# Paradise Regained/Book 3

PARADISE REGAIN'D.
The Third BOOK.
SO spake the Son of God, and Satan stood A while as mute confounded what to say, What to reply, confuted and convinc't 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 10 Conteins 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. 20 These God-like Vertues wherefore dost thou hide? Affecting private life, or more obscure In savage Wilderness, wherefore deprive All Earth her wonder at thy acts, thy self The fame and glory, glory the reward
That sole excites to high attempts the flame Of most erected Spirits, most temper'd pure Æthereal, who all pleasures else despise, All treasures and all gain esteem as dross, And dignities and powers, all but the highest? 30
Thy years are ripe, and over-ripe, the Son Of Macedonian Philip had e're these Won Asia 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 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. To whom our Saviour calmly thus reply'd. Thou neither dost perswade me to seek wealth For Empires sake, nor Empire to affect
For glories sake by all thy argument. For what is glory but the blaze of fame, The peoples praise, if always praise unmixt? And what the people but a herd confus'd,
A miscellaneous rabble, who extol 50 Things vulgar, & well weigh'd, scarce worth the praise, 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 thir tongues and be thir talk, Of whom to be disprais'd were no small praise? His lot who dares be singularly good. Th' intelligent among them and the wise Are few, and glory scarce of few is rais'd. This is true glory and renown, when God 60 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 & Earth,
As thou to thy reproach mayst well remember, He ask'd thee, hast thou seen my servant Job? Famous he was in Heaven, on Earth less known;
Where glory is false glory, attributed To things not glorious, men not worthy of fame. 70 They err who count it glorious to subdue By Conquest far and wide, to over-run Large Countries, and in field great Battels win, Great Cities by assault: what do these Worthies, But rob and spoil, burn, slaughter, and enslave
Peaceable Nations, neighbouring or remote, Made Captive, yet deserving freedom more Then those thir Conquerours, who leave behind Nothing but ruin wheresoe're they rove, And all the flourishing works of peace destroy, 80 Then swell with pride, and must be titl'd Gods, Great Benefactors of mankind, Deliverers, Worship't with Temple, Priest, and Sacrifice; One is the Son of Jove, of Mars the other, Till Conquerour Death discover them scarce men,
Rowling in brutish vices, and deform'd, Violent or shameful death thir due reward.
But if there be in glory aught of good, It may by means far different be attain'd Without ambition, war, or violence; 90 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 obscure; Who names not now with honour patient Job?
Poor Socrates, (who next more memorable?) By what he taught and suffer'd for so doing, For truths sake suffering death unjust, lives now Equal in fame to proudest Conquerours. Yet if for fame and glory aught be done, 100 Aught suffer'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 seek glory then, as vain men seek
Oft not deserv'd? I seek not mine, but his
Who sent me, and thereby witness whence I am. To whom the Tempter murmuring thus reply'd. Think not so slight of glory: therein least Resembling thy great Father: he seeks glory, 110 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, Wise or unwise, no difference, no exemption;
Above all Sacrifice, or hallow'd gift Glory he requires, and glory he receives Promiscuous from all Nations, Jew, or Greek, Or Barbarous, nor exception hath declar'd; From us his foes pronounc't glory he exacts. 120 To whom our Saviour fervently reply'd. And reason; since his word all things produc'd, Though chiefly not for glory as prime end, But to show forth his goodness, and impart His good communicable to every soul
Freely; of whom what could he less expect Then glory and benediction, that is thanks, The slightest, easiest, readiest recompence From them who could return him nothing else, And not returning that would likeliest render 130 Contempt instead, dishonour, obloquy? Hard recompense, unsutable return For so much good, so much beneficence. But why should man seek glory? who of his own Hath nothing, and to whom nothing belongs
But condemnation, ignominy, and shame? Who for so many benefits receiv'd Turn'd recreant to God, ingrate and false, And so of all true good himself despoil'd, Yet, sacrilegious, to himself would take 140 That which to God alone of right belongs; Yet so much bounty is in God, such grace, That who advance his glory, not thir own, Them he himself to glory will advance.
So spake the Son of God; and here again
Satan had not to answer, but stood struck With guilt of his own sin, for he himself Insatiable of glory had lost all, Yet of another Plea bethought him soon. Of glory as thou wilt, said he, so deem, 150 Worth or not worth the seeking, let it pass: But to a Kingdom thou art born, ordain'd To sit upon thy Father David's Throne; By Mothers side thy Father, though thy right Be now in powerful hands, that will not part
Easily from possession won with arms; Judæa now and all the promis'd land Reduc't a Province under Roman yoke, Obeys Tiberius; nor is always rul'd With temperate sway; oft have they violated 160 The Temple, oft the Law with foul affronts, Abominations rather, as did once Antiochus: and think'st thou to regain
Thy right by sitting still or thus retiring? So did not Machabeus: he indeed
Retir'd unto the Desert, 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 usurp'd, With Modin and her Suburbs once content. 170 If Kingdom move thee not, let move thee Zeal, And Duty; Zeal and Duty are not slow; But on Occasions forelock watchful wait. They themselves rather are occasion best, Zeal of thy Fathers house, Duty to free
Thy Country from her Heathen servitude; So shalt thou best fullfil, best verifie The Prophets old, who sung thy endless raign, The happier raign the sooner it begins, Raign then; what canst thou better do the while? 180 To whom our Saviour answer thus return'd. All things are best fulfil'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, so 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 Be try'd in humble state, and things adverse, By tribulations, injuries, insults, 190 Contempts, and scorns, and snares, and violence; Suffering, abstaining, quietly expecting Without distrust or doubt, that he may know What I can suffer, how obey? who best Can suffer, best can do; best reign, who first
Well hath obey'd; just tryal e're I merit My exaltation without change or end. But what concerns it thee when I begin My everlasting Kingdom, why art thou Sollicitous, what moves thy inquisition? 200 Know'st thou not that my rising is thy fall,
And my promotion will be thy destruction? To whom the Tempter, inly rackt reply'd. Let that come when it comes; all hope is lost Of my reception into grace; what worse?
For where no hope is left, is left no fear; If there be worse, the expectation more Of worse torments me then the feeling can. I would be at the worst; worst is my Port, My harbour and my ultimate repose, 210 The end I would attain, my final good. My error was my error, and my crime My crime; whatever for itself condemn'd, And will alike be punish'd; whether thou Raign or raign not; though to that gentle brow
Willingly I could fly, and hope thy raign, From that placid aspect and meek regard, Rather then aggravate my evil state, Would stand between me and thy Fathers ire, (Whose ire I dread more then the fire of Hell) 220
A shelter and a kind of shading cool Interposition, as a summers cloud. If I then to the worst that can be hast, Why move thy feet so slow to what is best, Happiest both to thy self and all the world,
That thou who worthiest art should'st be thir King? Perhaps thou linger'st in deep thoughts detain'd Of the enterprize so hazardous and high; No wonder, for though in thee be united What of perfection can in man be found, 230 Or human nature can receive, consider Thy life hath yet been private, most part spent At home, scarce view'd the Gallilean Towns, And once a year Jerusalem, few days Short sojourn; and what thence could'st thou observe?
The world thou hast not seen, much less her glory, Empires, and Monarchs, and thir radiant Courts, Best school of best experience, quickest in sight In all things that to greatest actions lead.
The wisest, unexperienc't, will be ever240 Timorous and loth, with novice modesty, (As he who seeking Asses found a Kingdom) Irresolute, unhardy, unadventrous: But I will bring thee where thou soon shalt quit Those rudiments, and see before thine eyes The Monarchies of the Earth, thir pomp and state, Sufficient introduction to inform Thee, of thy self so apt, in regal Arts, And regal Mysteries; that thou may'st know How best their opposition to withstand. 250 With that (such power was giv'n him then) he took The Son of God up to a Mountain high. It was a Mountain at whose verdant feet A spatious plain outstretch't in circuit wide Lay pleasant; from his side two rivers flow'd,
Th' one winding, th' other strait, and left between Fair Champain with less rivers interveind, Then meeting joyn'd thir tribute to the Sea:
Fertil of corn the glebe, of oyl and wine, With herds the pastures throng'd, with flocks the hills, 260 Huge Cities and high towr'd, that well might seem The seats of mightiest Monarchs, and so large The Prospect was, that here and there was room For barren desert fountainless and dry. To this high mountain top the Tempter brought
Our Saviour, and new train of words began. Well have we speeded, and o're hill and dale, Forest and field, and flood, Temples and Towers Cut shorter many a league; here thou behold'st Assyria and her Empires antient bounds, 270 Araxes and the Caspian lake, thence on As far as Indus East, Euphrates West, And oft beyond; to South the Persian Bay, And inaccessible the Arabian drouth: Here Ninevee, of length within her wall
Several days journey, built by Ninus old, Of that first golden Monarchy the seat,
And seat of Salmanassar, whose success Israel in long captivity still mourns; There Babylon the wonder of all tongues, 280 As antient, but rebuilt by him who twice Judah and all thy Father David's house Led captive, and Jerusalem laid waste, Till Cyrus set them free; Persepolis His city there thou seest, and Bactra there;
Ecbatana her structure vast there shews, And Hecatompylos her hunderd gates, There Susa by Choaspes, amber stream, The drink of none but Kings; of later fame Built by Emathian, or by Parthian hands, 290 The great Seleucia, Nisibis, and there Artaxata, Teredon, Tesiphon, Turning with easie eye thou may'st behold. All these the Parthian, now some Ages past, By great Arsaces led, who founded first
That Empire, under his dominion holds
From the luxurious Kings of Antioch won. And just in time thou com'st to have a view Of his great power; for now the Parthian king In Ctesiphon hath gather'd all his Host
Against the Scythian, whose incursions wild300 Have wasted Sogdiana; to her aid He marches now in hast; see, though from far, His thousands, in what martial equipage They issue forth, Steel Bows, and Shafts their arms, Of equal dread in flight, or in pursuit; All Horsemen, in which fight they most excel; See how in warlike muster they appear, In Rhombs and wedges, and half-moons, and wings. He look't and saw what numbers numberless
The City gates out powr'd, light armed Troops310 In coats of Mail and military pride; In Mail thir horses clad, yet fleet and strong, Prauncing their riders bore, the flower and choice Of many Provinces from bound to bound;
From Arachosia, from Candaor East, And Margiana to the Hyrcanian cliffs Of Caucasus, and dark Iberian dales, From Atropatia and the neighbouring plains Of Adiabene, Media, and the South Of Susiana, to Balsara's hav'n.320 He saw them in thir forms of battell rang'd, How quick they wheel'd, and flying behind them shot Sharp sleet of arrowie showers against the face Of thir pursuers, and overcame by flight; The field all iron cast a gleaming brown, Nor wanted clouds of foot, nor on each horn, Cuirassiers all in steel for standing fight; Chariots or Elephants endorst with Towers Of Archers, nor of labouring Pioners
A multitude with Spades and Axes arm'd330 To lay hills plain, fell woods, or valleys fill, Or where plain was raise hill, or over-lay With bridges rivers proud, as with a yoke;
Mules after these, Camels and Dromedaries,
And Waggons fraught with Utensils of war. Such forces met not, nor so wide a camp, When Agrican with all his Northern powers Besieg'd Albracca, as Romances tell; The City of Gallaphrone, from thence to win
The fairest of her Sex Angelica340 His daughter, sought by many Prowest Knights, Both Paynim, and the Peers of Charlemane. Such and so numerous was thir Chivalrie; At sight whereof the Fiend yet more presum'd,
And to our Saviour thus his words renew'd. That thou may'st know I seek not to engage Thy Vertue, and not every way secure On no slight grounds thy safety; hear, and mark To what end I have brought thee hither and shewn
All this fair sight; thy Kingdom though foretold350 By Prophet or by Angel, unless thou Endeavour, as thy Father David did,
Thou never shalt obtain; prediction still In all things, and all men, supposes means, Without means us'd, what it predicts revokes. But say thou wer't possess'd of David's Throne By free consent of all, none opposite, Samaritan or Jew; how could'st thou hope Long to enjoy it quiet and secure,
Between two such enclosing enemies360 Roman and Parthian? therefore one of these Thou must make sure thy own, the Parthian first, By my advice, as nearer and of late Found able by invasion to annoy
Thy country, and captive lead away her Kings Antigonus, and old Hyrcanus bound, Maugre the Roman: it shall be my task To render thee the Parthian at dispose; Chuse which thou wilt, by conquest or by league.
By him thou shalt regain, without him not,370 That which alone can truly reinstall thee
In David's royal seat, his true Successour, Deliverance of thy brethren, those ten Tribes Whose off-spring in his Territory yet serve
In Habor, and among the Medes dispers't, Ten Sons of Jacob, two of Joseph lost Thus long from Israel; serving as of old Thir Fathers in the land of Egypt serv'd, This offer sets before thee to deliver.
These if from servitude thou shalt restore380 To thir inheritance, then, nor till then, Thou on the Throne of David in full glory, From Egypt to Euphrates and beyond Shalt raign, and Rome or Cæsar not need fear.
To whom our Saviour answer'd thus unmov'd. Much ostentation vain of fleshly arm, And fragile arms, much instrument of war Long in preparing, soon to nothing brought, Before mine eyes thou hast set; and in my ear
Vented much policy, and projects deep390
Of enemies, of aids, battels and leagues, Plausible to the world, to me worth naught. Means I must use thou say'st, prediction else Will unpredict and fail me of the Throne:
My time I told thee (and that time for thee Were better farthest off) is not yet come; When that comes think not thou to find me slack On my part aught endeavouring, or to need Thy politic maxims, or that cumbersome
Luggage of war there shewn me, argument400 Of human weakness rather then of strength. My brethren, as thou call'st them, those Ten Tribes I must deliver, if I mean to raign David's true heir, and his full Scepter sway
To just extent over all Israel's Sons; But whence to thee this zeal, where was it then For Israel, or for David, or his Throne, When thou stood'st up his Tempter to the pride Of numbring Israel, which cost the lives
Of threescore and ten thousand Israelites410 By three days Pestilence? such was thy zeal To Israel then, the same that now to me. As for those captive Tribes, themselves were they Who wrought their own captivity, fell off
From God to worship Calves, the Deities Of Egypt, Baal next and Ashtaroth, And all the Idolatries of Heathen round, Besides thir other worse then heathenish crimes; Nor in the land of their captivity
Humbled themselves, or penitent besought420 The God of thir fore-fathers; but so dy'd Impenitent, and left a race behind Like to themselves, distinguishable scarce From Gentils but by Circumcision vain,
And God with Idols in their worship joyn'd. Should I of these the liberty regard, Who freed, as to their antient Patrimony, Unhumbl'd, unrepentant, unreform'd,
Headlong would follow; and to thir Gods perhaps
Of Bethel and of Dan? no, let them serve430 Thir enemies, who serve Idols with God. Yet he at length, time to himself best known, Remembring Abraham, by some wond'rous call May bring them back repentant and sincere,
And at their passing cleave the Assyrian flood, While to their native land with joy they hast, As the Red Sea and Jordan once he cleft, When to the promis'd land thir Fathers pass'd; To his due time and providence I leave them.
So spake Israel's true King, and to the Fiend440 Made answer meet, that made void all his wiles. So fares it when with truth falshood contends.
The End of the Third Book.
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Errata
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