For me kind nature wakes her genial power; 140 But crrs not nature from this gracious end, From burning suns when livid deaths descend, When earthquakes swallow, or when tempests sweep Towns to one grave, whole nations to the deep? 'No,' 'tis replied, the first Almighty Cause Acts not by partial, but by general laws;' The exceptions few; some change since all began; And what created perfect ?-Why then man? If the great end be human happiness, Then nature deviates; and can man do less? 150 As much that end a constant course requires Of showers and sun-shine, as of man's desires? If plagues or earthquakes break not Heaven's design, Who knows, but he whose band the lightning forms, Who heaves old Ccean, and who wings the storms, Pours fierce ambition in a Cæsar's mind, Or turns young Ammon loose to scourge mankind? 160 From pride, from pride, our very reasoning springs; Account for moral as for natural things: Why charge we Heaven in those, in these acquit ? Better for us, perhaps, it might appear, 170 The general order since the whole began, VI. What would this man? Now upward will he soar Is Heaven unkind to man, and man alone? Shall he alone, whom rational we call, Be pleased with nothing, if not bless'd with all? The blissfman (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. Why has not man a microscopic eye? For this plain reason, man is not a fly. Say what the use, were finer optics given, To inspect a mite, not comprehend the heaven? To smart and agonize at every pore? Or quick effluvia darting through the brain, 180 190 200 If Nature thunder'd in his opening ears, The whispering zephyr, and the purling rill! Alike in what it gives, and what denies ? VII. Far as creation's ample range extends, The scale of sensual, mental, powers ascends: 210 Mark how it mounts to man's imperial race, 230 From poisonous herbs extracts the healing dew? 220 210 enth, or ten thousandth, breaks the chain alike. And, if each system in gradation roll Alike essential to the amazing whole, The least confusion but in one, not all That system only, but the whole must fall. Let earth unbalanced from her orbit fly, Planets and suns run lawless through the sky; Let ruling angels from their spheres be hurl'd, Being on being wreck'd, and world on world; Heaven's whole foundations to their centre nod, And nature trembles to the throne of God. All this dread order break-for whom? for thee? Vile worm!-oh madness! pride! impiety! 258 260 IX. What if the foot, ordain'd the dust to tread, Or hand, to toil, aspired to be the head? What if the head, the eye, or ear, repined To serve mere engines to the ruling mind? Just as absurd for any part to claim To be another in this general frame; Just as absurd, to mourn the task or pains The great directing Mind of all ordains. 270 All are but parts of one stupendous whole, Whose body Nature is, and God the soul; That, changed through all, and yet in all the same, Great in the earth, as in the ethereal frame; Warms in the sun, refreshes in the breeze, Glows in the stars, and blossoms in the trees; Lives through all life, extends through all extent, Spreads undivided, operates unspent ; Breathes in our soul, informs our mortal part, As full, as perfect, in a hair as heart; As full, as perfect, in vile man that mourns, As the rapt seraph that adores and burns; 280 X. Cease then, nor order imperfection name: Our proper bliss depends on what we blame. Know thy own point: this kind, this due degree Of blindness, weakness, Heaven bestows on thee. Submit.--In this, or any other sphere, Or in the natal, or the mortal hour. All nature is but art, unknown to thee All chance, direction which thou canst not see: 294 All discord, harmony not understood; All partial evil, universal good. And, spite of pride, in erring reason's spite, ARGUMENT OF EPISTLE II. On 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, ver. 1 to 19. The limits of his capacity, ver. 19, &c. II. The two principles of man, self-love and reason, both ne cessary, ver. 53, &c. Self-love the stronger, and why, ver. 67, &c. Their end the same, ver. 81, &c. III. The pas sions, and their use, ver. 93 to 130. The predominant passion, and its force, ver. 132 to 160. Its necessity, in directing men to different purposes, ver. 165, &c. Its providential use, in fixing our principle, and ascertaining our virtue, ver. 177. IV. Virtue and vice joined in our mixed nature; the limits near, yet the things separate and evident: what is the office of reason, ver. 202 to 216. V. How odious vice in itself, and how we deceive ourselves into it, ver. 217. VI. That, however, the ends of Providence and general good are answered in our passions and imperfections, ver. 231, &c. How usefully these are distributed to all orders of men, ver. 241. How useful they are to society, ver. 251. And to individuals, ver. 263. In every state, and every age of life, ver. 273, &c. EPISTLE II. I. KNOW then thyself, presume not God to scan' The proper study of mankind is man. |