Could not fuftain thy Prowess, or fubfift
In battel, though against thy few in arms,
These 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, thy felf
The fame and glory, glory the reward
That fole excites to high attempts, the flame
Of moft erected Spirits, moft temper'd pure.
Ætherial, who all pleasures elfe defpife,
All treasures and all gain esteem as drofs,
And dignities and pow'rs all but the highest ?
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 dispose, young Scipio had brought down
The Carthaginian pride, young Pompey quell'd
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 new all the world admires,
The more he grew in years, the more enflam'd 40
With glory, wept that he had liv'd so long
Inglorious: But thou yet art not too late,
To whom our Saviour calmly thus reply'd.
Thou neither doft perfwade 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 praise, if always praise unmixt?
And what the people but a herd confus'd,
A miscellaneous rabble, who extol
Thingsvulgar,andwell weigh'd carce 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 fuch extoll'd,
To live upon their tongues and be their talk, 55
Of whom to be despis'd were no small praise?
His lot who dares be fingularly good.
Th' intelligent among them and the wife
Are few, and glory scarce of few is rais'd.
This is true glory and renown, when God
Looking on th' Earth, with approbation marks
The juft man, and divulges him through Heav'n
To all his Angels, who with true applause
Recount his praises; thus he did to Job,
When to extend his fame, through Heav'n and Earth,
As thou to thy reproach may'ft well remember, 66
He ask'd thee, haft thou seen my servant Job?
Famous he was in Heav'n, 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 fubdue
By Conquest 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 fpoil, burn, flaughter, and enflave 75
Peaceable Nations, neighbouring, or remote,
Made Captive, yet deferving freedom more
Than those their Conquerors, who leave behind
Nothing but ruin wherefoe'er they rove,
And all the flourishing works of peace deftroy, 80
Then fwell with pride, and must be titled Gods,
Great Benefactors of mankind, Deliverers,
Worship'd with Temple, Priest and Sacrifice;
One is the Son of Jove, of Mars the other,
Till Conqu❜ror Death discover them scarce men, 85
Rolling in brutish vices, and deform'd,
Violent or fhameful death their due reward,
But if there be in glory aught of good,
It may by means far different be attain'd
Without ambition, war, or violence;
By deeds of peace, by wisdom eminent,
By patience, temperance; I mention still
Him whom thy wrongs with Saintly patience born,
Made famous in a Land and times obscure;
Who names not now with honour patient Job? 95.
Poor Socrates (who next more memorable?)
By what he taught and suffer'd for so doing,
For truth's fake fuffering death unjuft, lives now
Equal in fame to proudest Conquerors.
Yet if for fame and glory aught be done,
Aught fuffer'd; if young African for fame
His wafted Country freed from Punic rage,
The deed becomes unprais'd, the man at least,
And loses, though but verbal, his reward.
Shall feek glory then, as vain Men seek
Oft not deferv'd? I feek not mine, but his
Who fent me, and thereby witness whence I am.
To whom the Tempter murm'ring thus reply'd.
Think not fo flight of glory; therein least
Refembling thy great Father: he seeks glory, 110✅
And for his glory all things made, all things
Orders and Governs, not content in Heav'n
By all his Angels glorify'd, requires
Glory from men, from all men good or bad,
Wife or unwife, no difference, no exemption; 'ITS.
Above all Sacrifice, or hallow'd gift
Glory he requires, and glory he receives
Promiscuous 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 fhew forth his goodness, and impart
His good communicable t'ev'ry foul
Freely; of whom what could he less expec
Than glory and benedi&ion, that is thanks,
The flighteft, easiest, readieft recompence
From them whọ could return him nothing else,
And not returning what would likeliest render 130
Contempt instead, dishonour obloquy?
Hard recompence, unfutable return
For fo much good, so much beneficence.
But why should man feek glory? who of his own Hath nothing, and to whom nothing belongs 135 But condemnation, ignominy, and shame?
Who for fo many benefits receiv'd
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