Of order, sins against the eternal cause. V. Ask for what end the heavenly bodies shine? Earth for whose use? Pride answers, ''tis for mine: For me kind nature wakes her genial power; 130 Suckles each herb, and spreads out every flower : 135 95 For me, the mine a thousand treasures brings; But errs not nature from this gracious end, The exceptions few; some change since all began: Then nature deviates; and can man do less? 140 145 150 If plagues or earthquakes break not heavens design, 155 Who knows, but he whose hand the lightning forms, Pours fierce ambition in a Cæsar's mind, Or turns young Ammon loose to scourge mankind? 160 From pride, from pride, our very reas'ning springs; Account for moral as for natural things: Why charge we heaven in those, in these acquit ? In both, to reason right, is to submit. Better for us, perhaps, it might appear, Were there all harmony, all virtue here; 165 170 175 VI. What would this man? Now upward will he soar, And, little less than angel, would be more; Now looking downward, just as grieved appears To want the strength of bulls, the fur of bears. Made for his use all creatures if he call Say what their use, had he the powers of all? Nature to these, without profusion kind, The proper organs, proper powers assign'd; Each seeming want compensated of course, Here with degrees of swiftness, there of force; All in exact proportion to their state, Nothing to add, and nothing to abate. Each beast, each insect, happy in its own: Is heaven unkind to man, and man alone? 180 15 185 1 Shall he alone, whom rational we call, Be pleased with nothing, if not blest with all? The bliss of man, (could pride that blessing find) Is not to act or think BEYOND mankind; No powers of body or of soul to share, But what his nature and his state can bear. Say what the use, were finer optics given, 195 To inspect a mite, not comprehend the heaven? Or touch, if tremblingly alive all o'er, To smart, and agonize at every pore? Or quick effluvia darting through the brain, Die of a rose in aromatic pain? 200 If nature thunder'd in his opening ears, And stunn'd him with the music of the spheres, How would he wish, that heaven had left him still The whispering zephyr, and the purling rill! Who finds not providence all good and wise, 205 Alike in what it gives, and what denies ? VII. Far as creation's ample range extends, Of hearing, from the life that fills the flood, 210 215 I be st To that which warbles through the vernal wood! Remembrance and reflection, how allied; 220 225 230 VIII. See, through this air, this ocean, and this earth, 235 All matter quick, and bursting into birth. 240 Where, one step broken, the great scale's destroyed : From nature's chain, whatever link you strike, 245 Tenth, or ten thousandth, breaks the chain alike. That system only, but the whole, must fall. 250 255 IX. What if the foot, ordain'd the dust to tread, Or hand, to toil, aspir'd to be the head? What if the head, the eye, or ear, repin'd To serve mere engines to the ruling mind? All are but parts of one stupendous whole, 260 265 Whose body nature is, and God the soul; That, chang'd through all, and yet in all the same, 270 Glows in the stars, and blossoms in the trees; Lives through all life, extends through all extent, Breathes in our soul, informs our mortal part, 275 As full, as perfect, in vile man that mourns, X. Cease then, nor ORDER Imperfection name: 280 285 All nature is but art, unknown to thee; And, spite of pride, in erring reason's spite, One truth is clear, All chance, direction which thou canst not see; 290 "Whatever is, is RIGHT." 294 EPISTLE II. Of the Nature and State of Man, with respect to Himself as an Individual. The business of man not to pry into God, but to study himself. His middle nature; His powers and frailties, and the limits of his capacity, 43. The two principles of man, self-love, and reason, both necessary; self-love the stronger, and why; their end the same, 83. The passions, and their use, 83-120. The predominant passion, and its force, 122-150. Its tendency in directing men to different purposes, 153, &c. Its providential use, in fixing our principle, and ascertaining our virtue, 167. Virtue and vice joined in our mixed nature; the limits near, yet the things separate, and evident. What is the office of reason, 187, &c. How odious vice in itself, and how we deceive ourselves into it, 209. That, however the ends of providence and general good are answered in our passions, and imperfections, 230, &c. How usefully they are distributed to all orders of men, 233. How useful they are to society, 241, and to individuals, 253. In every state, and in every age of life, 263, &c. I. KNOW then thyself, presume not God to scan; The A being darkly wise, and richly great : Born but to die, and reasoning but to err; 5 10 15 Sole judge of truth, in endless error hurl'd; The glory, jest, and riddle of the world! Go, wondrous creature! mount where science guides, Go, measure earth, weigh air, and state the tides; 20 Correct old time, and regulate the sun; Go, soar with Plato to the empyreal sphere, |