Who would not praise Patritio's high desert, A perjur'd Prince a leaden Saint revere, VARIATIONS. After 86. in the former Editions, Triumphant leaders, at an army's head, NOTES. VER. &I. Patritio] Lord G-n. VER. 87.-Jay Montagne, or more fage Charron!] Charron was an admirer of Montagne; had contracted a strict friendship with him; and has transferred an infinite number of his thoughts into his famous book De la Sageffe; but his moderating every-where the extravagant Pyrrhonism of his friend, is the reason why the poet calls him more fage Charron. VER. 89. A perjur'd Prince] Louis XI. of France, wore in his Hat a leaden image of the Virgin Mary, which when he fwore by, he feared to break his oath. P. VER.90. A godlefs Regent tremble at a Star?] Philip Duke of Orleans, Regent of France in the minority of Louis XV.fuperftitious in judicial aftrology, tho' an unbeliever in all religion. The fame has been obferved of many other Politicians. The The throne a Bigot keep, a Genius quit, NOTES. Italians, in general, are not more noted for their refined Po litics than for their attachment to the dotages of Aftrology under the influence of Atheism. It may be worth while to enquire into the cause of so fingular a phenomenon, as it may probably do honour to Religion. Thefe men obferving (and none have equal opportunities of fo doing) how perpetually public events fall out befides their expectation, and contrary to the beft-laid fchemes of worldly policy, cannot but confess that human affairs are ordered by fome power extrinfical. To acknowledge a God and his Providence would be next to introducing a morality deftructive of that public fyftem which they think neceflary for the government of the world. They have recourse therefore to that abfurd scheme of Power which rules by no other law than Fate or Destiny. The confideration of this perhaps was the reason that the poet, to keep up decorum, and to preserve the diftinction between a Patriot and a Politi cian, makes the former rely on Providence for the public safety, in the concluding words of the Epistle, Such in thofe moments as in all the past, O fave my Country, Heav'n fhall be laft. your VER. 91. The throne a Bigot keep, a Genius quit,] Philip V. of Spain, who, after renouncing the throne for Religion, refumed it to gratify his Queen; and Victor Amadeus II. King of Sardinia, who refigned the crown, and trying to reassume it, was imprisoned till his death. P. VER. 93. Europe a Woman, Child, or Dotard rule,-And just her wifeft monarch made a fool?] The Czarina, the King of France, the Pope, and the abovementioned King of Sardinia. VER. 95. Know, God and Nature, &c.] By Nature is not here meant any imaginary fubftitute of God, called a Plaftic VOL. III, Know, GoD and NATURE only are the fame : Iu Man, the judgment shoots at flying game; 96 A bird of paffage! gone as foon as found, Now in the Moon perhaps, now under ground. In vain the fage, with retrospective eye, Would from th'apparent What conclude the Why, COMMENTARY. VER. 95. Know, God and Nature &c.] Having thus proved what he had proposed, the premiffes naturally lead him into a moral reflexion, with which he concludes his first part, namely, that conftancy is to be expected in no human Character whatfoever, but to be found only in God and his Laws: That as to Man, he is not only perpetually shifting and varying, even while within the verge of his own nature; but is frequently flying out into each extreme both above and below it: Now affociating in good earnest with Brutes; and now again affecting the imaginary conversation of Angels [See Essay on Man, Ep. ii. ✯ 8.] A bird of paffage! gone as foon as found, Now in the Moon perhaps, now under ground. II. VER. 99. In vain the Sage, &c.] The author having shewn the difficulties in coming to the Knowledge and true Characters of men, enters now upon the fecond divifion of his Poem, which is of the wrong means that both Philofophers and Men of the world NOTES. nature; but his moral laws: And this obfervation was inferted with great propriety and difcretion, in the conclufion of a long detail of the various characters of men: For, from this circumftance, Montagne and others have been bold enough to infinuate, that morality is founded more in custom and fashion than in the nature of things. The fpeaking therefore of a 'moral law of God as having all the conftancy and durability of his Effence, had an high expediency in this place... Infer the Motive from the Deed, and fhew, IOI COMMENTARY. 105 have employed in furmounting thofe difficulties. He had, in the Introduction, spoken of the abfurd conduct of both, in despifing the affiftance of each other: He now juftifies his cenfure by an examination of their peculiar doctrines; and, to take them in their own way, confiders them, as they would be confidered, feparately. And first, of the Philofopher, whofe principal miftake is in fuppofing that Actions best decipher the Motive of the actor. This he confutes (from y 98 to 109) by fhewing that different Actions proceed often from the fame motive; whether of accident, as difappointed views; or of temperature, as an aduft complexion; which he thus illuftrates, Behold! If Fortune or a Miftrefs frowns, &c. In judging therefore of Motives by Actions, the Philofopher muft needs be frequently mistaken; because the paffion or appetite, which, when impelling to Action, we call the Motive, may be equally gratified in the pursuit of very different measures. NOTES. VER. 107. The fame aduft complexion has impell'd Charles to the Convent, Philip to the Field.] The atrabilaire complexion of Philip II. is well known, but not fo well that he derived it from his father Charles V. whofe health, the hi ftorians of his life tell us, was frequently diforder'd by bilious Not always Actions fhew the man: we find Who does a kindness, is not therefore kind; 110 Perhaps the Wind just shifted from the east: COMMENTARY. VER. 109. Not always actions shew the man: &c.] The Philofopher's fecond miftake is, that Actions decipher the Character of the actor. This too, the author confutes (from 108 to 135) and, as in correcting the foregoing mistake, he proved, that different Actions often proceed from the fame Motive: fo here he proves, that the fame Action often proceeds from different Motives; thus a kind Action, he obferves, as commonly arifeth from the accidents of profperity or fine weather, as from a natural difpofition to humanity; a modest Action, as well from pride, as humility; a brave Action, as easily from habit or fashion, as magnanimity; and a prudent Action as often from vanity, as wifdom. Now the Character being really determined by the Motives, and various, nay contrary Motives producing the fame Action, the Action can never decipher the Character of the actor. But further (continues the poet) if we attend to what has been faid, we shall difcover another circumftance in the cafe, that will not only make it extremely difficult, but abfolutely impracticable to decipher the Character by the Action: and that is, the difcordancy of Action in the fame Character; a neceffary confequence of the two principles proved above, that different Actions proceed from the fame Motive, and that the fame Action proceeds from different Motives. NOTES. fevers. But what the author meant principally to obferve here was, that this humour made both thefe princes act contrary |