Imagens da página
PDF
ePub

But, continues he, that the Reader may see in one View, the Exactness of the Method, as well as Force of the Argument, I fhall here draw up a short Synopfis of this Epiftle. The Poet begins in telling us his Subject is An Effay on Man.-His End of Writing is to vindicate Providence. Tells us against whom he wrote, the Atheists. From whence he intends to fetch his Arguments, From the vifible Things of God feen in this Syftem-Lays down this Propofition as the Foundation of his Thefis, that of all poffible Systems infinite Wisdom has form'd the beft.-Draws from thence two Confequences; 1: That there must needs be fomewhere fuch a Creature as Mah; 2. That the moral Evil which He is the Author of, is productive of the Good of the Whole. This is his general Thefis; from whence he draws this Conclufion, That Man fhould reft fubmiffive and content, and make the Hopes of Futurity bis Comfort, but not fuffer this to be the Occafion of Pride, which is the Caufe of all his impious Complaints.

[ocr errors]

He proceeds to confirm his Thefts.Previously en deavours to abate our Wonder at the Phænomenon of moral Evil.-Shews first its Ufe to the Perfection of the Univerfe, by Analogy, from the Ufe of Phyfical Evil in this particular Syftem.-Secondly, its Ufe in this Syftem, where it is turned, providentially, from its natural Biafs, to promote Virtue. Then goes on to vindicate Providence from the Imputation of certain fuppofed natural Evils, as he had before juftified it for the Permiffion of real moral Evil, in Thewing that tho' the Atheist's Complaint against Providence be on Pretence of real moral Evil, yet the true Cause is his Impatience under imaginary natural Evil; the Iffue of a depraved Appetite for fantastical Advantages, which he fhews, if obtain'd, would be ufelefs, or hurtful to Man, and deforming and deVOL. II. Υ ftructive

ftructive to the Univerfe; as breaking into that Order by which it is fupported. He defcribes that Order, Harmony, and clofe Connection of the Parts. And by fhewing the intimate Prefence of God to his whole Creation, gives a Reafon for an Univerfe fo amazingly beautiful, and perfect. From all this he deduces his general Conclufion, that Nature being neither a blind Chain of Caufes and Effects, nor yet the fortuitous Refult of wandering Atoms, but the wonderful Art and Direction of an all-wife, all-good, and free Being; Whatever is, is right, with regard to the Difpofition of God and its ultimate Tendency which once granted, all Complaints against Providence are at an End.

The Confequence and Refult of all this, Mr. Pope fays in a Note to Verfe 273, is the abfolute Submiffion due to Providence, both as to a prefent and future State.

As to the Objections made against thefe Epiftles by M. de Croufaz, many of them are caus'd by reading a bad Tranflation, and as he does not underftand English, he is therefore in fome Measure excufeable; but as the pointing out the Errors in the French Tranflation, can with an English Reader neither do Good nor Harm to the original Poem, I fhall take no Notice of them, but proceed to the Confideration and Illustration of the fecond Epiftle Of the Nature and State of Man with Refpect to himfelf, as an Individual. Mr. Pope having taken it for prov'd and granted, from the Arguments in the firft Epiftle, that all Things being under the wife Difpofition of Providence, muft be and are now RIGHT, defires Man to make no Enquiry at all, or fuffer himfelf to ask Queftions concernning the Deity:

Know then thyfelf, prefume not God to scan,
The only Science of Mankind is Man.

[ocr errors]

In this laft Line he recommends, inftead of prying into God, the Study of ourselves, which Study he now confeffes to be his own, and on looking into himself, makes the following Difcovery:

A Being darkly wife and rudely great,

With too much Knowledge for the Sceptick Side,
With too much Weakness for a Stoick's Pride,
He hangs between; in douht to act, or reft,
To deem himself a Part of God, or Beaft;
In doubt, his Mind or Body to prefer,
Born but to die, and reas'ning but to err,
Alike in Ignorance his Reason such,
Whether he thinks too little, or too much.
Chaos of Thought and Paffion, all confus'd;
Still by himself abus'd, or difabus'd;
Created half to rife, and half to fall;
Great Lord of all Things, yet a Prey to all;
Sole Judge of Truth, in endless Error hurl'd:
The Glory, Jeft, and Riddle, of the World!

Here defcribing the State of the human Underftanding to be a dark and feeble State, with regard to the Knowledge of ourselves, and to give still more Strength to this Argument, he fhows, to prove the Difficulty of rightly knowing ourfelves,: that after the highest Acquirement of the Knowledge of the Nature of Things Man is capable of, he still may remain in Ignorauce of himself:

Go wondrous Creature! mount where Science guides, t

Go measure Earth, weigh Air, and ftate the Tides,
Inftruct the Planets in what Orbs to run,
Correct old Time, and regulate the Sun.

[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors]

Go foar with Plato to th' empireal Sphere,
To the firft Good, first Perfect, and firft Fair
Or tread the mazy Round his Follow'rs trod,
And quitting Sense call imitating God,
As eastern Priefts in giddy Circles run,
And turn their Heads to imitate the Sun..
Go, teach eternal Wisdom how to rule;
Then drop into Thy-self, and be a Fool!

To give, fays Mr. Pope's Commentator, this fecond Argument its full Force, he illuftrates it by the nobleft Example that ever was in Science, the incomparable Newton, whom he makes fo fuperior to Humanity, as to represent the Angelick Beings in doubt, when they obferv'd him of late unfold all the Laws of Nature, whether he was not to be reckon'd in their Number; juft as Men, when they fee the furprifing Marks of Reason in an Ape, are almoft tempted to believe him of their own Species. Yet this wondrous Creature, who saw so far into the Works of Nature, could go no farther in human Knowledge, than the Generality of his Kind. For which the Poet affigns this very juft and adequate Caufe: In all other Sciences, the Understanding is uncheck'd and uncontroul'd by any oppofite Principle; but in the Science of Man, the Paffions overturn, as faft as Reafon can build

up.

4

This is a brief Account of the Poet's Introduction, and ferves to recommend the Study of Man, on al Suppofition that by reafoning with and about himself, he may at laft fo ftrengthen his Judgment, as to determine rightly between Truth and Falfhood.

The Commentator having before given fom Rea fon why Mr. Pope made the Angels compare Sir Ifaac Newton to an Ape, fays further, that they beheld him with Admiration; nor was it Mr. Pope's

Intention to bring any of the Ape's Qualities, but its Sagacity into the Comparison. But why the Ape's it may be faid, rather than the Sagacity of fome more decent Animal; particularly the half-reafoning Elephant, as the, Poet calls it, which, as well on Account of this its Superiority, as for its having no ridiculous Side, like the Ape, on which it could be viewed, feems better to have defery'd this Honour? I reply, because as none but a Shape resembling human, accompanied with great Sagacity, could occafion the Douht of that Animal's Relation to Man, the Ape only having that Refemblance, no other Animal was fitted for the Comparison. And on this Ground of Relation the whole Beauty of the Thought depends; Newton, and thofe fuperior Beings being equally immortal Spirits, tho' of different Orders. And here let me take Notice of a new Species of the Sublime, of which our Poet may be juftly faid to be the Maker; fo new that we have yet no Name for it, tho' of a Nature diftinct from every other poetical Excellence. The two great Perfections of Works of Genius are Wit and Sublimity. Many Writers have been witty, feveral have been fublime, and fome few have even poffeffed both these Qualities feparately. But none that I know of, befides our Poet, hath had the Art to incorporate them. Of which he hath given many Examples, both in this Effay, and in his other Poems. One of the nobleft being the Paflage in Queftion. This feems to be the laft Effort of the Imagination, to poetical Perfection. And in this compounded Excellence the Wit receives. a Dignity from the Sublime, and the Sublime a Splendar from the Wit; which, in their Stare of feparate Existence, they both wanted.

Superior Beings, when of late they faw A mortal Man unfold all Nature's Law,

Y 3

Ad

« AnteriorContinuar »