For what is glory but the blaze of fame, STRIVEL, deva μEμperaι, de sfxaks, δεν περὶ ἑαυτε λέγει, καν τις αυτον επαινη, καταγελα το επαινεία αυτά παρ ἑαυτω και ψεγη εκ απολογειται. Signa proficientis 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: Ουδεις φιλοχρηματα, και φιληδονα, και φιλοδοξω, και φιλανθρωπο αλλά μόνο ο Φιλοκαλώ. Nemo pecuniæ 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 fondness of money. Many fuch like paffages might be added, particularly from Marcus Aurelius, and other ftoical writers. The Stoics, tho' they refufed to give fame and glory a place amongst good things, yet I think did not flight the efleem of good men they diftinguish between gloria and claritas. Gloria multorum judiciis conftat, claritas bonorum. [Sed claritas] poteft unius boni viri judicio effe contenta. 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 lateft pofterity: but he is as furly and whimfical as Charon Stabant orantes primi tranfmit- Navita fed triftis nunc hos, nunc Aft alios longe fummotos arcet arena. If we have the mortification to fee our works die before us, we may comfort ourselves with the confideration, which Seneca fuggests to us, that a time will come when the moft excellent and admired compofitions fhall perish. Nor is the confolation much fmaller, which offers itself to us, when we look back and confider how many good authors there mult 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, 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 such extoll'd, To live upon their tongues and be their talk, 55 Of whom to be difprais'd were no small praise? Th' intelligent among them and the wife Aufer abhinc lacrimas, Barathro, & compefce querelas; Lumina fis 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 tafte. Fortin. 56. Of whom to be difprais'd were no fmall praife?] So it is in Milton's own edition, difprais'd; it most 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 Are the character and behaviour of the Seraph Abdiel in the Paradife Loft. And perhaps the poet might think it likewife his own cafe, and at this time was not without a pleafing reflection upon himself, who dar'd to be as fingular in his opinions and in his conduct, as any man 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 constitute 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; fo 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. 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 eft. Calton. 60. This is true glory and renown, when God &c.] Here is a glory that is folid and fubftantial, expreffa (as Tully. fays) non adumbrata; and that will indure, when all the records and memorials of human pride are perished. There is a pretty paffage near the end of the laft book of Hieronymus Oforius's treatife De Gloria, where the author is confidering that honor, which confifts in the approbation and applause 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 animadvertas] nullum finem funt ullis unquam fæculis habituræ. Quid igitur illa gloria divinus, quam mentes cafte in illa cœlefti regione confequenter? 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, a perfect Where glory is false glory, attributed To things not glorious, men not worthy' of fame. a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and ejcheweth evil. See too II. 3. 69. Where glory is false glory, attributed 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 applause of the multitude, is often beftowed upon the worst 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 runt. 71 75 Peaceable runt fuas civitates, alii ipfi occide'Tufc. Difp. III. 2. When Tully wrote his Tufculan Difputations, Julius Cæfar had overturned the conftitution of his country, and was then in the heighth of his power; and Pompey had lost his life in the fame purfuit of glory. Of him the alii ipfi occideruntmay 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 said 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 2 phants Peaceable nations, neighb'ring, 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 florishing works of peace destroy, Then swell with pride, and must be titled Gods, Great Benefactors of mankind, Deliverers, Alexander is particularly intended by the one, and Romulus by the other, who tho' better than Alexander, yet it must be faid founded his empire in the blood of his brother, and for his overgrown tyranny was at laft deftroy'd by his own senate. And certainly the method that Milton has here taken, is the best method that can be taken of drawing general characters, by felecting the particulars here and there, and then adjusting and incorporating them together; as Apelles from the different beauties of feveral nymphs of Greece drew his portrait of Venus, the Goddess of beauty. 80 81. Then favell with pride, and must be titled Gods, &c.] The fecond Antiochus king of Syria was called Antiochus or the God: and the learned author De Epoch. Syro-Macedonum, p. 151. fpeaks of a coin of Epiphanes infcribed O ETQaves. The Athenians gave Demetrius Poliorcetes, and his father Antigonus the titles of Everyera Benefactors, and ΣwTapes Deliverers. The laft was a divine title; [See Suidas in voce EwTnp] and they finish'd the compliment by calling their Head-magiftrate, instead of Archon Iepevs Zwrnpwv, Prieft of the Deliverers. Plut. in vita Demetrii. Calton, 96. Poor |