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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,

415

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,

430

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

449

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 ?

445

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;

465

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.

470

475

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.

485

The End of the Second Book.

Paradife Regain'd.

BOOK III.

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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