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MORAL ESSAYS.

EPISTLE I.*

OF THE KNOWLEDGE AND CHARACTERS OF MEN.

TO SIR R. TEMPLE, LORD VISCOUNT COBHAM.

ARGUMENT.

L. That it is not sufficient for this knowledge to consider man in the abstract: books will not serve the purpose, nor yet our own experience singly, ver. 1. General maxims, unless they be formed on both, will be but notional, v. 10. Some peculiarity in every man characteristic to himself, yet varying from himself, v. 15. Difficulties arising from our own passions, fancies, faculties, &c. v. 31. The shortness of life, to observe in, and the uncertainty of the principles of action in men, to observe by, v. 37, &c. Our own principle of action often hid from ourselves, v. 41. Some few characters plain, but in general confounded, dissembled, or inconsistent, v. 51. The same man utterly different in different places and seasons, v. 71. Unimaginable weaknesses in the greatest, v. 77, &c. Nothing constant and certain but God and nature, v. 95. No judging of the motives from the actions; the same actions proceeding from contrary motives, and the same motives influencing contrary actions, v. 100.-II. Yet to form characters, we can only take the strongest actions of a man's life, and try to make them agree. The utter uncertainty of this, from nature itself, and from policy, v. 120. Characters given according to the rank of men of the world, v. 135. And some reason for it, v. 141. Education alters the nature, or at least the character, of many, v. 149. Actions, passions, opinions, manners, humours, or principles, all subject to change. No judging by nature,

*The 4th Epistle was the first one published, in 1731, as an essay "On Taste," a title afterwards altered to "On False Taste," and finally to that of "The Use of Riches." The 1st Epistle appeared in 1734, the 2d in 1735, and the 8d in 1738.

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"And yet the fate of all extremes is such,

Men may be read, as well as books, too much."

from v. 158 to 174.-III. It only remains to find, if we can, his ruling passion. That will certainly influence all the rest, and can reconcile the seeming or real inconsistency of all his actions, v. 175. Instanced in the extraordinary character of Clodio, v. 179. A caution against mistaking second qualities for first, which will destroy all possibility of the knowledge of mankind, v. 210. Examples of the strength of the ruling passion, and its continuation to the last breath, v. 222, &c.

I.

YES, you despise the man to books confined,
Who from his study rails at human-kind;

Though what he learns he speaks, and may ad

vance

Some general maxims, or be right by chance.
The coxcomb bird, so talkative and grave,
That from his cage cries cuckold, whore, and knave,
Though many a passenger he rightly call,
You hold him no philosopher at all.

And yet the fate of all extremes is such,
Men may be read, as well as books, too much. 10
To observations which ourselves we make,
We grow more partial for the observer's sake;
To written wisdom, as another's, less:

Maxims are drawn from notions, those from guess.
There's some peculiar in each leaf and grain,
Some unmark'd fibre, or some varying vein:
Shall only man be taken in the gross ?
Grant but as many sorts of mind as moss.
That each from other differs, first confess;
Next, that he varies from himself no less:
Add nature's, custom's, reason's, passion's strife,
And all opinion's colours cast on life.

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Our depths who fathoms, or our shallows finds,
Quick whirls and shifting eddies of our minds?
On human actions reason though you can,
It may be reason, but it is not man:

His principle of action once explore,
That instant 'tis his principle no more;

Like following life through creatures you dissect,
You lose it in the moment you detect.

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Yet more; the difference is as great between The optics seeing, as the objects seen.

All manners take a tincture from our own;

Or come discolour'd, through our passions shown: Or fancy's beam enlarges, multiplies,

Contracts, inverts, and gives ten thousand dyes.
Nor will life's stream for observation stay;

It hurries all too fast to mark their way:
In vain sedate reflections we would make,
When half our knowledge we must snatch, not
take.

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Oft, in the passions' wide rotation toss'd,
Our spring of action to ourselves is lost :
Tired, not determined, to the last we yield,
And what comes then is master of the field.
As the last image of that troubled heap,
When sense subsides, and fancy sports in sleep,
(Though past the recollection of the thought,)
Becomes the stuff of which our dream is wrought;
Something as dim to our internal view,
Is thus, perhaps, the cause of most we do.

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True, some are open, and to all men known; Others so very close, they're hid from none; So darkness strikes the sense no less than light: Thus gracious Chandos* is beloved at sight; And every child hates Shylock, though his soul Still sits at squat, and peeps not from its hole. At half mankind when generous Manly + raves, All know 'tis virtue, for he thinks them knaves: When universal homage Umbra + pays, All see 'tis vice, and itch of vulgar praise. When flattery glares, all hate it in a queen, While one § there is who charms us with his spleen. But these plain characters we rarely find; Though strong the bent, yet quick the turns of mind:

* James Brydges, first Duke of Chandos.

The principal character in Wycherley's 'Plain Dealer.
James Moore Smyth, Esq.

The famous Dr. Swift.

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