See some fit Passion every Age supply Hope travels through nor quits us when we die.

Efsay on Man Ep. III.

Whatc'er the paffion, knowledge, fame, or pelf,
Not one will change his neighbour with himself :
The learn'd is happy, nature to explore;
The fool is happy, that he knows no more;
The rich is happy in the plenty given;

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The poor contents him with the care of heaven,

See the blind beggar dance, the cripple fing,
The fot a hero, lunatic a king;

The ftarving chymift in his golden views
Supremely bleft, the poet in his muse.

See! fome strange comfort ev'ry state attend,
And pride bestow'd on all, a common friend;
See! fome fit paffion ev'ry age supply,
Hope travels thro', nor quits us when we die.
Behold the child, by nature's kindly law,
Pleas'd with a rattle, tickled with a straw:
Some livelier play-thing gives his youth delight,
A little louder, but as empty quite :
Scarfs, garters, gold, amuse his riper stage,
And beads and pray'r-books are the toys of age:
Pleas'd with this bauble ftill, as that before;
'Till tir'd he fleeps, and life's poor play is o'er.
Mean while Opinion gilds with varying rays
Those painted clouds that beautify our days;
Each want of happiness by hope fupply'd,
And each vacuity of fenfe by pride:
These build as faft as knowledge can deftroy:
In folly's cup ftill laughs, the bubble, joy;
One profpect loft, another ftill we gain;
And not a vanity is giv'n in vain;

E'en mean Self-love becomes, by force divine,
The fcale to measure others wants by thine.
. See! and confefs, one comfort ftill must rise,
Tis this, tho' man's a fool, yet GOD IS WISE.

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275

280

285

290

ARGU

ARGUMENT of

EPISTLE III.

Of the NATURE and STATE of MAN, with Refpe&t to SOCIETY.

THE

HE whole universe one fyftem of society, ver. 7, &c. Nothing is made wholly for itself, nor yet wholly for another, 27. The happinefs of animals mutual, 49. Reafon or instinct operate alike to the good of each individual, 79. Reafon or inftinct operate alike to society, in all animals, 109. How far fociety carried by inftinct, 115; how much farther by reason, 128. Of that which is called the state of nature, 144. Reason inftructed by inftinct in the invention of arts, 166; and in the forms of fociety, 176. Origin of political focieties, 196. Origin of monarchy, 207. Patriarchal government, 212. Origin of true religion, and government, from the fame principle, of Love, 231, &c. Origin of fuperftition and tyranny, from the fame principle, of fear, 237, &c. The influence of seiflove operating to the focial and public good, 266. Reftoration of true religion and government on their firft principle, 285. Mixt government, 288. Various forms of each, and the true end of all 300, &c.

EPISTLE

EPISTLE

H

III.

ERE then we reft; "The univerfal caufe

"Acts to one end, but acts by various laws."

In all the madness of fuperfluous health,

The trim of pride, the impudence of wealth,
Let this great truth be present night and day
But most be prefent, if we preach or pray.

* Look round our world; behold the chain of love
Combining all below and all above.

See plaftic nature working to this end,

5

The fingle atoms each to other tend.

10

Attract, attracted to, the next in place
Form'd and impell'd its neighbour to embrace.
Sée matter next, with various life endu❜d,

Prefs to one center ftill, the gen'ral good.
See dying vegetables life fuftain,

15

See life diffolving vegetate again :

All forms that perifh, other forms fupply,
By turns we catch the vital breath, and die;
Like bubbles on the fea of matter borne,
They rife, they break, and to that fea return.
Nothing is foreign; parts relate to whole;
One all-extending, all-preferving foul
Connects each being, greatest with the leaft;
Made beaft in aid of man, and man of beaft;
All ferv'd, all ferving: nothing stands alone;
The chain holds on, and where it ends, unknown.

Has God, thou fool! work'd folely for thy good,

20

25

Thy joy, thy paftime, thy attire, thy food!
Who for thy table feeds the wanton fawn,
For him as kindly fpread the flow'ry lawn.
Is it for thee the lark afcends and fings?
Joy tunes his voice, joy elevates his wings.

Is it for thee the linnet pours his throat?
Loves of his own, and raptures fwell the note.
The bounding fteed you pompously beftride,
Shares with his lord the pleasure and the pride.
Is thine alone the feed that ftrews the plain?
The birds of heav'n fhall vindicate their grain.
Thine the full harvest of the golden year ?
Part pays, and justly, the deserving steer.
The hog that plows not, nor obeys thy call,
Lives on the labours of this lord of all.

35

40

50

55

Know, nature's children fhall divide her care; The fur that warms a monarch, warm'd a bear. While man exclaims, "fee all things for my ufe !" 45 See man for mine," replies a pamper'd goofe; And just as fhort of reafon He muft fall, Who thinks all made for one, not one for all. Grant that the pow'rful ftill the weak controul; "Be man the wit and tyrant of the whole; Nature that tyrant checks; he only knows, And helps, anothers creature's wants and woes. Say, will the falcon, ftooping from above, Smit with her varying plumage, fpare the dove? Admires the jay the infects gilded wings? Or hears the hawk when Philomela fings? Man cares for all: to birds he gives his woods, To beafts his paftures, and to fifh his floods, For fome his int'reft prompts him to provide, For more his pleafure, yet for more his pride: All feed on one vain patron, and enjoy Th' extenfive bleffing of his luxury, That very life his learned hunger craves, He faves from famine, from the favage faves: Nay, feafts the animal he dooms his feast, And, till he ends the being, makes it blest ; Which fees no more the stroke, or feels the pain, Than favour'd man by touch ethereal flain, The creature had his feaft of life before; Theu too must perish, when thy feaft is o'er! 5

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65

70 Te.