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Go foar with Plato to th' empireal Sphere,
To the first Good, firft Perfect, and firft Fair;
Or tread the mazy Round his Follow'rs 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 Thy-felf, and be a Fool!

Joule

To give, fays Mr. Pope's Commentator, this fecond Argument its full Force, he illuftrates it by the nobleft Example that ever was in Science, the incomparable Newton, whom he makes so superior to Humanity, as to reprefent the Angelick Beings in doubt, when they obferv'd him of late unfold all the Laws of Nature, whether he was not to be reckon'd in their Number; juft as Men, when they see the furprising Marks of Reason in an Ape, are almost tempted to believe him of their own Species. Yet this wondrous Creature, who faw fo far into the Works of Nature, could go no farther in human Knowledge, than the Generality of his Kind. For which the Poet affigns this very just and adequate Caufe: In all other Sciences, the Understanding is uncheck'd and uncontroul'd by any oppofite Principle; but in the Science of Man, the Paffions overturn, as faft as Reafon can build up.

This is a brief Account of the Poet's Introduction, and ferves to recommend the Study of Man, on a Supposition that by reasoning with and about himself, he may at laft fo ftrengthen his Judgment, as to determine rightly between Truth and Falfhood.

The Commentator having before given fom Reafon why Mr. Pope made the Angels compare Sir Ifaac Newton to an Ape, fays further, that they beheld him with Admiration; nor was it Mr. Pope's

Intention to bring any of the Ape's Qualities, but its Sagacity into the Comparison. But why the Ape's it may be faid, rather than the Sagacity of fome more decent Animal; particularly the half-reafoning Elephant, as the Poet calls it, which, as well on Account of this its Superiority, as for its having no ridiculous Side, like the Ape, on which it could be viewed, seems better to have deferv'd this Honour ? I reply, because as none but a Shape resembling human, accompanied with great Sagacity, could occafion the Douht of that Animal's Relation to Man, the Ape only having that Resemblance, no other Animal was fitted for the Comparison. And on this Ground of Relation the whole Beauty of the Thought 'depends; Newton, and those fuperior Beings being equally immortal Spirits, tho' of different Orders. And here let me take Notice of a new Species of the Sublime, of which our Poet may be justly said to be the Maker; fo new that we have yet no Name for it, tho' of a Nature diftinct from every other poetical Excellence. The two great Perfections of Works of Genius are Wit and Sublimity. Many Writers have been witty, feveral have been fublime, and fome few have even poffeffed both thefe Qualities feparately. But none that I know of, befides our Poet, hath had the Art to incorporate them. Of which he hath given many Examples, both in this Effay, and in his other Poems. One of the nobleft being the Paffage in Queftion. This feems to be the laft Effort of the Imagination, to poetical Perfection. And in this compounded Excellence the Wit receives a Dignity from the Sublime, and the Sublime a Splendor from the Wit; which, in their Stare of feparate Existence, they both wanted.

Superior Beings, when of late they faw A mortal Man unfold all Nature's Law,

Admir'd fuch Wisdom in an earthly Shape,
And fhow'd a Newton, as we fhow an Ape.

Could he who taught each Planet where to roll,
Defcribe, or fix, one Movement of the Soul?
Who mark'd their Points, to rife, and to defcend,
Explain his own Beginning, or his End?
Alas what Wonder! Man's fuperior Part
Uncheck'd may rife, and climb from Art to Art;
But when his own great Work is but begun,
What Reason weaves, by Paffion is undone.

The Poet goes on to difcover his own Mind, and begins to point out to us the Principles of Reason and Self-love:

Two Principles in human Nature reign;
Self-love, to urge, and Reason, to restrain;
Nor this a good, nor that a bad we call,
Each works its End, to move, or govern
And to their proper Operation still
Afcribe all Good; to their improper, Ill.

all:

This Obfervation, fays the Commentator, is made with great Judgment, as well as where he proceeds more minutely to mark out the diftinct Offices of thefe two Principles, which he had before affign'd only in general.

The Reader will please to obferve, that Mr. Pope's Opinion was, that all the Paffions were Self

Love:

Modes of Self-Love the Paffions we may call, 'Tis real Good, or feeming moves them all.

And after fpeaking further of the Paffions, their Use and Government, he comes to his darling Argument of a ruling Paffion :

Plea

Pleasures are ever in our Hands or Eyes, And when in Act they cease, in Profpect rife; Present to grafp, aud future ftill to find, The whole Employ of Body and of Mind. All spread their Charms, but charm not all alike; On diff'rent Senses diff'rent Objects strike: Hence diff'rent Paffions more or lefs in flame, As ftrong or weak, the Organs of the Frame; And hence one Mafter Paffion in the Breast, Like Aaron's Serpent, fwallows up the rest.

As Man perhaps, the Moment of his Breath, Receives the lurking Principle of Death, The young Disease that must subdue at length, Grows with his Growth, and ftrengthens with his So, caft and mingled with his very Frame, [Strength: The Mind's Difeafe, its ruling Paffion 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 dang'rous Art, And pours it all upon the peccant Part.

Nature its Mother, Habit is its Nnrse; Wit, Spirit, Faculties, but make it worse; Reafon itself but gives it Edge and Pow'r, As Heav'n's bleft Beam turns Vinegar more fow'r; We, wretched Subjects, tho' to lawful Sway, In this weak Queen, fome Fav'rite ftill obey. Ah! if she lend not Arms, as well as Rules, What can fhe more than tell us, we are Fools? Teach us to mourn our Nature, not to mend, A fharp Accufer, but a helpless Friend! Or from a Judge turn Pleader to perfwade The Choice we make, or justify it made;

Υ

4

Proud

Proud of an eafy Conqueft all along,
She but removes weak Paffions for the strong;
So, when small Humours gather to a Gout,
The Doctor fancies he has driv'n 'em out.

Yes: Nature's Road muft ever be prefer'd;
Reason is here no Guide, but ftill a Guard;
'Tis her's to rectify, not overthrow,

And treat this Paffion more as Friend than Foe:
Like varying Winds, by other Paffions toft,
This drives them conftant to a certain Coaft,
Let Pow'r, or Knowledge, Gold, or Glory, please,
Or (oft more ftrong than all the Love of Eafe:
Thro' Life 'tis follow'd, ev'n at Life's Expence ;
The Merchant's Toil, the Sage's Indolence,
The Monk's Humility, the Hero's Pride,
And all alike find Reason on their Side.

Of this Argument the Commentator is particularly fond, adopting it wholly, and Reasons thus

about it:

The Poet, fays he, fhews, that tho' all the Paffions have their Turn in fwaying the Determinations of the Mind, yet every Man has one Mafter Paffion that at length ftifles or absorbs all the reft. Here [from 1. 116 to 132] he gives us the Cause of it:

Thofe Pleafures or Goods, which are the Objects "of the Paffions, affect the Mind, by ftriking on "the Senses; but, as thro' the Formation of the "Organs of the human Frame, every Man has "fome Senfe ftronger and more acute than others, "the Object, which ftrikes that ftronger and acuter "Senfe, whatever it be, will be the Object moít "defired; and, confequently, the Pursuit of that "will be the ruling Paffion."-That the Difference of Force in this ruling Passion fhall at first, perhaps, very small or even imperceptible; but Nature,

be

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