Plate XII. 1. facing p.108 e N. Blakey inv. & del. G.Scotin Sculp Boastfull & rough your first Son is a Squire, The next a Tradesman, meck and much a Siar; Tom struts a Soldier, open, bold and Brave; Will sneaks a Scrivener, an exo exceeding Knave. Char: of Men Y EPISTLE I ES, you defpife the man to Books confin'd, Who from his study rails at human kind; Tho' what he learns he speaks, and may advance Some gen'ral maxims, or be right by chance. The coxcomb bird, fo talkative and grave, 5 That from his cage cries Cuckold, Whore, and Knave, Tho' many a paffenger he rightly call, You hold him no Philofopher at all. And yet the fate of all extremes is fuch, Men may be read, as well as Books, too much. 10 To obfervations which ourfelves we make, We grow more partial for th'Obferver's fake; NOTES. VER. 5. The coxcomb | bird, &c.] A fine turn'd allufion to what Philoftratus faid of Euxenus, the Tutor of Apollonius, that he could only repeat fome fentences of Pythagoras, like thofe coxcomb birds, who were taught their parle and their Ζεὺς ἕλεως, but knew not what they fignified. VER. 10. And yet-Men may be read, as well as Books too much, &c.] The poet has here covertly defcrib'd a famous fyftem of a man of the world. the celebrated Maxims of M. de la Rochefoucault, which are one continued fatire on human Nature, and hold much of the ill language of the Parrot: The reason of the cenfure, our author's fyftem of human nature will explain, To written Wifdom, as another's lefs: Maxims are drawn from Notions, those from Guess. There's fome Peculiar in each leaf and grain, 15. Some unmark'd fibre, or some varying vein : Our depths who fathoms, or our fhallows finds, It may be Reason, but it is not Man : NOTES. VER. 22. And all Opinion's colours caft on life.] The poet refers here only to the effects: In the Eay 20 25 on Man he gives both the efficient and the final caufe: The First in the third Ep. 231. E'er Wit oblique had broke that freddy light. Mean-while Opinion gilds with varying rays VER. 26. It may be Reafon, but it is not Man:] i. e. The Philofopher may invent a rational hypothefis that fhall account for the appearances he would in. veftigate; and yet that bypothefis be all the while very wide of truth and the na ture of things. His Principle of action once explore, That inftant 'tis his Principle no more. Yet more; the diff'rence is as great between It hurries all too faft to mark their way: In vain fedate reflections we wou'd make, 30 35 When half our knowledge we must snatch, not take. Oft, in the Paffions' wild rotation toft, 41 Our spring of action to ourselves is loft: 45 As the last image of that troubled heap, Is thus, perhaps, the cause of most we do. True, fome are open, and to all men known; Others fo very close, they're hid from none; 50 (So Darkness strikes the fenfe no less than Light) All fee 'tis Vice, and itch of vulgar praise. 55 60 When Flatt'ry glares, all hate it in a Queen, Or Affectations quite reverse the soul. See the fame man, in vigour, in the gout; Catius is ever moral, ever grave, Thinks who endures a knave, is next a knave, 6.5 70 75 |