If I am right, thy grace impart, Save me alike from foolish pride At aught thy wisdom has denied, Teach me to feel another's woe, Mean though I am, not wholly so, This day be bread and peace my lot: Thou know'st if best bestow'd or not, To Thee, whose temple is all space, THE IN FOUR EPISTLES. Est brevitate opus, ut currat sententia, neu se ADVERTISEMENT. (BY DR. WARBURTON.) Hor. HE Essay on Man was intended to have been comprised in four books: The first of which the author has given us under that title in four epistles. The second was to have consisted of the same number: 1. Of the extent and limits of human reason. 2. Of those arts and sciences, and of the parts of them, which are useful, and therefore attainable; together with those which are unuseful, and therefore unattainable. 3. Of the nature, ends, use, and application of the different capacities of men. 4. Of the use of learning, of the science of the world, and of wit; concluding with a satire against the misapplication of them, illustrated by pictures, characters, and examples. The third book regarded civil regimen, or the science of politics, in which the several forms of a republic were to be examined and explained; toge ther with the several modes of religious worship, as far forth as they effect society: between which the author always supposed there was the most interesting relation and closest connection; so that this part would have treated of civil and religious society in their full extent. The fourth and last book concerned private ethics, or practical morality, considered in all the circum stances, orders, professions, and stations of human life. The scheme of all this had been maturely digested, and communicated to Lord Bolingbroke, Dr. Swift, and one or two more, and was intended for the only work of his riper years; but was, partly through ill health, partly through discouragements from the depravity of the times, and partly on prudential and other considerations, interrupted, postponed, and, lastly, in a manner laid aside. But as this was the author's favourite work, which more exactly reflected the image of his strong capacious mind, and as we can have but a very imperfect idea of it from the disjecta membra poete that now remain, it may not be amiss to be a little more particular concerning each of these projected books. The first, as it treats of man in the abstract, and considers him in general under every of his relations, becomes the foundation, and furnishes out the subjects of the three following: so that The second book was to take up again the first and second epistles of the first book, and to treat of man in his intellectual capacity at large, as has been explained above. Of this only a small part of the conclusion (which, as we said, was to have contained a satire against the misapplication of wit and learning) may be found in the fourth book of the Dunciad, and up and down, occasionally, in the other three. The third book, in like manner, was to reassume 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 conceived 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 following epistles were detached portions: the two first, on the characters of men and women, being the introductory part of this concluding book. EPISTLE I. TO SIR RICHARD TEMPLE, LORD COBHAM. OF THE KNOWLEDGE AND CHARACTERS OF MEN. ARGUMENT. 1. 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, v. 1 General maxims, unless they be formed upon both, will be but notional, ". 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, and inconsistent, v. 51. The same man utterly different in different places and seasons, v. 71. Imaginable 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 procceding from contrary motives, and the same motives influencing contrary actions, t. 100. II. Yet to forin 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. 140. Education alters the nature, or at least character, of many, . 149. Actions, passions, opinions, manners, humours, or principles, all subject to change. No judging by nature, v. 158-174. 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, r. 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 pas sion, and its continuation to the last breath, v. 222, &c. PART I YE Es, you despise the man to books confin'd, Who from his study rails at human-kind; Though what he learns he speaks, and may advance Some general maxins, or be right by chance. The coxcomb bird, so talkative and grave, That from his cage cries cuckold, whore, and knave; And yet the fate of all extremes is such, Men may be read, as well as books, too much. Maxims are drawn from notions, these from guess. 10 15 Shall only man be taken in the gross? Our depths who fathoms, or our shallows finds? 20 25 That instant 'tis his principle no more. 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; Or fancy's beam enlarges, multiplies, 30 35 41 Contracts, inverts, and gives ten thousand dyes. 45 50 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 55 Sits still at squat, and peeps not from its hole. |