Deftruction of that Virtue for which they are demanded as a Reward. He concludes therefore on the whole, that,

What nothing earthly gives, or can destroy,

The Soul's calm Sunshine, and the heart-felt Joy,
Is Virtue's Prize.

But the Poet now enters more at large upon the Matter: And ftill continuing his Difcourfe to this third Sort of Complainers (whom he indulges as much more pardonable than the first or second, in rectifying all their Doubts and Mistakes) proves both from Reafon and Example, how unable any of those things are, which the World most admires, to make a good Man happy. For, as to the philofophic Miftakes concerning Happiness, there being little Danger of their making a general Impreffion, the Poet, after a fhort Confutation, had dismissed them all together. But external Goods are thofe Syrens, which fo bewitch the World with Dreams of Happiness, that of all Things the moft difficult is, to awaken it out of its Delusions; tho', as he proves, in an exact Review of the moft Pretending, they difhonour bad Men, and add no Luftre to the Good. That it is only this third and least criminal Sort of Complainers, against which the remaining Part of the Discourse is levelled, appears from the Poet's fo frequently addreffing himself, while he inforces his Arguments in Behalf of Providence, from henceforward to his Friend.

I. He begins therefore [from line 174 to 195] with

with confidering RICHES. 1. He examines firft, what there is of real Value in them, and fhews, they can give the good Man only that very Contentment he had before, or, at most, but burthen him with a Trust to be dispensed for the Benefit of others:

For Riches, can they give but to the Juft

His own Contentment, or another's Truft?

Since the good Man efteems all, befide what is fufficient to fupply him with the Conveniencies of Life, as entrusted to him by Providence, for the Supplial of others Neceffities.

'Tis true, he tells us elsewhere, that another Sort of good Men are of a different Opinion: The grave Sir Gilbert holds it for a Rule, That ev'ry Man in Want is Knave or Fool: God cannot love (fays Blunt, with lifted Eyes) The Wretch he starves- and piously denies.

Of the Ufe of Riches, 1. 103

And these are they to whom he here alludes, where he says,

O Fool! to think God hates the worthy Mind, The Lover, and the Love, of Human-kind, Whofe Life is healthful, and whofe Confcience clear,

Because he wants a thousand Pounds a Year!

The Poet next examines the imaginary Value of Riches, as the Fountain of Honour. For his Adverfaries Objection stands thus :-As Honour is the genuine Claim of Virtue, and Shame the just Retribution

tribution of Vice; and as Honour, in their Opinion, follows Riches, and Shame Poverty, therefore the good Man fhould be rich. He tells them in this they are much mistaken:

Honour and Shame from no Condition rife;
Act well your Part, there all the Honour lies.

What Power then has Fortune over the Man? None at all. For, as her Favours can confer neither Worth nor Wisdom; fo neither can her Dif pleafure cure him of any of his Follies. On his Garb indeed she has some little Influence; but his Heart ftill remains the fame :

Fortune in Men has some small Diff'rence made, One flaunts in Rags, one flutters in Brocade. II. Then, as to NOBILITY, by Creation or Birth, this too he fhews [from 1. 195 to 207] is, in itself, as devoid of all real Worth as the rest: Because, in the first Case the Title is generally gained by no Merit at all;

Stuck o'er with Titles, and hung round with Strings,

That thou may't be by Kings, or Whores of Kings.

In the fecond, by the Merit of the first Founder of the Family, which will always, when reflected on, be rather the Subject of Mortification than Glory:

Go! if your ancient, but ignoble, Blood

Has crept thro' Scoundrels ever fince the Flood, M

Go!

Go! and pretend your Family is young;
Nor own your Fathers have been Fools fo long.

III. The Poet in the next Place [from 1. 206 to 227] unmasks the falfe Pretences of GREATNESS, whereby it is feen that the Hero and Politician (the two Characters which would monopolize that Quality) after all their Buftle, effect only this, if they want Virtue, that the one proves himself a Fool, and the other a Knave: And Virtue they but too generally want. The Art of Heroism being understood to confift in Ravage and Defolation; and the Art of Politics, in Circumvention. Now -Grant that thofe can conquer, these can cheat, 'Tis Phrafe abfurd to call a Villain, Great: Who wickedly is wife, or madly brave, Is but the more a Fool, the more a Knave. It is not Success therefore that constitutes true Greatness; but the End aimed at; and the Means which are employed: And if these be right, Glory will be the Reward, whatever be the Issue:

Who noble Ends by noble Means obtains,
Or failing, fmiles in Exile or in Chains,
Like good Aurelius let him reign, or bleed
Like Socrates, that Man is great indeed.

IV. With regard to FAME, that ftill more fantaftic Bleffing, he fhews [from 1. 226 to 249] that all of it, befides what we hear ourselves, is merely nothing; and that even of this fmall Portion, no more of it gives the Poffeffor a real Satisfaction, than what is the Fruit of Virtue.

All

All Fame is foreign, but of true Defert,

Plays round the Head, but comes not near the
Heart.

Thus he fhews, that Honour, Nobility, Greatness, Glory, fo far as they have any thing real and fubftantial, that is, so far as they contribute to the Happiness of the Poffeffor, are the fole Iffue of Virtue, and that neither Riches, Courts, Armies, nor the Populace, are capable of conferring them.

V. But lastly, the Poet proves [from 1. 248 tỏ 259] that as no external Goods can make Man happy, so neither is it in the Power of all internal. For, that even SUPERIOR PARTS bring no more real Happiness to the Poffeffor, than the reft, nay, put him into a worfe Condition; for that the Quickness of Apprehenfion, and Depth of Penetration do but fharpen the Miseries of Life:

In Parts fuperior, what Advantage lies?
Tell (for You can) what is it to be wife?
"Tis but to know how little can be known;
To fee all others Faults, and feel our own, &c.
Painful Pre-eminence! yourself to view

Above Life's Weakness, and its COMFORTS too. This to his Friend-nor does it at all contradict what he had faid to him concerning Happiness in the Beginning of the Epiftle:

'Tis never to be bought, but always free,

And fled from Monarchs, St. John! dwells with thee.

For he is now proving that nothing either exter