And hence one MASTER PASSION in the breast, Like Aaron's ferpent, fwallows up the rest. As Man, perhaps, the moment of his breath, Receives the lurking principle of death; The young disease, that must subdue at length, 135 Grows with his growth, and ftrengthens with his ftrength: So, caft and mingled with his very frame, 140 The Mind's disease, its RULING PASSION Came; COMMENTARY. derfully fublime, as fufpends, for a while, the ruling passion, in every Reader, and engroffes his whole Admiration. This naturally leads the poet to lament the weakness and infufficiency of human Reafon (from 148 to 161) and the purpose he had in fo doing, was plainly to intimate the neceffity of a more perfect difpenfation to Mankind. NOTES. ta. Plin. 1. vii. N. H. This Antipater was in the times of Craffus, and is celebrated for the quickness of his parts by VER. 133. As Man perhaps &c] Antipater Sidonius Poëta omnibus annis uno die natali tantum corripiebatur febre, et eo confumptus eft fatis longa fenec-Cicero. Nature its mother, Habit is its nurse; 145 150 Wit, Spirit, Faculties, but make it worse; NOTES. VER. 147. Reafon itself, &c.] The poet, in fome other of his epiftles, gives examples of the doctrine and precepts 155 here delivered. Thus, in that Old Cotta fham'd his fortune and his birth, Ver. 149. We, wretched fub- | finds a remedy in Natural Rejects &c.] St. Paul himself did ligion. Far from it. He here not chufe to employ other ar- leaves reafon unrelieved. What guments, when difpofed to give is this then, but an intimation us the highest idea of the ufe- that we ought to feek for a fulness of Chriftianity (Rom. cure in that religion, which vii.) But, it may be, the poet only dares profess to give it? Proud of an easy conqueft all along, She but removes weak paffions for the ftrong: The doctor fancies he has driv'n them out. 160 And treat this paffion more as friend than foe : COMMENTARY. VER. 161. Yes, Nature's road &c.] Now as it appears, from the account here given of the ruling Paffion and its cause which results from the structure of the organs, that it is the road of Nature, the poet fhews (from 160 to 167) that this road is to be followed. So that the office of Reason is not to direct us what Paffion to exercise, but to affift us in RECTIFYING, and keeping within due bounds, that which Nature hath so strongly impreffed; because A mightier Pow'r the ftrong direction fends, Like varying winds, by other paffions toft, This drives them conftant to a certain coaft. All, all alike, find Reason on their fide. COMMENTARY. VER. 167. Like warying winds, &c.] The poet having proved that the ruling paffion (fince Nature hath given it us) is not to be overthrown, but rectified, the next inquiry will be of what ufe the ruling Paffion is; for an use it must have, if reason be to treat it thus mildly. This ufe he fhews us (from † 166 to 197) is twofold, Natural and Moral. 1. Its Natural ufe is to conduct Men fteddily to one certain end; who would otherwise be eternally fluctuating between the equal violence of various and difcordant paffions, driving them up and down at random; and, by that means, to enable them to promote the good of Society, by making each a contributor to the common stock: Let pow'r or knowledge, gold or glory, please, &c. 2. Its Moral ufe is to ingraft our ruling Virtue upon it; and by that means to enable us to promote our own good, by turn NOTES. the poet meant, and what every unprejudiced man could not but fee he must needs mean, by RECTIFYING THE MASTER PASSION, though he had not confined us to this fenfe, in the reafon he gives of his precept, in these words: A mightier Pow'r the ftrong direction fends, For what ends are they which God impels to, but the ends of Th' Eternal Art educing good from ill, Grafts on this Paffion our beft principle: 'Tis thus the Mercury of Man is fix'd, Strong grows the Virtue with his nature mix'd; The drofs cements what else were too refin'd, And in one intereft body acts with mind. As fruits, ungrateful to the planter's care, On favage ftocks inferted, learn to bear; The fureft Virtues thus from Paffions fhoot, Wild Nature's vigor working at the root. What of wit and honesty appear crops From spleen, from obstinacy, hate, or fear ! zeal and fortitude fupply; See anger, Ev'n av'rice, prudence; floth, philofophy; COMMENTARY. 180 185 190 ing the exorbitancy of the ruling passion into its neighbouring Virtue : See anger, zeal and fortitude fupply; &c. The wisdom of the divine Artist is, as the poet finely obferves, very illuftrious in this contrivance; for the mind and body having now one common intereft, the efforts of Virtue will have their force infinitely augmented: 'Tis thus the Mercury, &c. |