Then, looking up from Sire to Sire, explor'd
One Great, First Father, and that firft Ador'd.
Or plain Tradition that this All begun,

Convey'd unbroken Faith from Sire to Son,

Adi buk The Workman from the Work diftin&t was known, 230 And fimple Reafon never fought but One:

E're Wit oblique had broke that steady Light,
Man, like his Maker, faw, that all was right,
To Virtue in the Paths of Pleasure trod,
And own'd a Father when he own'd a God.
Love all the Faith, and all th' Allegiance then;

For Nature knew no Right Divine in Men,
No Ill could fear in God; and understood
A Sovereign Being but a Sovereign Good.
True Faith, true Policy, united ran,

235

GA

240

That was but Love of God, and this of Man.

Who first taught Souls enflav'd, and Realms undone Th'enormous Faith of Many made for one?

That proud Exception to all Nature's Laws,
T'invert the World, and counter-work its Caufe? 245
Force first made Conqueft, and that Conqueft Law;
Till Superftition taught the Tyrant Awe,

Then

(17)

Then fhar'd the Tyranny, and lent it Aid,

And Gods of Conqu'rors, Slaves of Subjects made:
She,midst the Lightning'sBlaze and Thunder'sSound,250
When rock'd the Mountains, and when groan'd the
Ground,

She taught the Weak to bend, the Proud to pray,
To Pow'r unfeen, and mightier far than they.
She, from the rending Earth and bursting Skies,
Saw Gods defcend, and Fiends infernal rise,
Here fix'd the dreadful, there the bleft Abodes;
Fear made her Devils, and weak Hope her Gods:
Gods partial, changeful, paffionate, unjust,
Whofe Attributes were Rage, Revenge, or Luft:
Such as the Souls of Cowards might conceive,
And form'd like Tyrants, Tyrants would believe.
Zeal then, not Charity, became the Guide,
And Hell was built on Spite, and Heav'n on Pride.
Then facred feem'd th' Ætherial Vault no more;

255

260

Altars grew Marble then, and reek'd with Gore: 265 Then first the Flamen tafted living Food;

Next his grim Idol fmear'd with human Blood;

With Heav'ns own Thunders fhook the World below, And play'd the God an Engine on his Foe.

275

So drives Self-Love, thro' Juft, and thro' Unjuft, 270 To One man's Pow'r, Ambition, Lucre, Luft: The fame Self-Love, in All, becomes the Cause Of what reftrains him, Government and Laws. For what one likes, if others like as well, What ferves one Will when many Wills rebel? How fhall he keep, what fleeping or awake A weaker may furprize, a stronger take? His Safety must his Liberty reftrain; All join to guard what each defires to gain. Forc'd into Virtue thus by Self-Defence, Ev❜n Kings learn'd Justice and Benevolence; Self-Love forfook the Path it first pursu’d, And found the private in the publick Good.

280

'Twas then, the ftudious Head or gen'rous Mind, Follow'r of God, or Friend of Humankind,

Poet or Patriot, rofe, but to restore

The Faith and Moral, Nature gave before;
Re-lum'd her ancient Light, not kindled new ;
If not God's Image, yet his Shadow drew;

285

Taught

(19)

Taught Pow'rs due Ufe to People and to Kings, 290
Taught, not to slack, nor strain, its tender strings;
The Lefs, and Greater, fet fo juftly true,

That touching one, must strike the other too,
And jarring Int'refts of themselves create

The according Musick of a well-mix'd State. · 295
Such is the WORLD'S great Harmony, that springs
From Union, Order, full Confent of Things!
Where Small and Great, whereWeak and Mighty, made
To ferve, not fuffer, strengthen, not invade,
More pow'rful each, as needful to the rest,
And in Proportion as it bleffes, bleft,
Draw to one Point, and to one Centre bring
Beast, Man, or Angel, Servant, Lord, or King.

For Forms of Government let Fools conteft;
What'ere is beft administred, is best:
For Modes of Faith let gracelefs Zealots fight;
His can't be wrong whofe Life is in the right.
All must be falfe, that thwart this One Great End,
And all of God, that blefs Mankind, or mend.

Man, like the gen'rous Vine, fupported lives,
The Strength he gains is from th'Embrace he gives.

300

305

310

On

On their own Axis as the Planets run,

Yet make at once their Circle round the Sun:
So two confiftent Motions act the Soul,

And one regards Itself, and one the Whole.

320

Thus God and Nature link'd the gen'ral Frame, And bade Self-Love and Social be the fame.

FIN NI S.

ARIS

N. B. The Reft of this Work will be publifhed the next

Winter,