As Argus' eyes, by Hermes' wand oppreft, VARIATIONS. VER. 643. In the former Edit. it stood thus, REMARKS. 640 Phyfic W. VER. 643. Philofophy, that lean'd on Heav'n] Philofophy has at length brought things to that pass, as to have it esteemed unphilofophical to reft in the firft caufe; as if its business were an endless indagation of cause after cause, without ever coming to the First. So that to avoid this unlearned difgrace, fome of the propagators of our best philosophy have had recourfe to the contrivance here hinted at. For this philosophy, which is founded on the principle of Gravitation, firft confidered that property in matter as something extrinfical to it, and impreffed by God upon. it. Which fairly and modeftly coming up to the first Caufe, was pushing natural enquiries as far as they fhould go. But this ftopping, though at the extent of our ideas, and on the maxim of the great founder of this Philofophy, Bacon, who fays, Circa ultimates rerum fruftranea eft inquifitio, was mistaken by foreign philofopher as recurring to the occult qualities of the Peripatetics; whofe fenfe is thus delivered by a great Poet, whom, indeed, it more became than a Philofopher. IMITATIONS. VER. 637. As Argus' eyes, c.] "Et quamvis fopor eft oculorum parte receptus, Parte tamen vigilat "Sed Vidit Cyllenius omnes Succubuiffe oculos," &c. OVID. Met. ii. W, Phyfic of Metaphyfic begs defence, And Metaphyfic calls for aid on Senfe! 645 See REMARKS. "Sed gravitas etiam crefcat, dum corpora centro Pellaei Juvenis Doctor conjecerat olim In Phyficae ftudium.” Anti-Lucr. To avoid which imaginary difcredit to the new theory, it was thought proper to feek for the caufe of gravitation in a certain fubtile matter or elaftic fluid, which pervaded all body. By this means, instead of really advancing in natural enquiries, we were brought back again, by this ingenious expedient, to an unfatiffactory fecond caufe: "Philofophy, that lean'd on Heav'n before, Shrinks to her fecond caufe, and is no more. For it might ftill, by the fame kind of objection, be asked, what was the cause of that elafticity? See this folly cenfured, ver. 475. and confuted in the following words of an excellent Philofopher, who having demonftrated the abfolute impoffibility of any fubtile matter or elaftic fluid's being able to perform the office here affigned to it, as it must impel every particle of matter an infinite number of different ways at once, and inceffantly, goes on thus, “When it is faid that the higher we rife in the SCALE OF NATURE towards the fupreme caufe, the views we have from Philofophy appear more beautiful and extenfive; we may obferve that the fcale of material caufes in philofophy is not like the rifing scale of Beings in the creation: though the fuppofed fcale here seems to have been taken from that. In the fcale of BEINGS, the beginning is low and every species rises in perfection as we ascend: There is an amazing variety, from dead matter, to living fpirit: nor does the gradation end there. This is full of inftruction and delight: we see ourselves in the middle of the fcale, and are certain of rifing higher, as rational beings were not made for utter extinction. But it is not fo in a fcale of material CAUSES. fection in matter. All matter is that refifts a change of its ftate. Juch a fcale, we fhould have met with the more obfcurity. We fee it is fo in reality to those who pretend to mount this way. The first fort of matter might perhaps have been seen eafily; the There are no degrees of perequally an unactive fubftance, The higher we had afcended in Second, See Mystery to Mathematics fly! In vain! they gaze, turn giddy, rave, and die. REMARKS. Religion Second, but darkly; and the third, not at all. This had been the way for the Deity to conceal himself: And this is the view which this philofophy endeavours to give us. It is equivocal language to speak of rifing towards the fupreme caufe through a scale of material caufes. No Philofophy ever yet discovered the second step of the scale. I fee a ftone fall. I am certain there is but one step here. A fluid that impreffed a crushing force on a small piece of matter, would have as much overcome my ftrength to wade through it, as if I had endeavoured to walk in the bottom of an ocean of Mercury, or fomething more dense. Thus we see their second step is a fiction, to divert the attention, and fet us a gazing at fomething that cannot be feen. The views that we have from this Philofophy are indeed very dark and mysterious. Philosophers speak of not excluding the Deity out of nature, as of a favour: But they endeavour to exclude him from every thing we can point out, to difcover him. They endeavour to make us eafy, by telling us, he is every where active, and every where prefent: But at the fame time they try to restrain his activity, to quadrate with their hypothesis; and make him present only that SUBTILE MATTER may exercise his power and knowledge. Nothing can derogate more from the Government and Influences of the Deity."-BAXTER. Appendix to his Inquiry into the nature of the human foul, p. 194. * W. VER. 645, 646. Phyfic of Metaphyfic, &c.-And Metaphyfic calls, &c.] Certain writers, as Malbranche, Norris, and Berkley, have thought it of importance, in order to fecure the existence of the foul, to bring in question the reality of body: which they have attempted to do by a very refined metaphyfical reasoning: While others of the fame party, in order to perfuade us of the neceffity of a Revelation which promises immortality, have been as anxious to prove that thofe qualities which are commonly fupposed to belong only to an immaterial Being are but the refult from certain difpofitions of the particles of matter, and consequently that the foul is naturally mortal. Thus, between their different reasonings, thefe good men have left us neither Soul nor Body; nor the Sciences of Phyfics and Metaphyfics the leaft fupport, by making them depend upon, and go a begging to, one another. * W. Religion blushing veils her facred fires, And unawares Morality expires. 650 Nor public Flame, nor private, dares to fhine; Thy hand, great Anarch! lets the curtain fall; 655 REMARKS. VER. 654. thy uncreating word:] After this noble and energetic line, the expreffion in the next, of "lets the curtain fall,” is an unhappy descent in ftyle and imagery. DIET By the AUTHOR A DECLARATION. WHEREAS certain Haberdashers of Points and Particles, being inftigated by the spirit of Pride, and assuming to themselves the name of Critics and Reftorers, have taken upon them to adulterate the common and current sense of our Glorious Ancestors, Poets of this Realm, by clipping, coining, defacing the images, miring their own base allay, or otherwife fallifying the fame; which they publish, utter, and vend as genuine: The laid haberdashers having no right thereto, as neither beirs, executors, administrato¿s, affigns, 02 in any fort related to fuch Poets, to all or any of them; Now We, having U.4 |