As one by one, at dread Medea's strain, VARIATIONS. VER. 643. in the former Ed. it stood thus, 635 640 And this was intended as a cenfure of the Newtonian philofophy. For the poet had been misled by the prejudices of foreigners, as if that philosophy had recurred to the occult quadities of Ariftotle. This was the idea he received of it from a man educated much abroad, who had read every thing, but every thing fuperficially. Had his excellent friend Dr. A. been confulted in this matter, it is certain that fo unjust a reflection had never difcredited fo noble a fatire. When I hinted to him how he had been impofed upon, he changed the lines with great pleasure into a compliment (as they now ftand) on that divine genius, and a fatire on the folly by which he the Poet himself had been misled. REMARKS. VER. 641. Truth to her old Cavern fled.] Alluding to the faying of Democritus, That Truth lay at the bottom of a deep well, from whence he had drawn her: Though Butler fays, He firft put her in, before he drew her out. VER. 643. Philofophy, that lean'd on Heav'n] Philofopby has at length brought things to that pass, as to have it esteem 8 Phyfic of Metaphyfic begs defence, And Metaphyfic calls for aid on Senfe! REMARKS. 645 For this ed unphilofophical to reft in the firft caufe; as if its ends Pulfantes equidem vires intelligo nufquam Sed gravitas etiam crefcat, dum corpora centro In Phyfica fiudium: folitum dare nomina rebus, Anti-Lucr. To avoid which imaginary difcredit to the new theory, it was thought proper to feek for the cause of gravitation in a certain elaftic fluid, which pervaded all body. By this means, instead of really advancing in natural enquiries, we were brought IMITATIONS. VER. 637. As Argus' eyes, &c.] Et quamvis fopor eft oculorum parte receptus, Parte tamen vigilat -Vidit Cyllenius omnes Succubu fe oculos, &c. Ovid. Met. ii, See Myftery to Mathematics fly! In vain! they gaze, turn giddy, rave, and die. And unawares Morality expires. REMARKS. 650 back again, by this ingenious expedient, to an unfatisfactory fecond caufe: Philofophy, that lean'd on Heav'n before, For it might still, by the fame kind of objection, be asked, what was the cause of that elafticity? See this folly cenfured, v. 475. VER. 645, 646. Phyfic of Metaphyfic, &c.—And Metaphyfic calls, &c. Certain writers, as Malbranche, Norris, and others, have thought it of importance, in order to fecure the existence of the foul, to bring in queftion the reality of body; which they have attempted to do by a very refined metaphycal reasoning: While others of the fame party, in order to perfuade us of the neceffity of a Revelation which promises immortality, have been as anxious to prove that those quali ties which are commonly fuppofed to belong only to an immaterial Being, are but the refult from the fenfations of matter, and the foul naturally mortal, Thus, between thefe different reasonings, they have left us neither Soul nor Body; nor, the Sciences of Phyfics and Metaphyfics the least support, by making them depend upon, and go a begging to, one another. VER. 647. See Mystery to Mathematics Ay!] A fort of men, who make human reafon the adequate meafure of all Truth, having pretended that whatsoever is not fully comprehended by it, is contrary to it; certain defenders of Religion, who would not be outdone in a paradox, have gone as far in the oppofite folly, and attempted to fhew that the mysteries of Religion may be mathematically demonftrated; as the authors of Philofophic, or Aftronomic Principles of Religion, natural and revealed; who have much prided themselves on reflecting a fantastic light upon religion from the frigid subtilty of school moonshine. Vɛa. 649. Religion blufbing veils her facred fires,] Blushing as Nor public Flame, nor private, dares to shine; Thy hand, great Anarch! lets the curtain fall; 655 And univerfal Darkness buries All. REMARK S. well at the memory of the past overflow of dulness, when the barbarous learning of fo many ages was wholly employed in corrupting the fimplicity, and defiling the purity of Religion, as at the view of these her false supports in the prefent; of which it would be endless to recount the particulars. However, amidst the extinction of all other Lights, she is said only to withdraw hers; as hers alone in its own nature is unextinguishable and eternal. VER. 650. And unawares Morality expires.] It appears from hence that our Poet was of very different fentiments from the Author of the Characteristics, who has written a formal treatife on Virtue, to prove it not only real but durable, without the fupport of Religion. The word unawares al- ́ ludes to the confidence of thofe men, who suppose that Morality would flourish beft without it, and confequently to the furprize fuch would be in (if any fuch there are) who indeed love Virtue, and yet do all they can to root out the Religion of their Country. The END of the FOURTH BOOK. |