As much that end a constant course requires If plagues or earthquakes break not heaven's design, 155 Why then a Borgia or a Cataline? Who knows, but he whose hand the lightning forms, Who heaves old ocean, and who wings the storms, Pours fierce ambition in a Cæsar's mind, Or turns young Ammon loose to scourge mankind? 160 Why charge we heaven in those, in these acquit? 165 170 VI. What would this man? Now upward will he soar, And, little less than angel, would be more; Now looking downward, just as grieved appears To want the strength of bulls, the fur of bears. Made for his use all creatures if he call 175 Say what their use, had he the powers of all? The proper organs, proper powers assign'd; 180 Each seeming want compensated of course, Here with degrees of swiftness, there of force; All in exact proportion to their state, Be pleased with nothing, if not blest with all? The bliss of man, (could pride that blessing find) Is not to act or think BEYOND mankind; 190 No powers of body or of soul to share, But what his nature and his state can bear. "For this plain reasɔn, man is not a fly. Say what the use, were finer optics given, 195 To inspect a mite, not comprehend the heaven? To smart, and agonize at every pore? Or quick effluvia darting through the brain, Die of a rose in aromatic pain? 200 If nature thunder'd in his opening ears, And stunn'd him with the music of the spheres, How would he wish, that heaven had left him still 205, The whispering zephyr, and the purling rill! VII. Far as creation's ample range extends, 210 Of hearing, from the life that fills the flood, 215 220 225 230 VIII. See, through this air, this ocean, and this earth, All matter quick, and bursting into birth. Above, how high progressive life may go ! 235 Around, how wide! how deep extend below! 240 Where, one step broken, the great scale 's destroyed: 245 And, if each system in gradation roll, 250 255 All this dread order break-For whom? For thee? Vile worm! O madness! pride! impiety! IX. What if the foot, ordain'd the dust to tread, Or hand, to toil, aspir'd to be the head? 260 What if the head, the eye, or ear, repin'd To serve mere engines to the ruling mind? To be another in this general frame : Just as absurd, to mourn the task or pains, 265 All are but parts of one stupendous whole, Whose body nature is, and God the soul; That, chang'd through all, and yet in all the same, Great in the earth, as in the ethereal frame; 270 Warms in the sun, refreshes in the breeze, Glows in the stars, and blossoms in the trees; Lives through all life, extends through all extent, Breathes in our soul, informs our mortal part, 275 As full, as perfect, in a hair as heart; To him, no high, no low, no great, no small; X. Cease then, nor ORDER Imperfection name : 280 285 All nature is but art, unknown to thee; All chance, direction which thou canst not see ; 290 All partial evil, universal good. And, spite of pride, in erring reason's spite, 294 EPISTLE II. Of the Nature and State of Man, with respect to Himself as an Individual. The business of man not to pry into God, but to study himself. His middle nature; His powers and frailties, and the limits of his capacity, 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, 83-120. The predominant passion, and its force, 122-150. Its tendency 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 things separate, and evident. What is the office of reason, 187, &c. How odious vice in itself, and how we deceive ourselves into it, 209. That, however the |