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What if with like averfion I reject

Riches and realms; yet not for that a crown, Golden in fhow, is but a wreath of thorns, Brings dangers, troubles, cares, and flepless nights

bears.

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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 honor, virtue, merit and chief praise,
That for the public all this weight he
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Yet he who reigns within himfelf, and rules
Paffions, defires, and fears, is more a king;
Which every wife and virtuous man attains;
And who attains not, ill afpires to rule
Cities of men, or headstrong multitudes 470
Subject himfelf to anarchy within,

Or lawless paffions in him which he serves.
But to guide nations in the way of truth
By faving doctrin, and from error lead
To

know, and knowing worship God

aright,

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Is yet more kingly; this attracts the foul,
Governs the inner man, the nobler part;
That other o'er the body only reigns,'
And oft by force, which to a generous mind
So reigning can be no cincere delight, 480
Befides 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 themfelves, And for thy reafon, why they, fhould be

fought,

To gain a scepter, ofteft better mifs'd.

The End of the Second Book.

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BOOK III.

So fpake the son of God, and Satan stood

A while as mute confounded what to fay,
What to reply, confuted and convinc'd
Of his weak arguing, and fallacious drift:
At length collecting all his ferpent wiles,
With foothing words renew'd, him thus

accofts.

5

I fee thou know'ft, what is of use to

know,

What best to say canft say, to do canft do; Thy actions to thy words accord, thy words To thy large heart give utterance due, thy heart

10

Contains of good, wife, juft, the perfect

fhape.

Should kings and nations from thy mouth confult,

Thy counsel would be as the oracle

Urim and Thummim, thofe oraculous gems On Aaron's breaft; or tongue of feers old · 15 Infallible or wert thou fought to deeds

That might require th' array of war, thy

fkill

Of conduct would be fuch, that all the world
Could not fuftain thy prowefs, or fubfift
In battel, though against thy few in arms. 20
Thefe God-like virtues wherefore doft thou

hide,

25

Affecting private life, or more obfcure.
In favage wildernels? wherefore deprive
All earth her wonder at thy acts, thyself
The fame and glory, glory the reward
That fole excites to high attempts, the flame
Of moft erected fpi'rits, moft temper'd pure
Ethereal, who all pleafures elle defpife,
All treafures and all gain efteem as drofs,
And dignities and pow'rs all but the highest 30
Thy years are ripe, and over-ripe: the fon
Of Macedonian Philip had ere these

Won Afia, and the throne of Cyrus held
At his difpofe; young Scipio had brought down
The Carthaginian pride; young Pompey

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The Pontic king and in triumph had rode. Yet years, and to ripe years judgmend mature, Quench not the thirst of glory, but augment. Great Julius, whom now all the world admires,

The more he grew in years, the more inflam'd

40

With glory, wept that he had liv'd so long
Inglorious: but thou yet art not too late.

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To whom our Saviour calmly thus reply'd. Thou neither doft perfuade me to seek wealth For empire's fake, nor empire to effect For glory's fake by all thy argument. For what is glory but the blaze of fame, The peoples praise, if always praise unmix'd?

50

And what the people but a herd confus'd,
A mifcellaneous rabble, who extol
Things vulgar, and well weigh'd, fcarce

worth the praise?

They praise, and they admire they know not what,

And know not whom, but as one leads the

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And what delight to be by fuch extoll'd,

To live upon their tongues and be their

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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 scarce of few is rais'd.
This is true glory and renown, when God 60
Looking on th' earth, with approbation marks
The juft man, and divulges him through
Heaven

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