Alas what wonder! Man's fuperior part

Uncheck'd may rife, and climb from art to art; 40
But when his own great work is but begun,
What Reason weaves, by Paffion is undone.
Trace Science then, with Modefty thy guide;
Firft ftrip off all her equipage of Pride;

Deduct what is but Vanity, or Dress,

Or Learning's Luxury, or Idlenefs;

45

it describes, when it becomes vifible in its descent to, and ascent from the Sun, conjectured, with the highest appearance of truth, that Comets revolve perpetually round the Sun, in ellipfes vaftly eccentrical, and very nearly approaching to parabolas. In which he was greatly confirmed, in obferving between two Comets a coincidence in their perihelions, and a perfect agreement in their velocities.

VER. 45.-Vanity, or drefs,] These are the first parts of what the Poet, in the preceding line, calls the scholar's equipage of Pride. By vanity, meant that luxuriancy of thought and expreffion in which a writer indulges himself, to fhew the fruitfulness of his fancy or invention. By drefs, is to be understood a lower degree of that practice, in amplification of thought and ornamental expreffion, to give force to what the writer would convey: but even this, the poet, in a fevere fearch after truth, condemns; and with great judgment. Concifenefs of thought and fimplicity of expreffion, being as well the best inftruments, as the best vehicles of Truth.

VER. 46. Or Learning's Luxury, or Idlenefs ;] The Luxury of Learning confifts in dreffing up and difguifing old notions in a new way, so as to make them more fashionable and palateable; inftead of examining and fcrutinizing their truth. As this is often done for pomp and fhew, it is called luxury; as it is often done too to fave pains and labour, it is called idleness.

Or tricks to fhew the ftretch of human brain,
Mere curious pleasure, or ingenious pain;
Expunge the whole, or lop th' excrefcent parts
Of all our Vices have created Arts;
Then fee how little the remaining fum,
Which ferv'd the paft, and must the times to come!
IT. Two Principles in human nature reign;
Self-love, to urge, and Reason, to restrain ;
Nor this a good, nor that a bad we call,
Each works its end, to move or govern all:
And to their proper operation still,

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55

Afcribe all Good, to their improper, Ill.

Self-love, the spring of motion, acts the foul;
Reafon's comparing balance rules the whole.
Man, but for that, no action could attend,
And, but for this, were active to no end :
Fix'd like a plant on his peculiar fpot,
To draw nutrition, propagate, and rot;

60

Or, meteor-like, flame lawless thro' the void,

65

Destroying others, by himself destroy'd.

VER. 47. Or tricks to fhew the firetch of human brain,] Such as the mathematical demonftrations concerning the fmall quantity of matter; the endless divifibility of it, etc.

VER. 48. Mere curious pleasure, or ingenious pain;] That is, when Admiration fets the mind on the rack.

VER. 49. Expunge the whole, or lop th' excrefcent parts-Of all our vices have created Arts;] i. e. Those parts of natural Philofophy, Logic, Rhetoric, Poetry, etc. that administer to luxury, deceit, ambition, effeminacy, etc.

Moft ftrength the moving principle requires;
Active its task, it prompts, impels, inspires.
Sedate and quiet, the comparing lies,

Form'd but to check, delib'rate, and advise.
Self-love ftill ftronger, as its objects nigh;
Reason's at diftance, and in prospect lie:
That fees immediate good by prefent sense;
Reason, the future and the confequence.
Thicker than arguments, temptations throng,
At beft more watchful this, but that more ftrong.
The Action of the ftronger to fufpend

Reafon ftill ufe, to Reafon ftill attend.
Attention, habit and experience gains;

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75

Each ftrengthens Reason, and Self-love reftrains. 80
Let fubtle fchoolmen teach thefe friends to fight,
More ftudious to divide than to unite;

And Grace and Virtue, Sense and Reason split,
With all the rash dexterity of wit.

Wits, just like Fools, at war about a name,
Have full as oft no meaning, or the fame.
Self-love and Reason to one end aspire,
Pain their averfion, Pleasure their defire;

85

VER. 74. Reason, the future and the confequence.] i. e. By experience Reafon collects the future; and by argumentation, the confequence.

VARIATIONS.

After 86. in the MS.

Of good and evil Gods what frighted Fools,
Of good and evil Reafon puzzled Schools,
Deceiv'd, deceiving, taught-

But greedy That, its object would devour,

This tafte the honey, and not wound the flow'r :
Pleasure, or wrong or rightly understood,

Our greatest evil, or our greateft good.

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95

100

III. Modes of felf-love the Paffions we may call: 'Tis real good, or seeming, moves them all: But fince not ev'ry good we can divide, And reafon bids us for our own provide; Paffions, tho' selfish, if their means be fair, Lift under Reason, and deserve her care; Thofe, that imparted, court a nobler aim, Exalt their kind, and take fome Virtue's name. In lazy Apathy let Stoics boaft Their Virtue fix'd; 'tis fix'd as in a froft; Contracted all, retiring to the breast; But ftrength of mind is Exercise, not Rest: The rifing tempeft puts in act the soul, Parts it may ravage, but preferves the whole. On life's vaft ocean diverfely we fail, Reason the card, but paffion is the gale; Nor God alone in the ftill calm we find,

105

He mounts the ftorm, and walks upon the wind. 110 Paffions, like elements, tho' born to fight,

Yet, mix'd and foften'd, in his work unite:

VARIATIONS.

After 108. in the MS.

A tedious Voyage! where how ufelefs lies
The compass, if no pow'rful gufts arise?
After 112. in the MS.

The foft reward the virtuous, or invite;
The fierce, the vicious punish or affright,

115

Thefe 'tis enough to temper and employ;
But what composes Man, can Man deftroy?
Suffice that Reafon keep to Nature's road,
Subject, compound them, follow her and God..
Love, Hope, and Joy, fair pleafure's fmiling train,
Hate, Fear, and Grief, the family of pain,
These mix'd with art, and to due bounds confin'd,
Make and maintain the balance of the mind:
The lights and fhades, whose well accorded ftrife
Gives all the strength and colour of our life.

Pleasures are ever in our hands or eyes;
And when, in act, they cease, in prospect, rise :
Present to grafp, and future ftill to find,
The whole employ of body and of mind.
All spread their charms, but charm not all alike;
On diff'rent fenfes diff'rent objects strike;
Hence diff'rent Paffions more or lefs inflame,
As ftrong or weak, the organs of the frame;
And hence one MASTER PASSION in the breaft,
Like Aaron's ferpent, fwallows up the rest.

As Man, perhaps, the moment of his breath,
Receives the lurking principle of death;

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125

130

VER. 133. As Man perhaps, etc.] “ Antipater Sidonius Poeta "omnibus annis uno die natali tantum corripiebatur febre, et <6 eo confumptus eft fatis longa fenecta." Plin. l. vii. N. H. This Antipater was in the times of Craffus, and is celebrated for the quickness of his parts by Cicero.