i

Who, foe to Nature, hears the general groan,
Murders their species, and betrays his own.
But just disease to luxury succeeds,
And every death its own avenger breeds;
The Fury-passions from that blood began,
And turn'd on Man, a fiercer savage, Man.

165

170

See him from Nature rising flow to Art! To copy instinct then was reason's part; Thus then to Man the voice of Nature spake"Go, from the Creatures thy instructions take: "Learn from the birds what food the thickets yield; "Learn from the beasts the physic of the field; " Thy arts of building from the bee receive; " Learn of the mole to plow, the worm to weave; "Learn of the little Nautilus to fail,

175

" Spread the thin oar, and catch the driving gale.

" Here too all forms of social union find,
"And hence let Reason, late, instruct Mankind: 180

"Here fubterranean works and cities see;

"There towns aërial on the waving tree.

" Learn each small People's genius, policies,
"The Ant's republic, and the realm of Bees;
" How those in common all their wealth bestow, 185

" And Anarchy without confufion know;

" And these for ever, though a Monarch reign,
"Their separate cells and properties maintain.
" Mark what unvary'd laws preserve each state,
"Laws wife as Nature, and as fix'd as Fate.
" In vain thy Reason finer webs shall draw,
"Entangle Justice in her net of Law,

190

" And

"And right, too rigid, harden into wrong; " Still for the strong too weak, the weak too strong,

" Yet go! and thus o'er all the creatures sway,

195

"Thus let the wiser make the rest obey:

" And for those Arts mere Instinct could afford, "Be crown'd as Monarchs, or as Gods ador'd."

V. Great Nature spoke; observant Man obey'd;

Cities were built, Societies were made :

200

Here rose one little state; another near

Grew by like means, and join'd, through love or fear.

Did here the trees with ruddier burdens bend,

And there the streams in purer rills descend?
What War could ravish, Commerce could bestow; 205

And he return'd a friend, who came a foe.

Converse and Love mankind might strongly draw,

When Love was Liberty, and Nature Law.

VARIATIONS.

Ver. 197. in the first Editions,

Thus

Who for those Arts they learn'd of brutes before,
As Kings shall crown them, or as Gods adore.

Ver. 201. Here rose one little state, &c.] In the MS.

thus,

The neighbours leagu'd to guard their common spot;
And Love was Nature's dictate; Murder, not.
For want alone each animal contends;
Tigers with Tigers, that remov'd are friends.
Plain Nature's wants the common mother crown'd,
She pour'd her acorns, herbs, and streams around.
No Treasure then for rapine to invade,
What need to fight for fun-shine or for fhade?
And half the cause of contest was remov'd,
When beauty could be kind to all who lov'd.

210

Thus States were form'd; the name of King unknown,
Till common interest plac'd the sway in one.
'Twas VIRTUE ONLY (or in arts or arms,
Diffusing blessings, or averting harms)
The fame which in a fire the Sons obey'd,
A Prince the Father of a People made.

220

VI. Till then, by Nature crown'd, each Patriarch fate, King, prieft, and parent, of his growing state: On him, their second Providence, they hung, Their law his eye, their oracle his tongue. He from the wondering furrow call'd the food, Taught to command the fire, control the flood, Draw forth the monsters of th' abyss profound, Or fetch th' aërial eagle to the ground. Till drooping, fickening, dying, they began Whom they rever'd as God to mourn as Man: Then, looking up from fire to fire, explor'd One great First Father, and that first ador'd. Or plain tradition that this All begun, Convey'd unbroken faith from fire to fon; The worker from the work distinct was known,

225

And fimple Reason never fought but one:
Ere Wit oblique had broke that steddy light,
Man, like his Maker, saw 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 fovereign being, but a fovereign good.

230

235

True

True faith, true policy, united ran,

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

240

Who first taught fouls enflav'd, and realms un

done.

Th' enormous faith of many made for one;
That proud exception to all Nature's laws,
T' invert the world, and counter-work its Cause?
Force first made Conquest, and that conquest, Law;
Till Superftition taught the tyrant awe,
Then shar'd the Tyranny, then lent it aid,
And Gods of Conquerors, Slaves of Subjects made :
She 'midst the lightning's blaze, and thunder's found,
When rock'd the mountains, and when groan'd the

ground,

250

She taught the weak to bend, the proud to pray,
To Power unfeen, and mightier far than they:
She, from the rending earth, and bursting skies,
Saw Gods defcend, and fiends infernal rife:
Here fix'd the dreadful, there the blest abodes;
Fear made her Devils, and weak Hope her Gods;
Gods partial, changeful, passionate, unjust,
Whose attributes were Rage, Revenge, or Luft;
Such as the fouls of cowards might conceive,
And, form'd like tyrants, tyrants would believe. 260

255

Zeal then, not charity, became the guide;

And hell was built on spite, and heaven on pride.

Then facred feem'd th' ethereal vault no more;
Altars grew Marble then, and reek'd with gore:
Then first the Flamen tasted living food;
Next his grim idol smear'd with human blood;

265

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

270

So drives felf-love, through just, and through unjust, To one man's power, ambition, lucre, lust: The fame Self-love, in all, becomes the caufe Of what reftrains him, Government and Laws. For, what one likes, if others like as well, What serves one will, when many wills rebel? How shall he keep, what, fleeping or awake, A weaker may fürprize, a stronger take?

275

His fafety must his liberty restrain :

All join to guard what each defires to gain.
Fore'd into virtue thus, by Self-defence,
Ev'n Kings learn'd justice and benevolence:
Self-love forfook the path it first purfued,
And found the private in the public good.

280

'Twas then the studious 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;

285

I

If not God's Image, yet his shadow drew:

Taught Power's due use to People and to Kings, Taught nor to flack, nor strain its tender strings, 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 Consent of things:
VOL. II.

F

295

Where