A EPISTLE I. WAKE, my ST. JOHN! leave all meaner things Let us (fince Life can little more fupply Than just to look about us, and to die) A Wild, where weeds and flow'rs promifcuous shoot; Try what the open, what the covert yield! The exordium of this poem relates to the whole work, of which the Effay on Man was only the first book. The 6th, 7th, and 8th lines allude to the fubjects of this Essay, viz. the general Order and Design of Providence; the Conftitution of the human Mind; the origin, use, and end of the Paffions and Affections, both felfish and social; and the wrong pursuits of Power, Pleasure, and Happiness. The roth, 11th, 12th, etc. have relation to the fubjects of the books intended to follow, viz. the Characters and Capacities of Men, and the Limits of Science, which once tranfgreffed, ignorance begins, and error follows. The 13th and 14th, to the Knowlege of Mankind, and the various Manners of the age. Laugh where we must, be candid where we can; 15 But vindicate the ways of God to Man. I. Say firft, of God above, or Man below, What can we reason, but from what we know! Of Man, what fee we but his ftation here, From which to reason, or to which refer ? Thro' worlds unnumber'd tho' the God be known, 'Tis ours to trace him only in our own. He, who thro' vast immensity can pierce, 20 See worlds on worlds compofe one universe, 25 What other planets circle other funs, May tell why Heav'n has made us as we are. 30 -Look'd thro'? or can a part contain the whole? find, Why form'd fo weak, fo little, and so blind? 35 VER. 21. Thro' worlds unnumber'd, etc.] Hunc cognofcimus folummodo per Proprietates fuas et Attributa, et per fapien. tiffimas et optimas rerum structuras et caufas finales. Newtoni Princ. Sebol. gen. fub fin. Ask of thy mother earth, why oaks are made Taller and stronger than the weeds they shade? 49 Why Jove's Satellites are lefs than Jove? Of Syftems poffible, if 'tis confeft That Wisdom infinite must form the best, Where all muft full or not coherent be, Then, in the fcale of reas'ning life, 'tis plain, In human works, tho' labour'd on with pain, Perhaps acts fecond to fome sphere unknown, 45 59 55 60 When the proud fleed shall know why man restrains His fiery courfe, or drives him o'er the plains; When the dull Ox, why now he breaks the clod, Is now a victim, and now Egypt's God: VARIATIONS. In the former Editions ver. 64. Now wears a garland an Egyptian God. Then shall Man's pride and dulnefs comprehend 65 Then fay not Man's imperfect, Heav'n in fault; Say rather, Man's as perfect as he ought: His knowledge measur❜d to his state and place; His time a moment, and a point his space. If to be perfect in a certain sphere, 70 What matter, foon or late, or here, or there? 75 As who began a thousand years ago. III. Heav'n from all creatures hides the book of Fate, All but the page prefcrib'd, their present ftate: From brutes what men, from men what spirits know: Or who could fuffer Being here below? The lamb thy riot dooms to bleed to-day, Had he thy Reason, would he skip and play? VARIATIONS. After ver. 68. the following lines in the first Edition. If to be perfect in a certain sphere, What matter foon or late, or here or there? The bleft to-day is as completely fo As who began ten thousand years ago, 80 85 Who fees with equal eye, as God of all, A hero perish, or a sparrow fall, Atoms or fyftems into ruin hurl'd. And now a bubble burft, and now a world. 90 Hope humbly then; with trembling pinions foar; Wait the great teacher Death; and God adore. 95 Lo, the poor Indian! whofe untutor❜d mind Sees God in clouds, or hears him in the wind; 100 His foul, proud Science never taught to ftray Far as the folar walk, or milky way; Yet fimple Nature to his hope has giv'n, Behind the cloud-topt-hill, an humbler heav'n; Some fafer world in depth of woods embrac'd, 105 Some happier island in the watry waste, VARIATION S. After ver 88. in the MS. No great, no little; 'tis as much decreed In the first Folio and Quarto, What blifs above he gives not thee to know, |