Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A50931
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Paradise regain'd a poem in IV books : to which is added Samson Agonistes / the author John Milton.
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Milton, John, 1608-1674.; Milton, John, 1608-1674. Samson Agonistes.
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1671
(1671)
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Wing M2152; ESTC R299
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60,088
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218
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yet not for that a Crown Golden in shew is but a wreath of thorns Brings dangers troubles cares and sleepless nights To him who wears the Regal Diadem When on his shoulders each mans burden lies For therein stands the office of a King His Honour Vertue Merit and chief Praise That for the Publick all this weight he bears Yet he who reigns within himself and rules Passions Desires and Fears is more a King Which every wise and vertuous man attains And who attains not ill aspires to rule Cities of men or head-strong Multitudes Subject himself to Anarchy within Or lawless passions in him which he serves But to guide Nations in the way of truth By saving Doctrine and from errour lead To know and knowing worship God aright Is yet more Kingly this attracts the Soul Governs the inner man the nobler part That other o're the body only reigns And oft by force which to a generous mind So reigning can be no sincere delight Besides to give a Kingdom hath been thought Greater and nobler done and to lay down Far more magnanimous then to assume Riches are needless then both for themselves And for thy reason why they should be sought To gain a Scepter oftest better miss't The End of the Second Book 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 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 requireth ' 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 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 Aetherial who all pleasures else despise All treasures and all gain esteem as dross And dignities and powers all but the highest 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 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 praise Things vulgar well weigh'd scarce 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 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 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 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 flaughter 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 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 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 Aught suffer'd if young African for fame His wasted Country freed from Punâ—â— rage The deed becomes unprais'd the ma◠〈◊〉 least And loses though but verbal his 〈◊〉 Shall I seek glory then as vain me◠〈◊〉 Oft not deserv'd I seek not mine 〈◊〉 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 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 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 shew 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 Contempt instead dishonour obloquy Hard recompence unsutable
Set God behind which in his jealousie Shall never unrepented find forgiveness Yet that he may dispense with me or thee Present in Temples at Idolatrous Rites For some important cause thouneedst not doubt Chor. How thou wilt here come off surmounts my reach Sam. Be of good courage I begin to feel Some rouzing motions in me which dispose To something extraordinary my thoughts I with this Messenger will go along Nothing do be sure that may dishonour Our Law or stain my vow of Nazarite If there be aught of presage in the mind This day will be remarkable in my life By some great act or of my days the last Chor. In time thou hast resolv'd the man returns Off. Samson this second message from our Lords To thee I am bid say Art thou our Slave Our Captive at the public Mill our drudge And dar'st thou at our sending and command Dispute thy coming come without delay Or we shall find such Engines to assail And hamper thee as thou shalt come of force Though thou wert firmlier fastn'd then a rock Sam. I could be well content to try thir Art Which to no few of them would prove pernicious Yet knowing thir advantages too many Because they shall not trail me through thir streets Like a wild Beast I am content to go Masters commands come with a power resistless To such as owe them absolute subjection And for a life who will not change his purpose So mutable are all the ways of men Yet this be sure in nothing to comply Scandalous or forbidden in our Law Off. I praise thy resolution doff these links By this compliance thou wilt win the Lords To favour and perhaps to set thee free Sam. Brethren farewel your company along I will not wish lest it perhaps offend them To see me girt with Friends and how the sight Of me as of a common Enemy So dreaded once may now exasperate them I know not Lords are Lordliest in thir wines And the well-feasted Priest then soonest fir'd With zeal if aught Religion seem concern'd No less the people on thir Holy-days Impetuous insolent unquenchable Happ'n what may of me expect to hear Nothing dishonourable impure unworthy Our God our Law my Nation or my self The last of me or no I cannot warrant Chor. Go and the Holy One Of Israel be thy guide To what may serve his glory best spread his name Great among the Heathen round Send thee the Angel of thy Birth to stand Fast by thy side who from thy Fathers field Rode up in flames after his message told Of thy conception and be now a shield Of fire that Spirit that first rusht on thee In the Camp of Dan Be efficacious in thee now at need For never was from Heaven imparted Measure of strength so great to mortal seed As in thy wond'rous actions hath been seen But wherefore comes old Manoa in such hast With youthful steps much livelier then e're while He seems supposing here to find his Son Or of him bringing to us some glad news Man Peace with you brethren my inducement hither Was not at present here to find my Son By order of the Lords new parted hence To come and play before them at thir Feast I heard all as I came the City rings And numbers thither flock I had no will Lest I should see him forc't to things unseemly But that which mov'd my coming now was chiefly To give ye part with me what hope I have With good success to work his liberty Cho. That hope would much rejoyce us to partake With thee say reverend Sire we thirst to hear Man I have attempted one by one the Lords Either at home or through the high street passing With supplication prone and Fathers tears To accept of ransom for my Son thir pris'ner Some much averse I found and wondrous harsh Contemptuous proud set on revenge and spite That part most reverenc'd Dagon and his Priests Others more moderate seeming but thir aim Private reward for which both God and State They easily would set to sale a third More generous far and civil who confess'd They had anough reveng'd having reduc't Thir foe to misery beneath thir fears The rest was magnanimity to remit If some convenient ransom were propos'd What noise or shout was that it tore the Skie Chor. Doubtless the people shouting to behold Thir once great dread captive blind before them Or at some proof of strength before them shown Man His ransom if my whole inheritance May compass it shall willingly be paid And numberd down much rather I shall chuse To live the poorest in my Tribe then richest And he in that calamitous prison left No I am fixt not to part hence without him â—or his redemption all my Patrimony If need be I am ready to forgo And quit not wanting him I shall want nothing Chor. Fathers are wont to lay up for thir Sons Thou for thy Son art bent to lay out all Sons wont to nurse thir Parents in old age Thou in old age car'st how to nurse thy Son Made older then thy age through eye-sight lost Man It shall be my delight to tend his eyes And view him sitting in the house enobl'd With all those high exploits by him atchiev'd And on his shoulders waving down those locks That of a Nation arm'd the strength contain'd And I perswade me God had not permitted His strength again to grow up with his hair Garrison'd round about him like a Camp Of faithful Souldiery were not his purpose To use him further yet in some great service Not to sit idle with so great a gift Useless and thence ridiculous about him And since his strength with eye-sight was not lost God will restore him eye-sight to his strength Chor. Thy hopes are not ill founded nor seem vain Of his delivery and thy joy thereon Conceiv'd agreeable to a Fathers love In both which we as next participate Man I know your friendly minds and O what noise Mercy of Heav'n what hideous noise was that Horribly loud unlike the former shout Chor. Noise call you it or universal groan As if the whole inhabitation perish'd Blood death and deathful deeds are in that noise Ruin destruction at the utmost point Man Of ruin indeed methought I heard the noise Oh it continues they have slain my Son Chor. Thy Son is rather slaying them that outcry From slaughter of one foe could not ascend Man Some dismal accident it needs must be What shall we do stay here or run and see Chor. Best keep together here lest running thither We unawares run into dangers mouth This evil on the Philistines is fall'n From whom could else a general cry be heard The sufferers then will scarce molest us here From other hands we need not much to fear A little stay will bring some notice hither For evil news rides post while good news baits And to our wish I see one hither speeding An Ebrew as I guess and of our Tribe