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Not always actions fhew the man: We find Who does a kindness, is not therefore kind ; Perhaps Prosperity becalm'd his breast, Perhaps the Wind just shifted from the east: Not therefore humble he who seeks retreat, Pride guides his steps, and bids him shun the great: Who combats bravely is not therefore brave,

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He dreads a death-bed like the meanest slave:

Who reasons wifely is not therefore wise,

His pride in Reas'ning, not in Acting lies.

But grant that Actions best discover man;
Take the most strong, and fort them as you can. 120
The few that glare each character must mark,
You balance not the many in the dark.
What will you do with fuch as difagree?
Supprefs them, or mifcall them Policy?
Must then at once (the character to fave)
The plain rough Hero turn a crafty Knave?

Alas! in truth the man but chang'd his mind,
Perhaps was fick, in love, or had not din'd.

NOTES.

VER. 117. Who reafons wifely, &c.] By reasoning is not here meant fpeculating; but deliberating and

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refolving in public counfels; for this inftance is given as one, of a variety of actions.

Afk why from Britain Cæfar would retreat?
Cæfar himself might whisper he was beat.

Why risk the world's great empire for a Punk?
Cæfar perhaps might answer he was drunk,

VARIATIONS.

VER. 129. in the former Editions,

Afk why from Britain Cæfar made retreat?
Cæfar himself would tell you he was beat.
The mighty Czar what mov'd to wed a Punk?
The mighty Czar would tell you he was drunk.

130

Alter'd as above, because Cæfar wrote his Commentaries of this war, and does not tell you he was beat. As Cæfar too afforded an inftance of both cafes, it was thought better to make him the fingle Example.

NOTES.

world's great empire for a Punk ?] After the battle of Pharfalia, Cæfar pursued his enemy to Alexandria, where being infatuated with the charms of Cleopatra, instead of pufhing his advantages, and difperfing the relicks of the Pharfalian quarrel, having narrowly efcaped the

VER. 130. Cæfar himself might whisper he was beat.] Cæfar wrote his Commentaries, in imitation of the Greek Generals, for the entertainment of the world: But had his friend afked him, in his ear, the reason of his fudden retreat from Britain, after fo many fignal victories, we have caufe to fuf-violence of an enraged peopect, even from his own ple, he brought upon himpublic relation of that mat- felf an unneceffary war, at ter, that he would have a time his arms were most whisper'd he was beat. wanted elsewhere.

VER. 131. Why rifque the

But, fage hiftorians! 'tis your task to prove
One action Conduct; one, heroic Love.

'Tis from high Life high Characters are drawn; A Saint in Crape is twice a Saint in Lawn; 136 A Judge is juft, a Chanc'lor jufter still;

A Gownman, learn'd; a Bifhop, what you will;
Wife, if a Minifter; but, if a King,

More wife, more learn'd, more just, more ev'ry thing.
Court-virtues bear, like Gems, the higheft rate, 141
Born where Heav'n's influence scarce can penetrate:
In life's low vale, the foil the Virtues like,
They please as beauties, here as wonders strike.
Tho' the fame Sun with all-diffufive rays
Blush in the Rofe, and in the Di'mond blaze,
We prize the ftronger effort of his pow'r,
And justly fet the Gem above the Flow'r.

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"Tis Education forms the common mind, Juft as the Twig is bent, the Tree's inclin❜d. 150 Boastful and rough, your first son is a 'Squire; The next a Tradesman, meek, and much a lyar; Tom ftruts a Soldier, open, bold, and brave; Will fneaks a Scriv'ner, an exceeding knave: 154 Is he a Churchman? then he's fond of pow'r : A Quaker? fly: A Presbyterian? fow'r: A smart Free-thinker? all things in an hour.

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Afk men's Opinions: Scoto now shall tell
How Trade increases, and the World goes well;
Strike off his Penfion, by the fetting fun,
And Britain, if not Europe, is undone.
That gay Free-thinker, a fine talker once,
What turns him now a ftupid filent dunce?
Some God, or Spirit he has lately found;
Or chanc'd to meet a Minister that frown'd.
Judge we by Nature? Habit can efface,
Int'reft o'ercome, or Policy take place:
By Actions? thofe Uncertainty divides:
By Paffions? these Diffimulation hides :
Opinions? they ftill take a wider range:

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170

Find, if you can, in what you cannot change. Manners with Fortunes, Humours turn with

Climes,

Tenets with Books, and Principles with Times.

NOTES.

VER. 172, 173. Manners with Fortunes, Humours turn with Climes, Tenets with Books, and Principles with Times.] The poet had hitherto reckoned up the feveral fimple caufes that hinder our knowledge of the natural characters of men. In these two fine lines he

describes the complicated causes. Humours bear the fame relation to Manners, that Principles do to Tenets ; that is, the former are modes of the latter; our Manners are warped from nature by our Fortunes or Stations; our Tenets, by our Books or Profeffions; and then each

1

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Search then the RULING PASSION, There, alone, The Wild are conftant, and the Cunning known; The Fool confiftent, and the False fincere; Priefts, Princes, Women, no diffemblers here. This clue once found, unravels all the reft, The profpect clears, and Wharton stands confeft. Wharton, the scorn and wonder of our days, 180 Whofe ruling Paffion was the Luft of Praise : Born with whate'er could win it from the Wife, Women and Fools must like him or he dies; Tho' wond'ring Senates hung on all he spoke, The Club muft hail him mafter of the joke. Shall parts fo various aim at nothing new? He'll shine a Tully and a Wilmot too. Then turns repentant, and his God adores With the fame spirit that he drinks and whores;

NOTES.

drawn ftill more oblique, into humour and political principles, by the temperature of the climate, and the conftitution of the government.

VER. 174. Search then the Ruling Paffion:] See Effay on Man, Ep. ii. 133, & feq.

VER. 181. the Luft of Praife.] This very well expreffes the groffness of his

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