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LETTER II.

ARD hath been the Fate of our great Countryman, to fall into the hands of fuch a Critic and Tranflator. We have already seen how M. De Croufaz hath discharged himself. I now turn to M. l'Abbé du Refnel, whofe Sufficiency at leaft equals the Malice and Calumny of the other; and is attended with juft the fame Iffue.

I have shewn, in my firft Letter, that this noble Production of human Wit and Reafon is as fingular for it's philofophical Exactness of Method, as for it's poetical Sublimity of Style.

Yet hear how our Tranflator defcants upon the Matter: "The only reason for which this "Poem can be properly termed an Essay, is, that "the Author has not formed his Plan with all the "Regularity of Method which it might have ad"mitted."-And again,-" I would not willingly "have made ufe, in my Verfion, of any other "Liberties than fuch as the Author himself must "have taken, had he attempted a French Transla❝tion of his own Work; but I was by the unanicc mous Opinion of all those whom I have confult❝ed on this Occafion, and amongst these, of feve

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"ral Englishmen, compleatly fkilled in both Lanr guages, obliged to follow a different Method. "The French are not fatisfied with Sentiments << however beautiful, unless they are methodically "difpofed, Method being the Characteristic that « diftinguishes our Performances from those of our "Neighbours, and almost the only Excellence "which they agree to allow us. That Mr. Pope « did not think himself confined to a regular "Plan, I have already obferved. I have there"fore by a neceffary Compliance with our Tafte, "divided it into five Cantos1." But the Reader will fee presently, that our Tranflator was fo far from being able to judge of Mr. Pope's Method, that he did not even understand either his Subject or his Senfe, on which all Method is to be regulated.

For I now come to the Poet's Second Epiftle He had fhewn, in the first, that the Ways of God are too high for our Comprehenfion; whence he rightly concludes, that

The proper Study of Mankind is Man.

This Conclufion, from the Reasoning of the first Epistle, he methodically makes the Subject of his Introduction to the fecond, which treats of Man's Nature. But here immediately the Accusers of Providence would be apt to object, and fay, "Ad"mit that we had run into an Extreme, while "we pretended to cenfure or penetrate the De"figns of Providence, a Matter indeed too high

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See Engl. Tranflation of his Pref.

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"for us; yet have you gone as far into the Oppo"fite, while you only fend us to the Knowledge «of ourselves. You must mock us when you "talk of this as a Study; for fure we are inti"mately acquainted with ourselves. The pro

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per Conclufion therefore from your Demon"ftration of our Inability to comprehend the cc Ways of GOD, is, that we should turn our" felves to the Study of the Frame of NATURE.” Thus, I fay, would they be apt to object; for there are no Sort of Men more elate with Pride than these Freethinkers; the Effects of which the Poet hath fo well exposed in his first Epistle, efpecially that Kind of Pride, which confists in a boafted Knowledge of their own Nature. Hence we see the general Argument of the late Books against Religion turns on a fuppofed Inconfiftency between Revelation, and what they prefume to call the eternal Dictates of human Nature. The Poet therefore, to convince them that this Study is less eafy than they imagine, replies [from 1. 2, to 19] to the firft Part of the Objection, by describing the dark and feeble State of the human Understanding, with regard to the Knowledge of our felves: And farther, to ftrengthen this Argument, he fhews, in answer to the Second Part of the Objection [from 1. 18 to 31] that the highest Advances in natural Knowledge may be eafily acquired, and yet we all the while continue very ignorant of ourselves. For that neither the clearest Science, which refults from the Newtonian Philo

fophy,

fophy, nor the most fublime, which is taught by the Platonic, will at all affift us in this Self-Study; nay, what is more, that Religion itself, when grown Fanatical and Enthufiaftic, will be equally ufelefs: tho' pure and fober Religion will beft inftruct us in Man's Nature, that Knowledge being effential to Religion, whofe Subject is Man, confidered in all his Relations, and confequently whofe Object is God.

To give this fecond Argument its full Force, he illuftrates it [from 1. 30 to 43] by the nobleft Example that ever was in Science, the incomparable NEWTON, whom he makes fo fuperior to Humanity, as to represent the Angelic Beings in doubt, when they obferved him of late unfold all the Law of Nature, whether he was not to be reckon❜d in their Number; juft as Men, when they see the furprizing Marks of Reason in an Ape, are almoft tempted to think 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 juft 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 fast as Reafon can build up.

Alas, what Wonder! Man's fuperior Part
Uncheck'd may rife, and climb from Art to Art;

But

But when his own great Work is but begun, What Reason weaves, by Paffion is undone. This is a brief Account of the Poet's fine Reafoning in his Introduction. The Whole of which his poetical Tranflator has fo miferably mistaken, that, of one of the most strong and beft connected Arguments, he has rendered it the moft obfcure and inconfiftent, which even the officious Commentator could fcarce make worfe by his important and candid Remarks. Thus beautifully does Mr. Pope describe Man's Weakness and Blindness, with regard to his own Nature:

-Plac'd on this Ifthmus of a middle State, A Being darkly wife, and rudely great; With too much Knowledge for the Sceptic Side, With too much Weakness for the Stoic's Pride, He hangs between; in doubt to act, or reft; In doubt to deem himself a God, or Beast; In doubt, his Mind, or Body to prefer, Born but to die, and reasoning but to err. And as he hath given this Description of Man, for the very contrary Purpose to which Sceptics are wont to employ fuch Kind of Paintings, namely, not to deter Men from the Search, but to excite them to the Discovery of Truth; he hath, with great Judgment, represented Man as doubting and wavering between the right and wrong Object; from which State there are great Hopes he may be relieved by a careful and circumfpect Ufe of Reafon. On the contrary, had he suppo

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