Thy temperance invincible befides,
For no allurement yields to appetite,
And all thy heart is fet on high designs, High actions; but wherewith to be atchiev'd? 41 Great as require great means of enterprise, Thou art unknown, unfriended, low of Birth, A Carpenter thy Father known, thy felf Bred up in poverty and streights at home; Loft in a Defart here and hunger bit: Which way or from what hope doft thou afpire To greatnefs? whence Authority deriv'st, What Followers, what Retinue canft thou gain, Or at thy heels the dizzy Multitude,
Longer than thou canft feed them on thy coft? 420 Mony brings Honour, Friends, Conqueft and Realms What rais'd Antipater the Edomite;
And his Son Hered plac'd on Juda's Throne (Thy Throne) but gold that got him puiffant friends? Therefore, if at great things thou would't arrive, 425 Get Riches first, get Wealth, and Treasure heap, Not difficult, if thou hearken to me, Riches are mine, Fortune is in my hand; They whom I favour thrive in wealth amain, While Virtue, Valour, Wisdom fit in want.
To whom thus Jefus patiently reply'd; Yet Wealth without these three is impotent To gain dominion, or to keep it gain'd. Witness those ancient Empires of the Earth,
In heighth of all their flowing wealth diffolv'd: 435+ But men endu'd with thefe, have oft attain'd
In lowest poverty to highest deeds; Gideon and Jephtha, and the Shepherd lad, Whofe Off-spring on the Throne of Judah fat So many Ages, and fhall yet regain
That feat, and reign in Ifrael without end.. Among the Heathen, (for throughout the World To me is not unknown what hath been done Worthy Memorial) canft thou not remember、 Quintus, Fabricius, Curius, Regulus ?
For I efteem those names of men fo poor, Who could do mighty things, and could contemn Riches though offer'd from the hand of Kings. And what in me feems wanting, but that I May alfo in this poverty as foon
Accomplish what they did, perhaps and more? Extol not Riches then, the toyl of Fools,
The wife man's cumbrance, if not fnare, more apt To flacken Virtue, and abate her edge,
Than prompt her to do aught may merit praise. 455 What if with like averfion I reject
Riches and Realms; yet not for that a Crown, Golden in fhew, is but a wreath of thorns, Brings dangers, troubles, cares, and fleepless nights To him who wears the Regal Diadem, 460 When on his fhoulders each mans burden lies; For therein stands the Office of a King, His Honour, Virtue, Merit and chief Praise, That for the Publick all this weight he bears. Yet he who reigns within himself, and rules Paffions, Defires, and Fears, is more a King;
Which ev'ry wife and virtuous man attains: And who attains not, ill aspires to rule Cities of men, or head-ftrong multitudes. Subje& himself to Anarchy within,
Or lawless Paffions in him which he serves. But to guide Nations in the way of truth By faving 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 gen'rous mind So reigning can be no fincere delight.
Besides to give a Kingdom hath been thought 460 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 should be sought, To gain a Scepter, ofteft better mifs'd.
The End of the Second Book.
So fpake the Son of God, and Satan flood
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 Serpent wiles, With foothing words renew'd, him thus accofts. I fee thou know't what is of use to know, What beft to fay canft fay, to do canft 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 shape. Should Kings and Nations from thy mouth confult, Thy Counsel would be as the Oracle
Vrim and Thummim, thofe oraculous gems On Aaron's breaft; or tongue of Seers old Infallible; or weit thou fought to deeds That might require th' array of war, thy skill Of conduct would be fuch, that all the world
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