1 WHEN Mr Pope, in order to prove that even fuperior Parts contribute but little to our Happiness, gives an Instance in his Hero and Friend, who did not reap an Advantage from his, proportionable to their Extent: This Proof has a very great Defect, for it proves too much. If we admit it as folid, we must make it reach to Virtue itfelf. The firft Brutus had an extreme Averfion for Tyranny, and a great Zeal for the Liberty of his Fellow Citizens: Thefe are very valuable Virtues. What Advantage did he gain from them? The Sight of both his Sons expiring under the Rod and Ax, and the Lofs of his own Life in the firft Battle which was fought in the Caufe of Liberty against defpotic Power. And the fecond Brutus, as he was dying, complain'd that Virtue, which he had always ador'd, was only a fine Chimera, without any Reality. Thofe will be dif appointed of their Expectation who adhere to Virtue, with a View to the Advantages they may reap from it in this Life. We must go further, if we would give it Refolution. Bring Painful Freheminence, &c. V. 257. Bring then thefe Bleffings to a friet Account, Make fair Deductions, fee to what they mount,&c. Ver. 259. IT is abfolutely neceffary for one who would not do either an Hiftorian, or the Perfons whofe Lives he writes, Injustice, to be thoroughly inftructed in the Motives and Circumftances, and, in a Word, in the Reasons of both Sides. 'Tis this which obliges me to Silence upon this Paragraph. I will content myfelf with a Remark upon the following Words: There, in the rich, the honour'd, fam'd, and great, but There is not one of thefe Bleffings, Who most to fhun or hate Mankind pretend,, BUT the general Error of all who flatter themselves that they fhall receive BeT 2 nefit. nefit from these Advantages, is, that they feek a compleat Happiness in them; this is one of the firft Remarks which I made you on this Subject of Happiness. Know then this Truth, enough for Man to know, Virtue alone is Happiness below. Verse 300. It is not poffible to paraphrafe this Truth with greater Elegance than Mr Pope does through all this Period. There is only fome Poetical Exaggeration in these two Verses; And where no Wants, no Wishes can remain, Since but to wish more Virtue, is to gain. V. 316. It is certain that the very afpiring to a greater Degree of Virtue is an Effect of Virtue But we are not arrived to that Degree the Moment we wish for it; we must take pains to acquire it, and great Efforts are often neceffary to furmount the Obftacles which oppose themselves to it. The Bad must mifs this Happiness, that is very true; on the contrary, the Good untaught will find it, this is faying too much. I must make use of very great Efforts to follow Mr Pope in that Chain. that that links the immenfe Defign, and to learn, Verse 327, From the Union of the rifing Whole, The first, laft Purpose of the human Soul, ------- Where Faith, Law, Morals all began, All end in Love of God, and Love of Man. 'Tis in vain that Mr Pope adds, that, as foon as a Perfon is enter'd into this System For him alone, Hope leads from Göle to Gole, And opens ftill, and opens on his Soul; Till lengthen'd on to Faith, and unconfin'd, It pours the Bliss that fills up all the Mind. Ver. 331, I' confefs, Sir, that I find myself incapable of following Mr Pope in the Flight that he takes. My Imagination would fain yield to the Pomp of his Words; but my Understanding refufes it, and cannot lay hold on juft Ideas to anfwer thofe Words. I must confefs too that I cannot even believe that Mr Pope experi enced the extatic Motions that his Poetry defcribes to us: As far as I can fee, they cannot be any Thing but, either the Effect of a dull and fervile Imagination, infatuated: T 3 fatuated with a Syftem to which it gives itself up, tho' it does not understand this Syftem; or of a more lively Genius, but a Foe to all Reftraint, and delighted with thinking that it would be a Weakness to reflect and disturb itself by Reproaches for its Actions, be they of what Nature they would. I have read in an Author called Cufteler, in a Book intitled Efay on the Art of natural and artificial Reafoning, being a Guide to the Principles of universal Knowledge; I remember to have read in this Book an extatic Description of the Raptures with which its Author immersed himself in the Spinozian Subftance of the Univerfal Being, delighted with his System, where his wandering and disturb'd Imagination fought its Happinefs. IT is impoffible to perfuade me that, fince the Ufe of Tobacco in Snuff and Smoaking, brought from America to Europe, one Pinch of this Snuff, or one Puff of this Smoak, fhould enter into the great Chain, be united to the rest of the Universe, and carry its Influences as far as the Planets of Syrius. I |