For Forms of Government let fools conteft; Whate'er is beft adminifter'd is beft: For Modes of Faith let graceless zealots fight; 305 In Faith and Hope the world will disagree, All must be falfe that thwart this One great End; And all of God, that bless Mankind or mend. 310 Man, like the gen'rous vine, supported lives; The ftrength he gains is from th' embrace he gives. On their own Axis as the Planets run, Yet make at once their circle round the Sun; So two confiftent motions act the Soul; 315 Thus God and Nature link'd the gen'ral frame, And bade Self-love and Social be the fame. VER. 303. For Forms of Government let fools conteft ;] The author of thefe lines was far from meaning that no one form of Government is, in itself, better than another (as, that mixed or limited Monarchy, for example, is not preferable to absolute) but that no form of Government, however excellent or preferable, in itself, can be fufficient to make a People happy, unless it be administered with integrity. On the contrary, the best fort of Government, when the form of it is preferved, and the adminiftration corrupt, is most dangerous. ARGUMENT OF EPISTLE IV. Of the Nature and State of Man with respect to Happiness. I. FALSE Notions of Happiness, Philofophical and Popular, anfwered from 19 to 77. II. It is the End of all Men, and attainable by all, 30. God intends Happiness to be equal; and to be fo, it must be focial, fince all particular Happiness depends on general, and fince he governs by general, not particular Laws, 37. As it is neceflary for Order, and the peace and welfare of Society, that external goods bould be unequal, Happiness is not made to confift in thefe, * 51. But, notwithstanding that inequality, the balance of Happiness among Mankind is kept even by Providence, by the two Paffions of Hope and Fear, 70. III. What the Happiness of Individuals is, as far as is confiftent with the conftitution of this world; and that the good Man has here the advantage, 77. The error of imputing to Virtue what are only the calamities of Nature, or of Fortune, 94. IV. The folly of expecting that God should alter his general Laws in favour of particulars, † 121. V. That we are not judges who are good; but that whoever they are, they must be happiest, † 133, &c. VI. That external goods, are not the proper rewards, but often inconfiftent with, or deftructive of Virtue, 165. That even thefe can make no Man happy without Virtue: Inftanced in Riches, 183. Honours, 191. Nobility, 203. Greatness, & 215. Fame, 235. Superior Talents, 257, &c. With pictures of human Infelicity in Men poffefed of them all, † 267, &c. VII. That Virtue only confiitutes a Happiness, whofe object is univerfal, and whofe profpe& eternal, y 307, &c. That the perfection of Virtue and Happiness confifts in a conformity to the ORDER of PROVIDENCE kere, and a Refignation to it here and hereafter, 326, &c. EPISTLE IV. H HAPPINESS! our being's end and aim! name: 5 That something ftill which prompts th' eternal figh, 10 THE two foregoing epiftles having confidered Man with regard to the Means (that is, in all his relations, whether as an Individual, or a Member of Society) this last comes to confider him with regard to the End, that is, HAPPINESS. VER. 6. O'erlook'd, feen double,] O'erlook'd by those who place Happiness in any thing exclufive of Virtue; seen double by those who admit any thing else to have a fhare with Virtue in procuring Happiness; these being the two general mistakes that this epiftle is employed in confuting. VARIATIONS. VER. 1. Ob Happiness! etc.] in the MS. thus, Wing'd with strong hope, and borne by full defire |