Paradise Regain'd: Book III (1671)

Milton, John (1608 - 1674)

Original Text

John Milton, Paradise Regain'd. A Poem (London: J. M. for John Starkey, 1671. Facsimile edition (Menston: Scolar Press, 1968). PR 3563 1968 CRRS Victoria College.

1SO spake the Son of God, and Satan stood

2A while as mute confounded what to say,

3What to reply, confuted and convinc't

4Of his weak arguing, and fallacious drift;

5At length collecting all his Serpent wiles,

6With soothing words renew'd, him thus accosts.

7 I see thou know'st what is of use to know,

8What best to say canst say, to do canst do;

9Thy actions to thy words accord, thy words

10To thy large heart give utterance due, thy heart

11Conteins of good, wise, just, the perfect shape.

12Should Kings and Nations from thy mouth consult,

13Thy Counsel would be as the Oracle

14Urim and Thummim, those oraculous gems

15On Aaron's breast: or tongue of Seers old

16Infallible; or wert thou sought to deeds

17That might require th' array of war, thy skill

18Of conduct would be such, that all the world

19Could not sustain thy Prowess, or subsist

20In battel, though against thy few in arms.

21These God-like Vertues wherefore dost thou hide?

22Affecting private life, or more obscure

23In savage Wilderness, wherefore deprive

24All Earth her wonder at thy acts, thy self

25The fame and glory, glory the reward

26That sole excites to high attempts the flame

27Of most erected Spirits, most temper'd pure

28Ætherial, who all pleasures else despise,

29All treasures and all gain esteem as dross,

30And dignities and powers all but the highest?

31Thy years are ripe, and over-ripe, the Son

32Of Macedonian Philip had e're these

33Won Asia and the Throne of Cyrus held

34At his dispose, young Scipio had brought down

35The Carthaginian pride, young Pompey quell'd

36The Pontic King and in triumph had rode.

37Yet years, and to ripe years judgment mature,

38Quench not the thirst of glory, but augment.

39Great Julius, whom now all the world admires

40The more he grew in years, the more inflam'd

41With glory, wept that he had liv'd so long

42Inglorious: but thou yet art not too late.

43 To whom our Saviour calmly thus reply'd.

44Thou neither dost perswade me to seek wealth

45For Empires sake, nor Empire to affect

46For glories sake by all thy argument.

47For what is glory but the blaze of fame,

48The peoples praise, if always praise unmixt?

49And what the people but a herd confus'd,

50A miscellaneous rabble, who extol

51Things vulgar, & well weigh'd, scarce worth the praise,

52They praise and they admire they know not what;

53And know not whom, but as one leads the other;

54And what delight to be by such extoll'd,

55To live upon thir tongues and be thir talk,

56Of whom to be disprais'd were no small praise?

57His lot who dares be singularly good.

58Th' intelligent among them and the wise

59Are few, and glory scarce of few is rais'd.

60This is true glory and renown, when God

61Looking on the Earth, with approbation marks

62The just man, and divulges him through Heaven

63To all his Angels, who with true applause

64Recount his praises; thus he did to Job,

65When to extend his fame through Heaven & Earth,

66As thou to thy reproach mayst well remember,

67He ask'd thee, hast thou seen my servant Job?

68Famous he was in Heaven, on Earth less known;

69Where glory is false glory, attributed

70To things not glorious, men not worthy of fame.

71They err who count it glorious to subdue

72By Conquest far and wide, to over-run

73Large Countries, and in field great Battels win,

74Great Cities by assault: what do these Worthies,

75But rob and spoil, burn, slaughter, and enslave

76Peaceable Nations, neighbouring, or remote,

77Made Captive, yet deserving freedom more

78Then those thir Conquerours, who leave behind

79Nothing but ruin wheresoe're they rove,

80And all the flourishing works of peace destroy,

81Then swell with pride, and must be titl'd Gods,

82Great Benefactors of mankind, Deliverers,

83Worship't with Temple, Priest and Sacrifice;

84One is the Son of Jove, of Mars the other,

85Till Conquerour Death discover them scarce men,

86Rowling in brutish vices, and deform'd,

87Violent or shameful death thir due reward.

88But if there be in glory aught of good,

89It may by means far different be attain'd

90Without ambition, war, or violence;

91By deeds of peace, by wisdom eminent,

92By patience, temperance; I mention still

93Him whom thy wrongs with Saintly patience born,

94Made famous in a Land and times obscure;

95Who names not now with honour patient Job?

96Poor Socrates (who next more memorable?)

97By what he taught and suffer'd for so doing,

98For truths sake suffering death unjust, lives now

99Equal in fame to proudest Conquerours.

100Yet if for fame and glory aught be done,

101Aught suffer'd; if young African for fame

102His wasted Country freed from Punic rage,

103The deed becomes unprais'd, the man at least,

104And loses, though but verbal, his reward.

105Shall I seek glory then, as vain men seek

106Oft not deserv'd? I seek not mine, but his

107Who sent me, and thereby witness whence I am.

108 To whom the Tempter murmuring thus reply'd.

109Think not so slight of glory; therein least

110Resembling thy great Father: he seeks glory,

111And for his glory all things made, all things

112Orders and governs, nor content in Heaven

113By all his Angels glorifi'd, requires

114Glory from men, from all men good or bad,

115Wise or unwise, no difference, no exemption;

116Above all Sacrifice, or hallow'd gift

117Glory he requires, and glory he receives

118Promiscuous from all Nations, Jew, or Greek,

119Or Barbarous, nor exception hath declar'd;

120From us his foes pronounc't glory he exacts.

121 To whom our Saviour fervently reply'd.

122And reason; since his word all things produc'd,

123Though chiefly not for glory as prime end,

124But to shew forth his goodness, and impart

125His good communicable to every soul

126Freely; of whom what could he less expect

127Then glory and benediction, that is thanks,

128The slightest, easiest, readiest recompence

129From them who could return him nothing else,

130And not returning that would likeliest render

131Contempt instead, dishonour, obloquy?

132Hard recompence, unsutable return

133For so much good, so much beneficence.

134But why should man seek glory? who of his own

135Hath nothing, and to whom nothing belongs

136But condemnation, ignominy, and shame?

137Who for so many benefits receiv'd

138Turn'd recreant to God, ingrate and false,

139And so of all true good himself despoil'd,

140Yet, sacrilegious, to himself would take

141That which to God alone of right belongs;

142Yet so much bounty is in God, such grace,

143That who advance his glory, not thir own,

144Them he himself to glory will advance.

145 So spake the Son of God; and here again

146Satan had not to answer, but stood struck

147With guilt of his own sin, for he himself

148Insatiable of glory had lost all,

149Yet of another Plea bethought him soon.

150 Of glory as thou wilt, said he, so deem,

151Worth or not worth the seeking, let it pass:

152But to a Kingdom thou art born, ordain'd

153To sit upon thy Father David's Throne;

154By Mothers side thy Father, though thy right

155Be now in powerful hands, that will not part

156Easily from possession won with arms;

157Judæa now and all the promis'd land

158Reduc't a Province under Roman yoke,

159Obeys Tiberius; nor is always rul'd

160With temperate sway; oft have they violated

161The Temple, oft the Law with foul affronts,

162Abominations rather, as did once

163Antiochus: and think'st thou to regain

164Thy right by sitting still or thus retiring?

165So did not Machabeus: he indeed

166Retir'd unto the Desert, but with arms;

167And o're a mighty King so oft prevail'd,

168That by strong hand his Family obtain'd,

169Though Priests, the Crown, and David's Throne usurp'd,

170With Modin and her Suburbs once content.

171If Kingdom move thee not, let move thee Zeal,

172And Duty; Zeal and Duty are not slow;

173But on Occasions forelock watchful wait.

174They themselves rather are occasion best,

175Zeal of thy Fathers house, Duty to free

176Thy Country from her Heathen servitude;

177So shalt thou best fullfil, best verifie

178The Prophets old, who sung thy endless raign,

179The happier raign the sooner it begins,

180Raign then; what canst thou better do the while?

181 To whom our Saviour answer thus return'd.

182All things are best fullfil'd in their due time,

183And time there is for all things, Truth hath said:

184If of my raign Prophetic Writ hath told,

185That it shall never end, so when begin

186The Father in his purpose hath decreed,

187He in whose hand all times and seasons roul.

188What if he hath decreed that I shall first

189Be try'd in humble state, and things adverse,

190By tribulations, injuries, insults,

191Contempts, and scorns, and snares, and violence,

192Suffering, abstaining, quietly expecting

193Without distrust or doubt, that he may know

194What I can suffer, how obey? who best

195Can suffer, best can do; best reign, who first

196Well hath obey'd; just tryal e're I merit

197My exaltation without change or end.

198But what concerns it thee when I begin

199My everlasting Kingdom, why art thou

200Sollicitous, what moves thy inquisition?

201Know'st thou not that my rising is thy fall,

202And my promotion will be thy destruction?

203 To whom the Tempter inly rackt reply'd.

204Let that come when it comes; all hope is lost

205Of my reception into grace; what worse?

206For where no hope is left, is left no fear;

207If there be worse, the expectation more

208Of worse torments me then the feeling can.

209I would be at the worst; worst is my Port,

210My harbour and my ultimate repose,

211The end I would attain, my final good.

212My error was my error and my crime

213My crime; whatever for it self condemn'd,

214And will alike be punish'd; whether thou

215Raign or raign not; though to that gentle brow

216Willingly I could flye, and hope thy raign,

217From that placid aspect and meek regard,

218Rather then aggravate my evil state,

219Would stand between me and thy Fathers ire,

220(Whose ire I dread more then the fire of Hell)

221A shelter and a kind of shading cool

222Interposition, as a summers cloud.

223If I then to the worst that can be hast,

224Why move thy feet so slow to what is best,

225Happiest both to thy self and all the world,

226That thou who worthiest art should'st be thir King?

227Perhaps thou linger'st in deep thoughts detain'd

228Of the enterprize so hazardous and high;

229No wonder, for though in thee be united

230What of perfection can in man be found,

231Or human nature can receive, consider

232Thy life hath yet been private, most part spent

233At home, scarce view'd the Gallilean Towns,

234And once a year Jerusalem, few days

235Short sojourn; and what thence could'st thou observe?

236The world thou hast not seen, much less her glory,

237Empires, and Monarchs, and thir radiant Courts,

238Best school of best experience, quickest in sight

239In all things that to greatest actions lead.

240The wisest, unexperienc't, will be ever

241Timorous and loth, with novice modesty,

242(As he who seeking Asses found a Kingdom)

243Irresolute, unhardy, unadventrous:

244But I will bring thee where thou soon shalt quit

245Those rudiments, and see before thine eyes

246The Monarchies of the Earth, thir pomp and state,

247Sufficient introduction to inform

248Thee, of thy self so apt, in regal Arts,

249And regal Mysteries; that thou may'st know

250How best their opposition to withstand.

251 With that (such power was giv'n him then) he took

252The Son of God up to a Mountain high.

253It was a Mountain at whose verdant feet

254A spatious plain out stretch't in circuit wide

255Lay pleasant; from his side two rivers flow'd,

256Th' one winding, the other strait and left between

257Fair Champain with less rivers interveind,

258Then meeting joyn'd thir tribute to the Sea:

259Fertil of corn the glebe, of oyl and wine,

260With herds the pastures throng'd, with flocks the hills,

261Huge Cities and high towr'd, that well might seem

262The seats of mightiest Monarchs, and so large

263The Prospect was, that here and there was room

264For barren desert fountainless and dry.

265To this high mountain top the Tempter brought

266Our Saviour, and new train of words began.

267 Well have we speeded, and o're hill and dale,

268Forest and field, and flood, Temples and Towers

269Cut shorter many a league; here thou behold'st

270Assyria and her Empires antient bounds,

271Araxes and the Caspian lake, thence on

272As far as Indus East, Euphrates West,

273And oft beyond; to South the Persian Bay,

274And inaccessible the Arabian drouth:

275Here Ninevee, of length within her wall

276Several days journey, built by Ninus old,

277Of that first golden Monarchy the seat,

278And seat of Salmanassar, whose success

279Israel in long captivity still mourns;

280There Babylon the wonder of all tongues,

281As antient, but rebuilt by him who twice

282Judah and all thy Father David's house

283Led captive, and Jerusalem laid waste,

284Till Cyrus set them free; Persepolis

285His City there thou seest, and Bactra there;

286Ecbatana her structure vast there shews,

287And Hecatompylos her hunderd gates,

288There Susa by Choaspes, amber stream,

289The drink of none but Kings; of later fame

290Built by Emathian, or by Parthian hands,

291The great Seleucia, Nisibis, and there

292Artaxata, Teredon, Tesiphon,

293Turning with easie eye thou may'st behold.

294All these the Parthian, now some Ages past,

295By great Arsaces led, who founded first

296That Empire, under his dominion holds

297From the luxurious Kings of Antioch won.

298And just in time thou com'st to have a view

299Of his great power; for now the Parthian King

300In Ctesiphon hath gather'd all his Host

301Against the Scythian, whose incursions wild

302Have wasted Sogdiana; to her aid

303He marches now in hast; see, though from far,

304His thousands, in what martial equipage

305They issue forth, Steel Bows, and Shafts their arms

306Of equal dread in flight, or in pursuit;

307All Horsemen, in which fight they most excel;

308See how in warlike muster they appear,

309In Rhombs and wedges, and half moons, and wings.

310 He look't and saw what numbers numberless

311The City gates out powr'd, light armed Troops

312In coats of Mail and military pride;

313In Mail thir horses clad, yet fleet and strong,

314Prauncing their riders bore, the flower and choice

315Of many Provinces from bound to bound;

316From Arachosia, from Candaor East,

317And Margiana to the Hyrcanian cliffs

318Of Caucasus, and dark Iberian dales,

319From Atropatia and the neighbouring plains

320Of Adiabene, Media, and the South

321Of Susiana to Balsara's hav'n.

322He saw them in thir forms of battell rang'd,

323How quick they wheel'd, and flying behind them shot

324Sharp sleet of arrowie showers against the face

325Of thir pursuers, and overcame by flight;

326The field all iron cast a gleaming brown,

327Nor wanted clouds of foot, nor on each horn,

328Cuirassiers all in steel for standing fight;

329Chariots or Elephants endorst with Towers

330Of Archers, nor of labouring Pioners

331A multitude with Spades and Axes arm'd

332To lay hills plain, fell woods, or valleys fill,

333Or where plain was raise hill, or over-lay

334With bridges rivers proud, as with a yoke;

335Mules after these, Camels and Dromedaries,

336And Waggons fraught with Utensils of war.

337Such forces met not, nor so wide a camp,

338When Agrican with all his Northern powers

339Besieg'd Albracca, as Romances tell;

340The City of Gallaphrone, from thence to win

341The fairest of her Sex Angelica

342His daughter, sought by many Prowest Knights,

343Both Paynim, and the Peers of Charlemane.

344Such and so numerous was thir Chivalrie;

345At sight whereof the Fiend yet more presum'd,

346And to our Saviour thus his words renew'd.

347 That thou may'st know I seek not to engage

348Thy Vertue, and not every way secure

349On no slight grounds thy safety; hear, and mark

350To what end I have brought thee hither and shewn

351All this fair sight; thy Kingdom though foretold

352By Prophet or by Angel, unless thou

353Endeavour, as thy Father David did,

354Thou never shalt obtain; prediction still

355In all things, and all men, supposes means,

356Without means us'd, what it predicts revokes.

357But say thou wer't possess'd of David's Throne

358By free consent of all, none opposite,

359Samaritan or Jew; how could'st thou hope

360Long to enjoy it quiet and secure,

361Between two such enclosing enemies

362Roman and Parthian? therefore one of these

363Thou must make sure thy own, the Parthian first

364By my advice, as nearer and of late

365Found able by invasion to annoy

366Thy country, and captive lead away her Kings

367Antigonus, and old Hyrcanus bound,

368Maugre the Roman: it shall be my task

369To render thee the Parthian at dispose;

370Chuse which thou wilt by conquest or by league.

371By him thou shalt regain, without him not,

372That which alone can truly reinstall thee

373In David's royal seat, his true Successour,

374Deliverance of thy brethren, those ten Tribes

375Whose off-spring in his Territory yet serve

376In Habor, and among the Medes dispers't,

377Ten Sons of Jacob, two of Joseph lost

378Thus long from Israel; serving as of old

379Thir Fathers in the land of Egypt serv'd,

380This offer sets before thee to deliver.

381These if from servitude thou shalt restore

382To thir inheritance, then, nor till then,

383Thou on the Throne of David in full glory,

384From Egypt to Euphrates and beyond

385Shalt raign, and Rome or Caesar not need fear.

386 To whom our Saviour answer'd thus unmov'd.

387Much ostentation vain of fleshly arm,

388And fragile arms, much instrument of war

389Long in preparing, soon to nothing brought,

390Before mine eyes thou hast set; and in my ear

391Vented much policy, and projects deep

392Of enemies, of aids, battels and leagues,

393Plausible to the world, to me worth naught.

394Means I must use thou say'st, prediction else

395Will unpredict and fail me of the Throne:

396My time I told thee, (and that time for thee

397Were better farthest off) is not yet come,;

398When that comes think not thou to find me slack

399On my part aught endeavouring, or to need

400Thy politic maxims, or that cumbersome

401Luggage of war there shewn me, argument

402Of human weakness rather then of strength.

403My brethren, as thou call'st them; those Ten Tribes

404I must deliver, if I mean to raign

405David's true heir, and his full Scepter sway

406To just extent over all Israel's Sons;

407But whence to thee this zeal, where was it then

408For Israel, or for David, or his Throne,

409When thou stood'st up his Tempter to the pride

410Of numbring Israel, which cost the lives

411Of threescore and ten thousand Israelites

412By three days Pestilence? such was thy zeal

413To Israel then, the same that now to me.

414As for those captive Tribes, themselves were they

415Who wrought their own captivity, fell off

416From God to worship Calves, the Deities

417Of Egypt, Baal next and Ashtaroth,

418And all the Idolatries of Heathen round,

419Besides thir other worse then heathenish crimes;

420Nor in the land of their captivity

421Humbled themselves, or penitent besought

422The God of their fore-fathers; but so dy'd

423Impenitent, and left a race behind

424Like to themselves, distinguishable scarce

425From Gentils, but by Circumcision vain,

426And God with Idols in their worship joyn'd.

427Should I of these the liberty regard,

428Who freed, as to their antient Patrimony,

429Unhumbl'd, unrepentant, unreform'd,

430Headlong would follow; and to thir Gods perhaps

431Of Bethel and of Dan? no, let them serve

432Thir enemies, who serve Idols with God.

433Yet he at length, time to himself best known,

434Remembring Abraham by some wond'rous call

435May bring them back repentant and sincere,

436And at their passing cleave the Assyrian flood,

437While to their native land with joy they hast,

438As the Red Sea and Jordan once he cleft,

439When to the promis'd land thir Fathers pass'd;

440To his due time and providence I leave them.

441 So spake Israel's true King, and to the Fiend

442Made answer meet, that made void all his wiles.

443So fares it when with truth falshood contends.

The End of the Third Book.

Publication Start Year

1671

RPO poem Editors

Ian Lancashire

RPO Edition

2002

Rhyme

unrhyming

Special Copyright

Electronic transcription courtesy of
the North American Reading Program,
Oxford English Dictionary, April 17, 1993.