and go on with great Succefs. He has an Efteem for this active Man, he likes the Use which he makes of his Talents, he reads with Pleasure his own Duty in this Example, and is excited to imitate it; he will follow his Modeb then, and be very far from endeavouring to circumvent him out of Envy.

IT is not neceffary then that Pride fhould be

Beftow'd on all a common Friend,

Each Want of Happiness by Hope fupply'd,
And each Vacuity of Senfe by Pride.

This does happen, but it is not the
Work of God. The Light of Reason is
fufficient to fupply us with incomparably
more folid and valuable Comforts. What
an Imagination is this! A Man pleases
himself with making Verses, and fucceeds
very ill in them; he is not, however, dif-
couraged or mortified with it: Why?
Because God has been graciously pleased
to fupply his little Share of Capacity
by a very large Share of Pride: Within
a very little of being the laft in the Lift
of Poets, he is happy in being mad
enough

enough to think himself almost worthy of the first Rank, at least, equal to those who are reckon'd to be in the fecond or third.

MEN have the Weakness to affent to Conjectures which please them; by this means they entertain themselves with Chimeras, and feed their Vanity. This is their own Fault entirely, it ought not to be laid upon God, who does not make Men Fools to prevent their being difcontented. Let them become wife; this happy Change will procure them Satiffaction. But the Fatalift will fay, It is of Importance to the Universe, that they fhould perfift in their Folly.

LET us confefs this Truth,

Tho' Man's a Fool, yet GOD IS WISE.

This Truth is inconteftable. It is impoffible that the Folly of Men fhould, in reality, caft the leaft Blemish upon the Wisdom of God. But fhould we not be afraid of obscuring, of perplexing, and even destroying the Idea which we ought to form to ourselves of this all adorable

Wisdom, by afcribing to it, as one of its Effects, the Folly of Men, and that Pride, which intoxicates and accompanies them all their Life as a common Friend?

REFLEC

REFLECTIONS

ΟΝ ΤΗΕ

THIRD EPISTLE

O F

Mr POPE's ESSAY on MAN.

T

HE Ancients gave their Poets the Name of Vates, that is to

fay, Prophets. Their warm Imagination expreffed itself in fo lively and pompous a Manner, they spoke in fo exalted a Strain, that they feem'd to have a Commiffion of inftructing Mankind from fome invifible and fuperior Power. I confefs, Sir, that I perceive in this Work of Mr Pope's the Marks of those Imaginations which Father Malebranche calls contagious. I find myself attracted, I know not how, to read him with Pleafure, and even Refpect. Prepared by the Effect of his Poetic

Profe, when he N 3

begins

begins his third Epiftle with calling me bounded Man!* I humbly fubmit myself to my Master, and prepare myself to receive his Leffons with Refpect. But an inveterate Habit that calls me back to examine, prompts me to ask him; You who demand my Attention by these Imperious Expreffions, Learn bounded Man, do you perceive that your Mind has carried itself beyond the Bounds prescribed to the Mind of others? I would have it fo, for I feek to be inftructed.

to you then. Verse 1.5 A

The Univerfal Caufe

Acts to one End,

I attend

Let this great Truth be prefent Night and Day; But most be prefent, if we preach, or pray. Here is a great deal of Knowledge, and that of the moft fublime Sort. Mr Pope gives us more than he had made us hope for, Ep. 1. v. 21.

Thro' Worlds unnumber'd tho' the God be known, ''Tis ours to trace him only in our own.

BUT

*Apprens, Homme borné, que le maitre du monde.

Refnel's French Translation.