215 Mark how it mounts, to Man's imperial race, 225 What thin partitions Senfe from Thought divide? 230 VER. 213. The headlong lioness] The manner of the lions hunting their prey in the deferts of Africa is this: At their firft going out in the night-time they set up a loud roar, and then liften to the noife made by the beafts in their flight, pursuing them by the ear, and not by the noftril. It is probable the ftory of the jackal's hunting for the lion, was occafioned by obfervation of this defect of scent in that terrible animal, The pow'rs of all fubdu'd by thee alone, 235 Is not thy Reason all these pow'rs in one? 240 Where, one ftep broken, the great scale's destroy'd: 250 VER. 253. Let ruling Angels, etc.] The poet, throughout VER. 238. Ed. ift. VARIATIONS. Ethereal effence, spirit, fubftance, man. Heav'ns whole foundations to their centre nod, 255 260 IX. What if the foot, ordain'd the duft to tread, Or hand, to toil, afpir'd to be the head ? What if the head, the eye, or ear repin'd To ferve mere engines to the ruling Mind? Juft as abfurd for any part to claim To be another, in this gen'ral frame: Juft as abfurd, to mourn the tasks or pains, The great directing MIND of all ordains. 265 All are but parts of one ftupendous whole, Whose body Nature is, and God the foul; That, chang'd thro' all, and yet in all the fame; Great in the earth, as in th' æthereal frame; 270 Warms in the fun, refreshes in the breeze, Glows in the stars, and blossoms in the trees, this poem, with great art ufes an advantage, which his employing a Platonic principle for the foundation of his Effay had afforded him; and that is the expreffing himself (as here) in Platonic notions; which, luckily for his purpose, are highly poetical, at the fame time that they add a grace to the uniformity of his reasoning. VER. 265. Just as abfurd, etc.] See the profecution and application of this in Ep. iv. VER. 266. The great directing Mind, etc.]" Veneramur "autem et colimus ob dominium. Deus enim fine dominio, "providentia, et caufis finalibus, nihil aliud eft quam FATUM "et NATURA." Newtoni Princip. Schol. gener. fub finem. Lives thro' all life, extends thro' all extent, 275 280 X. Cease then, nor ORDER Imperfection name: Our proper blifs depends on what we blame. Know thy own point: This kind, this due degree Of blindness, weakness, Heav'n bestows on thee. Submit. In this, or any other sphere, 285 Secure to be as bleft as thou canft bear: All partial Evil, univerfal Good: And, fpite of Pride, in erring Reafon's fpite, VARIATIONS. After 282. in the MS. Reason, to think of God when the pretends, 291 ARGUMENT OF EPISTLE II. Of the Nature and State of Man with respect to Himfelf, as an Individual. I. THE bufinefs of Man not to pry into God, but to study himself. His Middle Nature; his Powers and Frailties, 1 to 19. The Limits of his Capacity, ✯ 19, &c. II. The two Principles of Man, Self-love and Reafon, both necessary, 53, &c. Self-love the ftronger, and why, 67, &c. Their end the fame, 81, &c. III. The PASSIONS, and their use, * 93 to 130. The Predominant Paffion, and its force, 132 to 160. Its Neceffity, in directing Men to different purposes, 165, &c. Its providential Ufe, in fixing our Principle, and afcertaining our Virtue, 177. IV. Virtue and Vice joined in our mixed Nature; the limits near, yet the things separate and evident: What is the Office of Reason, 202 to 216. V.How odious Vice in itself, and how we deceive ourselves into it, 217. VI. That, however, the Ends of Providence and general Good are answered in our Paffions and Imperfections, 238, &c. How ufefully thefe † are diftributed to all Orders of Men, 241. How useful they are to Society, 251. And to the Indi✯ viduals, 263. In every state, life, 273, &c. and every age of |