ARGUMENT OF EPISTLE III.

Of the Nature and State of Man with respect to Society.

I. THE whole Universe one fyftem of Society, Ver. 7, &c. Nothing made wholly for itself, nor yet wholly for another, Ver. 27. The happiness of Animals mutual, Ver. 49. II. Reason or Instinct operate alike to the good of each Individual, Ver. 79. Reason or Instinct operate alfo to Society, in all animals, Ver. 109. III. How far Society carried by Inftinct, Ver. 115. How much farther by Reafon, Ver. 128. IV. Of that which is called the State of Nature, Ver. 144. Reafon inftructed by Instinct in the Invention of Arts, Ver. 166; and in the Forms of Society, Ver. 176. V. Origin of Political Societies, Ver. 196. Origin of Monarchy, Ver. 207. Patriarchal Government, Ver. 212. VI. Origin of true Religion and Government, from the fame principle, of Love, Ver. 231, &c. Origin of Superftition and Tyranny, from the fame principle, of Fear, Ver. 237, &c. The Influence of Self-love operating to the focial and public Good, Ver. 266. Reftoration of true Religion and Government on their first principle, Ver. 285. Mixt Government, Ver. 288. Various Forms of each, and the true end of all, Ver. 300, &c.

EPISTLE III.

HERE then we reft:

"The Universal Caufe

"Acts to one end, but acts by various laws."

In all the madness of fuperfluous health,

The trim of pride, the impudence of wealth,

VARIATIONS.

VER. 1. In feveral Edit. in 4to.

Learn, Dulnefs, learn! "The Universal Caufe," &c.

Let

NOTES.

VER. 1. The Univerfal Caufe] Voltaire concludes his objections to Optimism with the following words: "Ce fyftême, du tout eft bien, ne reprefente l'auteur de toute la nature que comme un roi puissant et mal-faifant, qui ne s'embarraffe pas qu'il en coute la vie à quatre ou cinq cent mille hommes, et que les autres trainent leurs jours dans la difette et dans les larmes, pourvû qu'il vienne à tout de fes deffeins. Loins donc que l'opinion du meilleur des mondes poffible confole, elle est désespérante pour les philofophes qui l'embraffent. La question du bien et du mal demeure un cahos indebrouillable pour ceux qui cherchent de bonne foi; c'est un jeu d'efprit pour ceux qui difputent; ils font des forçats qui jouent avec leurs chaînes. Pour le peuple non pensant, il resfemble affez à des poiffons qu'on a transporter d'une rivière dans un refervoir; ils ne fe doutent pas qu'ils font là pour être mangés le carême; auffi ne fçavons-nous rien du tout par nous-mêmes des caufes de notre destinée. Mettons à la fin de presque tous les chapitres de Metaphyfique les deux lettres des juges Romains quand ils n'entendant pas une cause. N. L. non liquet, cela n'est pas clair."

VER. 3. Superfluous health,] Immoderate labour and immoderate ftudy are equally the impairers of health: They, whofe fta

To these we owe true friendship, love fincere,
Each home-felt joy that life inherits here;
Yet from the fame we learn, in its decline,
Those joys, thofe loves, thofe int'refts to refign;
Taught half by Reafon, half by mere decay,
To welcome death, and calmly pass away.

255

260

Whatc'er the Paffion, knowledge, fame, or pelf,

Not one will change his neighbour with himself.
The learn'd is happy nature to explore,

The fool is happy that he knows no more;

The rich is happy in the plenty giv'n,

265

The poor contents him with the care of Heav'n.

See the blind beggar dance, the cripple fing,

The fot a hero, lunatic a king;

The

NOTES.

ftrongly have determined them to throw off nature, and deny the ends and author of their creation ?"

VER. 253. Wants, frailties, paffions, clofer ftill ally

The common int'reft, &c.]

As thefe lines have been misunderstood, I fhall give the reader their plain and obvious meaning. To these frailties (fays he) we owe all the endearments of private life; yet, when we come to that age, which generally disposes men to think more seriously of the true value of things, and confequently of their provision for a future ftate, the confideration, that the grounds of those joys, loves, and friendships, are wants, frailties, and paffions, proves the best expedient to wean us from the world; a difengagement fo friendly to that provifion we are now making for another state. The observation is new, and would in any place be extremely beautiful, but has here an infinite grace and propriety, as it fo well confirms, by an inftance of great moment, the general thefis, That God makes Ill, at every step, productive of Good.

W.

VER. 266. With the care of Heav'n.] It is, alas! with difficulty we can perfuade the Poor that they are as much the favourites of Heaven as the Rich.

The starving chemist in his golden views
Supremely bleft, the poet in his Muse.

See fome strange comfort ev'ry state attend,
And pride bestow'd on all, a common friend :
See fome fit paffion ev'ry age fupply,

Hope travels through, nor quits us when we die.

NOTES.

270

Behold

VER. 270. The poet in his Mufe.] The Author having faid, that no one could change his own profeffion or views for those of another, intended to carry his obfervation still further, and fhew that men were unwilling to exchange their own acquirements even for those of the fame kind, confeffedly larger, and infinitely more eminent, in another.

To this end he wrote,

"What partly pleases, totally will fhock:

I queftion much, if Toland would be Locke."

But wanting another proper instance of this truth, he reserved the lines above for fome following edition of this Effay; which he did not live to give.

W.

VER. 271. See fome ftrange comfort] How exquifite is this stanza of an unfinished Ode of Gray?

are:

"Still where rofy Pleasure leads

See a kindred Grief pursue ;

Behind the fteps that Mifery treads,
Approaching Comfort view:

The hues of Blifs more brightly glow,
Cherish'd by fabler tints of Woe;
And blended form, with artful strife,

The strength and harmony of life.”

VER. 272. And pride] From La Rochefoucault, whofe words. "Nature, who fo wifely has fitted the organs of our body to make us happy, feems likewise to have beftowed pride on us, on purpose, as it were, to fave us the pain of knowing our own imperfections." Maxim 36.

VER. 274. Hope travels through,] Is this Hope then no more than one of those strange comforts, those delufive pleasures, those forts of groundless happiness, that conftitute the chief enjoyment of the fot, the chemift, the poet, and the lunatic?