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I.

KN

EPISTLE II.

NOW then thyfelf, prefume not God to scan,
The proper study of Mankind is Man.

Plac'd on this ifthmus of a middle state,
A being darkly wife, and rudely great:
With too much knowledge for the Sceptic fide,
With too much weakness for the Stoic's pride,
He hangs between; in doubt to act, or reft;
In doubt to deem himself a God, or Beast;
In doubt his Mind or Body to prefer;
Born but to die, and reasoning but to err;
Alike in ignorance, his reafon fuch,
Whether he thinks too little, or too much :
Chaos of Thought and Paffion, all confus'd;
Still by himself abus'd or difabus'd;
Created half to rife, and half to fall;
Great lord of all things, yet a prey to all;

ΤΟ

15

Sole judge of Truth, in endless Error hurl'd:
The glory, jeft, and riddle of the world!

5

Go, wondrous creature! mount where Science guides, Go, measure earth, weigh air, and state the tides;

20

Inftruct

VARIATIONS.

Ver. 2. Ed. ift.

The only science of Mankind is Man.
After ver. 18. in the MS.

For more perfection than this ftate can bear
In vain we figh, Heaven made us as we are.
As wifely fure a modest Ape might aim
To be like Man, whofe faculties and frame

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Could he, whofe rules the rapid Comet bind,
Defcribe or fix one movement of his Mind?
Who faw its fires here rife, and there defcend,
Explain his own beginning, or his end;
Alas, what wonder! Man's fuperior part
Uncheck'd may rife, and climb from art to art;
But when his own great work is but begun,
What Reason weaves, by Paffion is undone.
Trace Science then, with Modesty thy guide;
Firft ftrip off all her equipage of Pride;
Deduct what is but Vanity or Drefs,

Or Learning's Luxury, or Idleness;

35

40

45

Or tricks to fhew the stretch of human brain,
Mere curious pleasure, or ingenious pain;
Expunge the whole, or lop th' excrescent parts
Of all our Vices have created Arts;

50

Then see how little the remaining fum,

Which ferv'd the past, and must the times to come!
II. Two Principles in human nature reign;
Self-love, to urge, and Reason, to restrain;
Nor this a good, nor that a bad we call,
Each works its end, to move or govern all ;
And to their proper operation still,
Afcribe all Good, to their improper Ill.

Self-love, the fpring of motion, acts the foul;
Reason's comparing balance rules the whole.

Ver. 35. Ed. first.

VARIATION.

55

60

Man,

Could he, who taught each Planet where to roll,
Defcribe or fix one movement of the Soul?
Who mark'd their points to rife or to defcend,
Explain his own beginning, or his end?

Man, but for that, no action could attend,
And, but for this, were active to no end:
Fix'd like a plant on his peculiar spot,
To draw nutrition, propagate, and rot:
Or, meteor-like, flame lawless through the void,
Destroying others, by himself destroy'd.

Most strength the moving principle requires;
Active its task, it prompts, impels, infpires.
Sedate and quiet the comparing lies,

65

Form'd but to check, deliberate, and advise.
Self-love, ftill ftronger, as its objects nigh;
Reason's at distance, and in prospect lie :
That fees immediate good by prefent sense
Reason, the future and the confequence.
Thicker than arguments, temptations throng,

70

75

At beft more watchful this, but that more strong.
The Action of the ftronger to fufpend

Reafon ftill ufe, to Reafon ftill attend.
Attention, habit, and experience gains ;

Each strengthens Reason, and Self-love restrains.
Let fubtle schoolmen teach these friends to fight,
More ftudious to divide than to unite ;
And Grace and Virtue, Sense and Reason split,
With all the rash dexterity of wit.

Wits, juft like Fools, at war about a name,
Have full as oft no meaning, or the same.

80

85

Self

VARIATION.

After ver. 86. in the MS.

Of good and evil Gods what frighted Fools,
Of good and evil Reason puzzled Schools,
Deceiv'd, deceiving, taught

Self-love and Reason to one end aspire,
Pain their averfion, Pleasure their defire;
But greedy That, its object would devour,

This taste the honey, and not wound the flower:
Pleasure, or wrong or rightly understood,

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Our greatest evil, or our greatest good.

III. Modes of Self-love the Paffions we may call :

'Tis real good, or feeming, moves them all :
But fince not every good we can divide,
And Reafon bids us for our own provide :
Paffions, though selfish, if their means be fair,
Lift under Reason, and deserve her care;
Thofe, that imparted, court a nobler aim,
Exalt their kind, and take fome Virtue's name.
In lazy Apathy let Stoics boaft
Their Virtue fix'd; 'tis fix'd as in a frost;
Contracted all, retiring to the breast;
But ftrength of mind is Exercife, not Rest:
The rifing tempeft puts in act the foul,
Parts it may ravage, but preferves the whole.
On life's vaft ocean diverfely we fail,
Reason the card, but Paffion is the gale;
Nor God alone in the ftill calm we find,

He mounts the storm, and walks upon the wind.

95

100

105

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Paflions,

VARIATION.

After ver. 108. in the MS.

A tedious Voyage! where how useless lies
The compafs, if no powerful gufts arife!

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