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 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: All join to guard what each desires to gain. 270 276 281 264-268. 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 apposi tion with the antecedent part of what. 'Twas then the studious head or generous mind, Follower of God, or friend of human-kind, 285 The faith and moral, nature gave before; 291 That touching one must strike the other too; To serve, not suffer, strengthen, not invade; 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. 297-301. (Being) made to serve, &c. Each (being made) more powerful, and (each being) blest, &c. Were small and great, &c. Draw, &c. Whate'er is best administer'd is best: But all mankind's concern is charity: 307 All must be false that thwarts this one great end; On their own axis as the planets run, Yet make at once their circle round the sun; And one regards itself, and one the whole. 315 Thus God and nature link'd the general frame, And bade self-love and social be the same. 306. His mode of faith can't be wrong, &c. 309-310. All modes of faith must be false, &c. And all modes must be of God, &c. EPISTLE IV. O HAPPINESS! our being's end and aim! sigh, For which we bear to live, or dare to die, 5 10 Where grows where grows it not? If vain our toil, We ought to blame the culture, not the soil : 15 EPISTLE IV. 1-2. End and aim connected, good, &c., are in app. with happiness. Whatever-see note to line 26, Epistle II. 6. O'erlooked is a per. part. agreeing with happiness. O'erlooked by those who are simple enough to seek it in any thing but virtue; seen double by those who admit any thing else to have a share in procuring it. 9. Growest the opening fair, &c.—or growest those in the fair opening. |