The fame and glory, glory the reward
That fole excites to high attempts the flame
Of most erected Spirits, most temper'd pure
Etherial, who all pleasures else despise,
All treasures and all gain esteem as dross,
30 And dignities and powers all but the highest?
Thy years are ripe, and over-ripe, the fon
Of Macedonian Philip had e're these
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 now all the world admires
40 The more he grew in years, the more inflam'd
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.
Thou neither doft perfwade me to seek wealth
For Empire's fake, nor Empire to affect
For glories fake by all thy argument.
For what is glory but the blaze of fame,
The peoples praife, if always praise unmixt?
And what the people but a herd confus'd,
50 A mifcellaneous rabble, who extol
Things vulgar, and well weigh'd, fcarce worth the praife, 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,
Of whom to be difprais'd were no small praise?
His lot who dares be fingularly good.
Th'intelligent among them and the wife
Are few, and glory fcarce of few is rais'd.
60 This is true glory and renown, when God
Looking on the Earth, with approbation marks
The just man, and divulges him through Heaven
To all his Angels, who with true applause
Recount his praises; thus he did to Job,
When to extend his fame, through Heaven and Earth,
As thou to thy reproach mayft well remember,
He ask'd thee, haft thou feen my servant Job?
Famous he was in Heaven, on Earth less known;
Where glory is false glory, attributed
7° To things not glorious, men not worthy of fame.
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 these Worthies,
But rob and spoil, burn, flaughter, and enslave
Peaceable Nations, neighbouring, or remote,
Made Captive, yet deferving freedom more
Than those their Conquerours, who leave behind
Nothing but ruin wherefoe're they rove,
so And all the flourishing works of peace destroy,
Then fwell with pride, and must be titl❜d Gods,
Great Benefactors of mankind, Deliverers,
Worship't with Temple, Prieft and Sacrifice;
One is the Son of Jove, of Mars the other,
Till Conquerour Death discover them scarce mèn,
Rowling in brutish vices, and deform'd,
Violent or shameful death thir due reward. mor
But if there be in glory aught of good,
It may by means far different be attain'd
90 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 obfcure;
Who names not now with honour patient Job?
Poor Socrates (who next more memorable?)
By what he taught and fuffer'd for fo doing,
For truth's fake fuffering death unjuft, lives now
Equal in fame to proudeft Conquerours.
100 Yet if for fame and glory aught be done,
Aught fuffer'd; if young African for fame.
His wasted Country freed from Punic rage,
The deed becomes unprais'd, the man at least,
And loses, 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 witness whence I am.
To whom the Tempter murmuring thus reply'd
Think not fo flight of glory; therein least
Refembling thy great Father: he feeks glory,
And for his glory all things made, all things
Orders and Governs, nor content in Heaven
By all his Angels glorifi'd, requires
Glory from men, from all men good or bad,
Wife or unwife, no difference, no exemption;
Above all Sacrifice, 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 focs pronounc't glory he exacts.
To whom our Saviour fervently reply'd.
And reason; since his word all things produc'd,,{"c
Though chiefly not for glory as prime end,
But to fhew forth his goodness and impart
His good communicable to every foul
Freely; of whom what could he less expect
Than glory and benediction, that is thanks,
The slightest, easiest, readiest recompence
From them who could return him nothing else,
13o And not returning what would likeliest render
Contempt instead, difhonour obloquy?
Hard recompence, unfutable return
For fo much good, fo much beneficence.
But why should man feek glory? who of his own
Hath nothing, and to whom nothing belongs
But condemnation, ignominy, and fhame?
Who for fo many benefits receiv'd
Turn'd recreant to God, ingrate and false,
And so of all true good himself defpoil'd,
140 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 answer, but food ftruck
With guilt of his own fin, for he himself
Infatiable of glory had lost all,
Yet of another Plea bethought him foon.
Of glory, as thou wilt, faid he, fó deem,
Worth or not worth their feeking, let it pafs
But to a Kingdom thou art born, ordain'd
To fit upon thy Father David's Throne;
By Mothers fide thy Father, though thy right
Be now in powerful hands, that will not part
Eafily from poffeffion won with arms;
Judaa now and all the promis'd land
Reduc't a Province under Roman yoke,
Obeys Tiberius; nor is always rul'd
160 With temperate sway; oft have they violated
The Temple, oft the Law with foul affronts,
Abominations rather, as did once
Antiochus: and think'st thou to regain
Thy right by fitting still or thus retiring?
So did not Machabeus: he indeed
Retir'd unto the Defart, but with arms;
And o're a mighty King so oft prevail'd
That by strong hand his Family obtain❜d,
Though Priests, the Crown, and David's Throne ufurp'd,
With Modin and her, Suburbs once content.
If Kingdom move thee not, let move thee Zeal,
And duty; Zeal and duty are not flow;
But on Occafions forelock watchful wait.
They themselves rather are occafion best,
Zeal of thy Father's house, Duty to free
Thy Country from her Heathen fervitude;
So fhalt thou best fulfill, best verifie
The Prophets old, who fung thy endless raign,
The happier raign the fooner it begins,
180 Raign then; what can't thou better do the while?
To whom our Saviour answer thus return'd.
All things are beft fulfill'd in their due time,
And time there is for all things, Truth hath said:
If of my raign prophetic Writ hath told,
That it shall never end, fo when begin
The Father in his purpose hath decreed,
He in whose hand all times and seasons roul.
What if he hath decreed that I' shall first
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