THE DESIGN OF THE WORK

BY M. POPE.

CO

HAving propofed to write some pieces on human life and manners Such as (to use my Lord Bacon's expreffion) " me home to men's business and bofoms", I thought it more fatisfactory to begin with confidering Man in the abstract, his nature and bis ftate; fince, to prove any moral duty, to enforce any moral precept, examine the perfection or imperfection of any creature what foever, it is necessary first to know what condition and relation it is pla ced in, and what is the proper end and purpose of its being.

or to

The Science of human nature is, like all other Sciences, reduced to a few clear points; there are not many certain truths in this world. It is therefore in the anatomy of the mind, as in that of the body; more good will accrue to mankind by atten ding to the large, open, and perceptible parts, than by studying too much fuch finer nerves and veffels the conformations and uses of which will for ever escape our obfervation. The difputes are all upon thefe laft, and, I will venture to say, they have less sharpen'd the wits than the hearts

of

of men against each other, and have dimi nish'd the practice, more than advanced the theory of morality. If I could flatter my felf that this Efay bas any merit, it is in fteering betwixt the extremes of doctrines feemingly oppofite in paffing over terms utterly unintelligible, and in forming a temperate yet not inconfiftent, and a short yet not imperfect fyftem of Ethics.

This I might have done in profe; but I chofe verfe, and even rhyme, for two reafons. The one will appear obvious; that principles, maxims, or precepts fo written, both ftrike the reader more strongly at first, and are more easily retained by him afterwards. The other may feem odd, but is true ; I found I could exprefs them more shortly this way than in profe itself; and nothing is more certain, than that much of the force, as well as grace of arguments or inftructions, depends on their concifenefs: I was unable to treat this part of my Subject more in detail, without becoming dry and tedious; or more poetically, without facrifi cing perfpicuity to ornament, without wan dring from the precision or breaking the chain of reafoning. If any man can unite all thefe without diminution of any of them, I freely confefs he will compass a thing above my capacity.

What

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What is now publish'd, is only to be confidered as a general Map of Man king out no more than the greater parts, their extent, their limits, and their conne&ion, but leaving the particular to be mo re fully delineated in the charts which are to follow. Confequently, these epiftles in their progress (if I have health and leifure to make any progress) will be less dry, and more fufceptible of poetical orna ment. I am bere only opening the fountains, and clearing the paffage; to deduce the rivers, to follow them in their course and to obferve their effects, may be a task more agreeable.

PRE

PREFACE

DU TRADUCTEUR.

"ONSIEUR POPE s'étant propofé d'é

M° crire fur la vie & les mœurs de

l'Homme, a crû devoir confidérer d'abord l'Homme en général, fa nature & fon état. Il eft néceffaire pour preferire des devoirs, pour établir des préceptes, & pour examiner la perfection ou l' imperfection de quelque créature que ce foit, de connoître premiérement quelle eft fa condition. & quels font fes rapports, quelle est la fin & quel eft l'objet de fon exiftence.

LA fcience de la nature humaine, ainsi que toutes les autres fciences, fe réduit à un petit nombre d'idées claires. Il n'y a pas dans ce monde beaucoup de vérités certaines. Il en eft de l'anatomie de l'efprit comme de celle du corps: il eft plus utile de s'appliquer aux parties les plus fenfibles & les plus faciles à appercevoir, que d'étudier de petits vaiffeaux & de petits nerfs qui échapent aux obfervations. C'est néanmoins fur les objets de cette nature que roulent d'ordinaire des difputes qui

fer