L'affaire

de l'Hom

me eft

l'Homme.

Sa nature,

Les puif

De la nature de l'état de l'Homme par raport à lui-même confidéré comme individu.

A

D

PRENS donc à te connoître toi-même, & ne préfume point de développer la divinité. L'étude propre de l'Homme, eft l'Homme. Placé dans fances, fes une efpece d'ifthme, être d'un état mixte, mêlange de lu& les limi- miere & d'obfcurité, de grandeur & de baffeffe; avec trop de connoiffance pour le doute fceptique, & avec trop de foibleffe pour la fierté ftoïque; en fufpens entre ces contrarietés, il ne fçait s'il doit agir, ou ne rien faire; fe croire

foibleffes

tes de fa

capacité.

Tab. II.

Delamonce iny.

Foubeyran Sc.

K

Now then thyself, prefume not God to Scan;

The proper ftudy of mankind is Man.

PLACD on this ifthmus of a middle ftate,

A being darkly wife, and rudely great;
With too much knowledge for the Sceptic fide,
With too much weakness for a Stoic's pride,
He hangs between, in doubt to act, or rest,
In doubt to deem himself a God, or beaft;

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In doubt his mind or body to prefer ;
Born but to die, and reas'ning but to err;
Alike in ignorance, his reafon fuch,

Whether he thinks too little, or too much :
Chaos of thought and Paffion, all confus'd;
Still by himself abus'd, or difabus'd;
Created half to rife, and half to fall;
Great Lord of all things, yet a prey to all;
Sole Judge of truth, in endless error burl'd;
The glory, jeft, and riddle of the world!

Go, wondrous creature! mount where Science guides,

Go measure earth, weigh air, and ftate the tides,

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Show by what laws the wand'ring planets ftray
Correct old Time, and teach the Sun his way.
Go, foar with Plato to th' empyreal Sphere,
To the first good, first perfect, and firft fair;
Or tread the mazy round his follow'rs trod,,
And quitting fenfe call imitating God;
As eaftern priests in giddy circles run,
And turn their heads, to imitate the fun.
Go, teach Eternal Wisdom how to rule;
Then drop into thyself, and be a fool!
SUPERIOR beings, when of late they faw

COULD he, whofe rules the whirling comet bind,