Reflection, Reason, still the ties improve,
At once extend the int'rest, and the love;
With choice we fix, with sympathy we burn: 135
Each Virtue in each Paffion takes its turn;

And still new needs, new helps, new habits rife,
That graft benevolence on charities.
Still as one brood, and as another rose,
These nat'ral love maintain'd, habitual those: 140
The last, scarce ripen'd into perfect Man,
Saw helpless him from whom their life began:
Mem'ry and fore-cast just returns engage,
That pointed back to youth, this on to age;
While pleasure, gratitude, and hope, combin'd, 145
Still spread the int'rest, and preserv'd the kind.

IV. Nor think, in NATURE'S STATE they
blindly trod;

The state of Nature was the reign of God:
Self-love and Social at her birth began,

Union the bond of all things, and of Man.
Pride then was not; nor Arts, that Pride to aid;

150

Man walk'd with beast, joint tenant of the shade;

NOTES.

VER. 152. Man walk'd given above. Plato had faid with beaft, joint tenant of from old tradition, that, the shade;] The poet still during the Golden age, and takes his imagery from Pla- under the reign of Saturn, tonic ideas, for the reason | the primitive language then

155

The same his table, and the fame his bed;
No murder cloath'd him, and no murder fed.
In the same temple, the resounding wood,
All vocal beings hymn'd their equal God:
The shrine with gore unstain'd, with gold undrest,
Unbrib'd, unbloody, stood the blameless priest:
Heav'n's attribute was Universal Care,

And Man's prerogative to rule, but spare.
Ah! how unlike the man of times to come!

160

Of half that live the butcher and the tomb;
Who, foe to Nature, hears the gen'ral groan,
Murders their species, and betrays his own.
But just disease to luxury succeeds,
And ev'ry death it's own avenger breeds;
The Fury-paffions from that blood began,
And turn'd on Man a fiercer savage, Man.
See him from Nature rising slow to Art!
To copy Instinct then was Reason's part;

165

170

Thus then to Man the voice of Nature spake "Go, from the Creatures thy instructions take: "Learn from the birds what food the thickets yield; "Learn from the beasts the physic of the field; " Thy arts of building from the bee receive; 175 "Learn of the mole to plow, the worm to weave; " Learn of the little Nautilus to fail,

"Spread the thin oar, and catch the driving gale. " Here too all forms of social union find,

" And hence let Reason, late, instruct Mankind:

NOTES,

VER. 173. Learn from | of healing, by their own

the birds, &c.] It is a common practice amongst Navigators, when thrown upon a defert coast, and in want of refreshments, to observe what fruits have been touched by the Birds: and to venture on these without further hesitation.

VER. 174. Learn from the beasts, &c.] See Pliny's Nat. Hist. 1. viii. c. 27. where several instances are given of Animals discover. ing the medicinal efficacy of herbs, by their own use of them; and pointing out to some operations in the art

practice.

VER. 177. Learn of the little Nautilus) Oppian. Halieut. lib. i. describes this fish in the following manner:

They swim on the fur"face of the fea, on the "back of their shells, " which exactly resemble "the hulk of a ship; they "raise two feet like masts, "and extend a membrane "between, which serves as a fail; the other two " feet they employ as oars at the fide. They are usually feen in the Medi

66

"

"terranean." P.

181

186

" Here fubterranean works and cities see;
"There towns aerial on the waving tree.
"Learn each small People's genius, policies,
"The Ant's republic, and the realm of Bees;
"How those in common all their wealth bestow,
"And Anarchy without confufion know;
" And these for ever, tho' a Monarch reign,
"Their sep'rate cells and properties maintain.
"Mark what unvary'd laws preserve each ftate,
"Laws wife as Nature, and as fix'd as Fate. 190
"In vain thy Reason finer webs shall draw,
"Entangle Justice in her net of Law,
"And right, too rigid, harden into wrong;
" Still for the strong too weak, the weak too strong.
" Yet go! and thus o'er all the creatures sway, 195
"Thus let the wiser make the rest obey;
" And for those Arts mere Instinct could afford,
"Be crown'd as Monarchs, or as Gods ador'd."
V. Great Nature spoke; observant Men obey'd;

Cities were built, Societies were made :
VARIATIONS.

VER. 197. in the first Editions,

Who for those Arts they learn'd of Brutes before,

As Kings shall crown them, or as Gods adore.

NOTES.

as

200

fignifying both obe

VER. 199. obferuant Men tiful, obey'd;] The epithet is beau- dience to the voice of Na

Here rose one little state; another near
Grew by like means, and join'd, thro' love or fear.

Did here the trees with ruddier burdens bend,

And there the streams in purer rills defcend?

What War could ravish, Commerce could bestow,

And he return'd a friend, who came a foe.

206

Converse and Love mankind might strongly draw, When Love was Liberty, and Nature Law.

VARIATIONS.

VER. 201. Here rose one little state, &c.] In the MS. thus,

The Neighbours leagu'd to guard their cominon spot:
And Love was Nature's dictate, Murder, not.
For want alone each animal contends;

Tygers with Tygers, that remov'd, are friends.
Plain Nature's wants the common mother crown'd,
She pour'd her acorns, herbs, and streams around.
No Treasure then for rapine to invade,
What need to fight for fun-shine or for fhade?
And half the cause of contest was remov'd,
When beauty could be kind to all who lov'd.

NOTES.

ture, and attention to the | their native liberty from lessons of the animal crea- their governors by civil tion. pactions; the love which each master of a family had for those under his care being their best security.

VER. 208. When Love was Liberty,] i. e. When men had no need to guard