This light and darkness in our chaos join'd, COMMENTARY. 205 both the same public effects, yet that they may be disentangled. If it be asked, by what means? Hereplies (from * 202 to 205.) by confcience: and this is to the purpose; for it is a Man's own concern alone to know whether his virtue be pure and solid; for what is it to others, whether this virtue, (while, as to them, the effect of it is the same) be real or imaginary. VER. 205. Extremes in Nature equal ends produce,] But still it will be faid, Why all this difficulty to diftinguish true virtue from false? The Poet shews why (from / 204 to 211.) That though indeed vice and virtue so invade each other's bounds, that sometimes we can scarce tell where one ends and the other begins, yet great purposes are served thereby, no less than the perfecting the constitution of the Whole, as lights and shades, which run into one another in a well-wrought picture, make the harmony and fpirit of the compofition. But on this account to say there NOTES. VER. 204. The God within the mind.] A Platonic phrase for CONSCIENCE; and here employed with great judgment and propriety. For Confcience either signifies, speculatively, the judgment we pass of things upon whatever principles we chance to have; and then it is only Opinion, a very unable judge and divider; or else it signifies, practically, the application of the eternal rule of right (received by us as the law of God) to the regulation of our actions; and then it is properly Confcience, the God (or the law of God) within the mind, of power to divide the light from the darkness in this Chaos of the paffions. Tho' each by turns the other's bound invade, Where ends the Virtue, or begins the Vice. 210 Fools! who from hence into the notion fall, That Vice or Virtue there is none at all, If white and black blend, soften, and unite A thousand ways, is there no black or white? Afk your own heart, and nothing is so plain? 215 'Tis to mistake them, costs the time and pain, Vice is a monster of so frightful mien, As, to be hated, needs but to be seen; COMMENTARY. is neither vice nor virtue, the Poet shews (from $ 209 to 217.) would be just as wife as to say, there is neither black nor white; because the shade of that and the light of this often run into one another : Afk your own heart, and nothing is so plain; This is an error of speculation, which leads Men so foolishto conclude, that there is neither vice nor virtue. VER. 217. Vice is a monster, &c.] There is another Eror of pralice, which hath more general and hurtful effects; and is next confidered (from 216 to 22.) It is this, that though, at the first aspect, Vice be fo horrible as to affright all beholders, yet, when by habit we are once grown familiar with her, we first suffer, and in time begin to lose the memory of her nature; which neceffarily implies an equal ignorance in the nature of Virtue. Hence men conclude, that there is neither one nor the other. Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face, We first endure, then pity, then embrace. 220 But where th' Extreme of Vice, was ne'er agreed: Afk where's the North? at York, 'tis on the Tweed; In Scotland, at the Orcades; and there, At Greenland, Zembla, or the Lord knows where. No creature owns it in the first degree, 225 But thinks his neighbour further gone than he; What happier natures shrink at with affright, 230 VARIATIONS. After 220. in the 1st Edition, followed these, A Cheat! a Whore! who starts not at the name, In all the Inns of Court or Drury-lane? After y 226. in the MS. The Col'nel swears the Agent is a dog, COMMENTARY. VER. 221. But where th' Extreme of Vice, &c.] But it is not only that extreme of Vice which stands next to Virtue, which betrays us into these mistakes. We are deceived too, as he shews us (from $ 220 to 231.) by our observations concerning the other extreme: For from the extreme of Vice being unsettled, Men conclude that Vice itself is only nominal, Virtuous and vicious ev'ry Man must be, Few in th' extreme, but all in the degree; The rogue and fool by fits is fair and wife; And ev'n the best, by fits, what they despise. Tis but by parts we follow good or ill; For, Vice or Virtue, Self directs it still; Each individual feeks a sev'ral goal; 235 But HEAV'N's great view is One, and that the Whole. That counter-works each folly and caprice; That disappoints th' effect of ev'ry vice; COMMENTARY. 240 VER. 231. Virtuous and vicious ev'ry Man must be,] There is yet a third cause of this error of no Vice, no Virtue, composed of the other two, i. e. partly speculative, and partly practical. And this also the Poet confiders (from 230 to 239) shewing it arifeth from the imperfection of the best characters, and the inequality of all: whence it happens that no Man is extremely virtuous or vicious; nor extremely conftant in the pursuit of either. Why it fo happens, the Poet informs us, who with admirable fagacity affigns the cause in this line: For, Vice or Virtue, SELF directs it still. An adherence or regard to what is, in the sense of the world, a man's own interest, making an extreme, in either, impossible. Its effect in keeping a good man from the extreme of Virtue, needs no explanation; and in an ill Man, Self-interest shewing him the neceffity of some kind of reputation, the procuring, and preserving that, will neceffarily keep him from the extreme of Vice. VER. 239. That counter-works each folly and caprice;] The mention of this principle, that Self directs vice and vir. tue, and its consequence, which is, that "Each individual seeks a sev'ral goal, leads the Author to observe "That HEAV'N's great View is One, and that the Whole. That, happy frailties to all ranks apply'd; Bids each on other for assistance call, 245 250 'Till one Man's weakness grows the strength of all. Wants, frailties, paffions, closer still ally The common int'rest, or endear the tie. COMMENTARY. And this brings him naturally round again to his main subject, namely, God's producing good out of ill, which he prosecutes from y 238 to 249. VER. 249. Heav'n forming each on other to depend,] I. Hitherto the Poet hath been employed in discourfing of the use of the Passions, with regard to Society at large; and in freeing his doctrine from objections: This is the first general divifion of the fubject of this epiftle. II. He comes now to shew (from 248 to 261.) the use of these Passions, with regard to the more confined circle of our friends, relations, and acquaintance: and this is the second general division. NOTES. VER. 253. Wants, frailties, passions, clofer ftill ally The common int'reft, &c.] As these lines have been misunderstood, I shall give the reader their plain and obvious meaning. To these frail |