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T

HE ESSAY ON MAN was intended to have been comprised in Four Books:

The First of which, the Author has given us under that title, in four Epiftles.

The Second was to have confifted of the fame number: 1. Of the extent and limits of human Reason. 2. Of those Arts and Sciences, and of the parts of them, which are useful, and therefore attainable, together with thofe which are unufeful, and therefore unattainable. 3. Of the Nature, Ends, Ufe, and Application of the different Capacities of Men. 4. Of the Ufe of Learning, of the Science of the World, and of Wit; concluding with a Satire against a Mifapplication of them, illuftrated by Pictures, Characters, and Examples.

The Third Book regarded Civil Regimen, or the Science of Politics, in which the feveral forms of a Republic were to be examined and explained; together with the feveral Modes of Religious Worship, as far forth as they affect Society; between which the Author always fuppofed there was the most interesting relation and closeft connection; fo that this part would have treated of Civil and Religious Society in their full extent.

The Fourth and laft Book concerned private Ethics, or practical Morality, confidered in all the Circumstances, Orders, Profeffions, and Stations of human Life.

The Scheme of all this had been maturely digested, and communicated to L. Bolingbroke, Dr. Swift, and one or two

more,

and was intended for the only work of his riper Years but was, partly through ill health, partly through difcouragements from the depravity of the times, and partly on prudential and other confiderations, interrupted, poftponed, and, lafly, in a manner laid afide.

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But as this was the Author's favourite Work, which more exactly reflected the Image of his strong capacious Mind, and as we can have but a very imperfect idea of it from the difjeta membra Poeta that now remain, it may not be amifs to be a little more particular concerning each of these projected books.

The FIRST, as it treats of Man in the abftract, and confiders him in general under every of his relations, becomes the foundation, and furnishes out the fubjects, of the three following; fo that

The SECOND Book was to take up again the First and Second Epiftles of the First Book, and treats of Man in his intellectual Capacity at large, as has been explained above. Of this, only a small part of the conclufion (which, as we faid, was to have contained a Satire against the mifapplica-1 tion of Wit and Learning) may be found in the Fourth Book of the Dunciad, and up and down, occafionally, in the other three.

The THIRD Book, in like manner, was to reaffume the fubject of the Third Epistle of the First, which treats of Man in his Social, Political, and Religious Capacity. But this part the Poet afterwards conceived might be beft executed in an EPIC POEM; as the Action would make it more animated, and the Fable lefs invidious; in which all the great Principles of true and false Governments and Religions should be chiefly delivered in feigned Examples.

The FOURTH and laft Book was to pursue the subject of the Fourth Epiffle of the First, and treats of Ethics, or practical Morality; and would have confifted of many members; of which the four following Epiftles were detached Portions: the two first, on the Characters of Men and Women, being the introductory part of this concluding Book.

MORAL ESSAYS.

EPISTLE I.

ΤΟ

Sir Richard Temple, L. Cobham.

ARGUMENT.

Of the Knowledge and Characters of MEN.

THAT it is not fufficient for this knowledge to confider Man in the Abstract: Books will not ferve the purpose, nor yet our own Experience fingly, ver. 1. General maxims, unless they be formed upon both, will be but notional, ver. 10. Some Peculiarity in every man, characteristic to himself, yet varying from him Jelf, ver. 15. Difficulties arifing from our own Paffins, Fancies, Faculties, etc. ver. 31. The Shortnefs of Life to obferve in, and the uncertainty of the Principles of action in men to observe by, ver. 37, etc. Our own Principle of action often hid from ourselves, ver. 41. Some few Characters plain, but in genera! confounded, diffembled, or inconfiftent, ver. 51. The fame man utterly different in different places and fea

fons, ver. 71. Unimaginable weaknesses in the greateft, ver. 70, etc. Nothing conftant and certain but God and Nature, ver. 95. No judging of the Motives from the actions; the fame actions proceeding from contrary Motives, and the fame Motives influencing contrary actions, ver. 10c. II. Yet to form Characters, we can only take the strongest actions of a man's life, and try to make them agree: The utter uncertainty of this, from Nature itself, and from Policy, ver. 120. Characters given according to the rank of men of the world, ver. 135. And fome rea fon for it, ver. 140. Education alters the Nature, or at leaft Character, of many, ver. 149. Actions, Paffions, Opinions, Manners, Humours, or Principles, all fubject to change. No judging by Nature, from ver. 158 to ver. 178. III. It only remains to find (if we can) his RULING PASSION: That will certainly influence all the reft, and can reconcile the ~feeming or real inconfiftency of all his actions, ver. 175. Inftanced in the extraordinary character of Clodio, ver. 179. A caution against mistaking second qualities for first, which will deftroy all poffibility of the · knowledge of mankind, ver. 210. Examples of the Strength of the Ruling Paffion, and its continuation te the last breath, ver. 222, etc.

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