For empire's fake, nor empire to affect appear to greater advantage by the learned collection out of the Heáthen moralists in the following note of Mr. Jortin. 45 For puts into the mouth of our Saviour. Illud autem te admoneo, ne eorum more, qui non proficere fed confpici volunt, facias aliqua. Seneca, Epift. V. Qui virtutem fuam publicari vult, non virtuti laborat, fed gloriæ. Id. Epift. CXIII. Cavenda eft gloriæ cupiditas, is a leffon delivered by one who in that particular did not practice what he taught. De Offciis I. Laudis amore tumes? funt certa Ter piacula, quæ te recreare poterunt Hor. Epift. I. 1. 47. For what is glory &c] The love of glory is a paffion deeply rooted in us, and difficultly kept under. Tlu nevodotiav, ws Tλάταιον χιτωνα, ἡ ψυχη πεφυKEV ATOTIDEdo, fays Plato. Helvidius Prifcus, as Tacitus relates, was poffeffed of all the virtues which make a great and a good man. He was a Stoic into the bargain, and therefore bound by the principles of his philofophy to fet a fmall value upon the Tax An quidquam ftultius, quam quos E' yet erant quibus appeten- fingulos, ficut operarios barbaroftior famæ videretur: quando etiam que contemnas, eos effe aliquid fapientibus cupido gloriæ noviffima putare univerfos? Cicero, Tufc. exuitur. Hift. IV. 5. As at Rome Difp. V. 36. where Dr. Davies: and in Greece a fpear, a crown of Egregium hoc monitum Socrati deoak or laurel, a ftatue, a public betur, qui Alcibiadem, in conciocommendation, was esteemed an nem populi prodire veritum, ita example recompenfe for many brave citavit: Ου καταφρονείς (είπε Σαο actions; fo it is as true, that not a nexтns) Exevs T8 σHUTOTOμS; TO few of their great men were over ονομα ειπων αυτό φησαν θ δε fond of fame, and mere flaves to το Αλκιβιάδε, ὑπολαβων παλιν ὁ the love of it. Let us fee what Σωκράτης, ετι δε εκείνε τε εν τοις the philofophers have faid con- κύκλοις κηρυττον Θ ; η εκείνε το cerning a greedy defire of glory, σκορ αφο; ὁμολογονΘ δε τε fuch a defire of it as leads men to Κλεινίο μειρακιε, εκ εν, ἔφη ὁ Σαλό make it the ruling principle of κράτης, ὁ δημο Αθηναίων εκ το their actions, and incites them to των ήθροισαι; και ει τών καθ' ένα do well only, or chiefly in order to natacentov, any nou twv neobe admired. We fhall find them . Epictetus, Enchir. XLV. condemning it, and faying things fays: Enua wen agreeable enough to what Milton va eyes deva saiver, udsva 10 μεμα 3 For what is glory but the blaze of fame, μέμφεται, υδενι εγκαλεί, «δεν πεοι έαυτο λεγεις nay TIS AUTOV - επαινή, καταγελα το επαινονθ αυτα παρ' ἑαυτω και ψεγε, εκ Signa proficientis απολογείται. funt: neminem vituperat, neminem laudat, de nemine queritur, neminem incufat, nihil de feipfo dicit, et fi quis ipfum laudet, ridet laudantem ipfe fecum; et fi vituperet, non fe purgat. Idem apud Stobæum: Ouders inox pnματΘ, και φιληδονΘ, και φιλοδοξΘ, και φιλανθρωπο· άλλα Nemo peμου ὁ φιλοκαλΘ. cuniæ amans, et voluptatis, et gloriæ fimul homines amat; fed folus honefti amans. So Plato De Repub. I. fays, that a fondnefs of glory is as mean a vice as a fondnefs of money. Many fuch like paffages might be added, particularly from Marcus Aurelius, and other Stoical writers. The Stoics, tho' they refufed to give fame and glory a place amongft good things, I think did not flight the efteem of good men: they diftinguish between gloria and claritas. Gloria multorum judiciis conftat, claritas bonorum. [Sed claritas] poteft unius boni viri judicio effe conten yet ta. Seneca, Epift. CII. I cannot forbear inferting here a paffage from Seneca, which I believe will please the reader as much as it does me it relates to that fond hope which we writers, good, bad, and indifferent, are apt to enter ' And tain, that our name and labors fhall be immortal, and it tells us as elegantly as truly what we have to expect. Profunda fupra nos altitudo temporis veniet, pauca ingenia caput exferent, et in idem quandoque filentium abitura oblivioni refiftent, ac fe diu vindicabunt. Epift. XXI. We expect that Time fhould take the charge of our writings, and deliver them fafe to the latest pofterity: but he is as furly and whimfcal as Charon: Stabant orantes primi tranfmittere curfum, Tendebantque manus ripa ulterioris amore. Navita fed triftis nunc hos, nunc accipit illos, Aft alios longe fummotos arcet arena. If we have the mortification to fee our works die before us, we may comfort ourselves with the confi deration, which Seneca suggests to us, that a time will come when the moft excellent and admired compofitions fhall perish. Nor is the confolation much smaller, which offers itself to us, when we look back and confider how many good authors there muft needs have been, of whom no memorial is left, and how many of whom nothing but the bare name furvives, and how many books are extant indeed, but never read. Aufer And what the people but a herd confus'd, A mifcellaneous rabble, who extol 49 [praife? Things vulgar, and well weigh'd, fcarce worth the 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 fmall praise? Th' intelligent among them and the wife 55 Are Aufer abhinc lacrimas, Barathro, & compefce querelas ; Lumina is oculis etiam bonus Ancus reliquit, Qui melior multis, quam tu, fuit, improbe, rebus. To these motives of contentment under fuch circumftances, I need not add what every neglected author fays to himself, that the age he lives in has no taste. Fortin. 56. Of whom to be difprais'd were no fmall praife?] So it is in Milton's own edition, difprais'd; in moft of the others it is defpis'd, Of whom to be defpis'd were no fmall praise : but we have reftor'd the first reading for very obvious reafons. 57. His lot who dares be fingularly good.] A glorious example of this fingular goodness is exhibited in the character and behaviour of the Seraph Abdiel in the Paradise Loft. And perhaps the poet might think it likewise his own cafe, and at this time was not without a pleafing reflection upon himself, who dar'd and in his conduct, as any man to be as fingular in his opinions whatever. 59.and glory Scarce of few is rais'd.] Seneca would prove in his 102d Epiftle, that the judgment of one good man is fufficient to conftitute this glory or clarity, as he calls it: for glory according to him is the judgment of the many, clarity of the good. If one good man, fays he, thinks well of me, it is the fame as if all good men thought well of me, because if they all knew me, they would all think as he doth; so that the judgment of all is really included in that of one. Quia fi de me bene 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 just man, and divulges him through Heaven To all his Angels, who with true applause Recount his praises: thus he did to Job, 60 64 When to extend his fame through Heav'n and Earth, vir bonus fentit, eodem loco fum, quo, fi omnes boni idem fentirent; omnes enim, fi me cognoverint, idem fentient. Par illis idemque judicium est. Calton. 60. This is true glory and renown, when God &c] Here is a glory that is folid and substantial, exEpreffa (as Tully fays) non adumbrata; and that will indure, when all the records and memorials of human pride are perifhed. There is a pretty paffage near the end of the laft book of Hieronymus Oforius's treatise De Gloria, where the author is confidering that honor, which confiits in the approbation and applaufe of God and Angels, as a reward of virtue in the life to come. Nam fi laudatoris amplitudo ad dignitatis amplificationem pertinet, quid effe poteft Chrifti majeftate magnificentius? Si verum judicium in certa gloriæ ra Where tione requirimus, Deus folus intimos hominum fenfus perfpectos habet. Si laudantis conftantiam attendimus, divina mens nullam in omni æternitate poteft habere mutationem. Si lucem et celebritatem confideres, tunc clarorum hominum laudes coram omnibus angelis et hominibus illuftrabuntur. Si ad diuturnitatem animum advertas, [in my edition it is animad-vertas] nullum finem funt ullis unquam fæculis habituræ. Quid igitur illa gloria divinius, quam mentes cafta in illa cœlefti regione con- . fequentur ? Eft enim dignitate laudatoris immenfa, fpectatorum celebritate clariffima, diuturnitate temporis infinita. Calton. 67. He afk'd thee, Haft thou feen my fervant Job?] Job I. 8. And the Lord faid unto Satan, Haft thou confidered my fervant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, Where glory is false glory, attributed To things not glorious, men not worthy' of fame. 71 Large countries, and in field great battels win, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and efcheweth evil. See too II. 3. 69. Where glory is falfe glory, at tributed To things not glorious, men not worthy of fame.] True glory (Tully fays) is the praife of good men, the echo of virtue: but that ape of glory, the random injudicious applaufe of the multitude, is often beftowed upon the worft of actions. Eft enim gloria folida quædam res et expreffa, non adumbrata: ea eft confentiens laus bonorum, incorrupta vox bene judicantium de excellente virtute: ea virtuti refonat tanquam imago: illa autem, quæ fe ejus imitatricem effe volt, temeraria atque inconfiderata et plerumque peccatorum vitiorumque laudatrix, fama popularis, fimulatione honeftatis formam ejus pulchritudinemque corrumpit. Qua cæcitate homines, cum quædam etiam præclara cuperent, eaque nefcirent nec ubi nec qualia effent, funditus alii everte Peaceable runt fuas civitates, alii ipfi occiderunt. Tufc. Difp. III. 2. When Tully wrote his Tufculan Difputations, Julius Cæfar had overturned the conftitution of his country, and was then in the highth of his power; and Pompey had loft his life in the fame purfuit of glory. Of him the alii ipfi occiderunt may very well be understood. Calton. 71. They err who count it glorious &c] From hence to ver. 88. we have a juft and complete character of the great conquerors of the world, who instead of being, as they have too often been, the idols of mankind, ought rather to be the principal objects of their utmoft averfation. The character is general, but yet not without particular allufions; as when it is faid muft be titled Gods, Great Benefactors of mankind, Deliverers, it is in allufion to the titles of Theus, Euergetes and Soter, which have often been afcrib'd by their fyco. phants |