Teach us to mourn our Nature, not to mend, St. Paul himself did not chufe to employ other Arguments, when disposed to give us the highest Idea of the Usefulness of Christianity. But, it may be, the Poet finds a Remedy in natural Religion: Far from it. He here leaves Reafon unrelieved. What is this then but an Intimation that we ought to feek for a Cure in that Religion which only dares profess to give it? But Mr. De Croufaz fays, the Poet, in this Representation of human Reafon, has contradicted what he faid of it in the 80th and 98th Lines of this Epiftle. And, poffeffed with this Notion, he goes on, in his declamatory Way, fo unworthy a grave Logician: Does Mr. Pope take a Pleasure in blowing hot and cold, in giving us fucceffively the Sweet and Bitter, to reduce us to fuch a State that we mayn't know what to stick to? If there be no ill Defign at Bottom in thefe Contradictions, but that they only Spring from the imprudent Custom, established in the Schools, of talking Pro and Con, &c1. And then tells an idle common-place Story of Cardinal Perron. In the mean time it happens that this is no Contradiction at all, or, if it be, it is that very Contradiction into which St. Paul likewise fell, when he fo continually recommended the Use of Reason, and yet so energetically described a See his Epifle to the Romans, c. vii. its its Imbecillity and Impotence. But as our Logician faid before, on a like Occafion, this might be edifying in a good Man, yet give Scandal in an ill one. To proceed, as it appears from the Account here given of the ruling Paffion, and its Caufe, which results from the Structure of the Organs, that it is the Road of Nature, the Poet fhews [from 1. 150 to 157] that this Road is to be followed. So that the Office of Reason is not to direct us what Paffion to exercife, but to affift us in RECTIFYING, and keeping within due Bounds, that which Nature hath so strongly impreffed; for that A mightier Pow'r the ftrong Direction sends, Here Mr. De Croufaz pours out the full Stream of his Candour and Politenefs, in his Criticism on thefe Lines: Yet Nature's Road must ever be prefer'd; Reason is here no Guide, but still a Guard; "Tis her's to RECTIFY, not overthrow, And treat this Paffion more as Friend than Foe. The only Refuge I have here left (says he) is to fup pofe that Mr. Pope thought the very Mention of this Notion would be fufficient to expose the Abfurdity and Horror of it, and of those who regulate their Conduct on fuch unrighteous and fhocking Ideas. And I conceive I fhould do M. l'Abbe de Sep-Fontaines much Injustice, if I did not believe this was bis d his Intention in tranflating this Passage. But, to have a more perfect Idea of the Ridicule and Horror of it, let us put the Words into the Mouth of a Confeffor, &c. And fo he goes gayly on 4, to represent a ghostly Father encouraging his Penitents in their several Vices on Mr. Pope's pretended Principles. But we shall spoil his Mirth, by only affuring him, that the Poet's Precept can have no other Meaning than this, "That as the ruling "Paffion is implanted by Nature, it is Reason's "Office to regulate, direct, and reftrain, but not " to overthrow it. To regulate the Paffion of «Avarice, for instance, into a parfimonious Dif"penfation of the public Revenues; to direct "the Paffion of Love, whofe Object is Worth " and Beauty, "To the firft Good, first Perfect, and first Fair, "as his Mafter Plato advises; and to restrain "Spleen, to a Contempt and Hatred of Vice." This is what the Poet meant, and what every unprejudiced Man could not but fee he must needs mean, by RECTIFYING THE MASTER PASSION, tho' he had not confined us to this Senfe, in the Reafon he gives of his Precept, in thefe Words: A mightier Pow'r the strong Direction fends, e Commentaire, p. 170. ε Τὸ καλόν τ ̓ ἀγαθὸν. dIb. 171, 172. For For what Ends are they which God impels to, but the Ends of Virtue? But for a more perfect Idea (to speak in his own free Terms) of the Ridicule of our Logician's Comment, let us attend to what he remarks on these two last Lines. Thefe Words (fays he) may be understood in more than one Senfe, which is not rare, and may have a more or less restrained Meaning They are fufceptible of a Senfe extravagant and injurious to Providence, and they will admit of a reafonable one, and very worthy our Attention. Here, we fee, he doubts about the Meaning of the Reafon of the Precept; admits it may have a good one; and yet condemns, without Hefitation, and in the groffest and most shocking Terms, the Precept itself, whofe Meaning must yet, according to all rational Rules, even those of his own Logic, if it have any fuch, be determined by the Reason of it. But to return. The Poet having proved that the ruling Paffion (fince Nature hath given it us) is not to be overthrown, but rectified, the next Inquiwill be of what Ufe the ruling Paffion is; for an Use it must have, if Reason be to treat it thus mildly? This Use he fhews us [from 1. 156 to 187] is twofold, Natural and Moral. ry 1. It's natural Ufe is to conduct Men fteddily to one certain End, who would otherwife be eternally fluctuating between the equal Violence of various Commentaire, p. 174. and and difcordant Paffions, driving them up and down at random : Like varying Winds, by other Paffions toft, This drives them conftant to a certain Coast; and by that Means enables them to promote the Good of Society by making each a Contributor to the common Stock. Let Pow'r or Knowledge, Gold or Glory please, Or (oft more strong than all) the Love of Eafe: Thro' Life 'tis follow'd. 2. Its moral Use is to ingraft our ruling Virtue upon it: Th' eternal Art, educing Good from Ill, Grafts on this Paffion our beft Principle; and by that Means enables us to promote our own Good by turning the Exorbitancy of the ruling Paffion into its neighbouring Virtue: See Anger, Zeal and Fortitude fupply; Ev'n Av'rice, Prudence; Sloth, Philosophy: Nor Virtue, male or female, can we name, But what will grow on Pride, or grow on Shame. The Wisdom of the divine Artift is, as the Poet finely observes, very illuftrious in this Contrivance : For the Mind and Body having now one common Intereft, the Efforts of Virtue will have their Force infinitely augmented: "Tis thus the Mercury of Man is fixt, Strong grows the Virtue with his Nature mixt; The |