Passions, like Elements, tho' born to fight,
Yet, mix'd and soften'd, in his work unite 1:
These 'tis enough to temper and employ;
But what composes Man, can Man destroy?
Suffice that Reason keep to Nature's road,
Subject, compound them, follow her and God.
Love, Hope, and Joy, fair pleasure's smiling train,
Hate, Fear, and Grief, the family of pain,
These mix'd with art, and to due bounds confin'd,
Make and maintain the balance of the mind:
The lights and shades, whose well accorded strife
Gives all the strength and colour of our life.
Pleasures are ever in our hands or eyes;
And when in act they cease, in prospect rise:
Present to grasp, and future still to find,
The whole employ of body and of mind.

All spread their charms, but charm not all alike;
On diff'rent senses diff'rent objects strike;
Hence diff'rent Passions more or less inflame,
As strong or weak, the organs of the frame;
And hence once MASTER PASSION in the breast,
Like Aaron's serpent, swallows up the rest 2.

As Man, perhaps, the moment of his breath3,
Receives the lurking principle of death;

115

120

123

139

The young disease, that must subdue at length,

135

Grows with his growth, and strengthens with his strength:

So, cast and mingled with his very frame,

The Mind's disease, its RULING PASSION came;

Each vital humour which should feed the whole,
Soon flows to this, in body and in soul:
Whatever warms the heart, or fills the head,
As the mind opens, and its functions spread,
Imagination plies her dang'rous art,
And pours it all upon the peccant part.
Nature its mother, Habit is its nurse;
Wit, Spirit, Faculties, but make it worse;
Reason itself but gives it edge and pow'r';

As Heav'n's blest beam turns vinegar more sour.

We, wretched subjects, tho' to lawful sway,

In this weak queen some fav'rite still obey:
Ah! if she lend not arms, as well as rules,
What can she more than tell us we are fools?

140

143

150

1 After ver. 112, in the MS.

'The soft reward the virtuous, or invite; The fierce, the vicious punish or affright.' Warburton. 2 [The theory that every man has one master passion which at length absorbs all the rest,] the poet illustrates at large in his epistle to Lord Cobham. Here (from v. 126 to 149),he gives us the cause of it. Warburton.

3 As Man, perhaps, &c.] Antipater Sidonius

Poëta omnibus annis uno die natali tantum corripiebatur febre, et eo consumptus est satis longa senecta. Plin. 1. vii. N. H. This Antipater was in the times of Crassus, and is celebrated for the quickness of his Parts by Cicero [de Orat. 111. 50]. Warburton.

4 Warburton quotes in illustration the character of Cotta in the Epistle (111.) of the use of Riches (vv. 177 ff.).

Teach us to mourn our Nature, not to mend,
A sharp accuser, but a helpless friend!
Or from a judge turn pleader, to persuade
The choice we make, or justify it made;
Proud of an easy conquest all along,

155

She but removes weak passions for the strong;
So, when small humours gather to a gout,
The doctor fancies he has driv'n them out.
Yes, Nature's road must ever be preferr'd;
Reason is here no guide, but still a guard:
'Tis hers to rectify, not overthrow,

And treat this passion more as friend than foe:
A mightier Pow'r the strong direction sends,

And sev'ral Men impels to sev'ral ends:
Like varying winds, by other passions tost,
This drives them constant to a certain coast.
Let pow'r or knowledge, gold or glory, please,
Or (oft more strong than all) the love of ease;
Thro' life 'tis follow'd, ev'n at life's expense;
The merchant's toil, the sage's indolence,
The monk's humility, the hero's pride,
All, all alike, find Reason on their side.

160

165

170

Th' Eternal Art educing good from ill, Grafts on this Passion our best principle: 'Tis thus the Mercury of Man is fix'd,

175

Strong grows the Virtue with his nature mix'd;
The dross cements what else were too refin'd,

And in one interest body acts with mind.

180

As fruits, ungrateful to the planter's care,
On savage stocks inserted, learn to bear;
The surest Virtues thus from Passions shoot,
Wild Nature's vigor working at the root.
What crops of wit and honesty appear
From spleen, from obstinacy, hate, or fear!
See anger, zeal and fortitude supply;
Ev'n av'rice, prudence; sloth, philosophy;
Lust, thro' some certain strainers well refin'd,
Is gentle love, and charms all womankind;
Envy, to which th' ignoble mind's a slave,
Is emulation in the learn'd or brave;
Nor Virtue, male or female, can we name,
But what will grow on Pride, or grow on Shame1.
Thus Nature gives us (let it check our pride)

185

190

195

Once, for a whim, persuade yourself to pay
A debt to reason, like a debt at play.
For right or wrong have mortals suffer'd more
B- for his Prince, or ** for his Whore?
Whose self-denials nature most controul?
His, who would save a Sixpence or his Soul?
Web for his health, a Chartreux for his Sin,
Contend they not which soonest shall grow thin.
What, we resolve, we can: but here's the fault,
We ne'er resolve to do the thing we ought.'

The virtue nearest to our vice ally'd:
Reason the bias turns to good from ill,
And Nero reigns a Titus, if he will.
The fiery soul abhor'd in Catiline,

In Decius charms, in Curtius is divine1:
The same ambition can destroy or save,
And makes a patriot as it makes a knave.
This light and darkness in our chaos join'd,
What shall divide? The God within the mind:
Extremes in Nature equal ends produce,
In Man they join to some mysterious use;
Tho' each by turns the other's bound invade,
As, in some well-wrought picture, light and shade,
And oft so mix, the diff'rence is too nice
Where ends the Virtue, or begins the Vice.
Fools! who from hence into the notion fall,
That Vice or Virtue there is none at all.
If white and black blend, soften, and unite
A thousand ways, is there no black or white?
Ask your own heart, and nothing is so plain;
'Tis to mistake them, costs the time and pain.
Vice is a monster of so frightful mien,
As, to be hated, needs but to be seen;
Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,
We first endure, then pity, then embrace.

200

205

210

215

220

But where th' Extreme of Vice, was ne'er agreed:

At Greenland, Zembla, or the Lord knows where.

Ask where's the North? at York, 'tis on the Tweed;
In Scotland, at the Orcades; and there,

No creature owns it in the first degree,

225

But thinks his neighbour further gone than he2;
Ev'n those who dwell beneath its very zone,

Or never feel the rage, or never own;
What happier natures shrink at with affright,
The hard inhabitant contends is right.

Virtuous and vicious ev'ry Man must be,
Few in th' extreme, but all in the degree;
The rogue and fool by fits is fair and wise;
And ev❜n the best, by fits, what they despise.
'Tis but by parts we follow good or ill;

230

235

For, Vice or Virtue, Self directs it still;

Each individual seeks a sev'ral goal;

But HEAV'N's great view is One, and that the Whole.

That counter-works each folly and caprice;

That disappoints th' effect of ev'ry vice;

240

That, happy frailties to all ranks apply'd,

Shame to the virgin, to the matron pride,

[The famous heroes of the battle of Vesu- Against the Thief th' Attorney loud inveighs,

vius, and the Curtian Gulf.]

2 After v. 226, in the MS.

'The Col'nel swears the Agent is a dog,

The Scriv'ner vows th' Attorney is a rogue.

For whose ten pound the County twenty pays.
The Thief damns Judges, and the Knaves of

State;

And dying, mourns small Villains hang'd by great.'

Fear to the statesman, rashness to the chief,
To kings presumption, and to crowds belief:
That, Virtue's ends from Vanity can raise,
Which seeks no int'rest, no reward but praise;
And build on wants, and on defects of mind,
The joy, the peace, the glory of Mankind.
Heav'n forming each on other to depend,
A master, or a servant, or a friend,

245

250

Bids each on other for assistance call,

Till one Man's weakness grows the strength of all.

Wants, frailties, passions, closer still ally

The common int'rest, or endear the tie.

To these we owe true friendship, love sincere,

255

Each home-felt joy that life inherits here;
Yet from the same we learn, in its decline,
Those joys, those loves, those int'rests to resign;
Taught half by Reason, half by mere decay,
To welcome death, and calmly pass away.

260

Whate'er the Passion, knowledge, fame, or pelf,
Not one will change his neighbour with himself.
The learn'd is happy nature to explore,
The fool is happy that he knows no more;

The rich is happy in the plenty giv'n,

265

The poor contents him with the care of Heav'n.

See the blind beggar dance, the cripple sing,
The sot a hero, lunatic a king;

The starving chemist in his golden views
Supremely blest, the poet in his Muse1.

See some strange comfort ev'ry state attend,
And Pride bestow'd on all, a common friend;
See some fit Passion ev'ry age supply,

Hope travels thro', nor quits us when we die.
Behold the child, by Nature's kindly law,
Pleas'd with a rattle, tickled with a straw:
Some livelier play-thing gives his youth delight,
A little louder, but as empty quite:
Scarfs, garters, gold, amuse his riper stage,
And beads and pray'r-books are the toys of age:
Pleas'd with this bauble still, as that before;
'Till tir'd he sleeps, and Life's poor play is o'er.
Mean-while Opinion gilds with varying rays
Those painted clouds that beautify our days;

the poet in his Muse.] The author having said, that no one would change his profession or views for those of another, intended to carry his observation still further, and shew that Men were unwilling to exchange their own acquirements even for those of the same kind, confessedly larger, and infinitely more eminent, in another. To this end he wrote,

"What partly pleases, totally will shock:

I question much, if Toland would be Locke: but wanting another proper instance of this

270

275

280

truth when he published his last Edition of the
Essay, he reserved the lines above for some fol-
lowing one. Warburton.

2 [Warton quotes Gray's beautiful lines:
'Still where rosy Pleasure leads
See a kindred grief pursue;
Behind the steps that Misery treads
Approaching Comfort view, &c. ;

and the same thought is felicitously expanded in
Akenside's Pleasures of the Imagination (Bk.
11. 'Ask the faithful youth,' &c.).]`

Each want of happiness by hope supply'd,
And each vacuity of sense by Pride:
These build as fast as knowledge can destroy;
In Folly's cup still laughs the bubble, joy;
One prospect lost, another still we gain;
And not a vanity is giv'n in vain;
Ev'n mean Self-love becomes, by force divine,
The scale to measure others' wants by thine.
See! and confess, one comfort still must rise,
'Tis this, Tho' Man's a fool, yet GOD IS WISE.

285

290

ARGUMENT OF EPISTLE III.

Of the Nature and State of Man with respect to Society.

Reason

I. The whole Universe one system of Society, v. 7, &c. Nothing made wholly for itself, nor yet wholly for another, v. 27. The happiness of Animals mutual, v. 49. II. Reason or Instinct operate alike to the good of each Individual, v. 79. or Instinct operate also to Society, in all animals, v. 109. III. How far Society carried by Instinct, v. 115. How much farther by Reason, v. 128. IV. Of that which is called the State of Nature, v. 144. Reason instructed by Instinct in the invention of Arts, v. 166, and in the Forms of Society, v. 176. V. Origin of Political Societies, v. 196. Origin of Monarchy, v. 207. Patriarchal government, V. 212. VI. Origin of true Religion and Government, from the same principle, of Love, v. 231, &c. Origin of Superstition and Tyranny, from the same principle, of Fear, v. 237, &c. The Influence of Self-love operating to the social and public Good, v. 266. Restoration of true Religion and Government on their first principle, v. 285. Mixt Government, v. 288. Various Forms of each, and the true end of all, v. 300, &c.

H

EPISTLE III.

ERE then we rest: "The Universal Cause1

Acts to one end, but acts by various laws."

In all the madness of superfluous health,

The trim of pride, the impudence of wealth,

Let this great truth be present night and day;
But most be present, if we preach or pray.

Look round our World; behold the chain of Love
Combining all below and all above.

See plastic Nature working to this end,

The single atoms each to other tend,

Attract, attracted to, the next in place

Form'd and impell'd its neighbour to embrace.

See Matter next, with various life endu'd,
Press to one centre still, the gen'ral Good.
See dying vegetables life sustain,
See life dissolving vegetate again:

1 In several Edit. 4to.-'Learn, Dulness, learn! "The Universal Cause," &c. Warburton,

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