Where only Merit constant pay receives,

Is bleft in what it takes, and what it gives;
The joy unequal'd, if its end it gain,

315

And if it lofe, attended with no pain:
Without fatiety, though e'er fo bless'd,

And but more relish'd as the more diftrefs'd:

The broadeft mirth unfeeling Folly wears,

Lefs pleasing far than Virtue's very tears:

320

Good, from each object, from each place acquir'd,

For ever exercis'd, yet never tir'd;

Never elated, while one man's oppress'd;

Never dejected, while another's bleft;

And where no wants, no wishes can remain,

325

Since but to wish more Virtue, is to gain.

See the fole blifs Heaven could on all beftow!

Which who but feels can tafte, but thinks can know :
Yet poor with fortune, and with learning blind,
The bad must mifs, the good, untaught, will find: 330
Slave to no fect, who takes no private road,

But looks through Nature, up to Nature's God:
Pursues that Chain which links th' immenfe defign,
Joins heaven and earth, and mortal and divine;

Sees,

VARIATION.

After ver. 316. in the MS.

Ev'n while it seems unequal to dispose,

And chequers all the good Man's joys with woes,
'Tis but to teach him to fupport each state.
With patience this, with moderation that ;;
And raise his bafe on that one folid joy,

Which confcience gives, and nothing can destroy.
VOL. II.

G

Sees, that no Being any bliss can know,

335

But touches fome above, and fome below;

Learns, from this union of the rifing Whole,
The firft, laft purpose of the human foul;

And knows where Faith, Law, Morals, all began,

All end, in LOVE OF GOD, and LOVE OF MAN. 340
For him alone, Hope leads from goal to goal,
And opens ftill, and opens on his foul;
Till lengthen'd on to FAITH, and unconfin'd,
It pours the bliss that fills up all the mind.
He fees, why Nature plants in Man alone
Hope of known bliss, and Faith in bliss unknown :
(Nature, whofe dictates to no other kind

Are given in vain, but what they seek they find)
Wife is her prefent; she connects in this
His greatest Virtue with his greatest Bliss;
At once his own bright profpect to be bleft,
And strongest motive to affift the rest.

Self-love thus push'd to social, to divine,

Gives thee to make thy neighbour's bleffing thine.
Is this too little for the boundless heart?
Extend it, let thy enemies have part:

Grafp the whole worlds of Reafon, Life, and Senfe,
In one close fyftem of Benevolence :

Happier as kinder, in whate'er degree,

And height of Bliss but height of Charity.

God loves from Whole to Parts: but human foul
Muft rife from Individual to the Whole.
Self-love but ferves the virtuous mind to wake,

As the fmall pebble ftirs the peaceful lake;

345

350

355

350

The

The centre mov'd, a circle ftrait fucceeds,
Another still, and still another spreads;
Friend, parent, neighbour, firft it will embrace;
His country next; and next all human race;
Wide and more wide, th' o'erflowings of the mind
Take every creature in, of every kind;

Earth fmiles around, with boundless bounty bleft,
And Heaven beholds its image in his breast.

365

370

Come then, my Friend! my Genius! come along; Oh master of the poet, and the fong!

And while the Mufe now ftoops, or now afcends, 375
To Man's low paffions, or their glorious ends,

Teach me, like thee, in various Nature wife,
To fall with dignity, with temper rise;
Form'd by thy converfe, happily to fteer,
From grave to gay, from lively to fevere;
Correct with spirit, eloquent with ease,

380

Intent to reason, or polite to please.

Oh! while along the ftream of Time thy name

Ver. 373. Come then, my Friend! &c.] In the MS. thus, And now tranfported o'er fo vaft a plain,

While the wing'd courfer flies with all her rein, While heaven-ward now her mounting wing the feels, Now fcatter'd fools fly trembling from her heels, Wilt thou, my St. John! keep her courfe in fight, Confine her fury, and affifther flight?

When statesmen, heroes, kings, in dust repose,
Whofe fons fhall blush their fathers were thy foes,
Shall then this verse to future age pretend
Thou wert my guide, philosopher, and friend?
That, urg'd by thee, I turn'd the tuneful art,
From founds to things, from fancy to the heart;
For Wit's falfe mirror held up Nature's light;
Shew'd erring Pride, WHATEVER IS, IS RIGHT;
That REASON, PASSION, answer one great aim
That true SELF-LOVE and SOCIAL are the fame;
That VIRTUE only makes our Bliss below;
And all our knowledge is, OURSELVES TO KNOW.

VARIATION..

390

395

Ver. 397. That Virtue only, &c.] In the MS. thus,
That juft to find a God is all we can,
And all the Study of Mankind is Man,

THE

THE

UNIVERSAL

PRA Y E R.

DEO OP T. MA X.

G 3