And strongest motive to assist the rest.

Self-love thus push'd to social, to divine, Gives thee to make thy neighbor's blessing thine. Is this too little for thy boundless heart ? 355 Extend it, let thy enemies have part. Grasp the whole worlds of reason, life and sense, In one close system of benevolence : Happier as kinder, in whate'er degree, And height of bliss but height of charity. 360

God loves from whole to parts: but human soul Must rise from individual to the whole. Self-love but serves the virtuous mind to wake, As the small pebble stirs the peaceful lake; The centre mov'd, a circle straight succeeds, 365 Another still, and still another spreads; Friend, parent, neighbor, first it will embrace; His country next; and next all human race; Wide and more wide, th' o’erflowings of the mind Take every creature in, of every kind; 370 Earth smiles around, with boundless bounty blest, And Heaven beholds its image in his breast.

Come then, my friend! my genius! come along! Oh master of the poet, and the song !

374

359. Be thou happier as thou art kinder, or thou wilt be happicr as thou art kinder, in whatever degree. Whate'er is an indef. pro. agreeing with degree.

365. The centre being moved, &c.
368. It will embrace his country next, &c.

369—370. The overflowings of the mind take in every creature, &c

And while the muse now stoops, or now ascends,
To man's low passions, or their glorious ends,
Teach me, like thee, in various nature wise,
To fall with dignity, with temper rise;
Form’d by thy converse, happily to steer,
From
grave to

gay,
from lively to severe ;

380
Correct with spirit, eloquent with ease,
Intent to reason, or polite to please.
Oh! while along the stream of time thy name
Expanded flies, and gathers all its fame;

my little bark attendant sail, 385 Pursue the triumph, and partake the gale? When statesmen, heroes, kings, in dust repose, Whose sons shall blush their fathers were thy foes, Shall then this verse to future age pretend Thou wert my guide, philosopher, and friend? That, urg'd by thee, I turn'd the tuneful art 391 From sounds to things, from fancy to the heart;

Say, shall

For wit's false mirror held up nature's light,
Show'd erring pride, WHATEVER IS, IS RIGHT;
That reason, passion, answer one great aim;
That true self-love and social are the same;
That virtue only makes our bliss below;
And all our knowledge is, ourselves to know.

3934394. That instead of wit’s false mirror, I held up nature's light. That I show'd to erring pride, that whatever is, is right.

394. Whatever is, is right.—This sentence occurs three times in these Epistles, viz. in the last line of Epis. I, and in the 145th and 394th of Epis. IV. A misunderstanding of the author's plan, and the general scope of his reasoning, has not unfrequently caused his supposed sentiments to be severely reprobated, and himself to be harshly censured for scattering error in the way of those who, by a lack of experience, might eagerly embrace it for truth. "If this were spoken of man, in reference to his Maker, it would most assuredly deserve all the reprobation which the good and virtuous could bestow upon it; but a little attention to the plan of the work, will show that it is to be applied altogether to the dealings of God with man. After staking out his ground, in the first section of the first Epistle, he avows it as his sole object, " To vindicate the ways of God to man.

398. That to know ourselves is all our knowledge

GENERAL EXPLANATIONS.

a

The indefinite article a is generally used before nouns in the singular number; it is, however, put before the plural adjectives few and many in a collective sense, thus—a few, means a small number of, and a great many, signifies a great number of. Many, followed by a, is used distributively, agreeing with a singular nounthus, full many a gem.

Of the substantive, besides the nominative case independent in the second person, when an address is made, there is the simple expression of the subject, independent in the third person: as

Religion, what treasures untold,
Reside in that heavenly word !-Cowper.

We have another instance in Shakspeare, where Cassius speaks in the name of Brutus and Cæsar, by way of comparing their merits :

66 Brutus and Cæsar! what should be in that Cæsar!”

Of the pronouns, there are several compounds not sufficiently noticed in Murray's Grammar, viz. myself singular, and ourselves plural, used in the nominative and objective cases. Thyself and yourself singular, and yourselves plural. Himself singular, and themselves plu