Above, how high, progressive life may go ! Where, one step broken, the great scale's deftroy'd : That fyftem only, but the Whole must fall. 235 240 245 250 255 All this dread ORDER break-for whom? for thee? IX. What if the foot, ordain'd the duft to tread, 260 Or hand, to toil, afpir'd to be the head? VER. 238. Ed. ift. Ethereal effence, fpirit, fubftance, man. Jaft as abfurd for any part to claim All are but parts of one ftupend'ous whole, X. Ceafe then, nor ORDER Imperfection name: Secure to be as bleft as thou can't bear : 265 270 275 280 285 VBR. 265. Just as abfurd, etc.] See the profecution and application of this in Ep. iv. After ver. 282. in the MS. Reafon, to think of God, when the pretends, Begins a Cenfor, an Adorer ends. Safe in the hand of one difpofing Pow'r Or in the natal, or the mortal hour. All Nature is but Art, unknown to thee; All Chance, Direction, which thou canst not fee; 200 All Discord, Harmony not understood; All partial Evil, univerfal Good. And, fpite of Pride, in erring Reason's spite, One truth is clear, WHATEVER IS, IS RIGHT. ARGUMENT OF EPISTLE II. Of the Nature and State of Man with respect to Himfelf, as an Individual. I. THE business of Man not to pry into God, but to fiudy himfelf. His Middle Nature: his Powers and Frailties, ver. 1. to 19. The Limits of his Capacity, ver. 19, etc. II. The two principles of Man, Self love and Reason, both neceffary, ver. 53, etc. Self-love the ftronger, and why, ver. 67, etc. Their end the fame, ver. 81, etc. III. The PASSIONS, and their ufe, ver. 93 to 130. The Predominant Paffion, and its force, ver. 132 to 160. Its Necefity, in directing Men to different Purposes, ver. 165, etc. Its providential Ufe, in fixing our Principle, and afcertaining our Virtue, ver. 177. IV. Virtue and Vice joined in our mixed Nature; the Limits near, yet the Things feparate and evident: What is the Office of Reason, ver. 202 to 216. V. How odious Vice in itself, and how we deceive ourselves into it, ver. 217. VI. That, however, the Ends of Providence and general Good are answered in our Paffions and Imperfections, ver. 238, etc. How ufefully thefe are diftributed to all Orders of Men, ver. 241. How ufeful they are to Society, ver. 251. And to the Individuals, ver. 263. In every State, and every Age of Life, ver. 273, etc. [22] EPISTLE II. I. T NOW then thyfelf, prefume not God to fcan, K The proper ftudy of Mankind is Man. Plac'd on this ifthmus of a middle state, A Being darkly wife, and rudely great: mych: Great lord of all things, yet a prey to all; VER. 2. Ed. ift. The only science of Mankind is Man. For more perfection than this ftate can bear 5. 10 15 |