Who, foe to Nature, hears the gen'ral groan,
Murders their species, and betrays his own.
But just disease to luxury fucceeds,
And ev'ry death it's own avenger breeds;
The Fury-paffions from that blood began,
And turn'd on Man a fiercer savage, Man.
See him from Nature rising flow to Art!
To copy Instinct then was Reason's part;

COMMENTARY.

165

170

VER. 169. See him from Nature rifing flow to Art!] Strict method (in which, by this time, the reader finds the poet more converfant than fome were aware of) leads him next to speak of that Society, which fucceeded the Natural, namely the Civil. He first explains (from 169 to 199) the intermediate means which led Mankind from natural to civil Society. These were the invention and improvement of Arts. For while Mankind lived in a mere state of Nature, there was no need of any other government than the Paternal; but when Arts were found out and improved, then that more perfect form, under the direction of a Magistrate, became ncceffary. And for these rea

NOTES.

principle. He foon began to confider the whole animal creation as his flaves rather than his fubjects: as being created for no use of their own, but for this only; and therefore treated them with the utmost barbarity: And not fo content, to add infult to his cruelty, he endeavoured to philofophize himself into an opinion that animals were mere machines, infenfible of pain or pleasure. Thus Man affected to be the Wit as well as Tyrant of the Whole: and it became one who adhered to the Scripture account of Man's dominion, to reprove this abuse of it, and to fhew that

Heav'n's attribute was Univerfal Care,

And Man's prerogative to rule, but spare.

Thus then to Man the voice of Nature spake--

Go, from the Creatures thy inftructions take: "Learn from the birds what food the thickets yield; "Learn from the beasts the phyfic of the field;

"Thy arts of building from the bee receive; 175 "Learn of the mole to plow, the worm to weave; "Learn of the little Nautilus to fail,

Spread the thin oar, and catch the driving gale.

COMMENTARY.

fons; first, to bring those arts, already found, to perfection: And, fecondly, to fecure the product of them to their rightful proprietors. The poet, therefore, comes now, as we say, to the invention of Arts; but being always intent on the great end for which he wrote his Effay, namely to mortify that Pride which occafions the impious complaints against Providence; he speaks of thefe inventions as only leffons learnt of mere animals guided by instinct; and thus, at the same time, gives a new inftance of the wonderful Providence of God, who has contrived to teach mankind in a way, not only proper to humble human arrogance, but to raise our idea of infinite Wisdom to the greatest pitch. This he does in a prosopopæia the most sublime that ever entered into the human imagination :

NOTES.

VER. 173, Learn from the birds, &c.] It is a caution commonly practifed amongft Navigators, when thrown upon a defert coaft, and in want of refreshments, to obferve what fruits have been touched by the Birds: and to venture on these without further hefitation.

VER. 174. Learn from the beasts, &c.] See Pliny's Nat. Hift. 1. viii. c. 27. where several inftances are given of Animals difcovering the medicinal efficacy of herbs, by their own use of them; and pointing out to fome operations in the art of healing, by their own practice.

VER. 177. Learn of the little Nautilus] Oppian. Halieut.

"Here too all forms of focial union find,

"And hence let Reafon, late, inftru&t Mankind: "Here fubterranean works and cities fee;

181

"There towns aerial on the waving tree.

"Learn each small People's genius, policies,

186

"The Ant's republic, and the realm of Bees; "How those in common all their wealth bestow, "And Anarchy without confufion know; "And these for ever, tho' a Monarch reign, "Their fep'rate cells and properties maintain.

COMMENTARY.

Thus then to Man the voice of Nature spake:
"Go, from the creatures thy inftructions take, &c.
"And for thofe Arts mere Inftinct could afford,
"Be crown'd as Monarchs, or as Gods ador'd."

The delicacy of the poet's addrefs in the firft part of the last line, is very remarkable. In this paragraph he has given an account of those intermediate means, that led Mankind from natural to civil Society, namely, the invention and improvement of Arts. Now here, on his conclufion of this account, and his entry upon the defcription of civil Society itfelf, he connects the two parts the moft gracefully that can be conceived, by this true hiftorical circumftance, that it was the invention of those Arts which raised to the Magiftracy in this new Society formed for the perfecting them.

NOTES.

lib. i. defcribes this fifh in the following manner: "They "fwim on the furface of the fea, on the back of their fhells, "which exactly refemble the hulk of a fhip; they raise two "feet like mafts, and extend a membrane between, which " ferves as a fail ; the other two feet they employ as oars at They are ufually feen in the Mediterranean." P.

"the fide.

"Mark what unvary'd laws preserve each state, "Laws wife as Nature, and as fix'd as Fate. 190 "In vain thy Reason finer webs shall draw,

Entangle Justice in her net of Law,

"And right, too rigid, harden into wrong; "Still for the ftrong too weak, the weak too ftrong. "Yet go! and thus o'er all the creatures fway,195 "Thus let the wiser make the rest obey; "And for those Arts mere Inftinct could afford, "Be crown'd as Monarchs, or as Gods ador'd."

V. Great Nature spoke; obfervant Men obey'd; Cities were built, Societies were made:

Here rose one little state; another near

200

Grew by like means, and join'd, thro' love or fear.

VARIATIONS.

VER. 197. in the first Editions,

Who for those Arts they learn'd of Brutes before,
As Kings fhall crown them, or as Gods adore.

VER. 201. Here rofe one little ftate, &c.] In the MS. thus,
The Neighbours leagu'd to guard their common spot :
And Love was Nature's dictate, Murder, not.

COMMENTARY,

VER. 199. Great Nature spoke ;] After all this neceffary pre-
NOTES.

VER. 199. obfervant Men obey'd ;] The epithet is beautiful, as fignifying both obedience to the voice of Nature, and attention to the leffons of the animal creation.

Did here the trees with ruddier burdens bend, And there the ftreams in purer rills defcend? What War could ravish, Commerce could beftow, And he return'd a friend, who came a foe. 206 Converse and Love mankind might strongly draw, When Love was Liberty, and Nature Law.

Thus States were form'd; the name of King unknown,

'Till common int'reft plac'd the sway in one. 210

VARIATIONS.

For want alone each animal contends;

Tigers with Tigers, that remov'd, are friends.
Plain Nature's wants the common mother crown'd,
She pour'd her acorns, herbs, and ftreams around.
No Treasure then for rapine to invade,
What need to fight for fun-shine or for shade?
And half the caufe of conteft was remov'd,
When beauty could be kind to all who lov'd.

COMMENTARY.

paration, the poet fhews (from 198 to 209) how civil Society followed, and the advantages it produced.

VER. 209. Thus States were form'd;] Having thus explained the original of Civil Society, he fhews us next (from 208 to 215) that to this Society a civil magiftrate, properly so called, did belong: And this in confutation of that idle hypothefis,which pretends that God conferred the regal title on the Fathers of fa

NOTES.

VER. 208. When love was Liberty,] i. e. When men had no need to guard their native liberty from their governors by civil pactions; the love which each mafter of a family had for those under his care being their best security.