limits of his capacity, verse 19, etc. II. The two principles of Man, Self-love and Reason, both necessary. Self-love the stronger, and why. Their end the same, verse 81, etc. III. The Passions, and their use. The predominant passion, and its force. Its necessity, in directing men to different purposes. Its providential use, in fixing our principle, and ascertaining our virtue, verse 93, etc. IV. Virtue and Vice joined in our mixed nature; the limits near, yet the things separate and evident: what is the office of Reason, verse 203, etc. V. How odious Vice in itself, and how we deceive ourselves into it, verse 217, etc. VI. That, however, the ends of Providence, and general goods, are answered in our passions and imperfections. How usefully these are distributed to all orders of men: how useful they are to Society; and to individuals; in every state, and every age of life, verse 238, etc., to the end.

pride,

He hangs between, in doubt to act or rest;
In doubt to deem himself a God or Beast;
In doubt his mind or body to prefer;
Born but to die, and reas'ning but to err; 10
Alike in ignorance, his reason such,
Whether he thinks too little or too much;
Chaos of thought and passion, all confused;
Still by himself abused or disabused;
Created half to rise, and half to fall;
Great lord of all things, yet a prey to
all;

Sole judge of truth, in endless error hurl'd;
The glory, jest, and riddle of the world!

Go, wondrous creature! mount where Science guides;

Go, measure earth, weigh air, and state the tides;

20

Instruct the planets in what orbs to run,
Correct old Time, and regulate the sun;
Go, soar with Plato to th' empyreal sphere,
To the first good, first perfect, and first
fair;

Or tread the mazy round his followers trod,
And quitting sense call imitating God;
As eastern priests in giddy circles run,
And turn their heads to imitate the sun.

Let subtle schoolmen teach these friends to fight,

More studious to divide than to unite; And Grace and Virtue, Sense and Reason split,

With all the rash dexterity of Wit.

Wits, just like fools, at war about a name, Have full as oft no meaning, or the same. Self-love and Reason to one end aspire, Pain their aversion, Pleasure their desire; But greedy that, its object would devour; This taste the honey, and not wound the flower:

Pleasure, or wrong or rightly understood, Our greatest evil or our greatest good.

90

III. Modes of Self-love the passions we may call;

'Tis real good or seeming moves them all:

But since not every good we can divide, And Reason bids us for our own provide, Passions, tho' selfish, if their means be fair, List under Reason, and deserve her care; Those that imparted court a nobler aim, Exalt their kind, and take some virtue's

Thro' life 't is follow'd, ev'n at life's expense;

The merchant's toil, the sage's indolence,
The monk's humility, the hero's pride,
All, all alike, find Reason on their side.
Th' Eternal Art educing good from ill,
Grafts on this passion our best principle:
'T is thus the mercury of man is fix'd,
Strong grows the virtue with his nature
mix'd;

The dross cements what else were too refin'd,

And in one int'rest body acts with mind. 180
As fruits ungrateful to the planter's care,
On
savage stocks inserted, learn to bear,
The surest Virtues thus from Passions
shoot,

Wild Nature's vigour working at the root.
What crops of wit and honesty appear
From spleen, from obstinacy, hate, or fear!
See anger, zeal, and fortitude supply;
Ev'n av'rice prudence, sloth philosophy;
Lust, thro' some certain strainers well re-
fin'd,

189

Is gentle love, and charms all womankind;

Virtuous and vicious ev'ry man must be, Few in th' extreme, but all in the degree: The rogue and fool by fits is fair and wise, And ev❜n the best by fits what they despise. 'T is but by parts we follow good or ill; For Vice or Virtue, Self directs it still; Each individual seeks a sev'ral goal; But Heav'n's great view is one, and that the Whole.

That counterworks each folly and caprice; That disappoints th' effect of every vice; 240 That, happy frailties to all ranks applied, Shame to the virgin, to the matron pride, Fear to the statesman, rashness to the chief,

To kings presumption, and to crowds belief:

That, virtue's ends from vanity can raise, Which seeks no int'rest, no reward but praise;

And build on wants, and on defects of mind, The joy, the peace, the glory of mankind.

I. The whole Universe one system of Society. Nothing made wholly for itself, nor yet wholly for another. The happiness of animals mutual, verse 7, etc. II. Reason or Instinct operates alike to the good of each individual. Reason or Instinct operates also to Society in all animals, verse 49, etc. III. How far Society carried by Instinet; - how much farther by reason, verse 109, etc. IV. Of that which is called the state of nature. Reason instructed by Instinct in the invention of arts; and in the forms of Society, verse 144, etc. V. Origin of political societies;

HERE then we rest: 'The Universal Cause

Acts to one end, but acts by various laws.' In all the madness of superfluous Health, The trim of Pride, the impudence of Wealth, Let this great truth be present night and day:

But most be present, if we preach or pray. I. Look round our world; behold the chain of love

ΤΟ

Combining all below and all above.
See plastic Nature working to this end,
The single atoms each to other tend,
Attract, attracted to, the next in place,
Form'd and impell'd its neighbour to em-
brace.

See matter next, with various life endued,
Press to one centre still, the gen'ral good:
See dying vegetables life sustain,
See life dissolving vegetate again.
All forms that perish other forms supply
(By turns we catch the vital breath, and
die),

Like bubbles on the sea of Matter borne, They rise, they break, and to that sea return.

20

Nothing is foreign; parts relate to whole; One all-extending, all-preserving, soul Connects each being, greatest with the least;

Made beast in aid of man, and man of beast;

All serv'd, all serving: nothing stands alone;

The chain holds on, and where it ends unknown.

Has God, thou fool! work'd solely for thy good,

Thy joy, thy pastime, thy attire, thy food? Who for thy table feeds the wanton fawn, For him as kindly spreads the flowery

lawn.

30

Is it for thee the lark ascends and sings? Joy tunes his voice, joy elevates his wings.