Of hearing, from the life that fills the flood, 215 To that which warbles through the vernal wood? The fpider's touch, how exquifitely fine? Feels at each thread, and lives along the line: 225 What thin partitions Senfe from thought divide? All matter quick, and buriting into birth. 230 235 hunting their prey in the Deferts of Africa is this: At their first going out in the night-time they fet up a loud roar, and then liften to the noise made by the beasts in their fight, pursuing them by the ear, and not by the noftril. It is probable the ftory of the jackal's hunting for the lion, was occafioned by obfervation of this defect of fcent in that terrible animal. Vaft chain of being! which from God began, From thee to Nothing. On fuperior pow'rs Or in the full creation leave a void, 249 Where, one ftep broken, the great fcale's deftroy'd: 250. VER. 253. Let ruling Angels, etc.] The poet, throughout this poem, with great art uses an advantage, which his employing a Platonic principle for the foundation of his Essay had afforded him; and that is the expreffing himself (as here) in Platonic notions; which, luckily for his purpose, are highly poetical, at the fame time that they add a grace to the uniformity of his reasoning. VARIATIONS. VER. 238. Ed. 1ft. Ethereal effence, fpirit, fubftance, man. Heav'n's whole foundations to their centre nod, 255 And Nature trembles to the throne of God. All this dread ORDER break for whom? for thee? Vile worm! oh Madness! Pride! Impiety! 260 IX. What if the foot, ordain'd the dust to tread, Or hand, to toil, afpir'd to be the head? What if the head, the eye, or ear repin'd To ferve mere engines to the ruling Mind? Just as abfurd for any part to claim To be another, in this gen'ral frame: Juft as abfurd, to mourn the tasks or pains The great directing MIND of all ordains. All are That, chang'd thro' all, and yet in all the fame; Warms in the fun, 265 270 refreshes in the breeze, Glows in the stars, and bloffoms in the trees, Lives thro' all life, extends thro' all extent, Spreads undivided, operates unfpent; Breathes in our foul, informs our mortal part, 275 VER. 265. Just as abfurd, etc.] See the profecution and application of this in Ep. iv. VER. 266. The great directing mind, etc.] "Veneramur autem et colimus ob dominium. Deus enim fine dominio, "" providentia, et caufis finalibus, nihil aliud eft quam FATUM et NATURA." Newtoni Princip. Schol, gener. fub finem. 3 To him no high, no low, no great, no small; 280 X. Ceafe then, nor ORDER Imperfection name: Our proper blifs depends on what we blame. Know thy own point: This kind, this due degree Of blindness, weakness, Heav'n bestows on thee. Submit. In this, or any other sphere, Secure to be as bleft as thou canst bear : Safe in the hand of one difpofing Pow'r, Or in the natal, or the mortal hour. All Nature is but Art, unknown to thee; All Chance, Direction, which thou cank not fee; All Difcord, Harmony not understood; All partial Evil, univerfal Good. And, fpite of Pride, in erring Reafon's fpite, VARIATIONS. After ver. 282. in the MS. Reafon, to think of God, when the pretends, 285 291 ARGUMENT OF EPISTLE II. Of the Nature and State of Man with respect to Himself, as an Individual. I. THE bufinefs of Man not to pry into God, but to ftudy himself. His Middle Nature: his Powers and Frailties, ver. 1 to 19, The Limits of his Capacity, ver. 19, etc. II. The two Principles of Man, Self-love and Reason, both neceffary, ver. 53, etc. Self-love the ftronger, and why, ver. 67, etc. Their end the fame, ver. 81, etc. III. The PASSIONS, and their ufe, ver. 93 to 130. The Predominant Paffion, and its force, ver. 132 to 150. Its Neceffity, in directing Men to different purposes, ver. 165, etc. Its providential Ufe, in fixing our Principle, and ofcer taining our Virtue, ver. 177. IV. Virtue and Vice joined in our mixed Nature; the limits near, yet ike things feparate and evident: What is the Office of Reason, ver. 202 to 216. V. Hor 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 Paffions and Imperfections, ver. 238, etc. How ujefully theje are diftributed to all Orders of Men, ver. 241. How useful they are to Society, ver. 251. And to the Individuals, ver. 263. In every state, and every age of life, ver. 273, etc. |