It is the end of all Men, and attainable by all, God intends Happiness to be equal; and to be fo, it must be focial, fince all particular Happinefs depends on general, and fince he governs by general, not parti- As it is neceffary for Order, and the peace and welfare of Society, that external goods fhould be unequal, Happi- nefs is not made to consist in thefe, But notwithstanding that inequality, the balance of Happiness among Mankind is kept even by Providence by the two Paffions of Hope and Fear' vcr. 67. What the Happiness of Individuals is, as far as is con- That external goods are not the proper rewards, but often inconfiftent with or deftructive of Virtue, ver. 169. That even these can make no Man happy without Virtue: inftanced in Riches, ver. 185. Honours, ver. 193 Nobility, ver. 205, Greatness, ver. 217. Fame, ver. 237 With pictures of human Infelicity in Men poffeft of then That Virtue only conftitutes a happiness, whofe object univerfal, and whofe profpe&t eternal, ver. 329, & That the perfection of Virtue and Happiness confifts in conformity to the ORDER of PROVIDENCE here, and Refignation to it here and hereafter, ver. 327, & N AN ESSAY ON ON MAN. a EPISTLE I WAKE, my St. JOHN leave all meaner things Let us (fince Life can little more fupply A mighty maze! but not without a plan; A Wild, where weeds and flow'rs promifcuous fhoot, Try what the open, what the covert yield; el 9 e 3 C I. Say firft, of God above, or Man below, I What other planets circle other funs, B 10 2 ESSAY ON MAN. EP. I. What vary'd Being peoples ev'ry star, 30 36 II. Prefumptuous Man! the reason woulft thou find, Of Syftems poffible, if 'tis confeft 49 Where all muft full or not coherent be, 45 And all that rifes, rife in due degree; Then, in the fcale of reas'ning life, 'tis plain, There must be, fomewhere, such a rank as Man: And all the queftion (wrangle e'er fo long) Is only this, If God has plac'd him wrong? 50 May, must be right, as relative to all. In human works, though labour'd on with pain, A thousand movements scarce one purpose gain; In God's, one fingle can its end produce; 55 Yet ferves to fecond too fome other ufe. So Man, who here feems principal alone Perhaps acts fecond to fome fpere unknown, Touches fome wheel, or verges to fome gaol; 'Tis but a part we fee, and not a whole. -60 When the proud fteed fhall know why man reftrains His fiery course, 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: Then shall Man's pride and dulnefs comprehend His actions', paffions', being's, use and end; 65 30 d, 36 Why doing, fuff'ring, check'd, impell'd; and why Then fay not Man's imperfect, Heav'n in fault; What matter, foon or late, or here or there? As who began a thousand years ago. Heav'n from all creatures hides the book of Fate, All but the page prefcrib'd, their present state: 70 75 40 From brutes what men, from men what fpirits know: 80 The lamb thy riot dooms to bleed to-day, Pleas'd to the laft, he crops the the flow'ry food, 45 And licks the hand just rais'd to shed his blood. 85 That each may fill the circle mark'd by Heav'n : A hero perish, or a sparrow fall, Atoms or systems into ruin hurl'd, 50 And now a bubble burst, and now a world. 90 Hope humbly then; with trembling pinions foar; Lo, the poor Indian whofe untutor'd mind Behind the cloud-topt hill, an humbler heav'n; 95 100 105 4 ESSAY ON MAN. Where flaves once more their native land behold, He afks no Angel's wing, no Seraph's fire; IV. Go, wifer thou! and, in thy feale of fenfe, Men would be Angels, Angels would be Gods. Afpiring to be Angels, Men rebel; And who but wishes to invert the laws Of ORDER, fins against th' Eternal Caufe. 1300 V Alk for what end the heav'nly bodies fhine, Earth for whofe ufe? Pride anfwers," "Tis for mine. "For me kind Nature wakes her genial pow'r,, "Suckles each herb, and fpreads out ev'ry flow'r; 135 But errs not Nature from this gracious end, 140 From burning funs when livid deaths defcend, 145 |