Find Virtue local, all Relation fcorn, See all in Self, and but for self be born: 480 REMARKS. Here the Poet, from the errors relating to a Deity in natural Philofophy, defcends to thofe in moral. Man was made according to God's Image; but this falfe Theology, measuring his attributes by ours, makes God after Man's Image: this proceeds from the imperfection of his Reafon. The next, of imagining himself the final Caufe, is the effect of his Pride: as the making Virtue and Vice arbitrary, and Morality the impofition of the Magiftrate, is of the Corruption of his heart. Hence he centers every thing in himself. The Progrefs of Dulnefs herein differing from that of Madness; this ends in feeing all in God; the other in feeing all in Self. P. VER. 481. Of nought fo certain as our Reason fill.] O which we have most cause to be diffident. Of nought so doubtful as of Soul and Will; i. e. the Existence of our Soul, and the Freedom of our Will; the two things moft felf-evident. P. *. VER. 484. Such as Lucretius drew,] Lib. i. ver. 57. "Omnis enim per fe Divam natura necesse'st from whence the two verfes following are tranflated; and wonderfully agree with the character of our Goddess. SCRIBL. P. *. Wrapt up in Self, a God without a Thought, 485 Or that bright Image to our fancy draw, REMARK S. VER. 487. Or that bright Image] Bright Image was the title given by the later Platonifts to that Vifion of Nature, which they had formed out of their own fancy; fo bright, that they call'd it AUTOTTO "Alaλua, or the Self-feen Image, i. e. feen by its own light. *. VER. 487. Or that bright Image] i. e. Let it be either the Chance-God of Epicurus, or the FATE, of this Goddess. VER. 488. Which Theocles in raptur'd Vifion faw,] Thus this Philofopher calls upon his Friend, to partake with him in these Visions: "To-morrow, when the Eastern Sun "To wander with me in the Woods you fee, "We will pursue those Loves of ours, "By favour of the Sylvan Nymphs: " and invoking firft the Genius of the Place, we'll try to ob"tain at least fome faint and distant view of the Sovereign "Genius and firft Beauty." Charact. Vol. ii. pag. 245. This Genius is thus apoftrophized (pag. 345.) by the fame Philofopher: O glorious Nature! "Supremely fair, and fovereignly good! "Supreme Creator! "Thee I invoke, and thee alone adore." Sir Ifaac Newton diftinguishes between these two in a very different manner. (Princ. Schol. gen. fub fin.)-Hunc While thro' Poetic fcenes the GENIUS roves, Or wanders wild in Academic Groves; That NATURE our Society adores, Where Tindal dictates, and Silenus fnores. REMARK S. 490 cognofcimus folummodo per proprietates fuas & attributa, & per fapientiffimas & optimas rerum ftructuras, & caufas finales; veneramur autem & colimus ob dominium. Deus etenim fine dominio, providentia, & caufis finalibus, nihil aliud eft quam Fatum & Natura. 66 P. *. I VER. 489. roves,-Or wanders wild in Academic Groves ;] "Above all things I lov'd Eafe, and of all Philofophers "those who reasoned most at their Eafe, and were never angry or disturb'd, as thofe call'd Sceptics never were. "looked upon this kind of Philofophy as the prettiest, agree"ableft, roving Exercife of the mind, poffible to be imagined." Vol. ii. p. 206. P. VER. 491. That Nature our Society adores,] See the Pantheifticon, with its liturgy and rubrics, compofed by Toland; which very lately, for the Edification of the Society, has been tranflated into English, and publicly fold by the Bookfellers of London and Westminster. VER. 492. Where Tindal dictates, and Silenus fnores.] It cannot be denied but that this fine ftroke of fatire against Atheism was well intended. But how muft the Reader smile at our Author's officious zeal, when he is told, that at the time this was written, you might as foon have found a Wolf in England as an Atheist? The truth is, the whole fpecies was exterminated. There is a trifling difference indeed concerning the Author of the atchievement. Some, as Dr. Afhenhurst, gave it to Bentley's Boylean Lectures: And he fo well convinced that great Critic of the fact, that whereever afterwards he found Atheist, he always read it A Theift. But, in fpite of a claim fo well made out, others give the honour of this exploit to a later Boylean Lecturer. A judicious Apologift for Dr. Clarke, against Mr. Whifton, fays, with no less elegance, than pofitiveness of Expreffion, It is a moft certain truth that the Demonstration of the Being and Rous'd at his name, up rofe the bowzy Sire, And shook from out his Pipe the feeds of fire; Then snapt his box, and strok'd his belly down: 495 Rofy and rev'rend, tho' without a Gown. Bland and familiar to the throne he came, Led up the Youth, and call'd the Goddess Dame. Then thus. From Prieft-craft happily fet free, Lo! ev'ry finish'd Son returns to thee: 500 REMARK S. Attributes of God has extirpated and banished Atheism out of the Chriftian world, p. 18. It is much to be lamented, that the clearest truths have still their dark fide. Here we fee it be comes a doubt which of the two Hercules's was the Monfter-queller. But what of that? Since the thing is done, and the proof of it fo certain, there is no occafion for fo nice a canvaffing of circumstances. SCRIBL. *. Ibid Silenus] Silenus was an Epicurean Philofopher, as appears from Virgil, Eclog. vi. where he fings the principles of that Philofophy in his drink. P. *. VER 494 feeds of Fire;] The Epicurean language, Semina rerum, or Atoms. Virg. Eclog. vi. Semina ignis-femina flammæ. VER. 499, 500. From Priest-craft happily set free, P. Lo! ev'ry finish'd Son returns to thee :] The learned Scriblerus is here very whimfical. It would feem, fays he, by this, as if the PRIESTS (who are always plotting mischief against the Law of Nature) had inveigled these harmless Youths from the bofom of their Mother, and kept them in open rebellion to her, till Silenus broke the charm, and restored them to her indulgent arms. But this is so fingular a fancy, and at the fame time fo unfupported by proof, that we muft in common juftice acquit them of all fufpicions of this kind, ARIST. First slave to Words, then vaffal to a Name, Then dupe to Party; child and man the same; 5°5 Smiling on all, and fmil'd on by a Queen? All melted down, in Penfion, or in Punk! 510 A Monarch's half, and half a Harlot's flave. REMARK S. VER. 501. First flave to Words, etc.] A recapitulation of the whole Courfe of modern Education described in this book, which confines Youth to the ftudy of Words only in Schools; fubjects them to the authority of Syftems in the Univerfities; and deludes them with the names of Partydiftinctions in the World. All equally concurring to narrow the Understanding, and establish Slavery and Error in Literature, Philofophy, and Politics. The whole finished in modern FREE-THINKING; the completion of whatever is vain, wrong, and deftructive to the happiness of mankind, as it establishes Self-love for the fole Principle of AcP. *. VER. 506. fmil'd on by a Queen?] i. e. This Queen of Goddess of Dulnefs. tion. |