91 of the conclusion (which, as we said, was to have contained a satire against the misapplication of wit and learning) may be found in the fourth book of the Dunciad; and up and down, occasionally, in the other three. The third book, in like manner, was to reassume the subject of the third epistle of the first, which treats of man in his social, political, and religious capacity. But this part the poet afterwards conceived might be best executed in an epic poem, as the action would make it more animated, and the fable less invidious; in which all the great principles of true and false governments and religions should be chiefly delivered in feigned examples. The fourth and last book was to pursue the subject of the fourth epistle of the first, and to treat of ethics, or practical morality; and would have consisted of many members, of which the four following epistles are detached portions; the two first, on the characters of men and women, being the introductory part of this concluding book. MORAL ESSAYS. EPISTLE I. TO SIR RICHARD TEMPLE, LORD COBHAM. OF THE KNOWLEDGE AND CHARACTERS OF MEN. ARGUMENT. 1. That it is not sufficient for this knowledge to consider man in the abstract; books will not serve the purpose, nor yet our own experience singly. General maxims, unless they be formed upon both, will be but notional. Some peculiarity in every man, characteristic to himself, yet varying from himself. Difficulties arising from our own passions, fancies, faculties, &c. The shortness of life to observe in, and the uncertainty of the principles of action in men to observe by. Our own principle of action often hid from ourselves. Some few characters plain, but in general confounded, dissembled, or inconsistent. The same man utterly different in different places and seasons. Unimaginable weaknesses in the greatest. Nothing constant and certain but God and nature. No judging of the motives from the actions; the same actions proceeding from contrary motives, and the same motives influencing contrary actions. 2. Yet to form characters we can only take the strongest actions of a man's life, and try to make them agree the utter uncertainty of this, from nature itself, and from policy. Characters given according to the rank of men of the world; and some reason for it. Education alters the nature, or at least the character, of many. Ac tions, passions, opinions, manners, humours, or principles, all subject to change. No judging by nature. 3. It only remains to find (if we can) his ruling passion: that will certainly influence all the rest, and can reconcile the seeming or real inconsistency of all his actions. Instanced in the extraordinary character of Clodio. A caution against mistaking second qualities for first, which will destroy all possibility of the knowledge of mankind. Examples of the strength of the ruling passion, and its continuation to the last breath. PART I. YES, you despise the man to books confin'd, And yet the fate of all extremes is such, Add nature's, custom's, reason's, passion's strife, And all opinion's colours cast on life. Our depths who fathoms or our shallows finds, Quick whirls and shifting eddies of our minds? On human actions reason though you can, It may be reason, but it is not man: His principle of action once explore, That instant 'tis his principle no more. Like following life through creatures you dissect, You lose it in the moment you detect. Yet more; the difference is as great between The optics seeing as the objects seen. All manners take a tincture from our own, It hurries all too fast to mark their way: Our spring of action to ourselves is lost : Is thus, perhaps, the cause of most we do. True, some are open, and to all men known; See the same man in vigour, in the gout, Thinks who endures a knave is next a knave, The principal character in Wycherley's Plain Dealer. 2 Queen Caroline. 3 Swift. |