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To whom thus Jesus temperately replied. Said'st thou not that to all things I had right? And who withholds my pow'r that right to use? Shall I receive by gift what of my own,

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When and where likes me best, I can command?
I can at will, doubt not, as soon as thou,
Command a table in this wilderness,
And call swift flights of angels ministrant,
Array'd in glory, on my cup to attend ;
Why should'st thou then obtrude this diligence,
In vain, where no acceptance it can find?
And with my hunger what hast thou to do?
Thy pompous delicacies I contemn,
And count thy specious gifts no gifts, but guiles.
To whom thus answer'd Satan malecontent.
That I have also power to give thou seest.
If of that power I bring thee voluntary

390

What I might have bestow'd on whom I pleas'd, And rather opportunely in this place

Chose to impart to thy apparent need,

Why should'st thou not accept it? but I see
What I can do or offer is suspect ;

396

885 flights] Hamlet, act v. sc. 6.

'And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.'

Newton.

885 ministrant] Cic. Tusc. Disp. 1. c. 26. 'Non ambrosia Deos, aut nectare, aut juventute pocula ministrante;' and Ov. Met. x. 161.

891 no gifts] Sophocl. Ajax. 665.

Dunster.

Εχθρῶν ἄδωρα δῶρα κ' οὐκ ὀνήσιμα.

Newton.

400

Of these things others quickly will dispose,
Whose pains have earn'd the far-fet spoil. With that
Both table and provision vanish'd quite
With sound of harpies' wings and talons heard;
Only the importune tempter still remain'd,
And with these words his temptation pursu'd. 406
By hunger, that each other creature tames,
Thou art not to be harm'd, therefore not mov'd;
Thy temperance invincible besides,

410

For no allurement yields to appetite,
And all thy heart is set on high designs,
High actions; but wherewith to be achieved?
Great acts require great means of enterprise;
Thou art unknown, unfriended, low of birth,
A carpenter thy father known, thyself
Bred up in poverty and straits at home,
Lost in a desert here and hunger-bit :
Which way, or from what hope, dost thou aspire
To greatness? whence authority deriv'st?
What followers, what retinue can'st thou gain?
Or at thy heels the dizzy multitude,

415

4:30

Longer than thou can'st feed them on thy cost? Money brings honour, friends, conquest, and realms. What rais'd Antipater the Edomite,

And his son Herod plac'd on Judah's throne,

401 far-fet] 'fet' 'far-fetched,' used by Chaucer, Spenser, &c. see Newton's note.

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408 Harpies] Hark! how the Harpies' wings resound.'

Al. Ross Mel Heliconium, p. 64.

404 importune] Spenser, F. Q. i. xii. 16.

'And often blame the too importune fate.' Newton.

Thy throne, but gold that got him puissant friends?
Therefore, if at great things thou would'st arrive,
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, sit in want.

To whom thus Jesus 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 height of all their flowing wealth dissolv❜d.
But men endu'd with these have oft attain'd
In lowest poverty to highest deeds;
Gideon and Jephtha, and the shepherd lad,
Whose offspring on the throne of Judah sat
So many ages, and shall yet regain

430

435

440

That seat, and reign in Israel without end.
Among the heathen, for throughout the world
To me is not unknown what hath been done
Worthy of memorial, canst thou not remember 445
Quintius, Fabricius, Curius, Regulus?

For I esteem those names of men so poor,
Who could do mighty things, and could contemn
Riches though offer'd from the hands of kings.
And what in me seems wanting, but that I 450
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,,

455

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 show, is but a wreath of thorns,
Brings dangers, troubles, cares, and sleepless nights
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 ev'ry wise and virtuous man attains:
And who attains not, ill aspires to rule
Cities of men, or head-strong multitudes,
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 gen'rous mind,
So reigning, can be no sincere delight.
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 miss'd.

461

465

470

475

480

328

PARADISE REGAINED.

BOOK III.

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So spake the Son of God, and Satan stood
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 soothing words renew'd, 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
Contains of good, wise, just, the perfect 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 th' array of war, thy skill
Of conduct would be such, that all the world
Could not sustain thy prowess, or subsist
In battel, though against thy few in arms.
These god-like virtues wherefore dost thou hide.

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