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ARGUMENT OF EPISTLE IV.

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

God

I. FALSE Notions of Happiness, Philofophical and Popular, anfwered from ver. 19 to 77. II. It is the End of all Men, and attainable by all, ver. 30. intends Happiness to be equal; and to be so, it must 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 should be unequal, Happiness is not made to confift in these, 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 conftitution 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 should alter kis general Laws in favour of particulars, ver. 121. V. That we are not judges who are good; but that chcover they are, they must be happiest, ver. 133, etc. VI. That external goods are not the proper rewards, but often inconfiftent with, or deftructive of, Virtue, ver. 167. That even thefe can make no Man happy without Virtue: Inflanced in Riches, ver. 185, Honours, ver. 193. Nobility, ver. 205. Greatness, ver. 217. Fame, ver. 237. Superior Talents, ver.

259, etc. With pictures of human infelicity in Men poffeffed of them all, ver. 269, etc. VII. That Virtue only conftitutes a Happiness, whose object is univerfal, and whofe profpect eternal, ver. 309. 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,

etc.

Plate XII.

Vol.II. facing p.83.

Know then this Truth (enough for Man to know) Virtue alone is Happiness below.

Essay on Man Ep IV.

EPISTLE IV.

H HAPPINESS! our being's end and aim!

OH

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Good, Pleafure, 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 ftill fo near us, yet beyond us lies,
O'erlook'd, feen double, by the fool and wife.
Plant of celestial feed! if dropt below,
Say, in what mortal foil thou deign'st to grow ?
Fair op'ning to fome Court's propitious fhine,
Or deep with di'monds 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 ev'ry where:

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'Tis never to be bought, but always free,

And fled from monarchs, St. JoHN! dwells with thee.

THE two foregoing epiftles having confidered Man with regard to the Means (that is, in all his relations, whether as an Individual. or a Member of Society), this last comes to confider him with regard to the End, that is, HAPPINESS.

VER. 6. O'er back'd, feen double,] O'erlook'd by those who place Happiness in any thing exclufive of Virtue; feen double by thofe who admit any thing else to have a fhare with Virtue in procuring Happiness; these being the two general mistakes that this epiftle is employed in confuting.

VARIATION S..

VER. 1. Ob Happiness! etc.] in the MS. thus,

Oh Happiness, to which we all aspire,

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

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