Library

of the

University of Toronto

ESSAY
A N

O N

N."

TOGETHER WITH THE

UNIVERSAL PRAYER,
AND
The Dying CHRISTIAN

to his Soul.

ALEXANDER POPE,

ES-Q;

TRANSLATED INTO PROSE,

After the

Manner of the Rev. Mr.

of the Meditations amongft

BY

T.

R O

TO WHICH

The

LIFE

B E
IS

HERVEY,

theTbmU,

T,

Author
&c.

A. M.

PREFIXED

of the

AUTHO

LONDON,
Sold by R.

THOMPSON,
S T R A N D.

in the

R.

THE
;

I
O

ALEXANDER

OUR

POPE,

Efq;

hero was descended from a goo4d

family in Oxfordfhire. His fathers

Chriftian

name was Alexander* who was

an eminent merchant, and a

diflant relati

on of the Ear] of Downe, whofefoleheirefs

married the Earl of Lindfay.

Our

poet s

mother, Editha, was the daughter of Wil

liam Turner, Efq; of York. She had three
brothers, one of whom was killed, a fecond

died in the fervice of King Charles the

and the eldcft was a general officer
firft,
in the

Spanim army.

NOTHING

extraordinary happened to

THE LIFE OF

her during her pregnancy. Our bard was

born in London, the 2 ft of May 68 8,
i

and was chriftened by the name of Alex

He was of a tender and delicate
ander.
his being
was
taught
fo late of going to fchool, He
to read at home by an old aunt, and learn
ed to write without any affiftance, by co
conftitiition,

which occafioned

books.
pying printed
delight in reading.

He took uncommon
The family being of

the Pvomifh religion, at eight years of age

he was put under one Taverner, a

who

lived in Hampfhire,

who

prieft,

taught

him

rudiments of the Latin and Greek

and he foon after was
tongues together ;
fent to a popim feminary near Winchefter,
the

from whence he was removed

He

to a fchool

received ve

near Hyde-park corner.

which
little benefit under thofe mafters,

r"

made him

write a fatire, expofing their in-

fufficiency:
to

he fays that he was obli

that
over-again,and was one

for

begin
be faidto be felf-taught.
might
HE bad very early an inclination for

ged

"

A
poetry
gilby

L E X. P O P
and happening

to

Q,

meet with O-

and Sandy s
he read them with

of Virgil,

tranflation

tranflation

E,

of Ovid,

pleafure and delight: and

the

effe<5l

they

had upon his young fancy, though none

of them were very elegant, made him fpeak
of them with pleafure in the clofe of life:
the produdiOns of his childhood were a-

bove one founh part of Ovid

phofis,

IN

and the Thebaid of

this period of

metamor-

Statius.

he

his life

was ena

moured with the drama, and turned the

Iliad into a kind of play, perfuading fome
of his fchool-fellows

His

father,

who had

to

aft

of

parts

it.

a nice ear in
poetry,

frequently caufed young Alexander to go

make

over his rhimes a fecond time, and

great alterations in

them

would read them over with

after

which he

pleafure,

and

approve of them.

His

father,

after the revolution,

verted his goods into cafh,

Binfield, in

Windfor

an indifferent

flate

foreft,

and

being then in

of health.

con-

retired to

He

loved

T HE LIFE OF

4
filence

and

folitude,

and was a man of an

extream good moral chara&er.

was

a Papifl, his confcience

low him

to put his
in

fiderable)

locked

it

the

But

as

would not

he
al

money (which was con-

He

funds.

therefore

and lived upon the

that before his death he had

in a cheft,

up

principal: fo

confumed moft

part of

it.

IN the year 1700, Mr Popepublifhed the

following poern on folitude, which expreffes his

own

inebriation, as he

retirement

aru- privacy.

the

man, whofe

Happy

wifti

was fond of

and care,

few paternal acres bound,

Content to breathe his native

In his

-rd

air,

own ground.

with milk, whofe

elds with

*
irffc

flocks fupply

in

fummer

In winter

him with attire,

yield him fliade,

fire.

ALE
Bleft,

X.

OP

who can unconeern

E,

<^

dly find

Hours, days and years Hide foft away

In health of body, peace of mind,
Quiet by day.

Sound

fleep

by night, fludy and

eafe,

Together mixt, fweet recreation,

And innocence, which moft does pleafe?

With
Thus

let

me

meditation.

live,

unfeen, unknown,

Thus, unlamented let me die,

Steal from the world, and not a ftona
Tell where I

lie.

AT fourteen he had acquired a readinefs

two learned languages, and came
London to learn French and Italian;
in

to
to

which his family objected, on account of

bad flate of health but he mattered

his

thofe

languages with furprifing difpatch.

He

was particularly fond of Dryden s

works; by thefe he modelled his ftile and
verification,

One

particular reafon of our

THE LIFE OF

bard liking Dryden was, becaufe the

of that poet was moft
congenial with his

own.
He always mentioned him with a
kind of rapturous veneration.
About the
age of i 5, he began to write his poem cal
performance was a

led Alcanor, and this

full proof of his

he fpeaks with

folly, of

chlldifh

fo

much

candour,

ingenuous reader will be glad to

which
as the

fee,

apaflage preferved in his preface to his

from

own

works,.
"

confefs there was a time when- I

was

"

"

"

with

in love

myfelf, and

my

firft

productions were the children of felfI had made an

love upon innocence.

poem, and panegyrics en all the

princes of Europe, and I thought myfelf
epic

<{

"

"

**

"

the greateft genius

that

ever was.

cannot but repeat thefe delightful vifions

of

my

colours

childhood, which, like the fine

we

fee

when our

are variimed for

BETWEEN
fpent

this

eyes are (hut,

ever."

and

his

aoth year,

he.

his time in reading the moft coufi-

L E

X..

P O P

E,

a.

derable poets in the Greek, Latin, French,

Italian, and Engliih languages,
It
made a tranflation ofTully de feneaute.

common

is

obfervation that fome feeds

in
of vanity and felf conceit are neceflary
in the compofition of a poet.
gredients
learned his philofophy chiefly from

HE

he became
Locke, and by this means
that precifion of thought;
delighted with

Mr

formed and difpofed

though nature had
and
for method in his competitions,

him

Mr. Locke

immortal

effay

had warmed

and fortified his innate love of truth.

compofed feveral other poetical pie

HE

ces:

Thefe are printed among his juvenile

in thefirft and fecond volumes of his

poems

works; after they had made their appear

ance without his name, fome in the fixtfc

volume

They
firft

Tonfon

Mifcellanies,in 1711.
conHft of a tranflation of part of the
of

book of Statius

traiiflaticns

Thebaid; feveral

frcm Homer, and imitations

of Englifh poetF, viz. Chaucer, Spencer,

The tranflaticns
&c.

Waller,

Cowley,

THE LIFE OF

were performed by
way of exercifes atto
fchool,
improve himfel f in the language
and he ehofe rather to do them in

5.

verfe,

as eafier to

him than

profe.

The

imitati

ons were
generally condemned; and it is
ao wonder fo young an author fhould miftake his fondnefs for his
genius. He was
fenfible of it afterwards, and feefns to hint
at the miftake, in the
preface to the

firft

vo

lume of

his poems publifhed in

171?*
where he takes particular notice of this,
as one of the difficulties and
dangers that

attend *he profeffiph of a

poet. Mr.

Pope

mifcarriage is faid to have animated ano

ther to make a like
attempt, which produ*
ced fix very humorous
a

epigrams upon

pipe of tobacco, in the

manner of

fix dif-

tinguiflied poets, each admirably perform

ed.

THIS

early

piece

was long

wards communicated by
Atterbury, with

burn

it,

in

which

though, adds he,

him

after

to

t)r.

declared intention to
that friend concurred:

would have interceded

ALEX. POPE,

Es-<fc

for the firft page, and put it, with your

leave, among my curiofities. So far feem-

ed a

little

cruel,

and

to foften

with

fhop concludes

it,

the Bi-

high -drained
foothing panegyric. In truth, it is the on
of that kind I ever

ly inifonce

from

this

a perfon

for

good

any thing
which he

for every thing elfe to

to

After

himfcif.

turn

met with
elfe,
is

nay,

pleafed

though the
written copy might undergo this cruel ex
ecution,, yet the original, it feems, was
all,

faithfully preferved in the author s

ry;

at

leaft, if

what a

memo

late writer tells us

he had received from credible information

be true, that fome of the anonymous verfes

quoted

as

examples of the Art of fink

ing in poetry, in the incomparable fatire fo

called,

from

were fuch

his

as

our poet remembered

own Alcander.

vanity of writing an epic

this failure

contrary,

as

firft

the

poem cured by

attempt.

On

the

the errors and imperfections he:

obferved in

on him

in the

Nor was

it,

fo

feem

many

to

have remained up

flimulations to a
S

fe--

THE LIFE OF

io

cond attempt,
faults

way

of the

in

firft

compofing -which, the

would be of no ufe, by

However

of a leflbn to avoid them.

that be,

we

are afTured

his

editor, that

by
he had framed a defign of writing an epic
poem on our old Annalifts, and therefore

more engaging to an Englifhman thfs

was on the arrival of Brutus, the fuppofed
;

grandfon of

-*3Lnea?, in

fettlement

of the

Britifh

monarchy.

ourifland, and the

firft

founders

In this

of the

he

poem

de-

figned to treat amply of all that regarded

civil regimen of the fcience of politicks^

the feveral forms of a republick were here

to

be

with

examined and explained, together

of
feveral modes
religioiis

the

worfliip,

And
The

as

far

as they

affedt

fociety.

the whole was to be written in rhyme.

author of the effay jufi cited,, thinks

that the fuccefs of this attempt

would have

been no better than the former.

And

fupportthatcenfurehe obferves, that

genius was
with very

chiefly of the didactic

little

to

Pope

kind,

of the fublime and paths-

AL

E X. P

OP

E,

ii

s Q^.

which are the main nerves of the Ehave given us ma

popcea; that he would
and many general
ny elegant defcriptions
but would have
drawn
well
;
characters

tic,

our eyes the reality of

thefe objeas, and the actions of thefe cha

failed to fet before

racters

that

Pope

clofe anclconftant rea-

time impaired and

foning had

by

crumed

that
faculty of imagination-,
reflections would, in all pro

the

the political
bability,

the

this

have been more numerous, than

affecting

ftrokes

of

nature;

that

it

would have more refembled the Henriade

than the Iliad, or even the Gierufalemme
Liberata; that

it

would have appeared,

if

fcheme had been executed, how much

and for what reafons the man that is fkilthis

ful in painting

fecret

foibles

modern
and

life,

and the

follies of his

moil:

contempo

raries, is therefore difqualified for reprefent-

ing the ages of heroifm, and that of fimple

life, which alone epic poetry can graceful
He alfo adds, that the Tinglely defcribe.
eircumftance of rhyme was fufficient of it-

HE LIFE OF

12

alone to overwhelm and extinguifn all

enthufiafm, and produce endlefs tautologies

iclf

and circumlocutions.

This writer con

cludes with imagining

Dr. Warburtofc s

be the fame with

to

opinion

fince

his,

there could not have been a more impro

per fubjecl: for an epic poem, than the
particulrrs
it

was

of which that editor informs us

chiefly to confift.

The fame

wri

remarks* that the

firft poem that ap

France any thing like an epic
poem, was on this identical fubjecl of BriiIt was writ
tus*s arriving in England.

ter

peared in

ten by Euftache, in the reign of Louis VII.

to the throne in I i 3 7, and was

who came

hufband of the celebrated Eleonora,

after

wards divorced and married to our Henry

II.

IN 1704, he wrote the

"Windfor

jublifhed

Foreft,
till

DURING

firft

part of his

though the whole was n6t

171

ft.

his

refidence in the foreft,

our poet compofed a comedy and

dy.

"With

refpec!

a trage

to the fabject of the

ALEX. POPE,
we

former,

Escb

are wholly in the dark;

the

however, was founded on a ftory

taken from the legend of St. Genevieve.
But whether he diltrufted his talents for

latter,

dramatic poetry, or whether he was cauti

ous of hazarding his fame on the fickle
audience, he could ne
tafte of a
captious
ver be prevailed on to write for the

ftage>

feveral.

though he was importuned by

His father s retired abode intheforeftbeing

at Binfield near

neighbourhood

Oakingham, and

in the

of Sir William Trumball

eftate, that knight

foon became

a valuable ac

his
young poet; and
quaintance
whilft
even
the
entrance into
polite worl<l,
his
from
dated
he was under tuition, is to be
firft

to our

William.
intimacy with Sir
s
gentleman was young Pope
the
and uihered him into
great
patron,

As
firft

this

theatre of the world,

to give

we

think

it

not amifs

our readers a fhort account of

SIR William Tmmball

Hamftead

in Berkshire.

him.

\vasborn at Eaft-

He was

All Souls College in Oxford,

fellow of

ftudied

frhs

THE LIFE OF

14

civil law, and was fent to

Tangier, the
fecond judge-advocate, by Charles II.
HE was from thence fent envoy to Flo-

rence,Turin,&c. andin
extraordinary to

wayback, envoy
from
whence he
France,

was fent ambafTador

king James

his

to the

Ottoman Porte by

II.

HE was in the fucceeding reign appoint

ed one of the lords of the treafury, and fecretaryof

flate

withtheduke ofShrewfbury

but in the year 1697 ^ e refigned the faid

office.

CH USING to enjoy, in a philofophic

Retirement, the remainder of his days at
Eaft Hamflead, where he had been born, he
withdrew

thither,

andin the month of De

cember, in the year 1716, expired^ in the

feventyfeventh year of his age. Young Mr.
Pope, in his poem on the foreft, celebrated
that retirement.

by him

at the

was, with the

His

firft

paftoral, written

youthful age of fixteen years,

warmed fenfe of gratitude,

addrefled to his worthy patron Sir

TrumbalU

William

AL
HE

E X. P
now

had

read

OP
all

E,

a.

the belt authors,

and was improving himfdf with the converfation of tne

mod

celebrated

men

in the

Wycherley, Walfn,
and Gay, Lord Halifax, Lord Lanfdown,
Sir Richard Steel, Meff. Addifon and
Meff.
age, Dr. Garth,

Tn the year 1724} our po

of fettling another fence
view
et, in the
about his fortune, purchafed an annuity

Congreve.

of a hundred pounds a year

life, that of his

IN

for his

own

mother being included.

he publiihed

a collection of all

he had printed feparately* and proceeded

give a

new

to

edition of Shakefpear, which,

in I 72 r, difcovered that he
being published
had confulted his fortune, more than his
The Iliad be
fame, in that undertaking.

the like foot

ing finifhed, he engaged upon
the OdyiTey. Mr Broome
ing to undertake

and
five

Mr

Fenton did part of it, and received

hundred pounds of Mr. Pope for their

labours.

It

was publifhed in the fame

man

ner, and on the fame conditions to Linof twelve

in (lead
tot j excepting
that,

HE

FE OF

hundred pounds, he had but fix hundredsThis work being finifhed

for the copy.
in

7 2 5, he was afterwards employed with

and Arbuthnot

Swift

volumes

of

in

piinting

About

Mifcellaries.

time, he narrowly efcaped lofing his

fome
this

life, as

he was returning home in a friend s chari

ot; which, on pafling a bridge, happened
to be overturned,

and thrown with the hor-

fes into, the river.

and he not able

to

The

were up,
break, them: fo that he
glafTes

had immediately been drowned, if the poftilion had not broke them, and dragged him

him out
glafs

to the bank.

however cut him

he ever

A
fo

iragment of the
defperately,.rhat

after loft the ufe of

two of

his fin

gers.

No

part of our bard

s life is

more

inte-

refting than that of his conduct in cultiva

ting friendfhips, efpecialJy, with his brother

At

poets.

grown
that

fo

he

the age of eighteen he was

high in the efteem of Wycherley,

thought him capable of cor-

refting his

poems (which had been damn-

ALE

X.

P OP

they might
Pope complied with the

cuted

E,

s
<fe

17

appear again in print,

ed) fo as

requeft,

and exe

with equal freedom and judg

it

ment.

But the

proved too many for

the author of them to be told of; he was

became

old,

faults

jealous,,

and conftrued his

ingenuity, and plain deal

Not only the
ing, into want of re peft.

young mailer

defign of pubiifhing was dropt, but

all

cor-

refpondence with the corre&or fufpended.

This ungenerous return was lively refentAnd though Wycherley

ed by Pope.

was prevailed with afterwards, by the me

diation of a common friend, to refuse the
correfpondence, yet this went no farther

than bare complaifance.

time

after

Mr

However, fome

Wycherley

death,

his

poems being publiihed by a mercenary

hand in 17*8, our author the following
year printed feveral letters that had patted

between them,
cherley

in vindication of

good name, againft

Mr Wy-

fome mif-

conftru&ions prefixed to that edition.

jioet

cond.uft, throughout

this

Our

whole try-

THE LIFE OF

ing

affair,

young

was greatly above

ginning

But

his years.

as he was, his talents

were now be

to ripen into full

maturity.

This

appeared confpicuoufly in his Eflay on Criticifm, which though wrote fo

early as

1708, yet placed him among thofe of the

rank in his art.
It is indeed etteemtd a matter-piece in its kind, and fo difcovered the peculiar turn of his
He

firft

genius.

was not yet twenty years old, fo that eve

ry body flood amazed to find fuch a know
of the

ledge

judgment, and fuch

man

fuch

world,

nature as are there

difplayed

nsuch that
ticks to

it

became

of

maturity

a penetration into
;

hu

info-

a fubjecT: for the cri-

difplay their profoundeft (kill in ac

counting for

it.

The

greateft geniufes in

painting, as well as poefy,

were generally
cbferved not to have produced
any of their
matter-pieces before the age of thirty or
thereabouts, and that

pened

earlier,

Mr. Pope

was owing,
%

genius

tis faid, to

ri

happy conjuncture of concurring circumftances.

He was happily fecured from. fair

L E X. P

OPE. Es

19

<?K

debaucheries of women and

ling into the
wine (the too frequent bane of hopeful
and delicacy of his
youth) by the weaknefs
of his health.
conftitution, and the bad ftate
for fo
violent
tco
The fenfual vices were
tender a frame, he never
rance or diffipation,

fell

which

into

is

intempe

of the great-

each faculty
co-nfequence in prefei ving

eft

of the

mind

in

miOiapen figure

him

as a

due
is

writer.

Lord Bacon,

vigour.

Even

his

ufe to
alleged to be of
It is an obfervation of

that

whofoever

hath

any

his perfon that induces con

thing fixed in
hath alfo a perpetual fpur within to

tempt,

refcue and deliver himfclf from

it.

Hence

that
thought not improbable,
circur poet might be animated by this
make
to
cumftance to double his diligence,

it

has been

of
himfelf diflinguifhed by the reftitude
and beautiful turn of
his

undemanding,

his

mind,

as

much

mity of his body.

he was by the defor

It is certain that he

as

the precept of
ftriaiy fulfilled

each particular,

Mulia

HORACE

tulit fc-ciiojic

in

THELIFEOF

20
fudavit

&

alfit.

It

was another circum-

flance equally propitious to the ftudies of

Pope, in

this early part of his life, that he

inherited a fortune that was a decent com

petency, and fufficientto fupply the fmall

expences which, both by conftitution and

Thus he was
required.
preferved from the two moft deftru&ive
he

reflection,

enemies to

young genius, want and de-

Nor was

pendance.

the circumftance of

being placed beneath opulence, and an high

almoft

propitious, fince thefe

ftftfion, lefs

unavoidably embanafs and

immerfe the

pofleffor in the cares, the pleafures, the in

dolence, and the diffipation, that

pany abundance.

Thus

it is

that thefe external aids, as fo

aries, affifting the

of our poet

accom

conceived,,

many

auxili

active inborn ftrength

genius, had their mare in this

But how trium

triumphant production.
foever
of the EfTay
the
merit
be
phant
may
on Criticifm, yet it was (till furpaffed in a
poetical view by the Rape of the Lock.
The fotmer indeed excelled in the didacYic

ALEX. POPE,
way,

for

Es<^.

21

which he was peculiarly formed

a clear head and ftrong fenfe were his charafteriftical

qualities

his chief force lay

underflanding, rather than in the

But it is the creative pow
imagination.

in the

er

of the

that conftitutes the proper

laft

character! ftick of poetry, and therefore

in the

Rape

of the

Lock

that

it is

Pope prin

appears a poet ; fmce in this per^

formance he has difplayed more imagina
cipally

tion than in
ther.

all

works put toge

took its birth from an

his other

The poem

incidental quarrel that

two noble

happened between
Lord Petreand

families, that of

Mrs. Fermor, both of our author s ac

quaintance, and of the fame religion. His
lordfliip, in a

party of pleafure, carried

it

fo far, as to cut off a favourite lock of the

s hair.
This, tho done in the way
of gallantry, was ferioufly refented, as beHence there
ing indeed a real injury.

lady

prefently

grew mutual animofities, which

being feen with concern by a common

friend to all ; that friend requefted Pope

THE LIFE OF

to try the power of his

mufe on the occa-

on, intimating, that a proper piece of ri

dicule was the likelieft means to extinguilh the rifing flame.
Pope readily com
plied with the friendly propofal; and the

jun&ure requiring difpatch, his

was compleated in lefs than a

firft

deilgn

fortnight,

which being fent to the lady, had more

Pleafed to the
than the propofed effecl:.
with
the
delicacy of the
higheft degree
compliment paid
nicated copies of

to her, (he
it

firft

commu

her acquaintance,
with our author to

to

and then prevailed

as he did, though not without
print it
:

the caution of concealing his

hafty a (ketch.

name

to

fo

But the univerfal applaufe

which the fketch met with, put him upon

it

enriching

with the machinery of the

iSylphs;

and in that new drefs

cantoes,

extended to

five,

the

came out

two
the

following year, 1712, ufhered by a letter

to Mrs Fermor; to whom he afterwards
addrelTed another, which
fuperior to

any of Voiture.

is

efteemed

far

A LEX.

P OPE, Esc^

IT appears by Mr. Pope

len marches on the public,

23
fto-

frequent
cautious

how

he was of making his fame fecure, and not

to hazard his

fmall work,

name, by prefixing

till

to

it

any

the fuccefs thereof was fet

tled.

THIS

prudent conduct of his evinces,

beyond the power of contradiction, that he

determined to

enjoy either a proper

Since him
fame, or to die in oblivion.

\vas

this practice

has been

Some

Pope

of Mr.

ufed by

feveral.

pieces had remained

in a ftate of probation for feveral years;

for he

was very flow

would not have

loft

to confefs

what many

the pleafure of

imme

diately owning on any confideration.

BUT

Mr. Pope, although not

and greedy
try,

who

as

fo

eager

moft of the Parnaflian gen

are in general impatient for ap-

plaufe, and

irritable by cenfure, was yet deof

firous
laying claim to the reputation of

the

bed

living poet,

which he undoubted

ly was, having not even a diftant competi

tor.

"

THE LIFE OF

24
IN

7 29, by the advice of Lord Dolinghe

turned his pen to fubje&s of mo*
broke,
i

rality;

and accordingly we

find

him, with

who

the afiiftance of that noble friend,

nimed him with

this year

upon the

Effay on

"

following extract of a

Bid

you of the work he

"

in

good earneft;

it is

is

about,

a fine one,

be, in his hands, an original.

"

complaint

is,

"

the execution.

"

nefs:

it

he finds

that

flatters

This

ways thought
"

ly his,

above

that,
is

all

hope
and will

His

fole

too eafy in

flatters his

lazi-

my judgment; who

"

lents are, this

it

talk

Bolingbroke,

fays

to

<c

advice

"

him,"

"

"

The

Man."

letter to Swift dif-

covers the reafon of his lordfhip

"

fur-

work

the materials, at

al*

univerfal as his ta-

eminently and peculiarthe writers I

know*

li-

vingor dead; I do not ex. ept Horace.

Pope tells the Dean, in the next letter,
"

that
<*

"

"

the

work,

Lord

Bolingbroke

fpeaks of with fuch abundant partiality, is

a fyftem of ethics, in the Horatian
way."

In purfuing the fame

defign, he wrote his

ALEX. POPE,
<f

Ethic Epiaies

Upon

:"

ESQ..

25

the fourth of which,

giving great offence, as

Tafte,"

he was fuppofed to ridicule the Duke of

Chandois under the character of Timon,
is

to have

faid

put

him upon writing

which he continued

tires,

till

1759.

fa-

He

ventured to attack perfons of the higheft

rank, and fet no bounds to his fatirical

rage.

genuine collection of

his letters

was publifhed in 1737.

IN this year he alfo publifhed
**

Temple

to his ufual

Fame,"

having,

caution, kept

it

his

according

two years in

That object of the univerfal

his ftudy.
paflion,

was

time.

He

out in

of

upon his thoughts

had been from the firfl
full

full ftretch after it,

within his reach

at this

fetting

and faw

accordingly we

it

find

now
him

in high fpirits, diverting hlmfelf with the

ladies, to

his

one of

"

Temple,"

whom

he fent a copy of

with an humorous gay e*

pigram.

IT

was Sir Richard Steele

good humour which

natural

chiefly pleafed

Pope,

THELIFEOF

23

we owe that excellent little

poem called, The dying Chriftian to his
The requeft for it was made in the
foul

and

to this

"

:"

frank ingenuous way, and the perform

ance was returned in the fame fpirit ; ** I
"

"

don

fend you word, fays Pope, I will,

but I have already done
t

it."

IN the hurry of this race he run his

the more hafte
head againft the old faw,
It was apparently
the worfe fpeed."
"

"

owing

to

the

eager

impetuofity of this

his
paflion, that he attempted
"

St. Cecilia s

"

Ode upon

Mr Dryden had ob

day."

tained immortal fame by his

"

Alexander

and the fcholar, young as he was,

feaft
fed himfelf with the hopes of hitting the
:"

fame mark by {hooting in the fame bow.

But here he met with a very fenfible mor

Ode upon St. Cecilia s

was
univerfally condemned for want
day"
of judgment, whatever wit there may be
tification.

The

"

in the compofition,

in

Mr WarbuYton

improbable that

it

which

is

very great
It is not
opinion.

coft

our author

a great

ALEX. POPE,
deal

of pains, fince

he

complained

whereas

Effay on

"

27

feems to have

worked againft the grain

that his

ESQ.

Man"

he

was

too eafy, becaiife, as his friend

obferved,
that defign was
to his

exa&lyfuited

and from

another author

genius

among fome

this inflance,

has inferred, that

genius was not turned

others^

Pope s
and

to the elevated

fublime fpecies of
poetry
is the road to fame.

So hazardous

IN the

firft fatire of the fecond book of

he
had defcribed Lord
Horace,
Harvey

and Lady Mary

Wortley Montague, fo
the names of
characteristically, under
Lord Fanny and Sappho, that thefe two
noble perfonages did not
only take up the

fame weapon 2gainft the aggreflbr, but ufed all their interelt

among

the nobility,

and even with the King and Queen, to

hurt him ; this laft
injury was what Pope
complained of moft j and for that reafon,
which he wrote in anfwer to it,

the letter

was fhewn to her Majefty, as foon as it

was finilhed, which concludes in thefe

2-8

II

LIFE OF

After all, your Lordfhip

be careful not to wrong my moral chathofe under whofe proracter, with

words.
"

"

4<

tection 1 live

alone

"

nity

and through whofe

can

Your Lord (hip,

"

vertently

"

"

"

44

went

you
and

an

<

you

inad-

far,

when

their

the

libel

perufal,

weight

mean

poor

my

in

of
its

and

figure,

honour and

wherein -I was reprefented as

to the human race, a murderer
a

monfler marked by

like Cain, deferving to

wander

curfed through the world.

picture

"

my

upon

reputations,

"

enemy

of

God
"

by

fcandalous in thofe on
integrity

"

to

a
your approbation,
reflections

too

little

(lengthened

"

"

recommended

"

upon

confident,

think

will

confederation,
8

with comfort.

live

am

le-

of a

man, who had

fortune to enjoy

many

flrange

the good

friends,

be always remembered as the

ac-

who

firft

will

orna-

and country, and no enemies that ever continued to be heard

Mr John Dennis and your

ment of

of,

his age

except

ALEX,
Lordfhip;
"

**
*

"

**
*

ment of
or

OPE,

his country,

the royal family,

were difrefpedfully
the animofity of any one

their miniftry,

mentioned

P art y gratified at the expence of another $ or any cenfure pad, but upon
known vices,, acknowledged folly, or

"

aggrefling
"

"

infinite

pleafure

he

elfe, are fo

nothing
*

impertinence.
finds,

is

with

that

fomc

It

men who feem afhamed and

"

"

2?

Es<^.

which the religion or govern-

in

line,
*

A- man who never wrote a

"

ridicule

and

afraid of

very fenfible of this

tis for

that very reafon,

he refolves by the grace of God, and

"

your Lordmip
"

good

leave,

That while he breathes, no

rich

or

noble knave

"

"

"

[grave.
Shall walk the world in credit to his

This

he

fervice

thinks is rendering the beft

he can to the public, and even

"

to

"

creatures.

the good

government of his fellowFor this, at lead, he may

THE LIFE OF

30
"

deferve

in

"

greateft perfons
"

*
"

"

of
I

whom

"

fpeak

near

fo

Pope did

friend Swift

to

fay on

whom

"

4<

<c

"

Lord,
if

you
ear>

an innocent

what

more

is

his

his

to

it

he excufed him-

with his fourth

u There

Cobham."

**

Man,"

and

a(ha-

not think proper to

nor yet,

felf in a letter, fent

my

perfons,

communicate

to

remarkable,

much

ufe of their

ill

as toafperfe or mifreprefent

print this letter,

if

as

on fuch an oc-

their

could ever make fo

man."

"

and

as forry,

cafion, as I fhould to fee you,

placed

Your Lordmip
their names

it.

to place near your

"

4t

mould be

med

fome commendations from the

"

Epiftk
is

declared againft

"

woman
me by

Ef-

Lord

to
s

war,

a cer-

fays

he,

tain

Lord, his weapons are the fame

which women and children

to fcratch,

and

ufe, a pin

a fquirt to befpatter.

writ a fort of anfwer, but was afliamed

to enter the

(hewing

it

other wife

lifts

fome people fupprefled it

was fuch, as was worthy ol

to
it

with him, and after

:

AL
**

O?

E X. P

him, and worthy of

and of

follows.

am

31

a.

had be

an account of

own conduct

his

w That

He

me."

fore given that friend

affair,

E,

in

this

it,

as

an author, whofc

fome weight,

"

characters are thought of

"

appears from the great noife and buttle,

"

that the court

<c

"

"

I defire

and town make about me.

s

your opinion as to Lady

J

and Lord

They

performance.

are certainly the top wits of the court

and you may judge by that fmgle piece,

*\what can be done againft me, for it was

"

c<

laboured,
"

<f

<c

**
*

(t

"

"

<c

"

and

pre-commended,

corrected,

paft difapproved,

fo

difowned by themfelves,

far

as

to

after each

be

had

highly cried it up for the others: I

have met with fome complaints, and

heard at a diftance of fome threats occafioned by

my

verfes.

I fent fair

mef-

fages to acquaint them where I was to

be found in town, and to offer to call

them, and fo it
It is very poor in any one to
dropped.
rail and threaten at a diftance, and havs,

at their

houfes to

fatisfy

B 4

THE LIFE OF

32
u

fay to

you when they fee

He knew

well the nature of

to

nothing
"

you."

his friend,

and

that

addrefs -was

this

ad homincmy accordingly he received a

mod comforting anfwer, which concludes
thus
<l

*4

"

"

me

Give

infure you,

a (hilling,

that pofterity

and

1 w.ill

(hall

never

know one

fingle enemy, excepting thofe

whofe memory you have preferved."

MR
thor

Warburton fpeaking of our au

profe letter, as well as that in verfe,

juftly obferves that they are both mafter-

The former more

pieces in their kind.

lively, critical, and pointed ; the

more grave, moral, and fublime.

ever,

Dr. Aibuthnot,

who

did

latter

How

not long

furvive the epiftle in verfe to him,

time before

fome

death gave his friend a

hint of what indeed is the greateft fault in
his

by advifing him to ftudy in

them more to reform, than chaftife. This
his fatires,

gentleman feems
with

all

the

to

have been endowed

qualities

cleared friendfhip,

requifite

and knew

in

for

what

the
it

AL
confided.
fays

"

"

"

our

firft

POP E,

X.

As

he on

"

E
"

for you,

ESQ^

my

think

this occafion,

33

good friend,
fincc

acquaintance, there have not

been any of thofe

little

fufpicions, that

often affeft the fmcereft friendfhips.

am

fure, not

letter is in

on

my

the fame

The whole

fide."

fpirit,

and

Pope

believe

without the tendered:

no body can read

His hint upon the
emotion.
it

in

fault

of being too virulent,

fatires,

was

undeniably juft. But then indeed it mud

be allowed, that the fault is common to

Pope with

all

others,

who have engaged

They all take

in this fpecies of writing.

greater

forming

than

chaftiiing,

though by that means,

to turn

fure

in

pleafure

re

they are

the edge of their wit

upon
muft be owing to the
predominance of ill-nature above benevo

themfelves, fmce

lence.

it

In fhort, the true qualities of a

fa-

ufually and not amifs exprefled

tirift,

are

by an

allufion to the operations of

furgery.

The
art,

three

qualifications requi/lte

arc, an eagle

eye, a lion

to that

heart,

and

THE LIFE OF

$4

s hand.
But this laft, being found
ed on a neceflary tender feeling and con
cern, both for the future recovery and pre-

a lady

fent pain of the patient,

humane and benevolent

SIR Richard
for

Mr Pope s

difpofitions.

Steele was a

"Temple

of

he had approved of before

in

public

as appears

the former to

Nov.

c<

**
*
*

"

warm

(tickler

Fame,"

which

its

appearance

by a

letter from.

the latter,

bearing date,

12, 1712.

"

"

only feen in

is

HAVE

of

Fame"

read over your

"

twice, and cannot

Temple
find

any

thing amifs of weight enough to call a

fault, but fee in it a thoufand beauties.

Mr

Addifon

fee

(hall

After his perufal of

know

THE

his thoughts,

Mr Pope

fome time

Mr

I will let

you

&c."

as

good
Addifon, whofe friend-

had, as he imagined,

in poffeffion of

yet appeared to

nion.

it,

to-morrow.

poem accordingly met

treatment from
ihip

it

make him

for

been

nothing as

alter that opi

A LEX. POPE,

35

so..

MR

Pope was by this time got fo far

into favour and reputation with the town,
that he needed

own

than his

was

no other recommendation

merit; and he began, as

juftly entitled,

lie

toailume the name of

and to give rules to others in his

Eflay on Criticifm," which abounds

Critic,
tf

with wit,

beautiful turns, variety of

taphors,

and

poetry and

mafterly

criticifm.

It

is

the

work

of the kind that has appeared

the ancients or moderns.

OUR
poems,

author

me
on

obfervations

among

fome

publiflied

beffc

other

viz.

To Mr

Jervas, with

Mr

Frefnoy

Art

of Painting.

ON

a fan of the

author

defign,

which the

ftory of Cephalus and Procris

was painted, having dura veni for a motto,

ON Silence, in imitation of thatingenious nobleman and eminent poet, the Earl

of Rochefler.
VERSES occafioned by fome
the

duke of Buckingham
B 6

s.

of his grace

36

HE LIFE OF

MR. Pope

wrote a

mod

excellent letter

inverfe fromEloifa to Abelard.

It is

chiefly

taken from the original letters between thefe

two extraordinary perfons, diftinguifhed

above

all

their cotempororiesfor their geni

us, learning,

and unhappy

THEY

made mention

are

his Hiilorical Dictionary.

pailion.

of by Bayle in
They flourinYd in

the twelfth century, and were two of the

^moft diftinguifhed perfons of that age for
learning and beauty; but for nothing more

famous than

AFTER
retired

for their unfortunate love.

a long courfe of calamities they

each to a feparate convent, and con.-

fecrated the remainder of their days to re

was many years after this feparation,that 3 letter of Abelard s to a friend

ligion.

It

(which contain d the hiftory of his mis

fortunes) fell into the hands of Eloifa.

THIS awakening all

her tendernefs, oc-

cafioned thofe celebrated letters which give

fo lively a defcription of grace

virtue and

paffion.

There

is

and nature,
a fpirit of

tendernefs, and a delicacy of fentiment,

ALEX.
runs through

OP

E,

the letters.

all

digious conflict, the

Eso;
But

37

the pro

war within, the

diffi

yield to

religious
culty of making love,
vows; and an impoffibility of forgetting a
firft

real paffion (hine

ABELARD

above

all

the

had been Eloifa

reft.

tutor in

but each being

philofophy and divinity;
overcome by a paffion for the other, their
chief ftudy was turned at lad to give and
receive mutual delight

which being

difco-

ver d, brought on a tragick ftene: for her

relations^ tho juftly incens d at

violation of hofpitality,

Abelard

and breach of

truft,

d their revenge to an aft of bar

yet pufh
maiming the lover in a part,
barity,

by

which

to

him was worfe than

ABELARD

being

death.

rendered impotent

Eloifa s friends, did not

by the cruelty of
in the lead abate the warmth of her paffion
for

him, but feemed rather

from

to

enhance

it,

a fpirit of refentmentfor his barbarous

ufage on her account.

THEY were both interred in the fame
grave, or in

monuments

adjoining, in the

THE LIFE OF

3*

monaftery of Paraclete, founded by Abelard.

He

died in

So much
to return

may

42, fhe in

63.

in regard to their
hi-ftory; but

to

the merit of Mr.

be aflerted, that

it is

Pope.

of our
language to go beyond this

tendernefs and

It

not in the power

poem

in

harmony, Theonly produc

tion of even our

author, that can be put ie

competition with

admir d

memory

THE

is

the

fo

it,
piece
juftly
for its beauties caird, Vcrfes tothe

of an unfortunate
lady.
young lady celebrated in this af

fecting piece, appears to have been a great

favourite of

Mr. Pope

Iribute to friendship,

s,

who

has paid his

by injuring immor

tality to her

unhappy cataftrophe. Whether

he himfelf was the belov d
perfon fhe was
feparated from,

or not,

cannot

be well

afcertained; from his verfes the

ftrong hold
fhe had of his affection is manifeft.

THI s

unfortunate

fair

one was

young

lady of quality,, had a very confiderable

fortune 3 and, as we learn here from Mr..

Pope, was eminent for her beauty.

A LEX. POPE,

ESQ..

39

HER parents dying while (he was young,

(he was left under the guardianfhip of an
uncle.
birth,

She was brought up fuitable to her

and was efteemed
title, and fortune,

a match for any nobleman in the kingdom.

SHE had when very young contracted

an acquaintance, and fome degree of inti

macy, with a young gentleman (who has
never been more than gueffed at by the
curious, which uncertainty turned the fufconceiv d
picion on Mr. Pope) and having
a fbndnefs for him, (lie would not liften to
a very advantageous

match propofed by her

uncle.

THE
her,

by

incenfed guardian fet fpies upon

whofe means he foon difcovered

her carrying on a correfpondence with a

lover of a rank in life inferior to hers ;
not deny.
which, when taxed with, (he did
THE guardian uncle, on finding her
deaf to

all his

advice to her to

ftifle

fo

ill-

foon contrived the means

placed a paffion,
of fending her abroad, where fhe was moft

TH E L

40

FE OF

politely received, and with all the

due to one of her condition.

SHE was

refpecfc

indeed fecluded induftrioufly

from feeing or converting with any body

but the creatures of this fevere guardian;
fo that no epiftle from her lover could ever
reach

her

(he

hand,

fo

being

clofely

watched by the uncle s treacherous mer

who, when they had promifed
cenaries-,
the lover to deliver his letters to the lady,,
fcnt them all to England to her uncle ;

who,
bei-ng

in confequence, gave orders for her

more

ftriclly

might not receive

that

guarded,

(he

any intelligence from

that quarter.

DESPAIRING

hear from the

youth
{he loved, and impatient of her confine
to

ment, fhe yielded herfelf up a prey to the

She ufed to
moft confummate grief.

weep and

figh

continually

linger any time in

flie

refolved, as

the

Roman

life,

fo

racking

Mr Pope

but not to

fituation,

terms

it,

to

a&

part, by putting an end to her

which fhe did by bribing

woman-

ALEX. POPE,
fcrvant to procure

her
of

know what

Eso-

4i

her a fword* not letting

ufe (he

intended to make

it.

SOON

after (he

had got the (wordy

was found dead upon the

the
feverity of

The

where

floor,

this

had committed

(he

but warm.
the

laws of

(lie

place,
filicide,

burial, (he was in

denying her Chriftian
or any at
terred without any folem-nity,
the
tendants to wait on her corpfe to

grave.

A FEW

indeed of the neighbouring

for her un
people, ftruck with compaflion
in the com
fate, faw her buried

happy

mon

with flowers the

ground, and ftrewed

made

grave they

HE

"

alfo publifhed

Tale,"

Bath

The Merchant

from Chaucer, the

"

"

for her.

"

s Prologue,"

veral of

Ovid

and an

"

Cato,"

Wife

of

Tranflations of fe-

s epiftles,"
"

"

"

prologue to

Epilogue to

Jane

Shore."

THE

"

Ode on

St. Cecilia

mafterly performance, and

Day"

Mr Pope

is

de-

T HE L IFE O F

42
ferves the

more applaufe on account of the

peril he expofed his reputation to in this

attempt, Mr Dryden having gained fuch

and indeed merited fame,

univerfal,
his

"

o-f all

Alexander

Feaft,"

other poets on

fcoffed at,
nay,

for

that the efforts

that

condemned

fubjeft

were

before publi

cation.

NOTWITHSTANDING

fo

critical

Mr Pope

dilemma,

publifhed his, which

allowed to be the
only one that can be
put in any competition with Mr Dryden s.
is

His other attempts

in lyric
poetry are two
ChorufTes for the Tragedy of Brutus,"
by his Grace Sheffield Duke of Bucking
41

ham.

MR. Pope
ers for his

The Duke

works are

fufficient

vouch

genius, tafte, and judgment.

of Buckingham is

univerfally

allowed to have been a nobleman of un

common

talents,

and

fo declared a

of the mufes, and of the

learned,

was

filled

His

patron
that he

the Mecasnas of the age.

fondnefs for poets fprang from hi*

ALEX. POPE,

Eso^

43

being a good one, and highly capable of

relifhing beauties

in the performances of

which he did with great candour

and warmth.
One of the beft pieces in
our language is his
Eflay on poetry,

others,

"

and was efteemed

as fuch

His other pieces

in verfe

by

Mr

Addifon.

and profe have

their refpeclive merit.

MR

Pope held the Duke

in fuch high

veneration,

judgment

feparated

from

(which he always threw afide

in his company) that he never publifhed

his quality

Grace
any thing for many years, till his
had firft pronounced that the author s re
putation would run no riik by its being
publifhed.

MR

Pope

lived in

fuch

perpetual

dread of lofing that fame he had fo juflly

that
acquired, that he ufed often to fay,

he ought to write no more,

left

by an un-

fuccefsful piece, he (hould forfeit

Duke

all.

The

continued his friendfhip to our au

thor to his

laft

moments, of whkh from

THE LIFE OF

44

time to time he gave him

many

fignal

proofs.

His Grace

expired

February 1720, and

in

left the

the

month of

following e-

pitaph for his tomb, which

on

as

may be looked
an abftraft of his
religion, and is a

matter of too
great curiofity not to tranit here for the,
entertainment of our

fcribe

readers

Pro rege fape, pro

DubittSy

republic a femper>

fed non improbus, vixi

Incertus morior, nsn

perturbatus,

Humanum
Deo

eft nefcire, ct

confido)

errare.

Cbriftum adveneror

Ens entium mifcrere mei*

FOR
may

the fake of fach of our readers as

not underftand the Latin

orginal,

has been
thought
for

them

it

neceffary to tranflate it

into Englifh.

have often been for the

king, always far

my

country:

ALEX. POPE,

ESQ.

wicked
I have led a free thinking, nota
I die uncertain, but not confounded.

45
life.

the lot of humanity.

Ignorance and error are
almoft
worihip Chrift
I truft in God;

on me.
Being of beings have pity

THERE

Deifm, which we leave

be attacked by the clergy, and to be

-genuine
to

breathes in this infcription the

fpirit of

defended by thofe who incline to a more

extenfive benevolence than they feem to
allow of.

IN fpeaking of thofe with

Pope has been

mod

whom Mr

converfant,

we have

thought proper to be fomewhat particular ;

as (according to the true though trite obfervation)

from the company any .perfons

may be formed of

keep, a juft judgment

themfelves ; becaufe

we

imperceptibly

catch fomething from thofe with

whom we

live in familiarity.

MR
great

Pope was

fo peculiarly

happy in a

memory (which rarely accompanies

undemanding as he had)

fuch a ftrong

THELIFEOF,

4*

by fometimes converting upon, he

his own, all the valuable improve
ments in knowledge and tafte, which his
that

made

had acquired by ftudy and

friends

tra

velling.

THE famous Dr. Atterbury, Bifliop of

Rochefter, was another faft friend to the
tranflator of

Mr

the Iliad.

Pope

in

re

turn always retained a lively fenfe of gra

titude, and a moft fincere affe&ion for

him.

DR.

Atterbury, (the Bifhop of Roche-

being univerfally known, we

touch upon no more of it than what

fter s hiftory

(hall

relates to

Mr Pope

life),

though a vio

government after the

death of Queen Anne, he was a ftrenuous
lent

enemy

to the

advocate for the orthodoxy of the

of England, and let
proving himfelffo.

flip

church

no occafion of

AFTER

a (hort acquaintance with Mr.

he
his mind to him upon that
broke
Pope,
fubjeh But there happening to be in

company

at the

fame time

Mr Pope s mo-

ALEX. POPE,
ther, Mrs. Blount,

Mr

Eso^.

nobleman who had made

known
ther
"

his principles

they having read toge

Pope
Lord Shaftefbury s Chara&eriftics,"

"

to

The Religion

and

47

Cromwell, and a

of

Nature

delineated,"

feveral books in the caufe of free in

waved entering into any

with
the
argument
Bifliop for that time;

quiry, our author

and taking him afide, faid, that though

he (Pope) was a weak advocate for his re
ligion,

yet he was fure that

its

orthodoxy

and ftrength would furnifh him

power

to

fufficient

hazard an argument with any

heretic, with or without a mitre.

SUCH

was the freedom

fubfifting be

tween them, that thefe words gave no of

fence. That evening was fet afide for the
conference, and

the

difputants were to

imagine Dr. Swift prefent.

DR. Atterbury began

to read out of

Archbifhop Tillotfon s fermons, fome of

which he commonly had as a pocket-com
panion.

own

His reafon

for it

was, that his

fentiments were therein fo

energi-

THE LIFE OF

48

cally exprefTed,

and better than he

bly could ex tempore,

greateft

And

ftudy.

or even

pofii-

with his

he thought the ar

guments there offered fo evincing, as that

no man, endowed with fuch ftrong intel-

Mr Pope

lefts as

fent to them,

many

was, could refufe his

af-

and deny fubfcribing to the

with which popery a-

abfurdities

bounds.

AFTER
Tillotfon

on

for a

having heard the Bifhop read

arguments and comment there

long time, Mr. Pope replied, that

the Archbifhcp s cited difcourfes (which

was the title he gave them) were only
be no
reafoning, and confequently could
ftanciard

of belief;

that

the

quotations

were not quite oppofite to the point his

for that they
antagonifl: wanted to prove,

might with equal propriety

be. urged

by

Catholics to fupport their arguments.

MR

Pope

aflerted,

moreover, that with-

out casing away faith (of which Dr. Atendowed with a

terbury thought himfelf
fufficient fhaie)

no human arguments were

ALEX. POPE,
forcible

enough

Esc*.

49

to defeat the excellent te

nets believed
by the church of Rome, and
by her commanded to be implicitly believed
by all her children.

HE
more

farther

that

declared,

difficulty for a faithful

he faw no

mind

to be

lieve the

Trinity, tranfufcftantiation, mi
raculous conception, and other
myfleries
above the power of human reafon.

HE

then intreated

the Dodlor to take

into his benevolent heart the

whole of the
Chriftian fyftem, and not
niggardly content himfelf with
believing but part, ifi
difokedien ce to the
Scripture, the Romancatholic church,

and

to the

endangering

of his eternal falvation.

NAY,

fo

ftrenuous a

Romifh church was

Mr

member

of the

Pope, that he told

Dr. Atterbury with a

polite warmth, that
if it were
for
pofTible
any man to raife
the dead in
proof of any other religion
than that profefTed
by the fee of

would not change

HE

Rome, he

his belief.

then turned to the

Bimop of Ro~

THE LIFE OF

chefter,

and

you and

out naked

would

faid,

might be

ft

God

to

thtft

ripped and turned

in this cold night

(the difpute

happened in the winter-feafon) diverted of

all out property, and deprived of the means
of fub lifting, provided your Lordfhip could

be brought to think as

do.

THE Bilhop looking on Pope as quite

confirmed in his .erroneous perfuanon, re
friend of his, a
lated that conference to
not a mitred -clergyman, and
dignified but
declared that he would never fpeak to

him

more

The

Bifhop

in order to
as

it

on the
s

make

Mr Pope

him

of

religion.

zeal for the Proteftant caufe,

fo fhining a
profelyte to

would prove, made him

break his refolution

to

fubjefc

for

he not only fpoke

afterwards, but wrote -to

"him

feve*

times upon that topic.

laft epiftle written by the Bifhop

ral

THE
Mr

Pope, wherein any thing relative to

was a letter of com
religion is mentioned,

to

fort

He

on the death of

Mr Pope

father.

therein advifed a Chriftian refignatiou

ALEX. POPE,
to the will of

heaven,

moderate grief for any

Q.

im

and declared
lofs in this

world*

to be unchriftian.

BUT

the

to

the

reply

rebuking and cool

Biihop, put a total end to-

politely

felicitations of

any farther

it

to

him

in re

gard to religion j bendes, Atterbury go

ing over to the pretender s intereft foon

debarred a frequency of intercourfr.

after,

HE

has told

fon of laying

in the epilogue the rei-

us.

down

"

"

EiTays to Dr.

as f

moral?,
"

wit

"

circle

"

mits

"

gave*

Moral

long before.

have been long ago of

fyftcm is a fhort one, and

narrow. Imagination has no

that

is

may move on
cne

**

more

is

fphere

to

in

eternity

confined to truth,
like

"

pearances

4<

his

my

cc

"

Swift"

down

fays he, almoft at the end of

am,

<c

"

and he

his pen,

the true one for laying

my
my
my
li-

which you
but where

or,

to fpeak

human

creature, to the apof truth, we foon find the

fhortnefs of our

tether."

his cafe as a fatirift

This was not

the tartnefs of that

THE LIFE 6F

$2
was

lafh

too

be

to

liquorifh

cloying.

Though he was drawn out of the fphere

for a while
by fome more immediately interefting views,

turning to

it

to

continuing
cd his fteps.

THE
ed

we

yet

again in a

move

in

737>

truth of

The

time, and

little

death arreft-

it till

of

his

Letters"

refts
is

ftory

upon our author

may

poflibly

"Warburton,

friend

s life.

name.

undeniably fomewhat

which caufed a fufpicion

cunning had been ufed by him

intri

that
;

in

and the

retailed in the preface,

it

cate,

cloud

re

avowed incident which occafion-

the publication

him

(hall find

fome

but the

be blown away by Dr.

in his promifed hiftory of this

In the

mean

time,

we muft

content ourfelves with another reafon for

thefc

publifhing

letters

which confiders them

fign
"

e*

"

of his

"

tires.

"

My

this

time,

as part of the de-

Magnum

EfTay on Man,

at

opus"

or

his

Ethic Epiftles, and Sa-

opinion

is,

fays he,

there might be colle&ed from

them

that

the

ALEX. POPE,
to

fhame

human life, at
reafonable men out of

their

all

and no doubt,

the

and vices

follies

((

which

Mr

manner

in

fion of

fome of them,

"

"

lea ft

Whatever may

Curll got poflcf-

flaming in-

is a

corruption of the

ftance of the

it is

for

conduct of

the
"

53

ever was wrote

that

bed fyftem

"

ESQ.

be thought of

age."

this reafon,

certain the increafe of his purfe had

no fmall (hare

in the motives for publifh-

Familiar letters betwixt pering them.

fons of any reputation will always meet
with readers ; and the reafon of it is well
letters by Lord Boexprefled in thefe very
in a poftfcript to one of
lingbroke, who,
I feek no
Pope s to Swift, writes thus
"

"

epiftolary
"

"

((

pleafed to think that it

hereafter, that you and I

moft
ny,

"

good deal

will be

"

"

am

fame, but

lived in the
Pli-

friendly intimacy together.

continues

did

did not

Balzac,
,

and

xvrit

his Lordfliip,

letters for the public

fo

known

fo did

Voiture,
therefore

his

Seneca

&c.

-,

Tully

thefe give us

THE LIFE OF

54
44
*

4i

a
4<

4<

pleafure. We fee Cato, and Bruand

tus,
Pompey, fuch as they really
were, and not fuch as the gaping mul-

more

titude of their
or

own

hiilorians

as

fented

them

41

to

pleafure.

proceflion

at

"

age took them to be,

and poets have repreThat is another

us.

remember to have feen a

Aix la Chapelle, wherein

44

an image of Charlemagne

4t

the fhoulders of a

44

the long

4<

<c

"

4f

4<

robe of the

Follow him into the

bearer

flip

is

man, who

carried
is

imperial

veftry,

you

on

hid by
faint.

fee the

from under the robe, and the

gigantic figure dwindles into an image

of the ordinary fize, and is fet by a-

mong

remark

His LprdihipV
undeniably very juft, a^d un

other
is

lumber."

avoidably turns our eyes upon his pupil,

who is the chief perfon concerned in it.

Accordingly we find in thefe letters, not

only that he had given into fome gaieties
in

his

youth,

of that he had
before

as well as other poets, for

made public

but what was

confeifion long

at this

time particu-

A LEX. POPE,
larly interefting,

peculiar fling, in the

name

der which he fatirizes

ley

That

Montague.

Es^,

S5

thefe letters difcover the

of Sappho,

un

Lady Mary Wortpretieufe,

Mrs

Eli

zabeth Thomas, being fo called by her

keeper Mr Cromwell, to whom our au
thor

fent

following rondeau

the

communicated

IN the year 17375 he

ance

Dean

to

be

to her.

with

Mr

of

Briltol

(now
,

fell into

Dr.)

acquaint

Warburton,

who having wrote

THE LIFE

$6

commentary on the

poem was

was

It

fourth book to the

fir ft

printed

1742.

added a

which

"

Dunciad;"

feparately

But the year

that"

the inftance of

at

that our author

this friend too,

was

Man,"

1740, with the

republiflied in

commentary.

OF"

Efiay on

"

in

the year

whole-

the

after,

poem came out together, as a fpecimen o

a more correct edition of his works, which
he had then refolved to give to the pu
And he made fome progrefs in that
blic.
defign, but did not live to

THE
Pope

univerfal

appears in

is

imagined

it;

of

Mr

no part of his works more

confpicuous than his

It

compkat

benevolence

"

Univerfal

Prayer."

that he chofe the epithet

not in any fen fe of oppofias

tion,tbut that it might not be deemed
"

ugiverfal,"

an

a&

of competition with the

common

churches.
prayer ufed in proteftant

IT

is

to be obferved,

this prayer, is

praife
calls

that

Mr

Pope, in

fo fenfible of the continual

that he
arifmg from the creation,

upon

all

beings, and

all

the incenfe

L E

X.

of nature, bidding

knew

that he

So

? QP
it rife,

s Q..
57
fame time

was continually rifmg.

though he knew the.

it

the Pialmift,

works of the creation

Lord,
"

E,

at the

naming

fays,

the

Praife ye

prayer

is

free

the

tations of

were praifing the

feveral of
them,

This beautiful

Lord."

from

all

uncharitable limi

He

Romifh church.

in

deed had always been, and indeed more fo

towards the clofe of his
rate

life,

a very

mode

man.

THIS

breathes

truly Chriftian prayer

nothing throughout but peace, charity,

and humility ; is without any pomp in,
the phrafe,

voided.
for

fo

It

which here was purpofely ais an excellent performance

much, and worthy the

tention of

all

AFTER

ferious at-

icligious philosophers.

Mr. Pope had finimed

abovementioned works, he gave

his

pen,

being

able

to

bodily

little,

eyes,

by
and

Finding

his

write

ftrength

infirmities.

entirely give

way>

the
to

reafon of the weaknefs of his

other

all

reft

he began to

THE

5#

LI FE

OF

think that his

days, which had been

longed beyond

his

pro

expectation, were draw

ing to a conclufion.

HE

had

habitual

all b-is

head-ach,

now

complaint was

life

May

under which he ex

3oth, 1744, in the

year of his age.

purfuant to his

the
felf

fifty- fixth

His -body was depofited,

own requeft, in the fame

vault with thofe of his

parents,

memory he had

an-

that

hereditary
greatly increafed by a

dropfy in his breaft,

pired,

been fubjeft to

and

erefted a

to

whofe

monument, with

following infcriptian written by him-:

D. O.
Alexandra Pope,

M*

viro innocuo,

probo>

pio;.

(^ui vixit an. 75. ob. 1717.

EtEdithsecenjugi, inculpabili, pientiffimce

Quse vixit annos 93. ob. 1733.
Parentibus bene merentibus
Filius fecit.

Et

fibi,

Obiitan. 1744. statis 56.

A LE
This lad

X.

P O P

line was

E,

added

Ersq,

59

after his death,

in

the reft was

purfuance to his will
done on the death of his parents.
OUR author, fome months before his
;

death,

made

which

have already been

his will,

the

contents

of

made public

but as this folemn inftrument

feems, with
the utmoft
propriety, to claim a place in
the hiftory of his

life,

copy of

here

it is

fubjoined.
"

"

"

"

"

"

IN the name of God,

Amen.

lexander Pope of
Twickenham,
county of Middlefex, make this
will

and teftament.

A-

n the

my a ft
re%n my fou l
]

to its Creator, in all

humble hope of its

future happinels, as in the
difpofal of a

As to my
being infinitely good.
body,
will is, that it be buried
near the

my

monument
"

of

my

dear parents at

kenham, with the addition,

words flius fecit -of thefe

Twic-

after the

only, et ftbii

"

c<

"

$ui
that

obiit
it

of the

anno 17

at atis

and

be

carried to the
grave by fix
pooreft men of the
to
parifli,

THE LIFE OF

tfo
"

"

((
c<

"

ft
"

each of
coarfe

pen

cloth,

to die at

"

"

"

e<

as

any inconvenient diftance,

monument at Twickenham.
I
make
and
hereby
appoint my particular
Allen Lord Bathurft, Hugh
the Honourable

Earl of Marchmont,

William Murray, his Majefty s folicitor-general, and George Arbuthnot, of

the court of exchequer, Efq; the furvivors or furvivor of them, executors of
this

my

BUT

laft will

all

the

"

printed
t{

<c

"

"

"

"

c<

grey

If I hap-

mourning.

the

16

<c

order a fuit of

the fame be done in any other paand the infcription be added on

rifh,

friends,

"

let

"

"

whom

my
to

papers,

deceafe,

my

and teftament.
manufcript

which

I defire

noble friend,

I fliall

and unleave at

may be delivered
Henry St. John,

Lord Bolingbroke, to whofe fole care

and judgment I commit them, either
to be prefervecl or to be
deftroyed

in

cafe

he

(hall

abovefaid Earl of

who

or,

not furvive me, to the

Marchmont.

in the courfe of

my

life

Thefe,

have done

ALEX. POPE,
"

"

"

fufe

me

this laft after

them therefore
of

my

"

"

c<

"

ring them each

volumes of
of

"

"

to accept of

add

my

eleven

mus

That

to his

I leave

as a

mark

only defi-

fome fmall

library

works and

Homer, bound

the

me: That my Lord Bo-

of

lingbroke will

"take
"

this trouble,

and friendfhip

truft

"memorial
"

death

my

61

will not re-

other good offices,

"me all

**

ESQ,

in

all the

tranflations

red Morocco, and

volumes of thofe of Erafmy Lord Marchmont will

the large paper edition of

Thuanus,

by Buckley, and that

of Lord
which
Bolingbroke by Richardfon,
he
(hall prefer
That my Lord Bathurft
portrait

"

will find a place for the three ftatues of

"

the Hercules of Farnefe, the

Venus of

and the Apollo in cbiaro

ofdone by Kneller : That Mr Mur-

Medicis,
"

euro,
<f

*
"

ray will accept of the marble head of

Homer, by Bernini j and

Newton, by Guelfi and
:

"

"

of Sir Ifaac
that

buthnot will take the watch

ly wore,

Mr Ar-

common-

which the King of Sardinia

gave

THE LIFE OF

62
"

"

"

me

<{

"

"

his royal matter the Prince

"

"

"

to give

Dryden,

me.

library of printed

was

give and devife

books

to

Ralph,

Widcombe, Efq; and to

Allen
the Reverend Mr. William Warburton,
or to the furvivor of them (when thofe
of

are tabelonging to Lord Bolingbroke

Blount
Mrs.
Martha
when
ken out, and

num-

has chofen threefcore out of the

I

ber.)

"

in marble,,

Milton,, and

which

<c

"

to ac-

of Spencer,, Shake-

fpear,

my

<c

together

Mr. Lyttelton

cept of the bufts

pleafed

"

1 defire

ITEM,.

"

"

broke.

"

"

on his death-bed

with one of the pi&ures of Lord Doling-

"

*c

the late Earl of Peterborough, and

to

he to

Mr

alfo give

and bequeath

to the

the property of

all
Warburton,
as
he
fuch of my works already printed,
commenta*
write
lhall
or
hath written,

faid

ries or

notes upon, and

which

have

not otherwife difpofed of, or alienated;

and

all

the profits which (hall arife after

LE

my death

"

P OP

E,

from fuch editions

as

*3

<

be

fliall

without future alterations.

"

publifli

In cafe Ralph Allen, Efq-,

abovefaid (liall furvive me, I order my
executors to pay him the fum of one
"

<

X.

"

ITEM,

hundred and

"

the

<{

bed of

"

partly for

my

own, and

"

"

<{

"

"

"

<(

"

5<

to

from

him;

chapartly for

him

to

employ

it

in a

perfuaded he will not diflikx;,

to the benefit of the Bath hofpital.

way,

"

being,

If he refufe to take this

himfelf, I defire
"

received

have

ufes.

ritable

pounds,

calculation, the accompt

my

of what I
"

fifty

am

GIVE and

devife

to

my

fifber-

Magdalen Racket, the

fum of three hundred pounds ; and
in-law,

Mrs.

Henry, and Robert Racket,

I alfo reone hundred pounds each.
all
leafe and give to her
my right and

to her fons,

intereft in

and upon a bond of five hunme from her fon

dred pounds, due to

Michael.

I alfo

pilures of

my

give her the family-

father,

and the diamond-ring

mother, and aunts,

my mother

wore*

THE LIFE OF

64
"

"

mus Lewis,
Rotterell,

"

*c

*"

*c
<5

"

"

"

"

me
who has

memorial of
Searl,

to

the

out in a

pounds, to be laid
;

Natha-

and

Anne

Mrs.

fum

of five

ring, or

to

my

faithfully

any

fervant,

and ably

me many

years, I give and devife- the fiim of one hundred pounds,

over arid above a year s wages to him-

ferved

felf

and

his wife

the

and to the poor of

of

Twickenham, twenty
parifli
pounds, to be divided among them by
tlue faid
John Searl: And it is my

paunds
"

John Searl die before

the faid fum of one hundred

the faid

me, that

<f

"

each

to

Arbuthnot,

John

give to Eraf-

-Rollinfon,

Hook, Efquires, and

niel

-will, if
"

Gilbert Weft, Sir Clement

William

<

"

and her golden-watch.

go, to his

ITEM,

wife or children.

give and

Martha Blount,

devife

to

of Welbeck-ftreet,

late

f(

Kavendim

ct

iand pounds immediaiely after

* r

ceafe

-".grotto,

fquare, the

and

nil

.urns. in

the

my

Mrs.

fum

of one thou-

furniture

garden,

my

de-

of

my

houfebcld-

ALEX. POPE,
chattels,

goods,
*c

<c

4f
"

"

"

"

not

is

my

will,

u
*

that

my

tors, the furvivors or

is

my

in this

to the faid

Mrs.

furvivor of them,
all

my

eftate,

or bonds, &c. and, after paying

debts and legacies, (hall

my
all

execu-

abovefaid

mall take an account of

money,
"

difpofed of

and devife

65

whatever

Martha Blount, out of a (incere regard,

and long friendfhip for her.
And it

"

"

plate,

otherwife

will, I give

Eso.
or

"

the reiidue

ther fecurities,

judgment

"

place out

upon -government, or

o-

according to their beft

and pay the produce thereto the faid Mrs. Martha

of, half-yearly,
"

during her natural life:

Blount,
"

after

"

thoufand

"

*<

"

"

"

"

"

her deceafe, I give the

pounds

to

Mrs.

fum

and

of one

Magdalen

Racket, and her fons, Robert, Henry,

and John, to be divided equally among

them, or to the furvivors or furvivor of

them

and

after the deceafe of the faid

Mrs. Martha Blount, I give the fum of

two hundred pounds to the abovefaid
Gilbert

Weft; two hundred

to

Mr.

THE

66

LIFE,

George Arbuthnot

<(

Mrs.

his fifter,

<{

one hundred

"

((

Searl

to

&c.

two hundred

Anne Arbuthnot
to

my

to

and

John

fervant,

which foever of thefe

ihall

be then living
And all the refidue
and remainder to be confidered as un-

<c

<r

difpofed of, and go to

"

"

THIS

is

my

next of kin.

my laft will and teftaraent,

my own hand, and fealed

written with

"

*{

day of December, in the year of our Lord, one

thoufand feven hundred and forty three-

with

"

"

my

this twelfth

feal,

POPE.

"ALEX.
**

Signed, fealed, and declared

"

by the Teftator, as his

will and teftament,
"

laft

in

prefence of us,
"

<4

Radnor.
Stephen Hales, minifter of
"

<{

Teddington.
Spence,

Jofeph
of hiftory
"

verfity of

in

profeflbr

the

Oxford,"

Uni-

A N

ESSAY

MAN.

on

EPISTLE
leave
AWAKE,

O my

St.

I.

JOHN, and

the things of this

world to thofe who are pleafed with
all

meaner

objects, or

even to fuch as

are the pride of

kings.

And

iince

can fupply us with little

more than juft to look about us, and
this life

E S S

A Y O N M A N.

then to die, let us freely expatiate

over all this fcene of man ; I muft
allow

it

to be a

mighty maze, but

yet you will find it, upon proper ex

amination, to be formed on a moft
exact plan. It is either a wildernefs,
where flowers and weeds grow proinifcuoufly together, or elfe it is a
garden, filled with delicious fruit, to

tempt us from GOD.

fore beat this

and
it
is

fee if

ample

we can

Let us there
field

find out

together,

both what

openly clifcovers to us, and what

hid under its moft fecret coverts;

let

us traverfe

all

its

latent

tracts,-

and explore all its giddy heights;

kt us eye Nature in all her walks,

and moot every

folly as it flies;

and

catch all the living manners of the

before us, wherever
age, as they rife

we

can

let

us be candid, and laugh

ESSAY

O N M A N.

at inch follies as

ver

with

to

o
all

mankind,

all

IN the

I.

cannot pafs
but, above

us vindicate the ways of

let

things,

GOD

filence

we

fir ft

place, then,

we

can

reafon nothing either of God above,

of man below, but
agreeable to
the Nation he
has placed us in

.or

here

and therefore

fon from

we

can only rea

it,
it, and by this
means draw a proper conclufion from
our obfervations on it. For
though

GOD

be

or refer to

known through unnumber

ed worlds,

him only
that can

us as
this,

we

it is

in

our own.

tell

are

but he,

our bufinefs to trace

It is

only he

why Heaven has made

none can account for

who can

pierce through
the vail immenfity, and fee worlds

on worlds compofe one univerfe, and

obferve

how one

fyflem runs into

2

-S

AY ON

another, and

what the

that circle other circles

N.

planets are
;

and what

the different kinds of beings who in

habit every itar. But the
pervading
ibul may look through the juft
gra
dations, the nice dependencies, ftrong

commotions, the bearing and ties

that one point has upon another,

and

fo

form

ar

proper judgment of

the whole.
Is therefore the great chain, that

draws every thing together,

makes them

GOD

ipported by

O prefumptuous man
find out the reafon,

has formed thee fo weak,

blind

and

or thyfelf ?

II.

thou

to agree,

couldft

why GOD
little

Firft 4earn the reafon

and

why

he did not make thee fmaller, weak

er, and blinder tharr thou art. A(k
thv mother earth,

why

the oaks are

AY ON MA

K S S

made

N.

humble ihrubs
Or nuke enqui

larger than the

they ovcrihadow
ry of yonder argent
?.

why JOVE

Satellites

fields

are

above,

lets

than

JOVE himfelf?

FOR

if it is

infinite

where

con feft that

it

requires

wifdom to formfuch

a fyftem,

all

muft be

full

and not inco

herent, and every thing that rifes

muft rife in due degree; then, ac

cording to this
is

plain, to

of reafoning, it
the fyftern of life

fcale

make

compleat, there muft befuch a thing

as man: and therefore let us wran
gle as long as

we

will, it

can amount

no more than whether GOD has

placed him right or wrong.
to

FOR whatever we
is

as

pofliblemay, nay
it

man

it

call

whole hu

human works,

In

it

muft, be right,

bears a relation to the

fpecies.

wrong,

E S S

AY ON

MA

1ST.

though carried on with pain and

and labour, a thoufand movements
fcarcely
in

GOD

anfwer one purpofe; but

S, one (ingle purpofe not on

ly produces

end, but alfo ferves

its

fome fecondary purpofe.

So man,
he
now
feems
the
who, though
prin
cipal acfcor alone, yet perhaps

he

may

be only a fecondary caufe in fome

unknown fphere, either touches

fome wheel, or verges

for

we

can only

now

to

fome goal

perceive a part

of the fyftem, and not the whole of

it.

THUS when

know

the proud horfe mail,

the reafon

why

his

m after

pulls in his reins, and retrains him,

or why with a fiery courfe he drives

him over the plains; or when the

dull ox mail know the reafon .whyhe breaks the clod, or why he is made

E
life

SAY ON MAN,

of as a victim in the facrifice, or

why

worfhippedin EGYPT

then

(hall

man

as a

God

dullnefs and pride

comprehend the ufe and end of

his

being, with all its actions and paflions y why he this moment fufferspain,

and the next

checked and

is

impelled; why lie is

flave, the next a deity.

this,

hour

not fay that man s im

perfections is the fault of Heaven,
but rather fay that he is as perfect

THEN do

he ought to be his knowledge is

meafured to his ftate, and the place
as

he

lives in

his time

being only a,
moment, and his fpace only a finglu
And if it be only to be per
point.
fect in the

fphere he walks in,

it is

no matter whether it befooner or

ter,

whether

it

la

be here, or in the

next world, For thole

who are really

SAY ON MAN.

E S

8
bleft

to-day are as compleatly blef-

fed as thofe

who were

fo a

thcufand

years ago.

HEAVEN

III.

from

Fate

all

book of
but fpirits
from

bides

tlie

the brute creation as well as we.

If it

were not

fo,

no one could

fufter

being here below: for the very lamb

that thy riot orders to bleed to-day*,
had he any of the reafon thou haft,

he would not fkip and play; he

crops his flowery food to the very
laft,
is

and

licks the

very hand that

raifed to fhed his blood.

ly

this

is

nefs, that

Certain

an

we

unfpeakable Itappi*
fhould be blind to fu

turity ; that every man may fill up

in a proper manner the circle thati^
fet for

fees

him by HEAVEN

with an equal eye, the

for

GOD

falling of

a fparrow, or the perifhing of a he-

S-SAY O N MAN.

both atoms and fyftems hurled

into ruin
and beholds with equal
ro

con-pofure the burfting of a bubble,

as the burfting of a world.
%

THEREFORE adore GOD, and ever

with trembling pinions

foar.

humbly

eternity, and
hoping
with patience wait the great traitor
DEATH, whofhall put the good man

for a blefled

in porTeflion of a blefled immortality.

not proper that he mould

us know now what blifs he has

For
let

it is

deiigned for us

man

but gives the good

hope to bear up his

now.
fpirits
Hope is eternally fpringa joyful

ing in the

human

heart

therefore

man excels

only that he may be bleft :

for the foul being confined and uneafy at

home, can only expatiate and,

world to come.

reft in a

Lc! the poor INDIAN,

thcuga

S 8

io
his

A Y O N

M A. N.

mind be untutored,

GOD

yet he
in the clouds, and hears him in

the winds

fees>

and though proud

fai

ence never taught his foul to ftray

fo far as the folar

walk or the milky

Nature has givenhim this hope of a humbler heaven

fome fafer world, embraced with
\vay, yet fimple

;.

deeper woods

or fome happier

iland, fituate in the

where even
behold

flaves

their

there are no

native
devils, to

no CHRISTIANS
For

this

watry

fliall

i-

waftc;.

once more

land,

where

torment, and

to third for gold.

contentment cf hope

is

pla

ced in him by the GOD of NATURE ;

he is not beholden to the wings of
an angel, or the fire of a feraph for
it,

but expects to be admitted to that

equal happinefs, where his faithful

dog fliall bear him company.

ESSAY ON MAN.
Go

IV.
fer,

then, thou

who

art wi-

in thy fcale of fenfe

and weigh

thy mighty opinion, and arguments

againft Providence ; and call imper
fections whatever thou fancieil to be
fo:

thou mayeil fay, Here he has

given too

there

little,

too

and after thou hail destroyed

much;
all

crea

or guft, thou

tures for thy fport

thou art unhappy, call

GOD unjuil; if man is not made per
fect in this world, he mall be immor

mayefl,

tal in

if

the next. If thou doft not be

lieve this, thenfnatch the balance

the rod
juftice,

from

hand, rejudge his

and even be the GOD of GOD.

All our error

lies

reafoning pride

every one quits

ruflies

and

his

into

aims at the

in pride,

and by

his

own

the ikies.
bleft

abodes,

this

nay in
means

fphere, and

Pride

ftill

men would*

SAY ON MAN.

E S

ia

be Angels, Angels would be GODS,

for if Angels fell by afphiag to be

GODS,

men

fo

who

when they

rebel

pire to be Angels;

af-

and every one

wifhes to invert the laws of or

der, fins againft the Eternal Caufe of

all order.

V.

THOU

what end

mayeft as well

it is

aflc,

for

the heavenly bodies

life the earth was

thine and for whofe

made?
"

fays,

Why

was

It

that kind

man
for me

the pride of every

for mine;

it is

NATURE wakes

her great

every herb, and

out
ipreads
every flower; it is annu
ally for me that the grape renews

power,

its

fuckles

neccarious tafte, and the rofe

balmy fragrance, and healing

ties

it is

for

a thoufand

me that the mines

treafures,

ufe that health gullies

its

quali

bring

and for rny

from a them-

MAN

E3S AY ON
fand fprings

me

the feas roll to waft

forne good,

light

my

rj

and the fun

footftcps

rny footftool, and the ikies

rifes to
is

made

my

cano-

the earth

py."

BUT

does not

this gracious

NATURE
when

end,
fun fo intenfely hot
plague,
pefts

it

err from
makes the

as to

breed a

when earthquakes and tem-

fweep not only towns, but

whole nations into the deep ?

ply.

No;

ral laws,

for

NATURE

and not by

acts

re

by gene

partial

ones;

the exceptions to this are but

very
few and trifling, iince the

of the world; and

if

beginning
was no

there

thing created perfect at firft, ihoukl

it be a wonder that man was not?
for NATURE deviates, if the great

be

human

happinefs

end

and may

as

well expect eternal fpringand cloud-

ON

E S SAY

14

lefs ikies, as

for

man

M A N,

to be ever wife,

If
temperate, or calm.
plagues or
earthquakes do not break the defign

of HEAVEN,

why

then the confpi-

CATILINE or a BORGIA?
FOR who knows but his hand who

racies of a

who wings the

old Ocean, may

forms the lightning,

ftorm, and heaves

pour

fierce

ambition into the hand

young AMMON loofe to fcourge mankind ?

Our very reafoning proceeds from

of CAESAR, or

may

turn

We ac
nothing but from pride.
count for moral things in the fame
manner we do

We
the

for

natural things.

foolifhly charge
firft,

and

in

the

HEAVEN with
laft we
acquit

but the only way of proving

our reafoning to be right, would be

it;

to fubmit to both.

ESSAY Q N M A N.

PERHAPS it may appear to us,

that there was nothing in this world
but

all

harmony and

both the

air

wind

the

any

virtue; that

and the ocean never

and

was

and

dif-

paflion at all to ruilie

compofe the mind.. But

fubfifts

by the

felt

that there never

ftrife

as

NATU RE

of the elements

our paffions are the very elements

which fupport our life. For NA
fo

TURE

has always kept the fame ge

neral order in man, iince the be

ginning of the world. *

VI.
this

Now

man

be

therefore

When

what would
he looks up

ward, though HEAVEN has made

him but a little lefs than the angels,
he flill would be more and when
-fct
:

he looks downward, he

much
caufe

is

ilill

as

grieved and
has not given him the

difcontented, be-

GOD

E S S

A Y O N M A N.

fame ftrength that a bull has, and,

the fame furred cloatlis that the

But

bear has.

as all creatures

were

made for the ufe of man,

they would be of none to him,
originally

had he the

qualifications

one of them centered in

of every
his

own

perfon: for NATURE has been kind

to all the animal creation, without

any manner of profusion me has affigned every one of tk*m proper

;

powers, and proper organs j and every feeming want of courfe is compenfated

to

one kind

has given
without ftrength, to o-

fwiftnefs,

thers great force

ry thing

is

and ftrength

eve

in exact proportion, fo

that they need

no addition

different qualifications,

any

me

neceffity

for

thing from them.

nor

to their
is

there,

the taking

Every

beaft,

any
and

ESSAY ON MAN.

17

its own na
every infecl, is happy in
ture has heaven been only unkind
to man ? And fliall he, who is the
:

only one of the rational creation,

Be pleafcd with nothing that GOD
has given him, becaufe he has not
cre
all the
qualifications of the brute
ation centered in himfelf

THE only blifs that was defigned

for human kind, (if pride could find
that blefling)

was not

to act or

think above the powers that

had given them, and not to be

to

GOD
defi-

rous of any other perfection, but

what both his nature, and the ftatc.

of his condition here below could

bear.

THE

plain reafon that

man

has

not a microfcopic eye, is, becaufe he

is not a
for of what ufe w ould
fly
r

it

be to him,

if

he had

finer optics,.

E S 3

AY O

to drfcern a mite,

N"

when

tf.

at the

fame

time he could not comprehend Hea

ven ? Or if he was tremblingly alive all over,

he would fmart and

a-

at the flighteft

at

gonize
every pore
touch or if his fmell was
:

quick, as to dart eiHuvia

fo

very

through

his

brain, the fragrant fmell of a rofe

might make him die in aromatic pain;

NATURE was to thunder in his o~

if

pgn years, and lain him with the

mufic of the fpheres, he would ra
ther wifli that

Heaven had made him

content with the purling

the whifpering zephyr.

and

rill,

But

e-

very thinking perfon will always

find, that Providence is as good in

what

it

VII.

denies, as in

ONLY

what

it

gives.

obferve, as far as the

ample range of creation extends, the

mental powers afcend over the

fen>

S S

AY O N M AN.

Mark how

fua>.

imperial race

it

mounts

what

to

different

19

man

modes

of fight there are from the green my

riads, who have their habitation in
the grafs:
are

What modes

of fight there

between the dim curtain of the

male, and the beam of the lynx: what

difference there

is

between the faga-

cious fmell of the hound,

who

is

fen-

of the lead taint upon the grafs

the hare has run over, and the headfible

me

ong Honefs, who, when

goes out

in fearch of her prey in the night,

fets

up a hideous

ft en-s

to the noife

and then

roar,

made by

in their flight, purfuing

ear,

and not by

the fmell

in

the floods,

fon of the birds,

vernal

groves

who

the beafts

them by the
what quick-

have the

nefs of hearing

abound

li

iiihes,

that

in compari-

warble in the

How

exquilitely

ES

20
iine is

AY o N MAN.

the fpider

at every thread,

along the line

fenfe

more

toirch, that feels

and

lives as

it

climbs

Can there be any

true than that of

fiijbtly

the nice bee, which ex-tracts the heal

dew from every poifonous herb ?

Mark hew inftincl varies in the gro
velling fwine, when compared with

ing

the elephant^ what a nice barrier is

there between that and reafon, which,

be for qver fepanotwithftanding

rate, yet it is for ever near. How n earit

is

remembrance and

to each other, and

reflexion allied

what

thin partiti

ons divide fenfe from thought! and

notwithflanding that middle natures
frequently long to join one another,
yet they never pafs the infuperable
line;

neither could they be one fub-

jected to another, without this juil*

gradation.

But

all

thofe

different

"IE

SA Y O N M AN.

21

powers are fubdued by thee alone; for

thy reafon is the fame to thee, as if thott
\vaftpoflefTed of
VIII.
air,

all

thefe powers.

OBSERVE how through

the ocean, and the earth,

the

they

quick of matter, and burft in

to birth.
For we know not how
are

all

high progreffive life may go, how

wide it extends itfelf, and how deep
it
may defcend below. All this vaft
chain of beings, whether ethereal as
angels, or human as men, they all had
their beginning

from GOD

beafts,

birds, fifties, even what no eye can

fee, nor glafs can reach from infinite
to thee, and from thee to nothing.
;

Th ere is nothing in the whole creation

but

is

of ufe to another

they are

all

linked together by one chain, and if

one link were broke, the fcale would

bedifcharged,thc fame as if ten thoufand ihared the fame fate,

ESSAY ON MA N.

2a
IF

each fyftem

rolls

in a

proper

gradation, and every part of

it

is

equally efiential to the amazing whole;

if the leaft confufion were to happen

one part, not the fyftem only, but

the whole muft fall j for if the earth,
in

being .properly balanced-, fhoiild

her orbit, both funs and pla
fly from
riot

would run

nets

lawlefs

through the

the fey ; then ruling Angels would

be hurled from their fpheres, one

wrecked upon another; the whole

centre of the foundations of Heaven

would nod, and every thing of nature

would tremble but God s throne.

And mud

this

dread order of Nature

be broke for thee

what madnefs,
here

pride,

vile

worm Oh
!

and impiety

is

IX.

WHAT if the foot, which was or

dained to tread the dull, or the hand.

ESSAY

MAN.

Ott

which was ordained

to

afpire to be the head?

toil,

23

was

What

if

to

the

head, the eye, or the ear, fhould refufe to be employed as engines to the
It is juft as abfurd
all-ruling mind?
for one part to claim a right to be a-

nother in this general frame; and

it is

no

lefs

to

mourn

it

the tafks Pro

vidence lays upon us, or the pains the

great directing Mir>d of All ordains.

ALL

are but parts of this ftupen-

dous body of Nature, and GOD is the

foul of it and though it be changed
;

through

all,

it is

yet

the fame in

as great in the earth, as it

ethereal frame

it

is

is

all;

in the

he that warms

us in the fun, and refrefhes us in the

breeze ; he lives through all life and
;

extends through
for ever unfpent

in our fouls,

all
;

extent

yet he

is

he both breathes

and likewife informs our

24

E S S

mortal part

ON MAN.

AY
;

he

is

is in

and

as per

tne heart

and perfect in man, who

conftantly murmuring and repin

and
is

as full

he

fect in a hair, as
as full

ing, as he is in the rapt feraph, that

burns with holy adoration.

There

nothing too high or too low, too

great or too linall for he bounds,

is

fills,

and connects

all.

X. CEASE then, and call not Or

der imperfection for our proper blifs
;

depends on what we blame.

then thy

own point in

and degree, for

llows on thee

it is

this

Know

proper kind
Heaven that be
its

blindnefs

and

weaknefs; therefore lubmit in every

al
fphere thou art placed in, being
ways fecure of this, that thou {halt

have

as

much bleffednefs

as

thou canft

bear: thou art fafe in the

that difpofing

hand of

Power, both

in

thy

ES

AY

O N MAN.

25

into the world, and thy go

out
of it ; for all nature ^is no
ing
more than art, which is unknown to

coming

thee^ though all is chance, yet it is

guided by a direction which thou canft
not fee and though it may feem all
;

difcord, yet if thou couldft fee

it,

wouldft perceive

harmo

ny

yet

for
it

though

is

is a

to be

all

be apparent

a univerfal

fpite of pride,

is

it

it

good

clear truth, that,

evil,

and, in

and erring reafon,

RIGHT.

thou

this

WHATEVER

is

EPISTLE
1

I.

Ndeavour

"IT

P^~i

JL-J

to

IL

therefore,

man,

know thyfelf, and prefume

not to fcan the deep defigns of

PRO

VIDENCE. The only fcience man was

fent into the world for was to learn,
to

know

himfelf

for,

according

GOD

has placed him in,

he may, by making a proper ufe of
to the order

his reafon, arife to fo much

as to
tic,

and by

this

means

fave

He

a rloic.

becoming
whether to deem himfelf
bead
he

knowledge,

hinder him from being a fcep-

as

may

he knows he

is

is

in

doubt

GOD

born to

err in his reafonj

him from
or a
die,

the pro-

E 8 3

28

A Y O N MAN,

per epitome of

it

being fo very nar

row, that he is frequently in doubt

whether to prefer the foul to the bo
dy, or the body to the foul; and as
is liable to err, he concludes that

he

it is

as well for

toolitde, as too

the only
is,

to think

and know

much; and

therefore

him

wifdom he ought to purchafe

whatever

may

improvement of

yond

this,

a prey to
lefs

jeft,

we

his ilatlon in this

Whenever he goes

world.

Lord of

be ufeful for the

all

all,

errors

be

though he be the great

things, yet he becomes
being involved in endhe becomes the glory,

and riddle of the world: for

figh in

vain for

more

perfec

tion than our ilate can bear.

HEAVEN, which is
pofals, that made us

It is

wife in all its dif-

modeft ape might

as

we

are

as well

aim

for
at

ESSAY

N MAN.

being a man, as he fees and

well as you and I do; and

more

fo me thing

be

than

him

ridiculous in

it

is

an angel,

above

man

for

29

feels as
it is

no

at

aiming to

his

capacity,

aim

to

at being
cannot fee,

whmn we

and whofc nature and property we

know nothing about for obferve

how near the monkey comes up to
what human
the human race
:

tricks he has

face

and what

Pug might

call

the

rifible

Gods un

kind, becaufe, though he has fooften endeavoured to walk on two

and has fuch ardent longings

for a mind, yet he has not been

legs,

fet

upright,

mind.
reafoner,

and married to

He may go
and

his

mighty

affume the doctor

chain, be as fevere as
as

as

SENECA, and

deep in his reafoning as

3

PLATO,

ESSAY

30

MAN may

MAN.

ONT

meafure the

as well

earth, weigh the air, or put bounds

to the fea; inftrucl the planets what
orbs they are to run in, regulate

the fun, and correct old Time, and

with PLATO foar to the imperial

Good, and the

fphere, to the Firfl

moil perfect of all beings; or he

may tread the fame mazy road that
followers

his

trod,

and imagine,

when they

give up their natu

ral fenfe, they imitate GOD ; as ths
eaftern priefls turn their heads in
that

giddy

imagining

circles,

thereby

Or he
that they imitate the fun.
may as well teaeh Eternal Wifdoin

how

to

rule,

and then drop into

himfelf, and be a fool.

THE

fuperior beings,

they faw

mortal

ing to unfold

all

when

lately

man endeavour

the laws of nature^

ES SA Y O N MAN.
admired that there was

wifdom

treafured

ib

31

much

in an earthly

up

fhape; and therefore they made a

joke of NEWTON, as we do of an
ape.

COULD

he,

net where to
gle

who
roll,

movement

or account

taught each pla^

defcribe one fin-

of

who

own mind?

his

was that made

it

each point to rife, or to defcend?

or explain from what his own na
ture began, or what would be the
end of it ? alas! what, a wonder is
it,

that

man, who

from

art to art, yet,

his reafon

weaves,

his paffions!

thy guide,
Science

let

blefled

is

fuperior parts, fo that

whatever web
is

undone by

Modefty then be

when thou wouldft

ftrip

with

he can climb

her of

all

trace

the equi

page of Pride, deduct every thing

ESSAY ON MAN.

3*

from the luxury of Learning, which

is but
Vanity and Drefs, and ferve
only as tricks to ihew the ftretch
of the human brain, being no more
than mere curious pleafure or inge
nious pain
therefore either ex
;.

punge the whole,

crefcent parts of

or lop off the ex-

the

all

arts

which

our vices have created, and then

you

how

will fee

there has

little

been, which

true merit

has ferved

the paft time of life, and what

remains, to ferve the time that is to
all

come.
II.

FOR

there are

that always reign in

viz. felf-love, to

two

principles

human

nature,

urge us to purfue

every thing that is good, and reafon, to reftrain us from every thing
that

is

evil

and each of thofe

works move towards

its

proper end,

ON MAN.

ES SAY

in governing every

we muft
that

is

33

one of us, and

always afcribe every thing

good

to the right

governing
of our paflions, and every thing that
is evil, by not
ruling them accord
ing to the di&ates of right reafon.
SELF-LOVE is always the fpring of

motion that actuates the

foul,

but

it muft be reafon that muft give the

Man could
balance to the whole.

not attend to any action, were it not

for this, and if it were not for
this,

man would

any

fufficient

be active without

end

like a plant that

juft

particular

fpot,

he would be
is

fixed to a

from whence

he

ihould draw nutrition, to propagate

his fpecies, and then rot; or, like
the lawlefs flame of a meteor,

which

runs through every void, deftroying

all

before

it,

till it is

deftroyed

34

E S

by

itfelf.

SAY

MAN.

GIST

The moving

requires our

ftrength

principle

to

prompt,,

impel, and infpire it with activity

but it muft be ruled byreafon alone,

which muft be fedate and quiet, as it

is formed to alleviate and ad vile us,
and to be a check upon our other
Self-love

pailions.

acts

ftronger,

according as it fees the object of its

wiihes nigh at hand; but Reafoa
fits at a diftance,
and views the
of

future

confequences

whereas

felf-love is actuated

things

only by
the fenfe of a prefent good.
For
let us be as watchful as ever we
will,

temptations throng fafter awe can furnrnon up

bout us than

Reafon
arguments againft them,
mail always therefore be upon its
guard, to fufpend the force of the
temptation

and, by a clofe atten-,

ES SAY
it

tion,

ON MAN.

35

ha

will acquire a ftronger

and more experience, and

bit,

reafon will be fo

much

ed, as to reftrain the

love.

his

ftrengthenof felf-

fallies

Let fubtle fchoolrnen,

who

ftudious to di
generally are more
vide than unite mankind j and

Grace, Virtue, Senfe, and Reafon,

with all the ralh dexterity of wit,
fplit.

Wits

are juft like fools, fre

at war about a
name,

quently

which often has the fame meaning,

and fometimes no meaning at all.
and Reafon both

Self-love

one end

for pain

is

and pleafure the

Self-love

is

afpire at

the averfion,

deiire

of both.

greedy to devour

its

ob

and to tafte the honey, with

ject,
out wounding the flower of Rea
both pleafure and pain, if we
are either:
rightly underflood them,
fon

YON

ESS A

36

our greateft

evil,

MAN.

or our greatefi

good.
III.

WE

more than
iove, as
real

may call the paflions no

fo many modes of felf-

it is

good,

but linee

or a

either a feeming,

that

moves them

we cannot

good thing amongft

all ~

divide every

others, Reafon

bids us provide for ourielvesj

and

though our pafiions be

yet

when

they are

ends,

and

felfifli,

for proper

employed
under the banner

lifted

they tend to exalt na

ture to the practice of every virtue.
of Reafon,

STOICS
conlifts

paflion,

in

may
a

and an

boaft that virtue

freedom from every

infenfibility to

every

pain, and therefore their virtue is

contracted, and retires to their own
breaft,

and

were frozen

is
:

fixed there, as if

it

but ftrength of mind

ESSAY ON MAN.
exercife,

is

and not

reft

37

for the

the foul into ac

rifmg temped puts
tion,

and though

a ravage

upon

ierves the

in

,a

ocean of

life,

it

As we

whole.

different

may commit

it

a part, yet

manner on
Ileafon

ail

prefail

the vail

mud

be the

card by which we muft freer, but

Paffion muft be the gale to waft us
for we do not find
it ;

through

GOD

always in the

dill

calm, he

fometimes mounts the ftorm, and

walks upon the wind.

TH E paffions are like the elements,

to fight, yet
though they are born
when they are mixed, and foftened,
unite together in good works
:

they

it is

enough

for us only to

and employ them

temper

for whatever

man.
compofes, can likewife deflroy
Let

it fuffice

then, that Ileafon fub-

ESSAY ON MAN.

3S

and compounds them in fuch

a manner, as to follow the road of
Nature, which is the law of GOD.

jecls

For

all

the

train

of fair-foiling

Love, Hope and Joy,

when mixed with Hate, Fear, and
Pleafure,

which are the family of

Pain, make and maintain an equal
Grief,

balance in the

mind

thefe,

like

and fhades in painting, give all

the ftrength and colour to our life.

lights

WE

in

always have pleafure either

our hands or our eyes, and when

they ceafe in the action, they rife in

It is the whole em
the profpecl.

ployment of the body and the mind

to grafp at the prefent, or to hope for

the

future;

thofe are continually

fpreading all their charms, though

they do not charm every one alike;
for different fenfes ftrike

more force-

ESSAY ON MAN.
ably on

39

one paiTion than another,

and therefore, agreeable to the weakof the organ on which

nefs or
ftrength

they

ftrike.

Every man has

a MAS

TER PASSION in his breaft, which,

like AARON S ferpent, fwallows up
all

the other paffions.

As Man, perhaps the very firft

moment that he breathes, imbibes
the lurking principle, which

grows

it at
length
up with him in life, till
of
difeafe
fubdues him, fo it is the

the mind, that the RULING PASSION

feeds the whole of every vital hu

mind opens, and

whateverwarms
fpreadsits functions,

mour;

for as the

the heart, or

fills

the head, imagina

tion employs her dangerous art in

it conftantly on the peccant

pouring
part.

NATURE

being

its

mother, and

40

E S S AY O N

Habit

its

M A N.

nurfe, Wit, Spirit, and Fa

culties only tend to

make

it

worfe

for Reafon itfelf gives it only more

power and edge, as the fun, thebleii

beam of heaven, makes vinegar more

four.

WE

only are wretched fubjeds,

though it be to the lawful fway of
this weak queen; and if me does not
lend us arms, as well as rules, me
tells us in facl that we are no more

than

fools.

She teaches us only to

mourn our nature, but not

it

though me be

but a helplefs friend

from

fuade us to
tify it

when

a pleader,

make a choice,
it is

mend

fharp^accufer,
me turns
;

me is

judge to

to

to per-

or tojuf-

made, being

all a-

long proud of an eafy conqueft. She

only removes the weaker paffions,
that the ftronger may take place i

SSAY

ON

fame manner

in the

M AN.

41

when

fmall

as

pains and humours turn into a gout,

the do&or imagines that he has dri
ven them out of the body.

YES, the road of Nature muft ever be preferred; for Reafon is ftill
be no guide ; and
hers to rectify, and not over

a guard,
it

is

though

it

throw, and to treat

this paflion

more

like a friend than like a foe.

It is

a mightier

power that fends this

flong direction, and impels feveral

men

to

feveral ends: Juft like the

by their paffions,
conflantly drives them to a cer

varying winds, to
this

Whether

tain coaft.

gold, glory,
or the love of

knowledge, power,
eafe, pleafe, every one follows

his

dar

though at the expence

for the merchant ia his

ling paflion,

of his

life fc

toiling finds reafoa

on his

fide, in

the

ESSAYONMA N.

4*

fame manner

do the pride of the

hero, the indolence of the fage, and
as

the humility of the

THE
from

eternal art of educing

evif^grafts on

beft principle

cury of

monk.

man

it is

is

good
our

this paflion

thus that the

fixed,

grows flrong, which

Mer

and the virtue

mixed with

is

by this means the

drofs cements, what elfe would be
too refined, and fo the body and
his nature;

for

mind a& together in one intereft.

As fruits, which are ungrateful
to the planter for

all

his care,

by
ingrafting them on ftocks which

his

are

foreign, he learns them to bear;

thus the fureft and moft fubftantial

virtuesihootfrom thepaffions, when

the vigour of wild nature works at

Only obfeive
what crops of wit and honeftypro-.
the root of them.

SAY O N M AN.

43

reed from fpleen, obftinacy, hatred,

and

how

anger and forti

tude fupply the want of zeal, ava
rice, prudence, floth, and philofophy ;
fear

fee

luft,

when

fome

certain

it

refined

is

drainers,

is

through
no more

than gentle love, and pleafes

mankind and envy, which

;

the

in

all

is

wo

a {lave

no more

ignoble mind,
than imitation in the learned or
is

brave; and there

is

no virtue that

we

can mention, but what will

ther grow on pride or flume.

BUT
on our

ei :

always be a check up
pride, that Nature gives us
let it

only that which

our vices

is

neareft allied to

it is therefore the
byas
of nature, that muft produce good
from evil; for NERO, if he would,
:

might have reigned as

as TITUS.
The ery

illuftrioufly

foul,

which

ES S

44

A Y O N M A N.

was abhorred in a CATILINE, charm,

ed in DECIUS, and was divine in
CUR/TIUS

the

fame ambition can

either deftroy or fave,

patriot as well as

IT
the

is

makes

a knave.

GOD

the

therefore

mind

and

it

and make a
within

that mirft divide this light

darknefs>

which

Extremes

within us.

are joined
in
nature

produce equal ends in man, and

join together for fome myflerious-

and though each by turns in

vade the other s bounds, yet they
life

often

mix

as

well -wrought

in

the lights and the fhades

off each other, fo where thofe

pictures,
fet

mixed, it is very difficult to obferve where Virtue ends, or Vice

are

begins.

THEY
notion,

are fools,

that

who

there

is

fall

into the

neither Vice

ESSAY ON MAN.
nor Virtue.

45

the fame as if

It is

you would blend black and white a

thoufand different ways, fo that the
colour could net be eafily difcerned ; yet this will never make it ap
neither black nor

pear that there

is

white

you

fult

for if

your own

only con-

you

heart,

fo plain

is

nothing

will

will find

thofe that think

otherwife, take a deal of time

pains to

work

belief of

it.

VICE

is

and

themfelves into the

monfter of

fo frightful

mien, that it requires no more

than a perfect fight of it to make it

hated.

Yet

if

we

fee it too often,

we become

familiar with her face 5

and by

means w e

this

the fight, then pity

whom

it

at laft

embrace

appears
it

firft

endure

the perfon in

and frequently
But

ourfelves.

ESS AY ON MAN.

46

we

never are agreed about the ex

tremes of vice. The fame, as when

you

where

afk,

are told at

TWEED

is

the North

YORK, that

when

it is

you

on the

there, they tell

you

in

SCOTLAND; there, in the

ORCADES, GREENLAND, ZEMBLA,
or the Lord knows where.
So no
creature owns vice in its firft de
it

is

gree,

but

farther

ftill

gone

thinks his neighbour

it than he ;
yet that

in

very degree, which happier natures

flirink at with all the marks of the
greateil

who

horror and affright, thofe

dwell beneath

its

much

own

never fo

as

very zone
that

they

rage; nay, they become fohard in the commiffion of it, that

feel its

they contend that only they are in

the right.

THEREFORE every man muft

ei-

ESSAY ON MAN.
liher be virtuous or vitious,

in

different

and

degrees:

fool are fair

and even the

they defpife
that

we

ther

47

though

The rogue

and wife by

beft are

fits

what

for.

So

by

themielves

fits

only follow good or evil

by parts; for it is Self-love alone
that directs us in the choice of ei
each

that he

is

individual

moving

to,

has a goal

but

HEAVEN

has one great view in all, and that

alone commands the whole.
It is
that

which counteracts each

and

caprice,

and

that applies

folly

difappoints the woful

effects that every vice would have ;

happy

frailties

to

the different ranks of

mankind ;
which
it is that
gives fhame to the
and
pride to the matron,
virgin,
all

fear to the ftatefman,

and boldnefs

and bravery to the commander, pre-

ESSAY ON MAN.

48

and

iumptlon to kings,
the

mixed multitude;

exalt itfelf even

feeks

no

belief to

for Virtue can

upon Vanity, which

intereft,

but the reward of

and the joy, the peace,

praife
and glory of mankind is built on
the wants and defects of the mind.
;

was Heaven that ordained

IT

that each fliould

ther,

and be

depend on the

either as a mafter,

the other for afliftance

call

upon

for

GOD makes
good

wants, our

make

it

and bids each

fervant, or a friend,

tive of

o-

our

endears the

even
fo

that

frailties,

common
tie

bound us with.

evil

produc
even our

and

paffions,

intereft,

and

that

Nature has

It is

frequently to

our very wants and infirmities that

we

are indebted for true friendlhip,

iincere love,

and every home-felt

S S

joy that
yet,

A Y O N M A N,

when we

find thofe pafilons de

we

caying in our friends,

refign thofe

below

inherits here

life

49

interefts,

learn to

and we are

taught by Reafon, and half by the

mere decay of Nature, to welcome

Death, and pafs quietly out of this

world.

WHATEVER

our pafiion be,

whe

ther knowledge, fame, or pelf,

one

will

no

his

exchange
neighbour s
condition with his own.
The learn
ed

is

ture,

happy
the

in his exploring of

fool

ing no more

is

happy

the

in the plenty that

ven him, and

rich

na

know

in
is

happy
Heaven has gi

the poor

contents"

himfelf with the pleafure of think

ing himfelf to be the care of Hea

ven.

See

dances, the

how

the blind

cripple

lings,

beggar
the fot

ESSAY ON MAN.

50

thinks himfclf a hero, and the luna

tic

fancies

himfelf to

be a king

the ftarving chymift is fupremely

"blefl
in the hopes and views he has

of being rich, and the poet

even in his mufe.

is

happy

SEE fome flrong comfort attends

us in every ftage of life, and the
pride that is bellowed on every one,

common

becomes

his

fome

paffion fupplies every

fell

friend.

See
age,

always along with us,

hope
and does not quit us even when we
travels

die.

BEHOLD

the child, by the kind

law of nature, is pleafed with a

rattle, and tickled with a ftraw
and as he advances in years, fome

ly

livelier play- thing

of a more noify

nature, though full as empty, gives

him delight, and he is amufed in

ESSAY ON MAN.
the riper flages of

life

with

51
fcarfs,

garbs, and gold, and he makes ufe of

beads and prayer-books as the toys

He

of his old age.

thofe

fed with

is

as

baubles,

much

plea-

he was

as

till
with any others before
being
tired, he falls afleep, and the poor
;

play of
In the

life

mean

over with him.

all

is

time,

with

Opinion gilds
thofe

painted
varying rays
clouds which beautify our days; every want of happinefs is fupplied
by Hope, and every vanity of Senfe

Thefe build
by Pride
Knowledge can deftroy

as

faft

and

as

the

bubble of Joy flill laughs in the cup

of Folly j for after we have loft one
profpeft,

we

gain another ; and no

at any time pbfTefs is gi

vanity we
ven us in vain
love

even mean

Self-

becomes by divine force the

ESSAY ON MAN.

52

fcale to

by

his

But

own.

one comfort
it is this,

yet

men

meafure other

GOD

flill

that
is

fee

wants

atod confefs,

muft remain

though man

WISE.

is

and

a fool,

EPISTLE

III.

therefore, dulnefs, learn

>

the
LEARN

univerfal caufe acts to one

ads by various laws,

this grand truth be prefent with
both night and day, in all the

end, though
let

us,

it

madnefs of fuperfluous health, the

trim of our pride, and the impudence
of our wealth

membered by

but

thofe

let it

who

be well re

either preach

or pray.

LOOK round

the world, and behold

the chain of love, combining all above, and all below ; obferve wife pla-

Nature working to this end ; the

very fingle atoms tend to each other 5;
flic

54

ESSAY ON MAN.

they cither attract, or are attracted, to

the next in place, and either formed
or impelled to embrace its neighbour.
Next, obftrve matter, inclined with
various life, dill preffing to the gene

See the dy
and
fuftain
ing vegetables preferve
life, and obferve how diffolving life
ral

good,

as its centre.

vegetates again all forms that perifli

fupply other farms, (even by turns
:

we

catch the vital breath and die) juft

like the bubbles that are

borne on the

fea of matter,

they break,

they

rife,

and return to that fea again. Nothing

for the moft remote part
is
foreign
;

has a connexion with the one all-ex

tending and all-preferving foul of the

whole, and connects every being, the
greateft

with the

the beafts are

man, and man

leaft

made

by

to aid

to aid

means
and a/lift

this

and

affift

the

ESSAY ON M A.N,
We

beafts.
all

faving
the chain

can

tell

O
that

are either

faved, or

all

for nothing {lands alone

ftill

holds on

where

THOU

it

fool

doft

thou think

only for thy good,

thy joy, thy paftime, thy

who

but nobody

ends.

GOD works

thy food

55

the wanton fawn

and

attire,

for thy table feeds

?

has he not as kind

ly fpread the flowery

lawn for

his

is on
fupport? doft thou think that it
the krk afcends
ly for thee that

and

fings

No, joy tunes

his voice,

and joy elevates his wings. Doft

thou think that it is only for thee
that the linnet pours his throat
it is

loves of his

own, and

his

note.
raptures, that fwell the

the bounding fteed,

No,

own
Even

which you

be-

pompouily, fhares with his

lord in both his pride and his plea-

ftride fo

C A

ESSAY ON MAN.

56
fure.

Is

the feed that ftrews the plain

thine alone

no, even the birds of

Heaven vindicate
and the

their part of

harveft of the

full

it ^

golden

year
kindly and juftly paid to the
even the hog, that
deferring {leer
is

neither ploughs nor

obeys the call

of man, lives on thy labours,

though
thou art Lord of the whole univerfe.

KNOW then, that ail the children

of Nature divide her care; for the
fur that now warms the monarch.,,
firft

warmed

exclaims,
fc

made

for

my
"

goofe replies,

what

care he

to cram,

While mar*

the bear.

See

"

and

how
life!"

See

things are

all

the

man

pampered

for

mine!"

had to tend, to lodge,

treat

him

he

knew

very well, though he did

not know that he was to be eaten
all

this

thus far the goofe judged and

rear.

ESSAY ON MAN.
foiled right

the matter

of reafon,

made

man

quite miftakes
and he falls j.uft as ihort

but

who

for one,

thinks that

were

all

and not one for

all.

that the powerful con-

GRANT,
troul the

57

weak

and

man

let

be

the wit and tyrant of the whole:

yet ftill nature checks that tyrant ;

knows, and helps, ano

creature s wants and woes.

for he only

ther

Will the falcon fpare the dove, fmit

with her various plumage ? Does
the jay admire the gilded wings of
the infect ? or does the hawk hear

when PHILOMEL fmgs

that cares for
to the
beails,

birds,

and

all

he gives

his

it

is

his

paftures

man

woods
the

to

his floods to the filhes

his

prompts him to provide for

fome, his pleafures for more, but for
more ftill his pride All feed and enjov

intereft

ESS AY ON MAN.

58

the extenfive blefling of the luxury

of one vain patron ; for the very
that his learned

life

he faves

hunger craves,
from both famine and the

favages j nay, feaft s the very ani

mal that he dooms to feaft on, and

makes
which
feels

it bleft, till

fees

he ends

its

being
no more the ftroke, nor

the pain, than the

;.

man, who

is

highly favoured, when he is killed

by the ethereal touch. Every crea
ture has had his feaft of

life

before

and man mufl perifh alfo,

when his feaft is over.
HEAVEN is a friend to every un

his death,

thinking being, and never gives it

the ufelefs. knowledge of its end
he
:

imparts

to

it

man, but with

this

view, that at the fame time that he

dreads
too

makes him hope for it

hour is concealed, and the

it,

his

it

ESSAY ON MAN.
fear

5*

though Death
to draw nearer, yet he

fo remote, that

is

feems

{till

This

never appears to be near.

is

that Heaven
great {landing miracle,
mind to the
of
has afligned this turn

think.
only thing that can

FOR know, whether

II.

blefTed

with

inftinct,

which

are

or with reafon,

enjoys the

yet every, thing

all

power

and by that di
enjoy blifs alike, and

fuits it beft

rection they all

always find the

means proportioned

to itheir end.

Say,

full

inftincl:,

when

there

is

that will always prove

an unerring guide, can they need

hope or counfel befide this ?

Reafon, however able it may be, yet
it is at beft but cool, and does not
either

care

when
flays

for fervice,
it is
till

though

prefled to

we

call,

it

and then
6

it
it

ferves

always

it is

very

ESSAY ON MAN.

6o

often not near at hand

neft inftinct always
teer,

and

is

ftill

comes

volun

fure never to outfhoot,

but hit the mark

is

ho

while

while

human wit

too wide or too ihort

you

are fure always to gain that happinefs by quick Nature, which heavi

Reafon only labours at in vain.

This likewife ferves always, Reafon

er

never long ; Inftincl: muft always go

right, Reafon fometimes may err.
that the acting and
comparing powers are one in their

Obferve then,

nature, which are two in ours

and

after all their pains to exalt Reafon,

it is

GOD

what you

that directs in Inftincl:

call

Reafon, only

man

in
di

rects.

WHO

was

it

that taught the na

tions that inhabit the fields

woods

to chufe their food,

and the

and

to

ES SAY

ON MAN.

6*

who

flmn every poifonous herb? or

gave the inhabitants of the watry

worlds the prefcience and foreknow
ledge to withfland the tides and terneither to gender on the
pelts, fo as

waves, or make an arch for their

young beneath the fand ? who was
it

that bid the fpider delign parallels,

as fure as

DE-MOIVRE, without

rule or line
itork, like

vens that

who

is it

either

that bids the

COLUMBUS, explore hea

are none of his own, and

were unknown before

Who

is

it

that calls the council, or that ftates

day ? Who forms the

phalanx, and points out the way
that armies are to be governed, fo as

the certain

to obtain victory
111.

IT

is

GOD,

that founds in the

nature of every thing

and

fets its

its

proper blifs,
proper bounds ; but as

ESSAY ON MAN.

62
lie

framed the whole with

to blefs

them

all,

tual Happinefs

Wants.

It

he

to fubmit to

firft

mu

mutual

beginning,

creature was linked

to

a deflgn

made

was that eternal ORDER

ran from the

man

alfo

when

to creature,

man, or whatever of

and

life all-

quickening ./Ether keeps, or breathes

through air, or moots beneath the
deeps,

or

pours

profufe on earth,

one nature feeds the

all,

not

and

vital

flame of

fwells the genial feeds.

maa

creatures,

alone, but

that

all

roam

It is

the different

in the

wood,

or fly the air, or the fifties that roll

along the flood ; every one loves itfelf,

but does not love

itfelf

alone

both the fexes defiring alike, till two

Neither does the
are made one.
pleafure end with the fierce embrace ;
they love themfelves even a third

ESSAY ON

Thus

time,

in

beails

and birds attend

race.

their

63

MAN".

both

com

their

mon

charge, the mothers nurfe their

offspring, and the fires defend them

and
from danger
{lops, and their care

their

their

is

when

kind,

the

another love fuo

this

by

But the

race.

wander

each of them feeks

diflblved,

a frelh embrace,

ceeds, and

when

earth, or the air

either in the

link

ended,

difmifi ed, to

is

young

is

inflinct

another

means,

helplefs flate of

born,

man

demands longer
and that con

care of their offspring,

tracts

more

lafting

and Reflection
and

at

ftill

bands

we

fix

flill

its

new

ties,

iritereft

our choice,

and burn with fympathy

tue takes

Reafon

improve the

once both extend the

and the love

and

every vir

turn in every pailion,

neceflities

and wants

ESSAY ON MAN.

64

that require

rife,

which

new

Benevolence

habits,

is

grafted

by
on

one brood arofe upon

another, they maintained their na
tural love, which, by this means-,
Love.

grew

Still as

habitual

while the

laft

being

faw
from whence

fcarce ripened into perfect. man,

their greatgrandfather
all

quite helplefs
fprung,
:
old
age Memory and Eorethrough
fight engage juft returns ; that looks

they

backward

ward

to

to youth, the other for

man

while Pleafure, Gra*

and Hope, combine to fpread

the intereft, and preferve the kind.
titude,

IV. NOR allow yourfelf to think,

that they blindly trod in the ftate of
Nature ; for the ftate of Nature

was the reign of GOD

Both felf
and focial love were born at once 3
:

and union was the bond of

all

things

ESSAY ON MAN.
as

well as of man.

65

There was then

no pride nor arts to fupport it ^ man

walked with the beaft, and was the
of the lhade , both their
joint tenant
beds and their tables were the fame>

murder

neither clothed nor fed him.

They both
ple,

worfiiipped in

one tem

and the woods refounded, for

all

vocal beings hymned their common

GOD the flirine was then undreft
:

with gold, and unftained with gore,

and the blamelefs

prieft

was clothed

with innocence, free of both bribery

and bloodfhed.
the attribute of

Univerfal care was

GOD, and

the prero

but at
gative of man w^s to rule,
Ah how
the fame time to fpare.
!

vmlike the

men who were

to

come

who

being enemies to nature, be

came not only the butchers, but the

tomb

and not frightened

at the ge-

A Y O N M A N.

E S S

66

neral groan, both betray and

their

own

murder

But Nature has

fpecies.

very juftly repaid him for this ; for

every death that he is the occafion
of? breeds

its

avenger, and juft DifLuxury ; for

eafe alv/ays fucceeds

the furious paflions began from

the firil fhedding of blood, and turn-^

all

d on

man

a fiercer favage, which

is

man.

SEE

how

flow

from Nature

is

the rife of

he

to Art!

manded by Nature
his inftructions

to

is

man
com

go and take

from the creatures

to learnt from the birds, whether the

trees bear

navigators,

what

is

wholefome

for

when they touch upon

foreign land, never eat of the fruits,

without

though never

fo beautiful,

they obferve

they have been

picked by the birds j he

is

firfl

to learn

A T O N M A N.

67

beafts the phyfic of

the

E S S
from the

and to receive inftruclions in

the art of building from the bee ;

field

how

and
plough from the mole
from the {ilk-worm, how to weave;
learn from the little Nautilus how
to

to

fail,

>

to fpread the thin oar,

and

to catch the driving breeze ; for they

fwim upon the furface of the fea,.

on the back

of

which

their {hells,

exactly refemble the hulk of a {hip

raife

two

feet like mafts,

and ex

they
tend a membrane between, which
ferves as a fail ; the other two feet
being employed as oars on the fides.
This fifh is ufually feen in the Medi
terranean.

From

the beafts he

fo ordered to learn

union, and hence

mankind: here

works and

cities

all

let

Reafon inftrucl

fee
j

is al-

forms of focial

fubterranean

and there

aerial

6S

S S

M A N.

AY ON

towns on the waving tree. Learn

the genius and polities of every fmall
people, the republic of the ants, and
the realm of the bees

beftow

all

how

their wealth in

common,

without anarchy or confufion

thofe,

though

monarch

fcribe their property,

rate cells.

and

thofe

and

reign, pretheir fepa-

Obferve what unvaried

laws preferve each ftate, laws that

are as wife as Nature, and as unaU
terable as Fate.

draw

In vain thy reafon

webs, and entangle

r
Juftice in her net of Law ; and by
fliall

finer

this

means, maintaining too rigid a

right, harden it into wrong, which

makes it too weak for the flrong,

and too flrong for the weak. Yet
go, and thus bear fway over all the
creatures, and let the v/ifer make

the reft obey

and be crowned as

ESSAY ON MAN.

Gods, For
mere InfUnft could

monarchs, or adored
thofe various arts

69

as

afford.

V. SUCH were great Nature s or

ders, and obfervant men obeyed $

by this means focieties were made,

and cities built One little ftate rofe
here, and another joined it, either
:

through love or dread. In one place

the trees bend with ruddier burdens
of fruit, and in another the flreams

There was
defcend in purer rills.
then no need for War to ravifli, nor

no

treafure

for

Rapine to invade.

Converfe and Love might ftrongly

draw mankind, when Love was Li
berty, Nature

was Law.

By

this

means ftates were formed ; though

the name of King was unknown, till

common
for the

intereft

fway

made

it

neceffary

to be placed in one.

It

ESSAY ON MAN.

70

was then only Virtue, or

guifhed

diflin-

in arts or arms, in the

fkill

who

either diffufed bleffings,

peribn
or warded off miieries,

the fame

which makes the fons obey

made

that

fires,

of a people.
VI. TILL

a prince the father

then,

each

crowned by Nature,
prieft, and parent of
ilate

their

patriarch,

the king,

fat

his

growing

they hung on him,

as

their

fecond providence, his eye was their

law, and

He

tongue their oracle.

called the food from the wonder
his

ing furrow, taught how to command

the fire, or controul the flood, to

draw

forth the

profound abyfs,

ground the
air.

vered

as

or

fetch

eagles, that

And when

from the

monfters

he,

the

flew in the

whom

God, began

to

they re

to di;oop,

ESSAY ON MAN.

71

and die, then they mourned

him as a man and then looking
up from iire to lire, they explored

ficken,

for

their Firft

The

Father^

and adored him.

faith of this plain tradition, that

All began, they conveyed un

broken from fire to fon ; the worker
this

was known

diftinetty from the work,

never fought but
Reafon
and fimple
one: for before oblique Wit had broke

that fteddy light,

ker, faw that all

man, like his Ma

was right ; and

trod in the paths of Virtue to Pleafure,

and when he owned a GOD,

owned him

as

Father.

All the

and allegiance then is Love j

for Nature knew no divine
right in
faith

man, and could fear no ill in

and underftood no other
reign but a fovereign good.
faith

GOD

fove-

True

and policy ran united together,

72

SAY ON MAN.

the one being the love of

other that of man,

WHO

was

it

that

firft

GOD,

the

taught un

done realms, and

fouls enflaved, that

enormous

of faith, that

article

were made for one

ception to

all

the laws of Nature, to

invert the world, and even to

its

caufe

it

many

that proud ex

was Force that

firfl

Conqueft, and Conqueft that

work
made
made

Superftition taught the

people to reverence the tyrant, then
lhared the tyranny, and lent it aid,

Law;

till

making

Gods of conquerors, and

ilaves of fubjecls

She availed

felf

of the blaze of the lightning, and

the found of the thunder, when
the mountains rocked, and

when the

taught the weak to

was me who
bend, and the

Power unfeen,

ground groaned
proud

to pray to

it

ES SAY

ON MAN.

73

and far mightier than they She faw

from the burfting ikies and rending
earth the Gods defcend, and infernal
:

fiends

arife

me

here

fixed

the

dreadful, and there the bleft abodes;

All .the notion me had of devils,

proceeded wholly from fear;

and
weak hope me had made her
believe a GOD, whofe attributes me
the

imagined
luft

to be rage, revenge,

and

Gods and
was a blind

fuch as the heathen

conquerors were.

It

furious zeal, and not the fweet

bond

of Charity, that became their

guide

and their

fpite dictated to

hell for their

and

them a

enemies and oppofers,

their pride

was

fo great, that

.they difdained even to go to Hea

ven, without they were feated there
as a

God.

now no

The

ethereal vault

longer facred

was

their altars,

ESSAY ON MAN.

74

which mould have been the abode

of a peaceful GOD, became marble,
and reeked with gore ; then firft the

Flamen tailed living food; after

which he fmeared his idol over with

human

blood

he fhook the world

below with heaven

made even

his

thunders, and

GOD an

engine a-

gainfl his foe.

So

man
man

it

that Self-love drives the

is

to things juft or unjuft, to one

s

ambition, lucre, or luft

the fame felf-love

it is

and

that becomes

the caufe of retraining the whole

human

race,

though

it is

fometimes

to be the .government

pretended

and the laws.

For

if

was

fame

as another,

to like the

every one
a

weaker perfon might rob them of it

by

furprize, or a ftronger take

open force

>

it

by

therefore his fafety both

E S S A

ON M AN.

and awake

fieeping

muft

depend
which make each

the laws,

upon

75

man

the guardian of his private

Self-defence having for
property.

ced

all

men

into virtue,

this

made

even kings learn juftice and bene

volence
Self-love forfook the
path
:

it

firft

purfued, arid found that

its

own

private intereft was only to

be fecured by the public
good.
IT was then that both the flu-

dious head and the generous mind,

the follower of GOD, or friend to
the

human

kind, whether poet or

patriot, rofe
faith

to

only

reftore

that

and moral, which Nature had

given before; they did not kindle a

new light, but relumed the ancient

one of Nature

make GOD
a

fhadow of

if

they could not

image, yet they drew

it:

It
2

was

this

that

76

S S

AY

O N MAN.

taught the due ufe of power both to

people and Kings, and taught them
neither too much to ilacken nor to
ftrain its tender firings j like a well-

tuned inilrument, which, when you

touch one firing, muft ftrike the other alfo,

muft make every

and

to themfelves
jarring intereft create
Such
a well -mixed government.
is

the great

that fprings
full

harmony of the world,

from order, union, and

confent of things

fmall and great,

were made

to

to ftrengthen,

when both

weak and mighty,

ferve,

not to

fuffer,

and not to invade;

as need

makes each more powerful,

ful to the reft,

proportion as

and

is

it blefles

itfelf bleft

others,

in

and

brings to one central point beaft,

man, angel, fervant, lord, or king.

LET then

only fools conteft for

ESSAY ON MAN.
forms of government
is

beft adminiftred

for

the

man

let

grace-

modes of faith;

faith can

whatever

for

beft

is

for

lets zealots fight

77

never

be

wrong which produces a good life.

Though the world may difagrcc
with regard to the objects of faith
and hope, yet all the race of man
kind

thing

concern

is

Charity

that thwarts

mutt be

falfe

God

rnuft be of

happier,

or

that

mends

every

this great

and

every

end

thing

makes men

their morals.

like the

generous vine,
lives by fupport, and gains ftrength
to
by the kindly afMance he gives

MAN,

As

the

planets, though
their own axis, yet
on
run
they
make at once their circle round the
others.

aduated by two
motions, one of which,

fun; fo the foul

eonfiftent

is

78

ESSAY ON MAN.

has a regard to its own intereft, and

the other to that of the whole race

of mankind.

THUS both GOD and Nature have

linked together the general frame,

and commanded both

felf

cial love to be the fame.

and

fo-

-P I

L.

IV.

which

wo

to
Happinefs
all afpirc, thou art our be
!

OH

end and chief aim winged by

and whatever we may
ftrong hope,

ing

imagine

it

thing that

to be, that contains

any
and a-

is

good, pleafant,
Thou art that fomething
greeable
for which both the lich and the
:

that
poor figh, and the only thing
makes life tolerable ; for the ob

we even dare to
taining of which,
look Death in the face, and though
always feems
It is over
as at a great diftance.
looked, and feen double, both by

it

be fo near us, yet

it

ESSAY OK MAN.

So

the fool and

thou

Happinefs!

Oh

wife man.

the

art

that

plant

fprings only from celeftial feed! if

thou art dropt on this earth, inform

us in what mortal
eft

to

foil

Art thou

grow.

in the
propitious

thou defi^no
to be found

mine of

court-far

vour, or doil thou lie in the deep

rnire with
flaming diamonds ? Art

thou wreathed

with

which PARNASSUS
thou to be found

the

laurels

yields,

or art

in

the fields of

war, thofe iron harvefts?

vain to fearch where

where does
Lappinefs

it

not

it

grows

grow

fixed, to

is

it

no

is
;

in

for

fincere

fpot,

we

ought neither to blame the culture

nor the foil
for it is never to be
:

but

bought,
it

free

and

be fled from monarchs,

dwells with thee, O St. JOHN

though
yet

always

it

ESSAY ON MAN,

81

you afk of the learned the way,

it is to
they are blind one tells you
IF

the other to fhun mankind.

ferve,

Some

place their happinefsin action,

a hurry of bufmefs ; fome in
the indulgencies of eafe and fu-

and
all

pinenefs
in

thers

ment

fome

in pleafure,

what they

fome are

call

and

o-

content

funk in brutrfh

fo

pleafures, as frequently to find their

delight end in

pain

fome are

fo

with pride, as to defpife

or
even virtue, and call it vain

welled

they grow indolent, and fall to

an e xtreme of trufting in every

elfe

thing, or doubting of all.

THEY who thus define
to

it,

no other conclufion than

that happinefs

is

come
this,

happinefs.

TAKE Nature s
all mad opinions

path, and leave

every head

cap.

ESSAY ON MAN.

82

conceive
reach

they

and every

it,

ftate

can

her goods are obvious ;

dwell in no extreme , no
it

needed but thinking right,

and meaning well; and notwith-

more

is

ftanding we may repine and- mourn

over the different portions of hap-

we

pinefs allotted to us, yet

find that this

of

common

is

fliall

an equal allotment

and common

fenfe

eafe.

FOR remember, man, the univerfal

by general laws, and

ones
and makes what

caufe acts

not partial

v/e juftly call happinefs to conlift

not in the good of the individual,

but of the whole.

THERE

is

not

a fingle bleiling

individuals find, but fome

way

or

other tends to promote this ; not

even the moil fierce banditti, or the

tyrant

mad with

pride,

nor even

ESSAY ON MAN.
the hermit,

who

is felf-fatisfied

83

lives in a cavern,

for even thofe

who
man

pretend moil to ihun or hate

kind, are defirous to have an admi

or would have one they could

rer,

on as their friend and abftrafted from whatever all others may

pretend, all pleafures ficken, and all
fix

every one has his pro

and whoever would ex-

glories fink:

per mare ;

more, (hall find that his

pleafure does not pay for half the
pains he is at in procuring it.

peel: to find

ORDER
ven

is

the

firft

law of hea

and when you can be brought

this, there muft

to think and confefs

be fome in a more exalted condi

and fome in a lower one;

fome more rich, more wife; but
tion,

for

any perfon to conclude from

thence, that they are

more happy,

E S

84
rnuft

SAY ON MAN.

mock

all

common

Do

fenfe.

not fay, that Heaven is profufe to

one, and fparing to another, and

makes

a thoufand flaves for the

life

and pleafures of one monarch; you

will find, when the caufes and ends
of every thing are known, that hea
ven made the one to ferve the thou

For Heaven thus breathes

fand.

every member of the

through
And
whole, as one common foul.
if Fortune s
gifts were
pofleiTed
alike

by each,

it

is

plain that

GOD

could never place content in exter

Peace of mind is the whole
nals.
that

is

to

be wiflied for and

deli-

red.

FORTUNE may

varioufly difpofe
of her gifts, and one be called hap

py,

and

Heaven

another
juft

unhappy

balance will

but

appear

when

equal,

the one

is

N.

85

placed in

the other in Fear

Hope and
is

AY O N MA

S S

for

it

not the prefent joy that the one

or the wretchednefs of the

poflefies,

other, but the future views of what

each expects to poileis in the next

world.

On

men

ye fons of

attempt to

mountain

rife to

piled

the

will

kies,

upon

Heaven views the vain

ye

flill

by one

another
toil

with

buries fuch madmen

laughter, and
in the very heaps they raife.

KNOW then,
GOD or Nature
viduals poffefs,

mankind

for

that

all

the

good

ever meant, or indi

was meant to mere

Reafon s whole plea-

the joys of Senfe, are

in thefe three words, Health, Peace,
fure,

and

all

But Health can

and Competence.
be found only in Temperance, and

ESSAY ON MAN.

86
f-

Peace in Virtue

for the

good and

the bad equally gain the goods of

Fortune ; but they rifk the moft in

Fortune,
obtain

who

take bad

means to

Whether docs Vice

it.

or.

Virtue meet with contempt or compailion firft?

all

the

when you count

for

advantage

Vice attains

what Virtue

to,
flies

it

that profperous
is

nothing but

from and

difclaims

and when you grant all the happinefs to the bad they would chufe to
have, they muft want one, which
is

to pafs for good.

THOSE are blind to truth,

GOD

and

whole fcheme of providence

here below,
who fancy that he
gives happinefs to Vice, and mifery
S

to Virtue.

the great

But

thofe

fcheme of

who
God s

follow
provi
for
;

dence will be the moft blefled

ESSAY ON MAN.
is

it

only fools

who

call

87

the good

any evil that may

happen to them from the common

unhappy, for

occurrences of

See the vir

life.

tuous and the juft FALKLAND dies,

and God-like TURLNNE is proftrate

on the duft! See amidft the martial

SIDNEY bleeds! fay,
ilrife, how

whence did

this

proceed from,
their virtue, or their contempt of
life? and was it virtue that funk
all

lamented DIGEY to the grave

is

Virtue that makes the fon expire ?

why then does the lire live, full of

it

days and honour?

it

that the

SEILLES

good Biihop of

drew
all

mongft
ven Nature

how happened

purer

MAR

breath

a-

when eand when

the contagion,
fickened,

each gale brought Death along with

MAR

ESSAY ON

S3

or

it ?

why

did

Heaven lend

a pa

rent fo long to the

poor and

WHAT
fical

the
the

is it

that

and moral

and the

firft,

For

laft.

flood,

GOD

partial

ill

is

makes

ill ?

me

all

phyNature makes

will

wanders in

be rightly undernever fends any ill ;

if it

univerfal

Heaven

feldom

fhort of

its

lets

purpofe,

for

good;
Nature

fall

man

has

till

improved or mifimproved it. We

might with as- much wifdom com
plain of

Heaven, that righteous ABEL was deftroyed by CAIN, as that

the virtuous fon
his

is ill

at eafe,

Can we allow

dy.

ourlelves

think, that the Eternal

in

when

lewd father gave the foul mala

the

Prince,

fame manner

who

is

as

to

Caufe ads
the

prone to

weak

reverfe.

SAY ON MAN.

E S

laws, in order to oblige fome fa

Ills

vourite

IF a fage

requires

it,

{hall

burn

JTNA

ing
recal

and

forget to thunder,
his fires ? or the air and lea

new

be impreffed with

the breaft of blamelefs.

relieve

THEL

motions, to

BE

Shall gravitation ceafe, If

you go paft when the loofe moun
tain trembles from on high ? or
?

fome old temple, when nodding

its

ruin, referve

fall

hanging wall to

upon the head of

BUT
world

CHARTRES

notwithftanding that

is

this

fo well calculated for the

does not give content. If

want a better, then let it be the
but firft conof the

knave,

we

its

to

it

kingdom
fider

how

themfelves.

mull merit

juft

thofe juft agree among

Certainly the good

GOD

peculiar

care

ESSAY ON MAN.

pa

but there

is

none can

GOD who

thofe juft

thinks that

GOD

CALVIN,

own

while,. at the

other boldly aflerts,

inftrument of hell
;

tell

us but

One

are.
fpirit

fell

on

fame time, an
that he is the
if

CALVIN

feel

bleflings or the rod of

Heaven, the one party fays there is

either

the

GOD, the other

there

is

as boldly aflerts

Therefore the fame

none.

thing that fhocks one party, will edify the other, fmce all can never

with the fame fyftem. The

very be& will have different opi
nions, and think that what rewards

be

bleft

their virtue

is

WHATEVER
is

true

that

punifhment to mine.
or it
is, is RIGHT.
a

this

world was made

C^SAR, but it is equally as true,

that it was made alfo for TITUS

for

and

fay,

which was more

bleft

ESSAY ON MAN.
the two

he

who

91

took away the

li

and forged
berty of his country,
virtue
whofe
chains for them, or he
was fo deeply affected, when he loft
a

day

BUT it may be that fometimes

Virtue may ftarve for want of
"

bread, while Vice lives luxuriantly."

Why, what then ? has Virtue no other reward than
in

Providence
Vice gains
toil
it,

for

the bounties of

this

life

tills

at the

the land, or bold

ly adventurous^ tempts

where Folly both

and dives for. gain.
be both

more

in

the

main,

fights for kings,

The good man

weak and

but then his whole

nates

When

expence of
even the knave deferves
it, it is

when he

may

indolent,

defire

ternur

Contentment than in

ESSAY ON MAN.

92

But

Plenty.

if

your demand

BUT

"

is

he has riches, then

over?

fuppofe he wants health

and power
Add to him both
health and power, and every other
?."

Earth

that

bleffing

Then why
by his being
"

why

is

he not

is

his

can

beftow.

power bounded

in a private capacity
a

King

Nay, why

is

external for internal given ?

is
he not made a GOD, and this earth

Why

whereon he dwells a
fion

Whoever

?"

celeftial

talks

and reafons

thus, will fcarcely conceive

perfuaded, that

man-

and be

GOD

gives enough,,
while he has more for them in referve

his

menfe,

more
tisfied

give.

man s power were imdemand would be ftill

for he would not be fa-

for if

fo

at

whatever Nature

could

ESSAY ON MAN.
BUT

93

the fair prize of Virtue

in the foul

lies

calm funfhine, and the

which nothing on
earth can give, and it is not in the
power of any earthly object to deIf you would fix a better,
ftroy.
heart-felt joy,

then give Humility a coach-and-fix,

a
conqueror s fword to Juftice,

Truth

gown, or public Spirit a

crown, which is its only cure. Dofl
a

thou think, weak foolifh man, that

thou malt be rewarded in heaven
with the fame tram that mortals
wifh for here

the

man

are the

fon

but doft thou

cakes and

DIAN,

doft

boy and the

fame individual per-

apples

now

figh for

or, like the IN-

thou exped thy dog,

in heaven ?

thy bottle, and thy wife,

thou mayeft as well do

this,

imagine that fuch toys

as

as to

empires

E S S

94

A Y O N M A N.

are ailigned for a

God-like mind.

Thofe are rewards that would bring

no joy to Virtue, nay, rather would
deflroy it for how often have thofe
:

virtues that the

mind has been

pof-

of at twenty- one, been un

done at iixty riches can give nei
ther repute nor truft, content nor
fefied

pleafure,

judges

to

and

any but the juft for

fenators have
been
:

bought for gold, but love and efteem

were never to be purchafed. Oh

man
that

what

a fool art

GOD, who

is

thou to think

both the lover

and the love of all the human kind,

ihould hate the worthy mind, whofe
life is
healthful, and whofe confcience

is

clear, for

no other reafon,

but becaufe he does not give him a

thoufand pounds a-year
HONOUR and fliame arife from
!

ESSAY ON MAN.
no condition

in life

The only

lies.

can be,

is,

only act your

part well, for there

95

all

the

honour

difference

that the one

is

there

clothed

with rags, the other with brocade;

thecobler,whois girt with an apron,
or the parfon,

who

is

clothed with

friar, who is hooded,

gown
or the monarch, who is crowned.
You will perhaps cry then, Pray,

the

"

what

difference

is

Why,

will tell

a wife

there greater than

a cowl?"

crown and

betwixt

man and

you

then, friend,

For you

a fool.

will eafily find, that if the

monarch

once ads the monk, or the parfon

get himfelf drunk, as well as the
cobler,

only worth that makes

and the want of it the

it is

the man,

fellow; eveiy thing elfe

than prunella or leather.

is

no more

ESSAY ON MAN.

95

fuppofe that you Ihould look

upon titles and ribbons to be the

FOR

thou mayefl
only happinefs ; though
and
be by kings or their whores
>

if

you

father

efleem

your own by your

worth, though both father

and mother were as chafte as LuCRETIA., yet none are truly great,
but thofe

fprung

who

from an

you be

If

are good.

ancient

but ignoble
your ancient

family,
blood, for

have

any thing you know, may

the blood of fcouncrept through
therefore pre
drels fmce the flood
tend your family is young, and do
;

that your fathers have been*

fools fo long: for there is nothing

not

that

own

can

villains,

ennoble

not even

fots,
all

or

the blood of

the noble family of the

LOOK next on

flaves,

HOWARDS.

greatnefs

pray,

ESSAY ON MAN.

97

where does true greatnefs lie ? Why,

in no place but amongft the wife
and virtuous heroes*
One point

you may be
without

afiured of, that heroes

this

divine

principle

are

the fame, from ALEXANDER the MACEDONIAN hero, to CHARLES XII,

SWEDEN

madman

the

whole

ftrange purpofe of their lives being

to find or make an enemy of all

mankind

Not one of them looks

backward, but goes on like an impetu

ous torrent, and yet never looks for

ward further than

his nofe.

The

politic and the wife are exadly the

fame; every one of thofe are fly

flow things, with the utmoft circumfpection

loofe

they

take

men

in

their

unguarded hours, not becaufe

they themfelves are wife, but they

take advantage of the other s weak-

ESSAY ON MAN.

98

But we

once grant,
that the one can conquer, and the
other can cheat; it is ftill moft ab-

nefs.

furd to
ever

will

for

who

call a villain great-, for

is

or madly
more the fool

wickedly wile,

makes himfelf
But he who obtains
or the knave.

brave,

noble ends

he

fail

or
by noble means,

in this, fmiles

bound with

if

of

in exile,

chains, like

good Au-

RELIU s, whether he reigns, or bleeds,

like SOCRATES, that man is great
indeed.

A^D
is

pray,

what

no more than

is

Fame

a fancied

why

in the

life

a thing that

breath of others,

it

fel-

and gives no
right placed,
death: for
real pleafure before our

dom

is

only what you

hear

now

follows after

own, what
fame whether

it

be

is

is

your

all

TULLY

the
S or

ESSAY ON MAN.

99

your own. All that we feel of it

begins and ends in the fmall cir
of our friends

to every body
an
elfe it is as
empty made, a li
ving EUGENE, and a dead CAESAR; it
cle

is

all

when and where

whether on the RUBI

the fame

they fhone,
CON or on the RHINE.

more than
cock, and
ly been

feather,

wit

is

no

or a Ihuttle-

this or a chief has

made

frequent
the rod of Providence ;

only an honeft man

nobleft work of God.
It

it is

who

is

the

is
nothing
but Fame that can fave from Death a

villain s

tears his
it

name, as it is juftice that

body from the grave, when

would be

better that the part that

hung on high, and poifons one

half of mankind, were religned to
All other fame is foreign,
oblivion.
is

but that which

we
2

truly deferve

ESSAY ON MAN.

ICQ

only plays round the head, but

never touches the heart ; for one
it

hour far outweighs

whole years -of ftupid flarers, mixed
with loud huzzas ; and MARCELLUS,
felf-approving

more

true joy
than CJESAR, though he had a whole

though

feels

exiled,

mouting at his heels.

PRAY, tell, what is it to be wife?

fen ate

Why,
be

it

is

to

known;

thers, but to

are

you
to

know how

to fee the faults of

are

own
to

all

o-

whether

buiinefs, or

you would teach

things which

and through

can

without a fecond,
itfelf be the judge ;

arts

your heart may

for if

our

feel

condemned

drudge in

little

fear

truths, thofe

few underftand;
none will aid you,

though you were to endeavour to

fave a finking land.

It

is

only a

painful pre-eminence, to view your-

ES SAY O N MAN.
felf ;

this

is

101

fome thing worfe than

the weaknefs and

all

the comforts of

life.

THEREFORE bring
then to a

ftricl

thefe things

all

account

and

after

you have made all reafonable allow

ances, fee what they all amount to
how much eafe and comfort you
;

a higher degree, and

inconfiftent greater goods are

loft to

how
to

obtain

what you now

times

always

life is

eafe.

poflefs,

fome-

them, and

rifqued for

Think

how

ferioufly,

and

thofe things call forth thy en

vy, fay, wouldft thou be the man to
if

{till

whom

they

fall?

only remark

how

they grace Lord UMDRA or Sir

If yellow dirt be thy dar
BILLY.
ling paflion, only take a look of

GRIP us or of GRI PUS

parts allure

thee,

think

wife.

If

how Lord

ESSAY ON MAN.

102

BACON
and

fhined, the wifeft, brighter!:,,

at the

fame time the meaneft

of mortals: for though he difcovered and laid down thofe principles by

which

NEWTON

was enabled to un

whole law of Nature, yet

of bribery and cor
convicted
being
of
ruption, in the adminiftration

fold the

while he piefided in the fuufe

preme court of equity, he made
of means to repair his fortune, that

juftice,

were difgraceful to the very pro feffion of letters, or of thofe arts ravifh-

cd with the whittling of a name.

damned
if all mould
everlaftingfhame but

Obferve
to

how CXOMWELL

is

to call forth thy ambi

join together
and there
tion, read ancient ftory,
will learn to fcorn them all.

you
Then, in the rich, the honoured,
med, and great, you will fully

fa
fee.

ES
the

falfe

even

in

queens,
be,

to

SAY ON MAN.

103

Mark
of happinefs.
heart of kings and

fcale

the

how happy

thofe

feem to

or betray thofe

ruin

who

and mark from what

their glory grows; from no other
than what VENICE rofefrom, dirt and
In every one of them
fea-weed.
truft in

them

alike blend

greatnefs and guilt were

ed , for every thing that raifed the

Behold now
EUROPE twined round

hero, funk the man.

the laurels -of

brow, but obferve how they

are either {lamed with blood, or they
have made a bad exchange of them
for gold. Obferve them either broke
their

with

toils,

or funk in eafe,

or

made

infamous for plundering provinces.

Is not all wealth ill-fated, which no

fame ever taught to mine, or

fanclified from flume? there is no
aft of

E 4

104

ESSAY ON MAN.

greater bleffing attends their clofe of

than leaving the whole of their

fubftance to fome greedy minion, or
life,

imperious wife

their coats of

arms

and trophies are to be feen no where

in their halls, or haunt their

but

llumbers in the arches of their

pom

pous made in churches and dormi

tories.
Alas if you are not dazzled
!

with their noon-tide ray, compute

the morning and the evening of their

day ; the whole of their enormous

fame amounts to no more than a
tale,

which blends

their

fhame

their glory

with

THEREFORE endeavour

to

this truth, that Virtue alone

is

learn

Hap-

pinefs here below, and this is fufficient for man to be fenfible of.

This
blifs

is

the only point where

ftands

upon ;

human

proper founda-

ESSAY ON MAN,
tion,

which

fearing to

the good, without

to ill ; the only place

taftes

fall

receives conftant pay,

where Merit
and

bleffed

is

or what

it

lofe,

bleffed,

it

is

if it

it

moft

fo

much

not attended with Sa

and has the more

takes,

attended with no

Hill is

is

it

and the joy cannot

end in gain, and if

and though ever

pain:

tiety

it

with whatever

gives

be equalled,
it

105

diftreffed

relifli,

where

for the broad-

mjrth wears only the marks of

is far lefs pleaunfeeling folly, and

eft

the tears of virtue.

fing than
quires

good from every

from every place

ted, fo long as

object,

ac

and

for ever exer-

is

cifed, yet never tired

It

one man

is
is

never

ela

oppreffed,

and never dejccled, when another

is bleffed j and where-ever there is

no wants, no wifhes can remain,

ESSAY ON MAN.

io6
lince

you

virtue,

SEE

when you wifh

this

the

is

to

gain

blifs

that

fure

are always

for

it.

only

Heaven would beftow, which every

one who feels can tafte, and he w ho
r

only thinks can be acquainted with :

and all thole who have. ever fo much
fortune, or are blind with learning,

they want virtue, mufl

the good man, untaught,

if

It is

no

a Have to

feet,

lofe,

arid

{hall find,

nor takes

a~

ny private road, but looks through

Nature up to Nature s GOD ^ piiriiies that chain which links together
the immenfe defign, and joins things
mortal and divine
earth together

can

know any

and heaven and

no being
but what touches

fees

blifs

that

both, ibme above and fome below;

he learns from this union of the rifing whole, the

firft

end, thelaft pur-

ES SAY O N MAN.
pofe of the

human

foul

107

and knows

that as faith, law, morals, all began,

muft all end in love to GOD
fo

they

For Hope alone leads

and man.

him from goal

on his foul, till
faith,
blifs

to goal,
it is

opening
lengthened on to

and unconfined,
that

now

fills

known
known

man

in

blifs,
:

dictates,

it

and

faith in

to

aflift

blifs

un

he follows her

wife in

connecting of

ftrongeft defire
after

hopes of

if

Virtue with Bleflednefs

felf,

He

Nature

why

alone the

Nature,
is

pours in the

the mind.

the reafon

fees

plants

all

up

ftill

is

his firft

and

to be bleffed him-

which he

the whole

is

ftrongly

human

moved

race.

thus pulhed from

SfiLF-LovE
focial to the love of things divine,
is

and makes by this means his neigh

bour s bleffing conduce to his own,

ESSAY ON MAN.

io8

And

as if this

were too

little

for the

boundlefs heart of a good man, he

extends it, and lets his enemies have
a part of

Nay, he grafps the

whole worlds of Reafon, Life, and
it.

Senfe, in one clofe fyftem of benevo

lence,

and

finds his happinefs

is

more

complete, as it rifes greater, and that

his height of blifs is ftill
heightened
greater degrees of charity.
GOD loves from whole to parts:
but the human foul muft rife from

by

the individual to the whole.

Self-

awaken the vir

fame manner as
when thrown into
moves the water ;

love ferves only to

tuous mind, in the
the fmall pebble,

the peaceful lake,

when the centre

but

cle fucceeds,

and

ftill

and

is

moved,

after that another,

another fpreads

tuous mind

will

a cir

firft

fo the vir

embrace

its

E S
friend,

SAY ON MAN.

I09

neighbour, then

parent,

its

country, and after that the whole

race; and the overflowings

human

of his mind takes in

every creature
of every kind j Earth fmiles around,
bleft With his boundlefs
bounty, and

Heaven beholds

all

its

own image

in his breaft.

COME

then,

my

friend!

my

geni

come along; oh mafler of the

and whenever
poet and the fong
mufe
or
afcends
to the
my
ftoops
low paffions or the glorious ends of
us

man, teach me,

like

thee,

who

art

well Ikilled in the various orders of

Nature, to fall with dignity, or to

rife with temper; and formed

by

thy converfation,

from the grave

ly to fevere
follies

happily

to the
gay,

to

ftart

from

live

to correct the vices

of mankind,

with eafy

and
elo-

ESSAY ON MAN.

!io

quence, being always intent to Reafon,

Oh

and always

fo polite as to pleafe.

while thy name expended

flies

along the ftream of Time, and gathers

all its

fame,

let

my

little

bark

fail

at

tendant on thee, purfue the triumph,

and partake of the gale.

kings, ftatefmen, and heroes

When
fhall re-

pofe in the duft, whofe fons fhall blufh

that their fathers

verfe fhall then

that thou wert

were thy

foes, this

mew to future ages,

my guide, philofo-

pher, and friend.

That being urged

on by thee, I turned the tuneful art

from empty founds to the things
themfelves, and from pleating* the
fancy to the improving of the heart;
and held up the light of nature, in-

Head of the

falfe

mirror of

Wit;

{hewing erring pride, WHATEVER

is, is RIGHT ; that both Reafon and

A Y O N M A N.

E S S

1 1 1

PafHon, anfwer the fame great aim ;

that true Self-love and Social-love
are alike;

can

make

that nothing but Virtue

us

blefled

but Virtue and the

knowledge
OURSELVES.

confiits

here

below;
whole of our
IN

KNOWING

G^^ Mi^ K G^^ H C^

^StJ? V.j/ ^SkJtiLiS&V J sLi&ft

-*y

^lfcJt

v^rxjSr

Kfc^S^

THE

UNIVERSAL PRAYER,
DEO OPT. MAX.
Father of

OTnou
every
haft

who

all,

in

age and every clime

been adored, by

and fage, under the

faint, favage,

names

different

LORD

thou
of JEHOVAH,
art the great Firft Caufe, though thou
be the leaft underftood ; O do thou
JOVE, or

confine
this,

all

my

only to

fenfes

that thou

art

know

good, and that

myfelf am blind: yet give me in

this dark eftate to fee the difference

between good and

tho.u

haft

left

evil

free

and that

the

human

H4 UNIVERSAL PRAYER.
binding Nature

will,

Whatever

my

in

faft

Fate.

confcience di&ates to

nie to be done,

make me purfue

more than Heaven, and whate

that

not to do, teach me

to avoid and fhun it more than helL

ver

it

Let

warns

me

not

me

caft

away whatever

in

thy free bounty thou art pleafed to

give me ; for thou art paid when

men
and

receive
to enjoy

it

with thankfulnefs

thy bounty

is

to

;.

obey

thy command. Yet let me not think

fb mean of thee, as to imagine thy

bounty
lone,

is

confined to this world a-

when

there are thoufands of

worlds around me.

let

not this

weak and unknowing hand prefume

to throw thy bolts, and deal damna
round the world on every perBut if I
fon I judge to be thy foe.
tion

am

right,

do thou impart thy perfe*

UNIVERSAL PRAYER,

its

to keep me in the
vering grace,
teach my
way 5 if I be wrong, oh

heart to

Save

find out that better

me from

foolim pride,

way.

upon

the account of any thing thy goodnefs has lent

me, and

fuffer

me

not

to be difcontented at any thing thy

to deny
fit
has

thought

goodnefs
rne.

Teach

imferies of

woes and
fellow-creatures, and

me

my

to feel the

do thou lhew that mercy to me,

Though I
that I fhew to others.
jnuft confefs myfelf

not wholly

fo, as I

mean, yet

am

am quickened by

Oh lead me, wherefothy breath.

ever I go, through this day s life,
and through the dark valley and
Grant that I may
fliadow of death.

and
day enjoy fufficient food,
whe
beft
peace ; but thou knoweft
this

ther

any thing

elfe

beneath the

n6 UNIVERSAL PRAYER,
fun

our good or not; and

let
Let there
thy will be done.
fore all Nature s incenfe rife, and
is

for

every being join in chorus to Thee,

whofe
and

altar

fkies,

is

all

the earth, fea,

and whofe temple

fpace.

is

all

The

DYING CHRISTIAN
To

OH

SOUL.

his

Thou

vital fpark

extraction

who

of

heavenly

art conftant-

ly trembling, hoping, flying

Ceafe,

fond Nature, Oh ceafe

thy
and let me feel the blifs of

and languifh into

life.

the angels whifper

that

thus

fteals

away

my

dying,

Hark,

how

they fay,
what can

Sifter

quite abforbs me,

that

come away

fpirit,

ftrife,

my

fight? that

fenfes,

drowns

and

my

it

be

fhuts
fpirits,

and draws away rny breath ? Oh,

tell me,
my foul can this be death ?
the world now recedes and
!

difap-

pears

my

eyes obferve the heavens

nB

with the feopen, and my ears ring

of angels. Oh ye an
raphic founds
gels
felf

lend

me your wings.

mounting,

I fly

is now thy vidory

is now thy fling ?

I find

O grave
O Death

FINIS.
O

l;f

my-

where

where

:-?