Who most to shun or hate mankind pretend, Abstract what others feel, what others think, 45 All pleasures sicken, and all glories sink: Each has his share; and who would more obtain, Shall find the pleasure pays not half the pain. Order is heaven's first law; and this confes't, Some are, and must be, greater than the rest, 50 More rich, more wise; but who infers from hence That such are happier, shocks all common sense. If all are equal in their happiness; But mutual wants this happiness increase; 55 All nature's diff'rence keeps all nature's peace. Condition, circumstance, is not the thing; Bliss is the same in subject or in king, In who obtain defence, or who defend, In him who is, or him who finds a friend: 60 Heaven breathes through every member of the whole One common blessing, as one common soul. And each were equal, must not all contest? 65 While those are plac'd in hope and these in fear: 70 Not present good or ill, the joy or curse, But future views of better, or of worse. Oh sons of earth! attempt ye still to rise, By mountains pil'd on mountains to the skies? 75 III. Know, all the good that individuals find, Or God and nature meant to mere mankind, Reason's whole pleasure, all the joys of sense, Lie in three words, health, peace, and competence. 80 But health consists with temperance alone; And peace, oh virtue! peace is all thy own. The good or bad the gifts of fortune gain; But these less taste them, as they worse obtain. Say, in pursuit of profit or delight, 85 Who risk the most, that take wrong means, or right? 90 Who sees and follows that great scheme the best, 95 Best knows the blessing, and will most be blest. For ills or accidents that chance to all. See Falkland dies, the virtuous and the just! See godlike Turenne prostrate on the dust! 100 105 Tell me, if virtue made the son expire, Why full of days and honor lives the sire? Lent heaven a parent to the poor and me? 110 There deviates nature, and here wanders will. Or change admits or nature lets it fall, 115 Short, and but rare, 'till man improv'd it all. When his lewd father gave the dire disease, 120 Think we, like some weak prince, th' Eternal Cause, Prone for his fav'rites to reverse his laws? IV. Shall burning Ætna, if a sage requires, Forget to thunder, and recal her fires? On air or sea, new motions be imprest, 125 Oh blameless Bethel! to relieve thy breast? When the loose mountain trembles from on high, Or some old temple, nodding to its fall, For Chartres' head reserve the hanging wall? 130 V. But still this world (so fitted for the knave) Contents us not. A better shall we have? A kingdom of the just then let it be : 135 But who but God can tell us who they are? Whatever is, is right. This world, 'tis true, Was made for Cæsar-but for Titus too; 140 145 And which more blest? who chain'd his country, say, Or he whose virtue sigh'd to lose a day? VI. "But sometimes virtue starves, while vice is fed." What then? Is the reward of virtue bread? 150 That, vice may merit, 'tis the price of toil; The knave deserves it, when he tempts the main, Where folly fights for kings, or dives for gain. 155 The good man may be weak, be indolent; 'No: shall the good want health, the good want power?" Add health and power, and ev'ry earthly thing; Why bounded power? why private? why no king? 160 66 Nay, why external for internal given? Why is not man a god, and earth a heaven ?” 165 What nothing earthly gives, or can destroy, 170 Justice a conqueror's sword, or Truth a gown, Or Public Spirit its great cure, a crown. Weak, foolish man! will heaven reward us there With the same trash mad mortals wish for here? The boy and man an individual makes, 175 Yet sigh'st thou now for apples and for cakes? Expect thy dog, thy bottle, and thy wife; How oft by these at sixty are undone 180 185 Judges and senates have been bought for gold; Oh fool! to think God hates the worthy mind, The lover and the love of human kind. 190 Whose life is healthful, and whose conscience clear, Because he wants a thousand pounds a year! Honor and shame from no condition rise; 195 One flaunts in rags, one flutters in brocade; |