Cities were built, societies were made:

Here rose one little state; another near

200

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

Did here the trees with ruddier burthens bend, And there the streams in purer rills descend, What war could ravish, commerce could bestow; And he return'd a friend, who came a foe. Converse and love mankind might strongly draw, When love was liberty, and nature law.

Thus states were form'd; the name of king un

known,

Till common interest plac'd the sway in one.

'Twas virtue only, (or in arts or arms,

210

Diffusing blessings, or averting harms,)

The same which in a sire the sons obey'd,
A prince the father of a people made.

214

VI. Till then, by nature crown'd, each patriarch

sate,

King, priest, 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,

211-214. "Twas virtue only

The same virtue, which in a sire the sons obey'd,
That made a prince the father of a people.

217. Providence is in apposition with him.

218

219-222. He taught to command, to control, to draw, or fetch.

Draw forth the monsters of th' abyss profound,
Or fetch th' aerial eagle to the ground.
Till drooping, sickening, dying, they began
Whom they rever'd as God to mourn as man:
Then, looking up from sire to sire, explor'd
One great first l'ather, and that first ador'd.
Or plain tradition, that this All begun,
Convey'd unbroken faith from sire to son;
The worker from the work distinct was known,
And simple reason never sought but one:
Ere wit oblique had broke that steady 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 sovereign being, but a sovereign good.
True faith, true policy, united ran;

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

225

230

236

223-224. Till they began to mourn him, drooping. ick'ning, dying, as man, whom they revered as God. Him s the antecedent of whom. With regard to man and God, Bee note to line 87, Epistle I.

227. This All, i. e. this universal frame of nature.

230. Simple reason never sought but one God or worker. 236. The divine right of kings, which, at certain peiods, has been so strongly urged, has no foundation `in

nature.

242. Many made for one is a substantive phrase gov erned by the prep. of.

Who first taught souls enslav'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 superstition taught the tyrant awe,

Then shar'd the tyranny, then lent it aid,

247

And gods of conquerors, slaves of subjects made: She midst the lightning's blaze, and thunder's sound,

When rock'd the mountains, and when groan'd the ground,

255

She taught the weak to bend, the proud to pray
To power unseen, and mightier far than they :
She, from the rending earth, and bursting skies,
Saw gods descend, and fiends infernal rise:
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 lust;
Such as the souls of cowards might conceive,
And, form'd like tyrants, tyrants would believe.
Zeal, then, not charity, became the guide;
And hell was built on spite, and heaven on pride.

261

359. Such gods as-As is a rel. pro. when it follows the indefinite pro. such, agreeing with its antecedent; or, when its ant. has an adj. qualified by the ad. so agreeing with it.

Then sacred seem'd th' ethereal vault no more;
Altars grew marble then, and reek'd with gore:
Then first the Flamen tasted living food;

265

Next his grim idol, smear'd with human blood; With heaven's own thunders shook the world below,

And play'd the god an engine on his foe.

So drives self-love, through just, and through unjust,

To one man's power, ambition, lucre, lust : 270
The same self-love, in all, becomes the cause
Of what restrains 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, sleeping or awake,
A weaker may surprise, a stronger take?
His safety must his liberty restrain :

All join to guard what each desires to gain.
Forc'd into virtue thus, by self-defence,
Ev'n kings learn'd justice and benevolence:
Self-love forsook the path it first pursued,
And found the private in the public good.

276

281

264-268. Altars grew marble, i. e. became the scenes of cruelty-Marble may be considered as an adj. agreeing with altars. Next he smeared his grim idol, &c. And played the God, i. e. made the popular idea that he could wield, or stay the judgments of God, an engine against his foe. Engine is in app. with God.

272. Government and laws, connected, are in apposition with the antecedent part of what.

'Twas then the studious head or generous

mind,

Follower of God, or friend of human-kind,
Poet or patriot, rose but to restore

285

The faith and moral, nature gave before;
Resum'd her ancient light, not kindled new ;
If not God's image, yet his shadow drew:
Taught power's due use to people and to kings,
Taught not to slack, nor strain its tender strings,
The less, or greater, set so justly true,

291

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:
Where small and great, where weak and mighty
made

To serve, not suffer, strengthen, not invade;
More powerful each as needful to the rest,
And, in proportion as it blesses, blest:
Draw to one point, and to one centre bring
Beast, man, or angel, servant, lord, or king.
For forms of government let fools contest;

300

285-291. Rose, resumed, drew, taught, and set are all connected, having the same nom. continued, viz. head, &c. 292. Touching one is an imperfect phrase, or part of a sentence, and is the subject of the verb must strike.

Were

297-301. (Being) made to serve, &c. Each (being made) more powerful, and (each being) blest, &c. small and great, &c. Draw, &c.