An Essay on Man [19]
dust repose,
Whose sons shall blush their fathers were thy foes,
Shall then this verse to future age pretend
Thou wert my guide, philosopher, and friend?
That urged by thee, I turned the tuneful art
From sounds to things, from fancy to the heart;
From wit's false mirror held up Nature's light;
Showed erring pride, whatever is, is right;
That reason, passion, answer one great aim;
That true self-love and social are the same;
That virtue only makes our bliss below;
And all our knowledge is, ourselves to know.
THE UNIVERSAL PRAYER.
DEO OPT. MAX.
Father of all! in every age,
In every clime adored,
By saint, by savage, and by sage,
Jehovah, Jove, or Lord!
Thou Great First Cause, least understood,
Who all my sense confined
To know but this, that Thou art good,
And that myself am blind;
Yet gave me, in this dark estate,
To see the good from ill;
And binding Nature fast in fate,
Left free the human will.
What conscience dictates to be done,
Or warns me not to do,
This, teach me more than Hell to shun,
That, more than Heaven pursue.
What blessings Thy free bounty gives,
Let me not cast away;
For God is paid when man receives,
To enjoy is to obey.
Yet not to earth's contracted span
Thy goodness let me bound,
Or think Thee Lord alone of man,
When thousand worlds are round:
Let not this weak, unknowing hand
Presume Thy bolts to throw,
And deal damnation round the land,
On each I judge Thy foe.
If I am right, Thy grace impart,
Still in the right to stay;
If I am wrong, oh, teach my heart
To find that better way.
Save me alike from foolish pride,
Or impious discontent,
At aught Thy wisdom has denied,
Or aught Thy goodness lent.
Teach me to feel another's woe,
To hide the fault I see;
That mercy I to others show,
That mercy show to me.
Mean though I am, not wholly so,
Since quickened by Thy breath;
Oh, lead me wheresoe'er I go,
Through this day's life or death.
This day, be bread and peace my lot:
All else beneath the sun,
Thou know'st if best bestowed or not;
And let Thy will be done.
To Thee, whose temple is all space,
Whose altar earth, sea, skies,
One chorus let all being raise,
All Nature's incense rise!
MORAL ESSAYS,
IN FOUR EPISTLES TO SEVERAL PERSONS.
Est brevitate opus, ut currat sententia, neu se
Impediat verbis lassas onerantibus aures:
Et sermone opus est modo tristi, saepe jocoso,
Defendente vicem modo Rhetoris atque Poetae,
Interdum urbani, parcentis viribus, atque
Extenuantis eas consulto.--HOR. (Sat. I. X. 9-14.)
EPISTLE I.
TO SIR RICHARD TEMPLE, LORD 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, v.1. General maxims, unless they be formed upon both, will be but
notional, v.10. Some Peculiarity in every man, characteristic to himself,
yet varying from himself, v.15. Difficulties arising from our own
Passions, Fancies, Faculties, etc., v.31. The shortness of Life, to
observe in, and the uncertainty of the Principles of action in men, to
observe by, v.37, etc. Our own Principle of action often hid from
ourselves, v.41. Some few Characters plain, but in general confounded,
dissembled, or inconsistent, v.51. The same man utterly different in
different places and seasons, v.71. Unimaginable weaknesses in the
greatest, v.70, etc. Nothing constant and certain but God and Nature,
v.95. No judging of the Motives from the actions; the same actions
proceeding from contrary Motives, and the same Motives influencing contrary
actions v.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, 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
Whose sons shall blush their fathers were thy foes,
Shall then this verse to future age pretend
Thou wert my guide, philosopher, and friend?
That urged by thee, I turned the tuneful art
From sounds to things, from fancy to the heart;
From wit's false mirror held up Nature's light;
Showed erring pride, whatever is, is right;
That reason, passion, answer one great aim;
That true self-love and social are the same;
That virtue only makes our bliss below;
And all our knowledge is, ourselves to know.
THE UNIVERSAL PRAYER.
DEO OPT. MAX.
Father of all! in every age,
In every clime adored,
By saint, by savage, and by sage,
Jehovah, Jove, or Lord!
Thou Great First Cause, least understood,
Who all my sense confined
To know but this, that Thou art good,
And that myself am blind;
Yet gave me, in this dark estate,
To see the good from ill;
And binding Nature fast in fate,
Left free the human will.
What conscience dictates to be done,
Or warns me not to do,
This, teach me more than Hell to shun,
That, more than Heaven pursue.
What blessings Thy free bounty gives,
Let me not cast away;
For God is paid when man receives,
To enjoy is to obey.
Yet not to earth's contracted span
Thy goodness let me bound,
Or think Thee Lord alone of man,
When thousand worlds are round:
Let not this weak, unknowing hand
Presume Thy bolts to throw,
And deal damnation round the land,
On each I judge Thy foe.
If I am right, Thy grace impart,
Still in the right to stay;
If I am wrong, oh, teach my heart
To find that better way.
Save me alike from foolish pride,
Or impious discontent,
At aught Thy wisdom has denied,
Or aught Thy goodness lent.
Teach me to feel another's woe,
To hide the fault I see;
That mercy I to others show,
That mercy show to me.
Mean though I am, not wholly so,
Since quickened by Thy breath;
Oh, lead me wheresoe'er I go,
Through this day's life or death.
This day, be bread and peace my lot:
All else beneath the sun,
Thou know'st if best bestowed or not;
And let Thy will be done.
To Thee, whose temple is all space,
Whose altar earth, sea, skies,
One chorus let all being raise,
All Nature's incense rise!
MORAL ESSAYS,
IN FOUR EPISTLES TO SEVERAL PERSONS.
Est brevitate opus, ut currat sententia, neu se
Impediat verbis lassas onerantibus aures:
Et sermone opus est modo tristi, saepe jocoso,
Defendente vicem modo Rhetoris atque Poetae,
Interdum urbani, parcentis viribus, atque
Extenuantis eas consulto.--HOR. (Sat. I. X. 9-14.)
EPISTLE I.
TO SIR RICHARD TEMPLE, LORD 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, v.1. General maxims, unless they be formed upon both, will be but
notional, v.10. Some Peculiarity in every man, characteristic to himself,
yet varying from himself, v.15. Difficulties arising from our own
Passions, Fancies, Faculties, etc., v.31. The shortness of Life, to
observe in, and the uncertainty of the Principles of action in men, to
observe by, v.37, etc. Our own Principle of action often hid from
ourselves, v.41. Some few Characters plain, but in general confounded,
dissembled, or inconsistent, v.51. The same man utterly different in
different places and seasons, v.71. Unimaginable weaknesses in the
greatest, v.70, etc. Nothing constant and certain but God and Nature,
v.95. No judging of the Motives from the actions; the same actions
proceeding from contrary Motives, and the same Motives influencing contrary
actions v.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, 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