What war could ravish, commerce could bestow, When love was liberty, and nature law. 210 Thus states were form'd; the name of king unknown, The same which in a sire the sons obey'd, 'Till then, by nature crown'd, each patriarch sate, 220 230 No ill could fear in God; and understood That was but love of God, and this of man. 240 Who first taught souls enslav'd, and realms undone, Th' enormous faith of many made for one; That proud exception to all nature's laws, T' invert the world, and counter-work its cause? Force first made conquest, and that conquest, law; "Till superstition taught the tyrant awe, Then shar'd the tyranny, then lent it aid, 251 And gods of conqu'rors, slaves of subjects made: 260 270 So drives self-love, thro' just, and thro' unjust, To one man's pow'r, ambition, lucre, lust: The same self-love, in all, becomes the cause Of what restrains him, government and laws. For, what one likes, if others like as well, What serves one will, when many wills rebel? How shall he keep, what, sleeping or awake, A weaker may surprise, a stronger take? His safety must his liberty restrain : All join to guard what each desires to gain. Forc'd into virtue thus, by self-defence, Ev'n kings learn'd justice and benevolence: Self-love forsook the path it first pursu'd, And found the private in the public good. 'Twas then the studious head or gen'rous mind, Follow'r of God, or friend of human-kind, Poet or patriot, rose but to restore The faith and moral nature gave before; Relum'd her ancient light, not kindled new, If not God's image, yet his shadow drew: Taught pow'r's due use to people and to kings, Taught nor to slack, nor strain its tender strings, 290 The less, or greater, set so justly true, That touching one must strike the other too; 'Till jarring int'rests of themselves create Th' according music of a well-mix'd state. Such is the world's great harmony, that springs From order, union, full consent of things: 280 Where small and great, where weak and mighty, made To serve, not suffer, strengthen, not invade; More pow'rful each as needful to the rest, And in proportion as it blesses blest; 300 Draw to one point, and to one centre bring For forms of government let fools contest; All must be false that thwart this one great end; Yet make at once their circle round the sun; 310 EPISTLE IV. ARGUMENT. Of the nature and state of man with respect to happiness. I. False notions of happiness, philosophical and popular, answered from 19. II. It is the end of all men, and attainable by all, 30. God intends happiness to be equal; and to be so, it must be social, since all particular happiness depends on general, and since he governs by general, not particular laws, 37. As it is necessary for order, and the peace and welfare of society, that external goods should be unequal, happiness is not made to consist in these, 51. But notwithstanding that inequality, the balance of happiness among mankind kept even by providence, by the two passions of hope and fear, 70. III. What the happiness of individuals is, as far as is consistent with the constitution of this world; and that the good man has here the advantage, 77. The error of imputing to virtue what are only the calamities of nature, or of fortune, 94. IV. The folly of expecting that God should alter his general laws in favour of particulars, 121. V. That we are not judges who are good; but that whoever they are, they must be happiest, 133. VI. That external goods are not the proper rewards, but often inconsistent with, or destructive of virtue, 167. That even these can make no man happy without virtue: Instanced in riches, 185. Honours, 193. Nobility, 205. Greatness, 217. Fame, 237. Superior talents, 259. With pictures of human infelicity in men possessed of them all, 269. VII. That virtue only constitutes a happiness, whose object is universal, and whose prospect eternal, 309. That the perfection of virtue and happiness consists in a conformity to the order of Providence here, and a resignation to it here and hereafter, 326. H happiness! our being's end and aim! Good, pleasure, ease, content! whate'er thy name.: |