The third book, in like manner, was to re-assume the subject of the third epistle of the first, which treats of man in his social, political, and religious capacity. But this part the poet afterwards con. ceived might be best executed in an epic poem, as the action would make it more animated, and the fable less invidious; in which all the great principles of true and false governments and religions should be chiefly delivered in feigned examples. The fourth and last book was to pursue the subject of the fourth epistle of the first, and to treat of ethics, or practical morality; and would have consisted of many members; of which the four follow. ing epistles were detached portions; the first two, on the characters of men and women, being the introductory part of this concluding book. MORAL ESSAYS. EPISTLE I. TO SIR RICHARD TEMPLE, L. COBHAM. ARGUMENT. Of the Knowledge and Characters of Men. I. 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 upon both, will be but notional, ver. 10. Some peculiarity in every man, characteristic to him. self, yet varying from himself, ver. 15. Difficulties arising from our own passions, fancies, faculties, &c. ver. 31. The shortness of life to observe in, and the uncertainty of the principles of action in men to observe by, ver. 37, &c. Our own principle of action often hid from ourselves, ver. 41. Some few characters plain, but in general confounded, dissembled, or inconsistent, ver. 51. The same man utterly different in different places and seasons, ver. 62. Unimaginable weaknesses in the greatest, ver. 70, &c. Nothing constant and certain but God and nature, ver. 95. No judging of the motives from the actions; the same actions proceeding from contrary motives, and the same motives influencing contrary actions, ver. 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, ver. 120. Characters given according to the rank of men of the world; ver. 135. And some reason for it, ver. 140. Education alters the nature, or at least character of many, ver. 149. Actions, passions, opinions, manners, humours, or principles, all subject to change. No judging by nature, from ver. 158 to ver. 178. 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, ver. 175. Instanced in the extraordinary character of Clodio, ver. 179. A caution against mistaking second qualities for first, which will destroy all possibility of the knowledge of mankind, ver. 210. Examples of the strength of the ruling passion, and its continuation to the last breath, ver. 222, &c. EPISTLE I. YES, you despise the man to books confin'd, Who from his study rails at human kind; Though what he learns he speaks, and may vance Some general maxims, or be right by chance. ad [knave, That from his cage cries cuckold, whore, and And yet the fate of all extremes in such, Men may be read, as well as books, too much. Maxims are drawn from notions, these from guess. There's some peculiar in each leaf and grain, That each from other differs, first confess; Our depths who fathoms, or our shallows finds, His principle of action once explore, Like following life through creatures you dissect, 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. Contracts, inverts, and gives ten thousand dyes. It hurries all too fast to mark their way: When half our knowledge we must snatch, not take. Our spring of action to ourselves is lost: True, some are open, and to all men known; And every child hates Shylock, though his soul All see 'tis vice, an itch of vulgar praise. See the same man, in vigour, in the gout; Thinks who endures a knave, is next a knave, Who would not praise Patricio's high desert, What made (say, Montagne, or more sage CharOtho a warrior, Cromwell a buffoon? A perjur'd prince a leaden saint revere, A godless regent tremble at a star? [ron !) Faithless through piety, and dup'd through wit? |