POPE'S POETICAL WORKS
Placed on this isthmus of a middle state, A being darkly wise, and rudely great : With too much knowledge for the sceptic side, With too much weakness for the Stoic's pride, He hangs between; in doubt to act, or rest; In doubt to deem himself a god, or beast; In doubt his mind or body to prefer; Born but to die, and reasoning but to err; Alike in ignorance, his reason such, Whether he thinks too little or too much; Chaos of thought and passion, all confused; Still by himself abused or disabused; Created half to rise, or half to fall; Great lord of all things, yet a prey to all; Sole judge of truth, in endless error hurl'd; The glory, jest, and riddle of the world!
Dut when his own great work is but What reason weaves, by passion is u Trace science then, with modesty First strip off all her equipage of pric Dednet what is but vanity or dress, Orlearning's luxury, or idleness: Or tricks to show the stretch of hum Metre curious pleasure, or ingenious Lipunge the whole, or lop the excres Of all our vices have created arts : Then see how little the remaining su Which served the past, and must the II. Two principles in human natu Salf-love to urge, and reason to res Not this a good, nor that a bad we Each works its end, to move or gov And to their proper operation still, Aseribe all good, to their improper, Self-love, the spring of motion, a Reason's comparing balance rules Man, but for that, no action could And, but for this, were active to no Fir'd like a plant on his peculiar To draw nutrition, propagate, and Or, meteor-like, flame lawless thr Destroying others, by himself dest Most strength the moving princ Active its task, it prompts, impels Sedate and quiet the comparing I Form'd but to check, deliberate, Self-love still stronger, as its obj Reason's at distance, and in pros That sees immediate good by pre Reason, the future and the cons Thicker than arguments tempta At best more watchful this, bu The action of the stronger to s Reason still use, to reason still
Go, wondrous creature! mount where science guides, Go, measure earth, weigh air, and state the tides; 20 Instruct the planets in what orbs to run, Correct old time, and regulate the sun; Go, soar with Plato to the empyreal sphere, To the first good, first perfect, and first fair; Or tread the mazy round his followers trod, And quitting sense call imitating God; As Eastern priests in giddy circles run, And turn their heads to imitate the sun. Go, teach Eternal Wisdom how to rule- Then drop into thyself, and be a fool!
Superior beings, when of late they saw A mortal man unfold all nature's law, Admired such wisdom in an earthly shape, And show'd a Newton as we show an ape. Could he, whose rules the rapid comet bind, Describe or fix one movement of his mind? Who saw its fires here rise, and there descend, Explain his own beginning or his end? Alas, what wonder! Man's superior part Uncheck'd may rise, and climb from art to art;
n great work is but begun, aves, by passion is undone, chen, with modesty thy guide; her equipage of pride:
ut vanity or dress, ury, or idleness:
the stretch of human brain,
asure, or ingenious pain:
ole, or lop the excrescent parts Dave created arts:
tle the remaining sum,
e past, and must the times to come! ples in human nature reign;
and reason to restrain:
nor that a bad we call,
end, to move or govern all: Der operation still,
to their improper, ill. spring of motion, acts the soul ring balance rules the whole. t, no action could attend,
, were active to no end:
t on his peculiar spot,
n, propagate, and rot;
flame lawless through the void, es, by himself destroy'd.
the moving principle requires; t prompts, impels, inspires. t the comparing lies, heck, deliberate, and advise. ronger, as its object's nigh; ance, and in prospect lie: diate good by present sense; are and the consequence. guments temptations throng, atchful this, but that more strong.
ne stronger to suspend,
242 POPE'S POETICAL WORKS.
Attention habit and experience gains; Each strengthens reason, and self-love restrains. 80 Let subtle schoolmen teach these friends to fight, More studious 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 same. Self-love and reason to one end aspire, Pain their aversion, pleasure their desire; But greedy that, its object would devour, This taste the honey, and not wound the flower: 90 Pleasure, or wrong or rightly understood, Our greatest evil, or our greatest good.
III. Modes of self-love the passions we may call : 'Tis real good, or seeming, moves them all: But since not every good we can divide, And reason bids us for our own provide: Passions, though selfish, if their means be fair, List under reason, and deserve her care; Those, that imparted, court a nobler aim, Exalt their kind, and take some virtue's name. 100
Love, hope, and joy, fair pleasure's Hate, fear, and grief, the family of These mix'd with art, and to due b Make and maintain the balance of The lights and shades, whose well- Gives all the strength and colour Pleasures are ever in our hands And when in act they cease, in pro Present to grasp, and future still to The whole employ of body and of All spread their charms, but charm On different senses, different obje Hence different passions more or As strong or weak, the organs of And hence one master passion in Like Aaron's serpent, swallows u Asman, perhaps, the moment of Receives the lurking principle of The young disease, which must Grows with his growth, and s So, cast and mingled with his ve The mind's disease, its ruling p Each vital humour, which sho Soon flows to this, in body an Whatever warms the heart, or As the mind opens, and its fur Imagination plies her dangero And pours it all upon the pecc Nature its mother, habit is its Wit, spirit, faculties, but mal Reason itself but gives it edg As Heaven's blest beam tur We wretched subjects, the In this weak queen some fa Ah! if she lent not arms, a What can she more than te Teach us to mourn our nat A sharp accuser, but a hel
In lazy apathy let Stoics boast Their virtue's fix'd: 'tis fix'd as in a frost; Contracted all, retiring to the breast; But strength of mind is exercise, not rest: The rising tempest puts in act the soul; Parts it may ravage, but preserve the whole. On life's vast ocean diversely we sail, Reason the card, but passion is the gale; Nor God alone in the still calm we find, He mounts the storm, and walks upon the wind. 110 Passions, like elements, though born to fight, Yet mix'd and soften'd, in his work unite: These 'tis enough to temper and employ; But what composes man, can man destroy? Suffice that reason keep to nature's road, Subject, compound them, follow her and God.
Love, hope, and joy, fair pleasure's smiling 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 : 120 The lights and shades, whose well-accorded strife Gives all the strength and colour of our life.
Pleasures are ever in our hands and eyes; And when in act they cease, in prospect rise: Present to grasp, and future still to find, The whole employ of body and of mind, All spread their charms, but charm not all alike On different senses, different objects strike: Hence different passions more or less inflame, As strong or weak, the organs of the frame; And hence one master passion in the breast, Like Aaron's serpent, swallows up the rest. As man, perhaps, the moment of his breath, Receives the lurking principle of death; The young disease, which must subdue at length, Grows with his growth, and strengthens with his So, cast and mingled with his very frame, [strength: The mind's disease, its ruling passion came; Each vital humour, which should feed the whole, Soon flows to this, in body and in soul: Whatever warms the heart, or fills the head, As the mind opens, and its functions spread. Imagination plies her dangerous art, And pours it all upon the peccant part. Nature its mother, habit is its nurse; Wit, spirit, faculties, but make it worse; Reason itself but gives it edge and power; As Heaven's blest beam turns vinegar more sour. We wretched subjects, though no lawful sway, In this weak queen some favourite still obey; Ah! if she lent not arms, as well as rules, What can she more than tell us we are fools? Teach us to mourn our nature, not to mend: A sharp accuser, but a helpless friend!
Or from a judge turn pleader, to persuade The choice we make, or justify it made; Proud of an easy conquest all along, She but removes weak passions for the strong: So, when small humours gather to a gout, The doctor fancies he has driven them out.
Yes, nature's road must ever be preferr'd; Reason is here no guide, but still a guard; "Tis hers to rectify, not overthrow, And treat this passion more as friend than foe: A mightier power the strong direction sends, And several men impels to several ends: Like varying winds by other passions toss'd, This drives them constant to a certain coast. Let power or knowledge, gold or glory, please, Or (oft more strong than all) the love of ease; 170 Through life 'tis follow'd e'en at life's expense; The merchant's toil, the sage's indolence, The monk's humility, the hero's pride, All, all alike, find reason on their side.
The Eternal Art, educing good from ill, Grafts on this passion our best principle: 'Tis thus the mercury of man is fix'd, Strong grows the virtue with his nature mix'd: The dross cements what else were too refined, And in one interest body acts with mind.
As fruits, ungrateful to the planter's care, On savage stocks inserted learn to bear; The surest virtues thus from passions shoot, Wild nature's vigour working at the root. What crops of wit and honesty appear From spleen, from obstinacy, hate, or fear! See anger, zeal and fortitude supply; E'en avarice, prudence; sloth, philosophy; Lust, through some certain strainers well refined, Is gentle love, and charms all womankind; Envy, to which the ignoble mind's a slave, Is emulation in the learn'd or brave;
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