ARGUMENT OF EPISTLE I Of the Nature and State of Man, with respect to the UNI ERSE!

"Of" Man "in the a#stract"! I! $! %& 'c! "That we can (ud)e on*+ with re)ard to our" own s+ste,, "#ein) i)norant of the" re*ations "of s+ste,s and thin)s"! "That Man is not to #e dee,ed" i,perfect, "#ut a /ein) suited to his" p*ace "and" ran0 "in the creation, a)reea#*e to the" )enera* Order "of thin)s, and confor,a#*e to" Ends "and" Re*ations "to hi, un0nown"! "That it is part*+ upon his" i)norance "of" future "e$ents, and part*+ upon the" hope "of a" future "state, that a** his happiness in the present depends"!

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$! %12, 'c! "The" pride "of ai,in) at ,ore 0now*ed)e, and pretendin) to ,ore Perfections, the cause of Man3s error and ,iser+! The" i,piet+ "of puttin) hi,se*f in the p*ace of" God, "and (ud)in) of the fitness or unfitness, perfection or i,perfection, (ustice or in(ustice of his dispensations"! $! %-%, 'c! "The" a#surdit+ "of conceitin) hi,se*f the "fina* cause "of the creation, or e4pectin) that perfection in the" ,ora* "wor*d, which is not in the" natura*! $! %&-, 'c! "The" unreasona#*eness "of his co,p*aints a)ainst" Pro$idence, "whi*e on the one hand he de,ands the Perfections of the An)e*s, and on the other the #odi*+ 5ua*ifications of the /rutes6 thou)h, to possess an+ of the" sensiti$e facu*ties "in a hi)her de)ree, wou*d render hi, ,isera#*e"! "That throu)hout the who*e $isi#*e wor*d, an uni$ersa*" order "and" )radation "in the sensua* and ,enta* facu*ties is o#ser$ed, which causes a" su#ordination "of creature to creature, and of a** creatures to Man! The )radations of" sense, instinct, thou)ht, ref*ection, reason6 "that Reason a*one counter$ai*s fi** the other facu*ties"! "8ow ,uch further this" order "and" su#ordination "of *i$in) creatures ,a+ e4tend, a#o$e and #e*ow us6 were an+ part of which #ro0en, not that part on*+, #ut the who*e connected" creation ",ust #e destro+ed"! "The" e4tra$a)ance, ,adness, "and" pride "of such a desire"!

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9! $! 7:%, 'c! "The conse5uence of a**, the" a#so*ute su#,ission "to the end"! "due to Pro$idence, #oth as to our" present "and" future state,

EPISTLE I Awa0e, ,+ ST! ;O8N< *ea$e a** ,eaner thin)s To *ow a,#ition, and the pride of =in)s! Let us >since Life can *itt*e ,ore supp*+ Than (ust to *oo0 a#out us and to die? E4patiate free o3er a** this scene of Man6 A ,i)ht+ ,a@e< #ut not without a p*an6 A Ai*d, where weeds and f*ow3rs pro,iscuous shoot6 Or Garden, te,ptin) with for#idden fruit! To)ether *et us #eat this a,p*e fie*d, Tr+ what the open, what the co$ert +ie*d6 The *atent tracts, the )idd+ hei)hts, e4p*ore Of a** who #*ind*+ creep, or si)ht*ess soar6 E+e Nature3s wa*0s, shoot Fo**+ as it f*ies, And catch the Manners *i$in) as the+ rise6 Lau)h where we ,ust, #e candid where we can6 /ut $indicate the wa+s of God to Man! I! Sa+ first, of God a#o$e, or Man #e*ow, Ahat can we reason, #ut fro, what we 0nowB Of Man, what see we #ut his station here, Fro, which to reason, or to which referB Thro3 wor*ds unnu,#er3d tho3 the God #e 0nown, 3Tis ours to trace hi, on*+ in our own! 8e, who thro3 $ast i,,ensit+ can pierce, See wor*ds on wor*ds co,pose one uni$erse, O#ser$e how s+ste, into s+ste, runs, Ahat other p*anets circ*e other suns, Ahat $ar+3d /ein) peop*es e$3r+ star, Ma+ te** wh+ 8ea$3n has ,ade us as we are! /ut of this fra,e the #earin)s, and the ties, The stron) conne4ions, nice dependencies, Gradations (ust, has th+ per$adin) sou* Loo03d thro3B or can a part contain the who*eB Is the )reat chain, that draws a** to a)ree, And drawn supports, uphe*d #+ God, or theeB II! Presu,ptuous Man< the reason wou*dst thou find, Ah+ for,3d so wea0, so *itt*e, and so #*indB First, if thou canst, the harder reason )uess, Ah+ for,3d no wea0er, #*inder, and no *essB As0 of th+ ,other earth, wh+ oa0s are ,ade Ta**er or stron)er than the weeds the+ shadeB Or as0 of +onder ar)ent fie*ds a#o$e, Ah+ ;O E3S sate**ites are *ess than ;O EB Of S+ste,s possi#*e, if 3tis confest That Aisdo, infinite ,ust for, the #est, Ahere a** ,ust fu** or not coherent #e, And a** that rises, rise in due de)ree6 Then, in the sca*e of reas3nin) *ife, 3tis p*ain, There ,ust #e, so,ewhere, such a ran0 as ManD And a** the 5uestion >wran)*e e3er so *on)? Is on*+ this, if God has p*ac3d hi, wron)B -.

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Respectin) Man, whate$er wron) we ca**, Ma+, ,ust #e ri)ht, as re*ati$e to a**! In hu,an wor0s, tho3 *a#our3d on with pain, A thousand ,o$e,ents scarce one purpose )ain6 In God3s, one sin)*e can its end produce6 Eet ser$es to second too so,e other use! So Man, who here see,s principa* a*one, Perhaps acts second to so,e sphere un0nown, Touches so,e whee*, or $er)es to so,e )oa*6 3Tis #ut a part we see, and not a who*e! Ahen the proud steed sha** 0now wh+ Man restrains 8is fier+ course, or dri$es hi, o3er the p*ainsD Ahen the du** O4, wh+ now he #rea0s the c*od, Is now a $icti,, and now G)+pt3s GodD Then sha** Man3s pride and du*ness co,prehend 8is actions3, passions3, #ein)3s, use and end6 Ah+ doin), suff3rin), chec03d, i,pe**3d6 and wh+ This hour a s*a$e, the ne4t a deit+! Then sa+ not Man3s i,perfect, 8ea$3n in fau*t6 Sa+ rather, Man3s as perfect as he ou)htD 8is 0now*ed)e ,easur3d to his state and p*ace6 8is ti,e a ,o,ent, and a point his space! If to #e perfect in a certain sphere, Ahat ,atter, soon or *ate, or here or thereB The #*est to da+ is as co,p*ete*+ so, As who #e)an a thousand +ears a)o! III! 8ea$3n fro, a** creatures hides the #oo0 of Fate, A** #ut the pa)e prescri#3d, their present stateD Fro, #rutes what ,en, fro, ,en what spirits 0nowD Or who cou*d suffer /ein) here #e*owB The *a,# th+ riot doo,s to #*eed toHda+, 8ad he th+ Reason, wou*d he s0ip and p*a+B P*eas3d to the *ast, he crops the f*ow3r+ food, And *ic0s the hand (ust rais3d to shed his #*ood! Oh #*indness to the future< 0ind*+ )i$3n, That each ,a+ fi** the circ*e ,ar03d #+ 8ea$3nD Aho sees with e5ua* e+e, as God of a**, A hero perish, or a sparrow fa**, Ato,s or s+ste,s into ruin hur*3d, And now a #u##*e #urst, and now a wor*d! 8ope hu,#*+ thenD with tre,#*in) pinions soar6 Aait the )reat teacher Ieath6 and God adore! Ahat future #*iss, he )i$es not thee to 0now, /ut )i$es that 8ope to #e th+ #*essin) now! 8ope sprin)s eterna* in the hu,an #reastD Man ne$er Is, #ut a*wa+s To #e #*estD The sou*, uneas+ and confin3d fro, ho,e, Rests and e4patiates in a *ife to co,e! Lo, the poor Indian< whose untutor3d ,ind Sees God in c*ouds, or hears hi, in the windD 8is sou*, proud Science ne$er tau)ht to stra+ Far as the so*ar wa*0, or ,i*0+ wa+6 Eet si,p*e Nature to his hope has )i$3n, /ehind the c*oudHtopt hi**, an hu,#*er hea$3n6 So,e safer wor*d in depth of woods e,#rac3d,

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So,e happier is*and in the watr+ waste, Ahere s*a$es once ,ore their nati$e *and #eho*d, No fiends tor,ent, no Jhristians thirst for )o*d! To /e, contents his natura* desire, 8e as0s no An)e*3s win), no Seraph3s fire6 /ut thin0s, ad,itted to that e5ua* s0+, 8is faithfu* do) sha** #ear hi, co,pan+! I ! Go, wiser thou< and, in th+ sca*e of sense, Aei)ht th+ Opinion a)ainst Pro$idence6 Ja** i,perfection what thou fanc+3st such, Sa+, here he )i$es too *itt*e, there too ,uchD Iestro+ a** Jreatures for th+ sport or )ust, Eet cr+, If Man3s unhapp+, God3s un(ust6 If Man a*one en)ross not 8ea$3n3s hi)h care, A*one ,ade perfect here, i,,orta* thereD Snatch fro, his hand the #a*ance and the rod, ReH(ud)e his (ustice, #e the God of God! In Pride, in reas3nin) Pride, our error *ies6 A** 5uit their sphere, and rush into the s0ies! Pride sti** is ai,in) at the #*est a#odes, Men wou*d #e An)e*s, An)e*s wou*d #e Gods! Aspirin) to #e Gods, if An)e*s fe**, Aspirin) to #e An)e*s, Men re#e*D And who #ut wishes to in$ert the *aws Of ORIER, sins a)ainst th3 Eterna* Jause! ! As0 for what end the hea$3n*+ #odies shine, Earth for whose useB Pride answers, K3Tis for ,ineD For ,e 0ind Nature wa0es her )enia* Pow3r, Suc0*es each her#, and spreads out e$3r+ f*ow3r6 Annua* for ,e, the )rape, the rose renew The (uice nectareous, and the #a*,+ dew6 For ,e, the ,ine a thousand treasures #rin)s6 For ,e, hea*th )ushes fro, a thousand sprin)s6 Seas ro** to waft ,e, suns to *i)ht ,e rise6 M+ footHstoo* earth, ,+ canop+ the s0ies!K /ut errs not Nature fro, his )racious end, Fro, #urnin) suns when *i$id deaths descend, Ahen earth5ua0es swa**ow, or when te,pests sweep Towns to one )ra$e, who*e nations to the deepB KNo, >3tis rep*+3d? the first A*,i)ht+ Jause Acts not #+ partia*, #ut #+ )en3ra* *aws6 Th3 e4ceptions few6 so,e chan)e since a** #e)anD And what created perfectBKHHAh+ then ManB If the )reat end #e hu,an 8appiness, Then Nature de$iates6 and can Man do *essB As ,uch that end a constant course re5uires Of show3rs and sunHshine, as of Man3s desires6 As ,uch eterna* sprin)s and c*oud*ess s0ies, As Men for e$er te,p3rate, ca*,, and wise! If p*a)ues or earth5ua0es #rea0 not 8ea$3n3s desi)n, Ah+ then a /or)ia, or a Jati*ineB Aho 0nows #ut he, whose hand the *i)htnin) for,s, Aho hea$es o*d Ocean, and who win)s the stor,s6 Pours fierce A,#ition in a JLsar3s ,ind, Or turns +oun) A,,on *oose to scour)e ,an0indB Fro, pride, fro, pride, our $er+ reas3nin) sprin)s6 Account for ,ora*, as for nat3ra* thin)sD

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Ah+ char)e we 8ea$3n in those, in these ac5uitB In #oth, to reason ri)ht is to su#,it! /etter for Us, perhaps, it ,i)ht appear, Aere there a** har,on+, a** $irtue here6 That ne$er air or ocean fe*t the wind6 That ne$er passion disco,pos3d the ,ind! /ut ALL su#sists #+ e*e,enta* strife6 And Passions are the e*e,ents of Life! The )en3ra* ORIER, since the who*e #e)an, Is 0ept in Nature, and is 0ept in Man! I! Ahat wou*d this ManB Now upward wi** he soar, And *itt*e *ess than An)e*, wou*d #e ,ore6 Now *oo0in) downwards, (ust as )rie$3d appears To want the stren)th of #u**s, the fur of #ears! Made for his use a** creatures if he ca**, Sa+ what their use, had he the pow3rs of a**B Nature to these, without profusion, 0ind, The proper or)ans, proper pow3rs assi)n3d6 Each see,in) want co,pensated of course, 8ere with de)rees of swiftness, there of force6 A** in e4act proportion to the state6 Nothin) to add, and nothin) to a#ate! Each #east, each insect, happ+ in its ownD Is 8ea$3n un0ind to Man, and Man a*oneB Sha** he a*one, who, rationa* we ca**, /e p*eas3d with nothin), if not #*ess3d with a**B The #*iss of Man >cou*d Pride that #*essin) find? Is not to act or thin0 #e+ond ,an0ind6 No pow3rs of #od+ or of sou* to share, /ut what his nature and his state can #ear! Ah+ has not Man a ,icroscopic e+eB For this p*ain reason, Man is not a F*+! Sa+ what the use, were finer optics )i$3n, T3 inspect a ,ite, not co,prehend the hea$3nB Or touch, if tre,#*in)*+ a*i$e a** o3er, To s,art and a)oni@e at e$er+ poreB Or 5uic0 eff*u$ia dartin) thro3 the #rain, Iie of a rose in aro,atic painB If Nature thunder3d in his op3nin) ears, And stunn3d hi, with the ,usic of the spheres, 8ow wou*d he wish that 8ea$3n had *eft hi, sti** The whisp3rin) Meph+r, and the pur*in) ri**B Aho finds not Pro$idence a** )ood and wise, A*i0e in what it )i$es, and what deniesB %F.

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