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ARGUMENT OF

EPIST LE

IV.

Of the Nature and State of Man with respect to Happiness.

I. FALSE Notions of Happiness, Philofophical and Popular, answered from ver. 19 to 77. II. It is the End of all Men, and attainable by all, ver. 30. God intends Happiness to be equal; and to be fo, it muft be focial, fince all particular Happiness depends on general, and fince he governs by general, not particular Laws, ver. 37. As it is neceffary for Order, and the peace and welfare of Society, that external goods fhould be unequal, Happiness is not made to confift in thefe, ver. 51. But, notwithstanding that inequality, the balance of Happiness among mankind is kept even by Providence, by the two Paffions of Hope and Fear, ver 70. III. What the Happiness

of Individuals is, as far as is confiftent with the conflitution of this world; and that the Good Man has here the advantage, ver. 77. The error of imputing to Virtue what are only the calamities of Nature, or of Fortune, ver. 94. IV. The folly of expecting that God fhould alter his general Laws in favour of particulars, ver. 121. V. That we are not judges who are good; but that, whoever they are, they must be happieft, ver. 133, &c. VI. That external goods are not the proper rewards, but often inconfiftent with,

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with, or deftructive of Virtue, ver. 167. That even these can make no Man happy without Virtue: Inftanced in Riches, ver. 185. Honours, ver. 193. Nobility, ver. 205. Greatness, ver. 217. Fame, ver. 237. Superior Talents, ver. 257, &c. With pictures of human infelicity in Men, poffeffed of them all, ver. 269, &c. VII. That Virtue only constitutes a Happiness, whofe object is univerfal, and whofe profpect eternal, ver. 307. That the perfection of Virtue and Happiness confifts in a conformity to the ORDER of PROVIDENCE here, and a Refignation to it here and hereafter, ver. 326, &c.

EPISTLE

EPISTLE IV.

OF

Ο

5

H HAPPINESS! our being's end and aim!
Good, Pleasure, Eafe, Content! whate'er thy name:
That fomething ftill which prompts th' eternal figh,
For which we bear to live, or dare to die,
Which still so near us, yet beyond us lies,
O'erlook'd, feen double, by the fool and wise:
Plant of celeftial feed! if dropp'd below,
Say, in what mortal foil thou deign'ft to grow?
Fair opening to fome Court's propitious fhine,
Or deep with diamonds in the flaming mine?
Twin'd with the wreaths Parnaffian laurels yield,
Or reap'd in iron harvests of the field?

Where grows? where grows it not? If vain our toil,
We ought to blame the culture, not the foil :
Fix'd to no spot is happiness fincere,

'Tis no where to be found, or every

where:

'Tis never to be bought, but always free,

15

And fled from monarchs, St. JOHN! dwells with thee. Ask of the Learn'd the way? The Learn'd are blind: This bids to ferve, and that to shun mankind;

20

VARIATION.

Ver. 1. Oh Happiness, &c.] in the MS. thus:

Oh Happiness, to which we all aspire,

Wing'd with strong hope, and borne by full defire;
That eafe, for which in want, in wealth we figh;
That eafe, for which we labour, and we die.

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Some place the blifs in action, fome in eafe,
Thofe call it Pleasure, and Contentment thefe:
Some, funk to Beasts, find Pleasure end in Pain;
Some, fwell'd to Gods, confefs ev'n Virtue vain;
Or, indolent, to each extreme they fall,

To truft in ev'ry thing, or doubt of all.

Who thus define it, fay they more or less,
Than this, that Happiness is Happiness?

Take Nature's path, and mad Opinion's leave;
All ftates can reach it, and all heads conceive;
Obvious her goods, in no extreme they dwell;
There needs but thinking right, and meaning well;
And, mourn our various portions as we please,
Equal is Common Senfe, and Common Eafe.
Remember, Man," the Universal Caufe
"Acts not by partial, but by gen'ral laws;"
And makes what Happiness we justly call,
Subfift not in the good of one, but all.
There's not a bleffing Individuals find,

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30

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But fome-way leans and hearkens to the kind:
No Bandit fierce, no Tyrant mad with pride,
No cavern'd Hermit, refts felf-fatisfy'd:
Who most to shun or hate Mankind pretend,
Seek an admirer, or would fix a friend:
Abstract what others feel, what others think,
All pleasures ficken, and all glories fink:

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45

Each has his fhare; and who would more obtain,
Shall find, the pleasure pays not half the pain.
ORDER is Heaven's firft Law; and this confeft,
Some are, and must be, greater than the rest,

50 More

More rich, more wife; but who infers from hence
That fuch are happier, fhocks all common fenfe.
Heaven to Mankind impartial we confefs,
If all are equal in their Happiness:

But mutual wants this Happiness increase;

All Nature's difference keeps all Nature's peace.
Condition, circumftance, is not the thing;

Blifs is the fame in fubject or in king,

In who obtain defence, or who defend,

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60

In him who is, or him who finds a friend:
Heaven breathes through every member of the whole
One common bleffing, as one common foul.
But Fortune's gifts if each alike poffeft,
And each were equal, must not all contest?
If then to all Men Happiness was meant,
God in Externals could not place Content.
Fortune her gifts may variously difpofe,
And these be happy call'd, unhappy thofe;

VARIATIONS.

After ver. 52, in the MS. ↑

Say not, "Heaven 's here profufe, there poorly faves, "And for one Monarch makes a thousand flaves." You'll find, when Caufes and their Ends are known, 'Twas for the thoufand Heaven has made that one.

After ver. 66, in the MS.

'Tis peace of mind alone is at a stay:

The reft mad Fortune gives or takes away.

All other blifs by accident 's débarr'd;
But Virtue 's, in the inftant, a reward;

In hardeft trials operates the best,

And more is relish'd as the more diftreft.

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