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النشر الإلكتروني

1.

EPISTLE II.

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

Plac'd on this ifthmus of a middle ftate,

A Being darkly wife, and rudely great:

VER. 2. Ed. ift.

VARIATIONS.

The only science of Mankind is Mạn.

NOTES.

VER. 2. The proper fudy, &c.] The poet having fhewn, in the firft epistle, that the Ways of God are too high for our comprehenfion, rightly draws this conclufion and methodically makes it the fubject of his Introduction to the fecond, which treats of the Nature of Man.

VER. 3. Plac'd on this ifthmus, &c.] As the poet hath given us this defcription of man for the very contrary purpose to which

Sceptics are wont to employ fuch kind of paintings, namely not to deter men from the fearch, but to excite them to the discovery of truth; he hath, with great judgment, represent ed Man as doubting and wavering between the right and wrong object; from which ftate there are great hopes he may be relieved by a careful and circumfpect ufe of Reason. On the contrary, had he fupposed Man fo blind as to be

Plate IX.

Vol.III. facing p.26.

N.Blakey inv. & delin.1748.

Ravenet Sculp

Self Love still stronger, as it's Objects nigh, Reason's at distance, and in prospect lieli That sees immediate Good, by present Sense, Reason the future, and the Consequence.

Essay on Man, Ep. II.

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 Beaft;
In doubt his Mind or Body to prefer;
Born but to die, and reas'ning but to err;
Alike in ignorance, his reason such,
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;

NOTES.

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bufied in chufing, or doubt | concerning Man's Nature. ful in his choice, between two objects equally wrong, the cafe had appeared defperate, and all ftudy of Man had been effectually discouraged.

VER. 11. Alike in ignorance, &c.] i. e. The proper sphere of his Reason is fo narrow, and the exercise of it so nice, that the too immoderate use of it is attended with the fame ignorance that proceeds from the not ufing it at all. Yet, tho' in both these cases, he is abused by himself, he has it ftill in his own power to difabuse himself, in making his Paffions fubfervient to the means, and regulating his Reafon by the end of

VER. 10. Born but to die, &c.] The author's meaning is, that, as we are born to die, and yet enjoy fome fmall portion of life; fo, though we reafon to err, yet we comprehend fome few truths. This is the weak ftate of Reafon, in which Error mixes itself with all it's true conclufions Life.

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

Go, wond'rous creature! mount where Science

guides,

19

Go, measure earth, weigh air, and state the tides;

VARIATIONS.

After 18. in the MS.

For more perfection than this state can bear
In vain we figh, Heav'n made us as we are.
As wifely fure a modeft Ape might aim
To be like Man, whofe faculties and frame
He fees, he feels, as you or I to be
An Angel thing we neither know nor fee.
Obferve how near he edges on our race;
What human tricks! how rifible of face!
It must be fo-why else have I the sense
Of more than monkey charms and excellence?
Why elfe to walk on two so oft effay'd?
And why this ardent longing for a Maid?
So Pug might plead, and call his Gods unkind

Till fet on end and married to his mind.

Go, reafoning Thing! affume the Doctor's chair,
As Plato deep, as Seneca severe :

Fix moral fitness, and to God give rule,

Then drop into thyfelf, &c.

NOTES.

VER. 20. Go, measure | noble and useful project of earth, &c.] Alluding to the the modern Mathematici

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