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But as this was the Author's favourite Work, which more exactly reflected the Image of his ftrong capacious Mind, and as we can have but a very imperfect idea of it from the 'disject̃a ' membra Poetæ,' that now remain, it may not be amiss to be a little more particular concerning each of these projected books.

The FIRST, as it treats of Man in the abftract, and confiders him in general under every of his relations, becomes the foundation, and furnishes out the subjects, of the three following; fo that

The SECOND Book was to take up again the First and Second Epiftles of the First Book, and treats of Man in his intellectual Capacity at large, as has been been explained above. Of this only a small part of the conclufion (which, as we faid, was to have contained a Satire against the mifapplication of Wit and Learning) may be found in the Fourth Book of the Dunciad, and up and down, occafionally, in the other three.

The THIRD Book, in like manner, was to re-affume the fubject of the Third Epiftle of the First, which treats of Man in his Social, Political, and Religious Capacity. But this part the Poet afterwards conceived might be beft executed in an EPIC POEM, as the Action would make it more animated, and the Fable lefs invidious; in which all the great Principles of true and falfe Governments and Religions should be chiefly delivered in feigned Examples.

The FOURTH and last Book was to pursue the fubject of the Fourth Epistle of the Firft, and treats of Ethics, or practical Morality; and would have confifted of many members; of which the four following Epiftles were detached Portions: the two first, on the Characters of Men and Women, being the introductory part of this concluding Book.

MORAL

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Of the Knowledge and Characters of MEN.

L. THAT it is not fufficient for this knowledge to confider Man in the Abftract: Books will not ferve the purpose, nor yet our own Experience singly, ver. 1. General maxims, unless they be formed upon both, will be but notional, ver. 10. Some peculiarity in every Man, characteristic to himself, yet varying from himfelf, ver. 15. Difficulties arifing from our own Paffions, Fancies, Faculties, &c. ver. 31. The shortnefs of Life to observe in, and the uncertainty of the Principles of action in men to obferve by, ver. 37. &c. Our own Principle of action often hid from ourfelves, ver. 41. Some few Characters plain, but in general confounded, diffembled, or inconfiftent, ver. 51. The fame man utterly different in different places and feafons, ver. 71. Unimaginable weakneffes in the greateft, ver. 70, &c. Nothing conflant and certain but God and Nature, ver. 95. No judging of the Motives

Motives from the actions; the fame actions proceeding from contrary Motives, and the fame Motives influencing contrary actions, ver. 100. II. Yet, to form Characters, we can only take the strongest actions of a man's life, and try to make them agree: The utter uncertainty of this, from Nature itself, and from Policy, ver. 120. Characters given according to the rank of men of the world, ver. 135. And fome reafon for it, ver. 140. Education alters the Nature, or at least Character, of many, ver. 149. Actions, Paffions, Opinions, Manners, Humours, or Principles, all fubject to change. No judging by Nature, from ver. 158. to ver. 178. III. It only remains to find (if we can) his RULING PASSION: That will certainly influence all the reft, and can reconcile the feeming or real inconsistency of all his actions, ver. 175. Inftanced in the extraordinary Character of Clodio, ver. 179. A caution against mistaking second qualities for firft, which will deftroy all poffibility of the knowledge of mankind, ver. 210. Examples of the strength of the Ruling Paffion, and its continuation to the last breath, ver. 222, &c.

EPISTLE

EPISTLE I.

'ES, you despise the man to Books confin'd, Who from his study rails at human-kind; Though what he learns he speaks, and may advance Some general maxims, or be right by chance. The coxcomb bird, so talkative and grave,

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That from his cage cries Cuckold, Whore, and Knave,
Though many a paffenger he rightly call,
You hold him no Philosopher at all.

And yet the fate of all extremes is fuch,

Men may be read, as well as Books, too much.
To obfervations which ourselves we make,

We
grow
To written Wisdom, as another's,

more partial for th' Observer's fake;

lefs:

Maxims are drawn from Notions, these from Guefs.

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There's fome Peculiar in each leaf and grain,

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Some unmark'd fibre, or fome varying vein :

Shall only Man be taken in the gross?

Grant but as many forts of Mind as Mofs.

That each from other differs, first confess;

Next, that he varies from himself no less;

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Add Nature's, Cuftom's, Reafon's, Paffion's ftrife,
And all Opinion's colours caft on life.

Our depths who fathoms, or our fhallows finds, Quick whirls, and shifting eddies, of our minds? On human actions reason though you can,

It

may

be Reason, but it is not Man:

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His

His Principle of action once explore,

That inftant 'tis his Principle no more.

Like following life through creatures you diffect,
You lofe it in the moment you detect.

Yet more; the difference is as great between The optics feeing, as the objects seen.

All Manners take a tincture from our own;

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Or come difcolour'd through our Paffions shown.
Or Fancy's beam enlarges, multiplies,

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Contracts, inverts, and gives ten thousand dyes.
Nor will Life's ftream for obfervation stay,

It hurries all too faft to mark their way:

In vain fedate reflections we would make,

When half our knowledge we must snatch, not take. 40
Oft, in the Paffion's wild rotation toft,

Our fpring of action to ourselves is loft:
Tir'd, not determin'd, to the laft we yield,
And what comes then is mafter of the field.
As the laft image of that troubled heap,
When fenfe fut fides and fancy fports in fleep,
(Though paft the recollection of the thought)
Becomes the stuff of which our dream is wrought:
Something as dim to our internal view,

Is thus, perhaps, the caufe of most we do.

True, fome are open, and to all men known;
Others, fo very clofe, they 're hid from none;
(So darkness ftrikes the fenfe no less than light)
Thus gracious Chandos is belov'd at fight;
And every child hates Shylock, though his foul
Still its at fquat, and peeps not from its hole.

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