The good or bad the gifts of Fortune gain; But these less taste them, as they worse obtain. Who risk the most, that take wrong means or right? VARIATIONS. After ver. 92. in MS. Let fober Moralifts correct their speech, NOTES. VER. 93. Ob blind to truth, &c.] Our author having thus largely confuted the mistake of Happiness's confifting in externals, proceeds to expose the terrible confequences of fuch an opinion on the fentiments and practice of all forts of men, making the Diffolute impious and atheistical; the Religious uncharitable and intolerant; and the Good reftlefs and difcontent. For when it is once taken for granted, that Happiness confifts in externals, it is immediately feen, that ill men are often more happy than good; which fets all conditions on objecting to the ways of Providence: and fome even on rafhly attempting to rectify its difpenfations, though by the violation of all Law, divine and human. Who fees and follows that great scheme the beft, 95 100 For ills or accidents that chance to all. Lent Heav'na parent to the poor and me? NOTES. 105 100 VER. 100. See godlike Turenne.] This epithet has a peculiar juftnefs; the great man to whom it is applied, not being distinguished, from other generals, for any of his fuperior qualities, fo much as for his providential care of those whom he led to war; which was fo uncommon, that his chief purpose, in taking on himself the command of armies, feems to have been the preservation of mankind. In this god-like care he was more diftinguishably employed, throughout the whole courfe of that famous campaign in which he loft his life. VER. 110. Lent Heav'n a parent, &c.]This laft inftance of the poet's illuftration of the ways of Providence, the What makes all phyfical or moral ill! There deviates Nature, and here wanders Will. God fends not ill; if rightly understood, Or partial Ill is univerfal Good, Or change admits, or Nature lets it fall; When his lewd father gave the dire difeafe. 115 120 Think we, like fome weak Prince, th' Eternal Caufe, Prone for his fav'rites to reverse his laws? VARIATIONS. After ver. 116. in the MS. Of ev'ry evil, fince the world began, NOTES. reader fees, has a peculiar elegance; where a tribute of piety to a parent is paid in a return of thanks to, and made fubfervient of, his vindication of the Great Giver and Father of all things. The mother of the author, a perfon of great piety and charity, died the year this poem was finished, viz. 1733. VER. 121, Think we, I ke fome weak Prince, &c.] Agreeably hereunto, holy Scripture, in its account of things under the common Providence of Heaven, never reprefents miracles as wrought for the fake of him who is the object of them, but in order to give credit to fome of God's extraordinary difpenfations to Mankind. H Shall burning Etna, if a fage requires, Forget to thunder, and recall her fires? On air or fea new motions be impreft, Oh blameless Bethel! to relieve thy breaft? 125 When the loose mountain trembles from on high, Shall gravitation cease, if you go by? Or fome old temple nodding to its fall, For Chartres' head reserve the hanging wall? 130 A kingdom of the Juft then let it be: 135 If Calvin feel Heav'n's bleffing, or its rod, Nor with one system can they all be blest. After ver. 142 in fome Editions, Give each a fyftem, all must be at ftrife; The joke, tho' lively, was ill plac'd ; and therefore ftruck out of the text. NOTES. VER. 123. Shall burning Etna, &c.] Alluding to the fate of those two great Naturalifts, Empedocles and Pliny, The very best will variously incline, And what rewards your Virtue, punish mine. WHATEVER IS, IS RIGHT. -This world, 'tis true, Was made for Cæfar, but for Titus too: 146 And which more bleft? who chain'd his country, fay, Or he whose Virtue figh'd to lose a day? "But fometimes Virtue ftarves, while Vice is fed." What then? Is the reward of Virtue bread? 150 That Vice may merit, 'tis the price of toil; But grant him riches, your demand is o'er? 155 "No-fhall the good want Health, the good want Pow'r?" Add Health, and Pow'r, and ev'ry earthly thing, "Why bounded Pow'r? why private? why no king? "Nay, why external for internal giv'n? 161 "Why is not man a God, and Earth a Heav'n?” Who afk and reafon thus, will scarce conceive God gives enough, while he has more to give: NOTES. who both perished by too near an approach to Etna and Vefuvius, while they were exploring the cause of their eruptions. |