An Essay on Man: Epistle III

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J. Wilford, 1733 - 20 pages

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Page 12 - Nor think, in Nature's state they blindly trod; The state of Nature was the reign of God: Self-love and social at her birth began, Union the bond of all things, and of man.
Page 19 - All muft be falfe that thwart this One great End; And all of -God, that blefs Mankind, or mend. 310 Man, like the gen'rous vine, fupported lives; The ftrength he gains is from th
Page 12 - Pride then was not; nor arts, that pride to aid; Man walk'd with beast, joint tenant of the shade, The same his table, and the same his bed; No murder cloath'd him, and no murder fed.
Page 17 - midst the light'ning's blaze, and thunder's sound, When rock'd the mountains, and when groan'd the ground, She taught the weak to bend, the proud to pray, To pow'r unseen, and mightier far than they : She, from the rending earth, and bursting skies, Saw gods descend, and fiends infernal rise...
Page 8 - Be man the wit and tyrant of the whole: Nature that tyrant checks; he only knows, And helps, another creature's wants and woes. Say, will the falcon, stooping from above, Smit with her varying plumage, spare the dove?
Page 20 - Man, like the gen'rous vine, supported lives; The strength he gains is from th' embrace he gives. On their own axis as the planets run, Yet make at once their circle round the sun; So two consistent motions act the soul ; And one regards itself, and one the whole. Thus God and nature link'd the gen'ral frame, And bade self-love and social be the same.
Page 17 - Fear made her Devils, and weak Hope her Gods; Gods partial, changeful, passionate, unjust, Whose attributes were Rage, Revenge, or Lust ; Such as the souls of cowards might conceive, And, form'd like tyrants, tyrants would believe.
Page 19 - Such is the world's great harmony, that springs From order, union, full consent of things : Where small and great, where weak and mighty, made To serve, not suffer, strengthen, not invade ; More...
Page 8 - Man cares for all : to birds he gives his woods, To beasts his pastures, and to fish his floods ; For some his interest prompts him to provide, For more his pleasure, yet for more his pride : All feed on one vain patron, and enjoy The extensive blessing of his luxury.
Page 17 - Such as the fouls of cowards might conceive, And, form'd like tyrants, tyrants would believe. Zeal then, not charity, became the guide ; And hell was built on fpite, and heav'n on pride.

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