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With heaven's own thunders fhook the world below,
And play'd the God an engine on his foe.

270

So drives felf-love, through juft, and through unjust,
To one man's power, ambition, lucre, lust:
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 fafety muft his liberty restrain :

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 pursued,
And found the private in the public good.

'Twas then the ftudious head or generous mind,
Follower of God, or friend of human kind,
Poet or Patriot, rose but to restore

The Faith and Moral, Nature gave before;
Relum'd her ancient light, not kindled new;
If not God's Image, yet his fhadow drew :

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285

Taught Power's due ufe to People and to Kings, Taught nor to flack, nor ftrain its tender ftrings, 290

The lefs, or greater, set so justly true,

That touching one must strike the other too;
Till jarring interests of themselves create
Th' according music of a well-mix'd State.
Such is the world's great harmony, that springs
From Order, Union, full Confent of things:

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295

Where

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Where fmall and great, where weak and mighty, made
To serve, not suffer, ftrengthen, not invade;
More powerful each as needful to the rest,
And, in proportion as it bleffes, bleft;
Draw to one point, and to one centre bring
Beaft, Man, or Angel, Servant, Lord, or King.
For Forms of Government let fools conteft;
Whate'er is beft adminifter'd is beft:
For Modes of Faith, let graceless zealots fight;
His can't be wrong whose life is in the right;
In Faith and Hope the world will disagree,

But all Mankind's concern is Charity:

All must be falfe that thwarts this One great End:
And all of God, that bless Mankind, or mend.
Man, like the generous 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;

So two confiftent motions act the Soul;

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310

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And one regards Itself, and one the Whole.

Thus God and Nature link'd the general frame,

And bade Self-love and Social be the fame.

ARGUMENT

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Of the Nature and State of Man with respect to Happiness.

I. FALSE Notions of Happiness, Philofophical and Popular, answered from ver. 19 to 77. 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 focial, fince all particular Happinefs depends on general, and fince he governs by general, not particular Laws, ver. 37. As it is neceffary 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

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with, or destructive of Virtue, ver. 167. That even these can make no Man happy without Virtue: Inftanced in Riches, ver. 185. Honours, ver. 193. Nobility, ver. 205. Greatness, ver. 217. Fame, ver. 237. Superior Talents, ver. 257, &c. With pictures of human infelicity in Men, poffeffed of them all, ver. 269, &c. VII. That Virtue only constitutes a Happiness, whose object is univerfal, and whose profpect eternal, ver. 307. That the perfection of Virtue and Happiness consists in a conformity to the ORDER of PROVIDENCE here, and a Resignation to it here and hereafter, ver. 326, &c.

EPISTLE

EPISTLE IV.

OH HAPPINESS! our being's end and aim!

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Good, Pleasure, Eafe, Content! whate'er thy name: That fomething still which prompts th' eternal figh, For which we bear to live, or dare to die, Which still fo near us, yet beyond us lies, O'erlook'd, feen double, by the fool and wife. Plant of celeftial feed! if dropt below, Say, in what mortal foul thou deign'ft to grow? Fair opening to fome Court's propitious shine, Or deep with diamonds in the flaming mine? Twin'd with the wreaths Parnaffian laurels yield, Or reap'd in iron harvests of the field?

Where grows where grows it not? If vain our toil, We ought to blame the culture, not the foil:

Fix'd to no spot is happiness fincere,

'Tis no where to be found, or every where:

'Tis never to be bought, but always free,

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And fled from monarchs, St. JOHN! dwells with thee. Ask of the Learn'd the way? The Learn'd are blind : This bids to ferve, and that to fhun mankind;

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VARIATION.

Ver. 1. Oh 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 eafe, for which we labour, and we die.

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