Hence diff'rent Paffions more or less inflame, As strong or weak, the organs of the frame; 130 And hence one MASTER PASSION in the breaft, Like Aaron's ferpent, fwallows up the rest. As Man, perhaps, the moment of his breath, Receives the lurking principle of death; COMMENTARY. Here (from Ver. 126 to 149.) he giveth us the CAUSE of it. Thofe Pleasures or Goods, which are the objects of the Paffions, affect the mind by ftriking on the fenfes; but, as through the formation of the organs of our frame, every man hath some one fense stronger and more acute than others, the object which strikes that stronger or acuter fenfe, whatever it be, will be the object most desired; and confequently, the pursuit of that will be the ruling Paffion. That the difference of force in this ruling Paffion, fhall, at firft, perhaps, be very small or even imperceptible; but Nature, Habit, Imagination, Wit, nay even Reason itself shall affift its growth, 'till it hath at length drawn and converted every other into itself. All which is delivered in a strain of Poetry fo wonderfully fublime, as fufpends, for a while, the ruling Paffion in every Reader, and engroffes his whole Admiration. This naturally leads the Poet to lament the weakness and infufficiency of human Reafon (from Ver. 148 to 161.) and the purpose he had in fo doing, was plainly to intimate THE NECESSITY OF A MORE PERFECT DISPENSATION TO MANKIND. NOTES. VER. 133. As Man, perhaps, &c.] "Antipater Sidonius "Poeta omnibus annis uno die natali tantum corripiebatur febre, & eo confumptus eft fatis longa fenecta." Plin. 1. vii. N. H. This Antipater was in the times of Craffus; and is celebrated for the quickness of his parts by Cicero. H 2 The young disease, that must subdue at length, Grows with his Growth, and ftrengthens with his ftrength: 136 140 So, caft and mingl'd with his very frame, And pours it all upon Nature its mother, Habit is its nurse; Wit, Spirit, Faculties, but make it worse; Reafon itself but gives it edge and pow'r; 145 As Heav'n's bleft beam turns vinegar more fow'r. We, wretched fubjects tho' to lawful fway, In this weak queen, fome fav'rite still obey: 150 NOTES. VER. 147. Reafn itself, &c.] The Poet, in fome other of his epiftles, gives examples of the doctrine and precepts here delivered. Thus, in that Of the Use of Riches, he has illuftrated this truth in the character of Cotta: "Old Cotta sham'd his fortune and his birth, 66 "Than bramins, faints, and fages did before.” VER. 149. We, uretched fubjects, &c.] St. Paul himself did not chufe to employ other arguments, when difpofed to give Ah! if the lend not arms, as well as rules, She but removes weak Paffions for the strong: COMMENTARY. VER. 161. Yes, Nature's road, &c.] Now as it appears from the account here given of the ruling Paffion and its caufe, which refults from the ftructure of the organs, that it is the road of Nature, the Poet fhews from Ver. 160 to 167.) that this road is to be followed. So that the office of Reafon is not to direct us what paffion to exercise, but to assist us in RECTIFYING, and keeping within due bounds, that which Nature hath so strongly impreffed; because "A mightier pow'r the strong direction fends, "And fev'ral Men impels to fev'ral ends." NOTES. us the highest idea of the usefulness of CHRISTIANITY (Rom. vii.) But, it may be, the Poet finds a remedy in NATURAL RELIGION. Far from it. He here leaves Reafon unrelieved. What is this, but an intimation that we ought to feek for a cure in that Religion, which only dares profess to give it? "Tis her's to rectify, not overthrow, And treat this paffion more as friend than foe: Like varying winds, by other paffions tost, COMMENTARY. VER. 167. Like varying winds, &c.] The Poet having proved that the ruling passion (fince Nature hath given it us) is not to be overthrown, but rectified; the next inquiry will be of what use the ruling paffion is; for an use it must have, if reafon be to treat it thus mildly. This ufe he shews us (from Ver. 165 to 197.) is twofold, Natural and Moral. NOTES. VER. 163. 'Tis her's to rectify, &c.] The meaning of this precept is, That as the ruling Paffion is implanted by Nature, it is Reafon's office to regulate, direct, and restrain, but not to overthrow it. To reform the paffion of Avarice, for inftance, into a parfimonious dispensation of the public revenues to direct the paffion of Love, whofe object is worth and beauty, "To the first good, firft perfect, and first fair," the τὸ καλόν τ' αγαθόν, as his mafter Plato advifes ; and to reftrain Spleen to a contempt and hatred of Vice. This is what the Poet meant; and what every unprejudiced man could not but fee he must needs mean, by RECTIFYING THE MASTER PASS ON, though he had not confined us to this fenfe, in the reafon he gives of his precept in these words: "A mightier Pow'r the strong direction fends, "And fev'ral Men impels to fev'ral ends." For, What ends are they which God impels to, but the ends of Virtue ? Let pow'r or knowledge, gold or glory, please, All, all alike, find reason on their fide. Th' Eternal Art educing good from ill, Grafts on this Paffion our best principle: 'Tis thus the Mercury of Man is fix'd, 175 Strong grows the Virtue with his nature mix'd; The drofs cements what else were too refin'd, And in one int'rest body acts with mind. COMMENTARY. 180 1. Its Natural ufe is to conduct Men fteddily to one certain end; who would otherwise be eternally fluctuating between the equal violence of various and discordant passions, driving them up and down at random; and, by that means, to enable them to promote the good of fociety, by making each a contributor to the common stock : "Let pow'r or knowledge, gold or glory, please," &c. 2. Its Moral ufe is to ingraft our ruling Virtue upon it; and by that means to enable us to promote our own good, by turning the exorbitancy of the ruling paffion into its neighbouring Virtue: "See anger, zeal and fortitude fupply;" &c. The wifdom of the divine Artist is, as the Poet finely obferves, very illuftrious in this contrivance; for the mind and body having now one common intereft, the efforts of Virtue will have their force infinitely augmented: ""Tis thus the Mercury," &c. |