Lives through all life, extends through all extent Breathes in our soul, informs our mortal part As full, as perfect, in vile man that mourns, Cease, then, nor Order imperfection name: Secure to be as blest as thou canst bear: All nature is but art, unknown to thee; All chance, direction, which thou canst not see! All discord, harmony, not understood; All partial evil, universal good. And, spite of pride, in erring reason's spite, One truth is clear: "Whatever is, is RIGHT.' EPISTLE II. OF THE NATURE AND STATE OF MAN WITH RESPECT TO HIMSELF, AS AN INDIVIDUAL. THE ARGUMENT. THE business of man is not to pry into God, but to study himself. His middle nature; his powers and frailties, and the limits of his capacity. The two principles of man, self-love and reason, both necessary: self-love the stronger, and why: their end the same. The passions, and their use. The predominant passion, and its force; its necessity in directing men to different purposes; its providential use, in fixing our principle, and ascertaining our virtue. Virtue and vice joined in our mixed nature; the limits near, yet the things separate, and evident. What is the office of reason. How odious vice in itself, and how we deceive ourselves into it. That, however, the ends of providence and general good are answered in our passions and imperfections How usefully these are distributed to all orders of men. How useful they are to society, and to the individuals, in every state, and in every age of life. KNOW then thyself, presume not God to scan, The proper study of mankind is Man. Plac'd on this isthmus of a middle state, With too much weakness for the Stoic's pride, He hangs between, in doubt to act, or rest, Go, wond'rous creature! mount where science guides, I Go measure earth, weigh air, and state the tides, Superior beings, when of late they saw Could he, whose rules the rapid comet bind, Describe, or fix, one movement of his mind? Who saw its fires here rise, and there descend, Explain his own beginning, or his end? Alas what wonder! man's superior part Uncheck'd may rise, and climb from art to arts But when his own great work is but begun, What reason weaves, by passion is undone. Trace science, then, with modesty thy guide; First strip off all her equippage of pride; Deduct what is but vanity or dress, Or learning's luxury, or idleness; Or tricks to shew the stretch of human brain, Mere curious pleasure, or ingenious pain; Expunge the whole, or lop the excrescent parts Of all our vices have created arts; Then see how little the remaining sum, Which serv'd the past, and must the times to come.. Two principles in human nature reign; Self-love, the spring of motion, acts the soul; Most strength the moving principle requires, |