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Man, like the gen'rous vine, fupported 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;

COMMENTARY.

So

VER. 311. Man, like the gen'rous vine, &c.] Having thus largely confidered Man in his focial capacity, the Poet, in order to fix a momentous truth in the mind of his reader, concludes the epiftle in recapitulating the two Principles which concur to the fupport of this part of his character, namely, SELF-LOVE and SOCIAL; and in fhewing that they are only two different motions of the appetite to Good, by which the Author of Nature hath enabled Man to find his own happiness in the happiness of the whole. This he illuftrates with a thought as fublime as that general harmony which he defcribes :

"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 Itfelf, and one the Whole.

Thus God and Nature link'd the gen❜ral frame,
And bade Self-love and Social be the fame."

For he hath the art of converting poetical ornament into philofophic reasoning; and of improving a fimile into an analogical argument; of which, more in our next. WARBURTON.

66

NOTES.

Digladient alii circa res religionis :

Quod credas nihil eft, fit modo vita proba."

But "digladient is a barbarism; he should have said, digladientur, or contendant," fays Dr. Jortin. WARTON.

VER. 313. On their own Axis] This illuftration is plainly taken from the Spectator, No. 588, faid to be written by Mr. Grove: "Is therefore Benevolence inconfiftent with Self-love? Are their motions contrary? No more than the diurnal rotation of the earth is opposed to its annual; or its motion round its own centre which might be improved as an illuftration of Self-love; that whirls it about the common centre of the world, answering to universal benevolence. Is the force of Self-love abated, or its intereft

So two confiftent motions act the Soul;

And one regards Itself, and one the Whole.

Thus God and Nature link'd the genʼral frame,

And bade Self-love and Social be the fame.

315

NOTES.

intereft prejudiced by benevolence? So far from it, that benevo lence, though a diftinct principle, is extremely ferviceable to Selflove, and then doth most service when it is least designed.”

WARTON. VER. 315. at the Soul;] It fhould certainly be actuate, or a& upon. He has used this expression again, Iliad xv. v. 487.

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This acted by a God."

Such inaccuracies are not worth remarking, but in writers fo correct and eminent as our Author, left they should give a fanction to errors. Dr. Lowth in his Grammar has pointed out several in our Author's Works.

WARTON.

VER. 318. And bade Self-love] The remarks of Warburton on the Effay on Man, on the Moral Epiftles, and the Alliance betwixt Church and State, were translated into French by M. De Silhouette; for which tranflation, fuppofing it contained opinions unfavourable to the defpotic government of France, he was much cenfured, and had nearly been profecuted, when he became Controller-General of the Finances; and he immediately bought up and deftroyed all the copies of this work that could be found.

In this paffage (ver. 318.) Pope ufes the very words of Bolingbroke: "Thus it happens that Self-love and Social are divided, and fet in oppofition to one another in the conduct of particular men, whilft in the making laws, and the regulation of government, they continue the fame." Minutes of Effays, fection 51. addreffed to Pope. WARTON.

EPISTLE IV.

:

OUR Poet having, in the three former Epiftles, treated of Man in all the three refpects in which he can be confidered; namely, first, Of his Nature and State with respect to the Univerfe; fecondly, With refpect to Himfelf; thirdly, With refpect to Society feems to have finished his fubject in the three foregoing Epiftles. This fourth Epistle, therefore, on Happiness, may be thought to be adfcititious, and out of its proper place, and ought to have made part of the fecond Epiftle, where Man is confidered with respect to Himself. I formerly mentioned this to Dr. Akenfide and Mr. Harris, who were of my opinion.

WARTON.

ARGUMENT OF EPISTLE IV.

Of the Nature and State of MAN, with respect to Happiness.

I. FALSE Notions of Happiness, Philofophical and Popular, anfwered from Ver. 19 to 27. II. It is the End of all Men, and attainable by all, Ver. 30. God intends Happiness to be equal; and to be fo, it must be social, fince all particular Happinefs depends on general, and fince he governs by general, not particular Laws, Ver. 37. As it is necessary for Order, and the peace and welfare of Society, that external goods fhould be unequal, Happiness is not made to confift in these, Ver. 51. But, notwithstanding that inequality, the balance of Happiness among Mankind is kept even by Providence, by the two Paffions of Hope and Fear, Ver. 70. III. What the Happiness of Individuals is, as far as is confiftent with the conftitution of this world; and that the good Man has here the advantage, Ver. 77. The error of imputing to Virtue what are only the calamities of Nature, or of Fortune, Ver. 94. IV. The folly of expecting that God fhould alter his general Laws in favour of particulars, Ver. 121. V. That we are not judges who are good; but that whoever they are, they must be happiest, Ver. 133, &c. VI. That external goods are not the proper rewards, but often inconfiftent with, or deftructive of, Virtue, Ver. 165. That even these can Inftanced in Riches, Honours, Ver. 191. Nobility, Ver. 203. Greatness, Ver. 215. Fame, Ver. 235. Superior Talents, Ver. 257, &c. With pictures of human Infelicity in Men poffeffed of them all, Ver. 267, &c. VII. That Virtue only conftitutes a Happiness, whofe object is universal, and whofe profpect eternal, Ver. 307, &c. That the perfection of Virtue and Happiness confifts in a conformity to the ORDER of PROVIDENCE here, and a Refignation to it here and hereafter, Ver. 326, &c.

make no Man happy without Virtue:

Ver. 183.

EPISTLE IV.

H HAPPINESS! our being's end and aim!

Good, Pleasure, Eafe, Content! whate'er thy

name:

That, fomething ftill which prompts th' eternal figh, For which we bear to live, or dare to die,

Which

VARIATIONS.

VER. 1. Ob Happiness! &c.] In the MS. thus:
Oh Happiness! to which we all afpire,

Wing'd with ftrong hope, and borne by full defire:
That eafe, for which in want, in wealth we figh;
That cafe, for which we labour and we die.

COMMENTARY.

THE two foregoing Epiftles having confidered Man with regard to the MEANS (that is, in all his relations, whether as an Individual, or a Member of Society), this laft comes to confider him with regard to the END, that is, Happiness.

It opens with an Invocation to HAPPINESS, in the manner of the ancient Poets; who, when deftitute of a patron God, applied to the Mufe; and if he was not at leifure, took up with any fimple Virtue next at hand, to inspire and prosper their undertakings. This was the ancient Invocation, which few modern Poets have had the art to imitate with any degree either of spirit or decorum: but our Author hath contrived to make his fubfervient to the method and reafoning of his philofophic compofition. I will endeavour to explain fo uncommon a beauty.

It is to be observed that the pagan Deities had each their several names and places of abode; with fome of which they were supposed

NOTES.

to

VER. 1. Ob Happiness!] He begins his addrefs to Happiness after the manner of the ancient hymns, by enumerating the titles

VOL. III.

and

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