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I KNOW then thyself, prefume not God to scan,
The proper ftudy of Mankind is Man.

Plac'd on this ifthmus of a middle ftate,
A Being darkly wife, and rudely great:
With too much knowledge for the Sceptic fide,
With too much weakness for the Stoic's pride,
He hangs between; in doubt to act, or reft;
In doubt to deem himfelf a God, or Beaft;
In doubt his Mind or Body to prefer;
Born but to die, and reas'ning but to err;
Alike in ignorance, his reafon fuch,

Whether he thinks too little, or too much :
Chaos of Thought and Paffion, all confus'd;
Still by himself abus'd or difabus'd;

Created half to rife, and half to fall;
Great lord of all things, yet a prey to all;
Sole judge of Truth, in endless Error hurl'd:
The glory, jeft, and riddle of the world!

[guides,
Go, wond'rous creature! mount where Science
Go, measure earth, weigh air, and state the tides;
Inftruct the planets in what orbs to run,
Correct old Time, and regulate the Sun;
Go, foar with Plato to th' empyreal fphere,
To the first good, first perfect, and first fair;
Or tread the mazy round his follow'rs trod,
And quitting fenfe call imitating GOD;
As Eastern priests in giddy circles run,
And turn their heads to imitate the Sun.
Go, teach Eternal Wisdom how to rule--
Then drop into thyself, and be a fool!

Superior beings, when of late they faw
A mortal Man unfold all Nature's Law,
Admir'd fuch wifdom in an earthly shape,
And fhew'd a NEWTON as we fhew an Ape.

Could he, whose rules the rapid Comet bind,
Defcribe or fix one movement of his Mind?
Who faw its fires here rife, and there defcend,
Explain his own beginning, or his end;
Alas what wonder! Man's fuperior part
Uncheck'd may rife, and climb from art to art:
But when his own great work is but begun,
What Reason weaves, by Paffion is undone.

Trace Science then, with Modesty thy guide;
First strip off all her equipage of Pride;
Deduct but what is Vanity or Drefs,

Or Learning's Luxury, or Idleness;

Or tricks to fhew the stretch of human brain,
Mere curious pleasure, or ingenious pain;
Expunge the whole, or lop th' excrefcent parts
Of all, our Vices have created Arts;

Then fee how little the remaining fum,

Which ferv'd the past, and must the times to come! II. Two Principles in human nature reign;

Self-love, to urge, and Reafon, to restrain;

Nor this a good, nor that a bad we call,
Each works its end, to move or govern all :
And to their proper operation still,

Afcribe all Good, to their improper III.

Self-love, the fpring of motion, acts the foul; Reafon's comparing balance rules the whole.

I KNOW then thyself, prefume not God to scan,
The proper ftudy of Mankind is Man.
Plac'd on this ifthmus of a middle ftate,
A Being darkly wife, and rudely great :
With too much knowledge for the Sceptic fide,
With too much weakness for the Stoic's pride,
He hangs between; in doubt to act, or rest;
In doubt to deem himfelf a God, or Beaft;
In doubt his Mind or Body to prefer;
Born but to die, and reas'ning but to err;
Alike in ignorance, his reafon fuch,

Whether he thinks too little, or too much :
Chaos of Thought and Paffion, all confus'd;
Still by himself abus'd or difabus'd;

Created half to rife, and half to fall;
Great lord of all things, yet a prey to all;
Sole judge of Truth, in endlefs Error hurl'd:
The glory, jeft, and riddle of the world!

[guides,

Go, wond'rous creature! mount where Science Go, measure earth, weigh air, and state the tides; Inftruct the planets in what orbs to run,

Correct old Time, and regulate the Sun;
Go, foar with Plato to th' empyreal fphere,
To the first good, first perfect, and first fair;
Or tread the mazy round his follow'rs trod,
And quitting fenfe call imitating God;
As Eastern priefts in giddy circles run,
And turn their heads to imitate the Sun.
Go, teach Eternal Wisdom how to rule-
Then drop into thyfelf, and be a fool!

Superior beings, when of late they faw
A mortal Man unfold all Nature's Law,
Admir'd fuch wisdom in an earthly shape,
And fhew'd a NEWTON as we fhew an Ape.

Could he, whofe rules the rapid Comet bind,
Defcribe or fix one movement of his Mind ?
Who faw its fires here rife, and there defcend,
Explain his own beginning, or his end;
Alas what wonder! Man's fuperior part
Uncheck'd may rife, and climb from art to art:
But when his own great work is but begun,
What Reason weaves, by Paffion is undone.
Trace Science then, with Modesty thy guide;
First strip off all her equipage of Pride;
Deduct but what is Vanity or Dress,

Or Learning's Luxury, or Idleness;

Or tricks to fhew the ftretch of human brain,
Mere curious pleasure, or ingenious pain;
Expunge the whole, or lop th' excrefcent parts
Of all, our Vices have created Arts;

Then fee how little the remaining fum,

Which ferv'd the past, and must the times to come!
II. Two Principles in human nature reign;
Self-love, to urge, and Reason, to restrain;

Nor this a good, nor that a bad we call,
Each works its end, to move or govern all :
And to their proper operation ftill,

Afcribe all Good, to their improper III.

Self-love, the fpring of motion, acts the foul; Reafon's comparing balance rules the whole.

Man but for that, no action could attend,
And, but for this, were active to no end:
Fix'd like a plant on his peculiar fpot,
To draw nutrition, propagate, and rot:
Or, meteor-like, flame lawless thro' the void,
Destroying others, by himself destroy'd.

Moft ftrength the moving principle requires; Active its tafk, it prompts, impels, infpires. Sedate and quiet the comparing lies,

Form'd but to check, delib'rate, and advise.
Self-love, ftill ftronger as its objects nigh;
Reafon's at diftance, and in prospect lie:
That fees immediate good by present sense:
Reason, the future and the confequence.
Thicker than arguments, temptations throng.
At beft more watchful this, but that more strong.
The Action of the stronger to fufpend

Reason still use, to Reafon ftill attend.
Attention, habit and experience gains;
Each ftrengthens Reason, and Self-love restrains.
Let fubtle fchoolmen teach these friends to fight,
More ftudious to divide than to unite;

And Grace and Virtue, Senfe and Reason split,
With all the rafh dexterity of wit.

Wits, juft like fools, at war about a name,
Have full as oft no meaning, or the fame.
Self-love and Reafon to one end afpire,
Pain their averfion, Pleasure their defire;
But greedy That, its object would devour,
This tafte the honey, and not wound the flow'r :

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