ctesiphon,
Turning with eafy eye thou may'ft behold.
All these the Parthian, now fome ages paft,
By great Arfaces led, who founded first
That empire, under his dominion holds,
From the luxurious kings of Antioch won,
And juft in time thou com'ft to have a view
Of his great pow'r; for now the Parthian king
In Ctesiphon hath gather'd all his hoft

240Against the Scythian, whofe incurfions wild
Have wafted Sogdiana; to her aid

But I will bring thee where thou foon fhalt quit
Thofe rudiments, and fee before thine eyes

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The monarchies of th' earth, their pomp and
state,

Sufficient introduction to inform
Thee, of thyfelf fo apt, in regal arts,

And regal myfteries, that thou may'st know
How beft their oppofition to withstand.

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With that (fuch pow'r was giv'n him then) he

took

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His daughter, fought by many proweft knights,
Both Paynim, and the peers of Charlemain.
Such and fo numerous was their chivalry;
At fight whereof the Fiend yet more prefum'd,
And to our Saviour thus his words renew'd. 346
That thou may'st know I feek not to engage
Thy virtue, and not every way fecure

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On no flight grounds thy fafety; hear, and mark
To what end I have brought thee hither and fhown
All this fair fight: thy kingdom though foretold
By prophet or by Angel, unlefs thou
Endevor, as thy father David did,
Thou never fhalt obtain; prediction still
In all things, and all men, fuppofes means
Without means us'd, what it predicts revokes.
But fay thou wert poffefs'd of David's throne
By free confent of ail, none oppofit,
Samaritan or Jew; how could't thou hope
Long to enjoy it quiet and fecure,
Petween two fuch inclosing enemies
Roman and Parthian? therefore one of these
Thou must make fure thy own, the Parthian firft
By my advice, as nearer, and of late
Found able by invafion to annoy

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Vented much policy, and projects deep
Of enemies, of aids, battels and leagues,
Plaufible to the world, to me worth nought.
Means I muft ufe, thou fay'ft, prediction elle
Will unpredict and fail me of the throne:
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My time I told thee (and that time for thee
Were better fartheft off) is not yet come:
When that comes, think not thou to find me flack
On my part ought endevoring, or to need
Thy politic maxims, or that cumbersome
Luggage of war there fhown me, argument
Of human weaknefs rather than of ftrength.
My brethren, as thou call'st them, thofe ten tribes
I must deliver, if I mean to reign
David's true heir, and his full fcepter fway 405
To juft extent over all Ifrael's fons;

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But whence to thee this zeal, where was it then
For Ifrael, or for David, or his throne,
When thou stood'it up his tempter to the pride
Of numb'ring Ifrael, which coft the lives
Of threefcore and ten thoufand Ifraelites
By three days peililence? fuch was thy zeal
To Ifrael then, the fame that now to me.
As for thofe captive tribes, themselves were they
Who wrought their own captivity, fell off 41
From God to worship calves, the deities

360 Of Egypt, Baal next and Afhtaroth,

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Thy country', and captive lead away her kings
Antigonus and old Hyrcanus bound,
Maugre the Roman: it fhall be my task
To render thee the Parthian at difpofe;
Choose which thou wilt, by conqueft or by league.
By him thou fhalt regain, without him not,
That which alone can truly reinftall thee
Ini avid's royal feat, his true fucceffor,
Deliverance of thy brethren, thofe ten tribes
Whofe offspring in his territory yet ferve,
In Habor, and among the Medes difpers'd;
Ten Sons of Jacob, two of Jofeph loft
Thus long from Ifracl, ferving as of old
Their fathers in the land of Egypt ferv'd,
This offer fets before thee to deliver.
Thefe if from fervitude thou shalt restore
To their inheritance, then, nor till then,
Thou on the throne of David in full glory,
From Egypt to Euphrates and beyond
Shalt reign, and Rome or Cæfar not need fear.
To whom our Saviour anfwer'd thus unmov’d.
Much oftentation vain of fleshly arm,
And fragil arms, much inftrument of war
1.ong in preparing, foon to nothing brought,
Before mine eyes thou' haft fet; and in my ear

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And all th' idolatries of Heathen round,
Befides their other worfe than heath'nish crimes
Nor in the land of their captivity
Humbled themselves, or penitent befought
The God of their forefathers; but fo dy'd
Impenitent, and left a race behind

Like to themselves, diftinguishable scarce
From Gentiles, but by circumcifion vain,
And God with idols in their worship join'd.
Should I of these the liberty regard,
Who freed as to their ancient patrimony,
Unhumbled, unrepentant, unreform'd,
Headlong would follow'; and to their Gods per

haps

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Of Bethel and of Dan? no, let them serve
Their enemies, who ferve idols with God.
Yet he at length, time to himself best known,
Remembring Abraham, by fome wondrous call
May bring them back repentant and fincere, 433
And at their paffing cleave th' Affyrian flood,
While to their native land with joy they hafte,
As the Red Sea and Jordan once he cleft,
When to the promis'd land their fathers pafs'd;
To his due time and providence I leave them. 440

So fpake Ifrael's true king, and to the Fiend Made answer meet, that made void all his wiles. So fares it when with truth falfhood contends.

THE END OF THE THIRD BOOK.

PARADISE REGAI N'D.

BOOK IV.

Perplex'd and troubled at his bad fuccefs

The Tempter flood, nor had what to reply, Difcover'd in his fraud, thrown from his hope So oft, and the perfuafive rhetoric

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That fleek'd his tongue, and won fo much on Eve,
So little here, nay loft; but Eve was Eve,
This far his over-match, who felf-deceiv'd
And rafh, before-hand had no better weigh'd
The ftrength he was to cope with, or his own:
But as a man who had been matchlefs held
In cunning, over-reach'd where leaft he thought,
To falve his credit, and for very spite,
Still will be tempting him who foils him still.
And never ceafe, though to his fhame the more;
Or as a fwarm of flies in vintage-time,
About the wine-prefs where fweet must is pour'd,
Beat off, returns as oft with humming found;
Or furging waves against a folid rock,

Though all to fhivers dafh'd, th' affault renew,
Vain batt'ry, and in froth or bubbles end;

So Satan, whom repulfe upon repulfe

Met ever, and to fhameful filence brought,
Yet gives not o'er though defp'rate of fuccefs,
And his vain importunity purfues.

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He brought our Saviour to the western fide
Of that high mountain, whence he might behold
Another plain, long but in breadth not wide,
Wafh'd by the fouthern fea, and on the north
To equal length back'd with a ridge of hills,
That fcreen'd the fruits of th' earth and feats of

men

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From cold Septentrion blafts, thence in the midst Divided by a river, of whofe banks On each fide an imperial city food, With tow'rs and temples proudly elevate On fev'n fmall hills, with palaces adorn'd, Porches and theatres, baths, aqueducts, Statues and trophies, and triumphal arcs, Gardens and groves prefented to his eyes, Above the highth of mountains interpos'd: By what strange parallax or optic skill

Of vifion multiply'd through air, or glass
Of telescope, were curious to inquire:
And now the Tempter thus his filence broke.
The city which thou seest no other deem
Than great and glorious Rome, queen of the earth
So far renown'd, and with the fpoils enrich'd 46
Of nations; there the capitol thou feest

Above the reft lifting his stately head

On the Tarpeian rock, her citadel
Impregnable, and there Mount Palatine,
Th' imperial palace, compafs huge, and high
The ftructure, skill of nobleft architects,
With gilded battlements, confpicuous far,
Turrets and terraces, and glitt'ring fpires.
Many a fair edifice befides, more like
Houfes of God, (fo well I have difpos'd
My acry mierofcope) thou may'ft behold
Outfide and infide both, pillars and roofs,
Carv'd work, the hand of fam'd artificers
In cedar, marble, ivory, or gold.

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