Look next on  say where Greatness lies?
"Where, but among the Heroes, and the Wise?"
Heroes are much the same, the point's agreed,
From Macedonia's Madman to the Suede;
The whole strange purpose of their lives, to find
Or make, an Enemy of all Mankind:
Not one looks backward, onward still he goes,
Yet ne'er looks foreward, further than his nose.
No less alike the Politick and wise,
All sly slow things, with circumspective eyes;
Men in their loose, unguarded hours they take,
Nor that themselves are wise, but others weak.
But grant that those can  these can
'Tis phrase absurd to call a Villain
Who wickedly is wise, or madly brave,
Is but  a fool,  a knave.
Who noble ends by noble means obtains,
Or failing, smiles in Exile or in Chains,
Like good Aurelius let him reign, or bleed
Like Socrates, that Man is great indeed.