:

Then, looking up from Sire to Sire, explor'd: 201
One Great, First Father, and that first Ador'd
Or plain Tradition that this All begun,
Convey'd unbroken Faith from Sire to Son,
The Workman from the Work distinct was known, 230
And fimple Reason never fought but One:

i

235

E're Wit oblique had broke that steady Light, Man, like his Maker, faw, that all was right, To Virtue in the Paths of Pleasure trod, And own'd a Father when he own'd a God. Love all the Faith, and all th' Allegiance then; For Nature knew no Right Divine in Men,A No Ill could fear in God; and understood A Sovereign Being but a Sovereign Good. True Faith, true Policy, united ran,

240

That was but Love of God, and this of Man.
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? 245
Force first made Conqueft, and that Conquest Law;
Till Superstition taught the Tyrant Awe,

Then

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Then shar'd the Tyranny, and lent it Aid,
And Gods of Conqu'rors, Slaves of Subjects made:
She,midst the Lightning'sBlaze and Thunder'sSound, 250
When rock'd the Mountains, and when groan'd the
Ground,

She taught the Weak to bend, the Proud to pray,
To Pow'r unseen, and mightier far than they.
She, from the rending Earth and bursting Skies,
Saw Gods descend, and Fiends infernal rife,
Here fix'd the dreadful, there the blest Abodes;
Fear made her Devils, and weak Hope her Gods :
Gods partial, changeful, paffionate, unjust,
Whose Attributes were Rage, Revenge, or Luft:
Such as the Souls of Cowards might conceive,
And form'd like Tyrants, Tyrants would believe.
Zeal then, not Charity, became the Guide,
And Hell was built on Spite, and Heav'n on Pride.

255

260

Then sacred seem'd th' Ætherial Vault no more; Altars grew Marble then, and reek'd with Gore: 265

Then first the Flamen tasted living Food;

Next his grim Idol smear'd with human Blood;

With Heav'ns own Thunders fhook the World below, And play'd the God an Engine on his Foe.

4

275

So drives Self-Love, thro' Just, and thro' Unjust, 270 To One man's Pow'r, Ambition, Lucre, Luft: The fame Self-Love, in All, becomes the Caufe Of what restrains him, Government and Laws. For what one likes, if others like as well, What ferves one Will when many Wills rebel? How shall he keep, what fleeping or awake A weaker may furprize, a stronger take? His Safety must his I iberty restrain; All join to guard what each defires 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 purfu'd, And found the private in the publick Good. 'Twas then, the studious Head or gen'rous Mind, Follow'r of God, or Friend of Humankind, Poet or Patriot, rose, but to restore The Faith and Moral, Nature gave before; Re-lum'd her ancient Light, not kindled new ; If not God's Image, yet his Shadow drew;

;

280

285

Taught

1

فر

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Taught Pow'rs due Ufe to People and to Kings, 290 Taught, not to flack, nor strain, its tender strings;

The Lefs, and Greater, set so justly true,
That touching one, must strike the other too,

And jarring Int'refts of themselves create

The according Musick of a well-mix'd State.

295

Such is the WORLD's great Harmony, that springs
From Union, Order, full Confent of Things!

Where Small and Great, where Weak and Mighty, made
To ferve, not fuffer, strengthen, not invade,

More pow'rful each, as needful to the reft,
And in Proportion as it blesses, blest,
Draw to one Point, and to one Centre bring
Beast, Man, or Angel, Servant, Lord, or King.
For Forms of Government let Fools conteft;
What'ere is best administred, is best :
For Modes of Faith let graceless Zealots fight;
His can't be wrong whose Life is in the right.
All must be false, that thwart this One Great End,
And all of God, that bless Mankind, or mend.
Man, like the gen'rous Vine, supported lives,
The Strength he gains is from th'Embrace he gives.

300

305

310

On

On their own Axis as the Planets run,

Yet make at once their Circle round the Sun:

So two consistent Motions act the Soul,

And one regards Itself, and one the Whole.

Thus God and Nature link'd the gen'ral Frame,

And bade Self-Love and Social be the fame.

320

N. B. The Rest of this Work will be published the next ...Winter.

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