EPISTLE II. OF THE NATURE AND STATE OF MAN WITH RESPECT TO HIMSELF, AS AN INDIVIDUAL. THE ARGUMENT. The business of man not to pry into God, but to study himself. His middle, nature; his power and frailties, and the limits of his capacity, ver. 43. The two principles of man. self-love and reason, both necessary ; self-love the stronger, and why; their end the same, 83. The passions and their use, 83 to 120. The predominant passion and its force, 122 to 150. Its necessity in directing men to different purposes, 153, &c. Its providential use in fixing our principle and ascertaining our virtue, 167. Virtue and vice joined in our mixed nature; the limits near yet the separate and evident. What is the office of reason, 187, How odious vice in itself, and how we deceive ourselves into it, 209. That however the ends of providence and general good are answered in our passions and imperfections, 230, c. How usefully they are distributed to all orders of men, 233. How useful they are to society, 241, and to the individuals, 253, in every state, and every age of life 263, c. I. KNOW then thyself, presume not God to scan; The proper study of mankind is man. Plac'd on this isthmus of a middle state, A being darkly wise, and rudely great : 5 10 B 2 Chaos of thought and passion, all confus'd; 15 20 Go, wond'rous creature! mount where science guides, Superior beings, when of late they saw 25 30 But when his own great work is but begun, Trace science then, with modesty thy guide; 45 Or learning's luxury, or idleness; Or tricks to shew the stretch of human brain, Expunge the whole, or lop th' excrescent parts 50 Then see how little the remaining sum, Which serv'd the past, and must the times to come! II. Two principles in human nature reign ; Self-love, the spring of motion, acts the soul; 555 60 Or, meteor-like, flame lawless through the void, 65 Most strength the moving principle requires; Active its task, it prompts, impels, inspires. Sedate and quiet, the comparing lies, Form'd but to check, delib'rate, and advise. Self-love still stronger, as its object's nigh; Reason's at distance, and in prospect lie : That sees immediate good by present sense; Reason, the future and the consequence. Thicker than arguments, temptations throng, 70 75 At best more watchful this, but that more strong. Reason still use, to reason still attend. Attention, habit and experience gain ; Each strengthens reason, and self-love restrains, 80 Let subtle schoolmen teach these friends to fight, More studious to divide than to unite ; And grace and virtue, sense and reason split, With all the rash dexterity of wit. 85 Wits, just like fools, at war about a name, Our greatest evil, or our greatest good. III. Modes of self love the passions we may call : "Tis real good, or seeming, moves them all! 90 But since not ev'ry good we can divide, 95 Those, that imparted court a nobler aim, Exalt their kind, and take some virtue's name. 100 In lazy apathy let stoics boast Their virtue fix'd-'tis fix'd as in a frost; 105 Parts it may ravage, but preserves the whole. Nor God alone in the still calm we find, He mounts the storm, and walks upon the wind. 110 Passions, like elements, though born to fight, 115 These mix'd with art, and to due bounds confin'd, 120 |