subject of the fourth epistle of the first, and to treat of ethics, or practical morality; and would have consisted of many members, of which the four following epistles are detached portions; the two first, on the characters of men and women, being the introductory part of this concluding book.

EPISTLE I

TO SIR RICHARD TEMPLE, LORD COBHAM

OF THE KNOWLEDGE AND CHARACTERS OF MEN

ARGUMENT

I. That it is not sufficient for this knowledge to consider Man in the abstract; Books will not serve the purpose, nor yet our own Experience singly. General maxims, unless they be formed upon both, will be but notional. Some peculiarity in every man, characteristic to himself, yet varying from himself. Difficulties arising from our own Passions, Fancies, Faculties, &c. The shortness of Life to observe in, and the uncertainty of the Principles of action in men to observe by. Our own Principle of action often hid from ourselves. Some few Characters plain, but in general confounded, dissembled, or inconsistent. The same man utterly different in different places and seasons. Unimaginable weaknesses in the greatest. Nothing constant and certain but God and Nature. No judging of the Motives from the actions; the same actions proceeding from contrary Motives, and the same Motives influencing contrary actions. II. Yet to form Characters we can only take the strongest actions of a man's life, and try to make them agree: the utter uncertainty of this, from Nature itself, and from Policy. Characters given according to the rank of men of the world; and some reason for it. Education alters the Nature, or at least the Character, of many. Actions, Passions, Opinions, Manners, Humours, or Principles, all subject to change. No judging by Nature. III. It only remains to find (if we can) his Ruling Passion: that will certainly influence all the rest, and can reconcile the seeming or real inconsistency of all his actions. Instanced in the extraordinary character of Clodio. A caution against mistaking second qualities for first, which will destroy all possibility of the knowledge of mankind. Examples of the strength of the Ruling Passion, and its continuation to the last breath.

YES, you despise the man to books confin'd,

Who from his study rails at humankind; Tho' what he learns he speaks, and may advance

Some gen'ral maxims, or be right by chance.

The coxcomb bird, so talkative and grave, That from his cage cries cuckold, whore, and knave,

Tho' many a passenger he rightly call,
You hold him no philosopher at all.

And yet the fate of all extremes is such, Men may be read, as well as books, too much.

IO

To observations which ourselves we make, We grow more partial for th' observer's sake;

To written wisdom, as another's, less: Maxims are drawn from Notions, those from Guess.

There's some peculiar in each leaf and grain,

Some unmark'd fibre, or some varying vein. Shall only man be taken in the gross? Grant but as many sorts of mind as moss.

That each from other differs, first confess; Next, that he varies from himself no less: And Nature's, Custom's, Reason's, Passion's strife,

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And all Opinion's colours cast on life. Our depths who fathoms, or our shallows finds,

Quick whirls and shifting eddies of our

minds ?

129

Cæsar himself might whisper he was beat. Why risk the world's great empire for a punk?

Cæsar perhaps might answer, he was drunk.

But, sage historians! 't is your task to prove One action, Conduct, one, heroic Love.

'Tis from high life high characters are drawn;

A saint in crape is twice a saint in lawn;
A judge is just, a chancellor juster still;
A gownman learn'd; a bishop what you
will;

Wise if a minister; but if a king,

More wise, more learn'd, more just, more ev'rything.

140

Court-virtues bear, like gems, the highest rate,

Born where Heav'n's influence scarce can

Is he a Churchman? then he's fond of) power:

A Quaker? sly: a Presbyterian? sour: A smart Free-thinker? all things in an

hour.

Ask men's opinions! Scoto now shall tell How trade increases, and the world goes well:

Strike off his pension by the setting sun, 160 And Britain, if not Europe, is undone.

That gay Free-thinker, a fine talker once, What turns him now a stupid silent dunce? Some god or spirit he has lately found, Or chanced to meet a Minister that frown'd.

Judge we by Nature? Habit can efface, Int'rest o'ercome, or Policy take place: By Actions? those Uncertainty divides: By Passions? these Dissimulation hides: Opinions? they still take a wider range: Find, if you can, in what you cannot change.

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In this one passion man can strength enjoy,

As fits give vigour just when they destroy. Time, that on all things lays his lenient hand,

Yet tames not this; it sticks to our last sand.

Consistent in our follies and our sins,
Here honest Nature ends as she begins.

Old politicians chew on wisdom past,
And totter on in bus'ness to the last;
As weak, as earnest, and as gravely out 230
As sober Lanesb'row dancing in the gout.
Behold a rev'rend sire, whom want of
grace

Has made the father of a nameless race,

EPISTLE II

TO A LADY

OF THE CHARACTERS OF WOMEN

ARGUMENT

That the particular Characters of women are not so strongly marked as those of men, seldom so fixed, and still more inconsistent with themselves. Instances of contrarieties given, even from such Characters as are more strongly marked, and seemingly, therefore, most consistent: às, 1. In the affected. 2. In the soft-natured. 3. In the cunning and artful. 4 In the whimsical. 5. In the lewd and vicious. 6. In the witty and refined. 7. In the stupid and simple. The former part having shown that the particular characters of women are more various than those of men, it is nevertheless observed that the general characteristic of the sex, as to the Ruling Passion, is more uniform. This is occasioned partly by their Nature, partly by their Education, and in some degree by Necessity. What are the aims and the fate of this sex: 1. As to Power. 2. As to Pleasure. Advice for their true interest. The picture of an estimable woman, with the best kind of contrarieties.

Fine by defect, and delicately weak, Their happy spots the nice admirer take. 'Twas thus Calypso once each heart alarm'd,

Awed without virtue, without beauty charm'd;

Her tongue bewitch'd as oddly as her eyes; Less Wit than Mimic, more a Wit than wise.

Strange graces still, and stranger flights, she had,

Was just not ugly, and was just not mad; 50
Yet ne'er so sure our passion to create,
As when she touch'd the brink of all we
hate.

Narcissa's nature, tolerably mild, To make a wash would hardly stew a child;

Has ev'n been prov'd to grant a lover's prayer,

And paid a tradesman once to make him stare;

Gave alms at Easter in a Christian trim,
And made a widow happy for a whim.