What vary'd Being peoples every star, Look'd through? or can a part contain the whole? 30 II. Prefumptuous Man! the reason wouldst thou find, Why form'd no weaker, blinder, and no lefs? Of Syftems poffible, if 'tis confeft, That Wisdom infinite muft form the beft, And all that rises, rise in due degree; Then, in the fcale of reasoning life, 'tis plain, May, must be right, as relative to all. 40 45 50 In human works, though labour'd on with pain, 55 So So Man, who here feems principal alone, Perhaps acts fecond to some sphere unknown, Touches fome wheel, or verges to fome goal; 'Tis but a part we fee, and not a whole. 60 When the proud steed shall know why man reftrains Then say not Man's imperfect, Heaven in fault; 65 70 What matter, foon or late, or here, or there? The bleft to-day is as completely fo, 75 As who began a thousand years ago. III. Heaven from all creatures hides the book of Fate, All but the page prefcrib'd, their present state : VARIATIONS. From In the former Editions, ver. 64. Now wears a garland an Ægyptian God. After ver. 68. the following lines in the first Edition. If to be perfect in a certain fphere, What matter, foon or late, or here, or there? The bleft to-day is as completely fo, As who began ten thousand years ago. From brutes what men, from men what spirits know: Or who could fuffer Being here below; 80 The lamb thy riot dooms to bleed to-day, And licks the hand just rais'd to shed his blood. 85 That each may fill the circle mark'd by Heaven: A hero perish, or a fparrow fall, Atoms or fyftems into ruin hurl`d, And now a bubble burst, and now a world. 90 Ho humbly then; with trembling pinions foar; Wait the great teacher Death; and God adore. Lo, the poor Indian! whofe untutor'd mind 95 100 His VARIATIONS. After ver. 88. in the MS. No great, no little; 'tis as much decreed 93. What blifs above he gives not thee to know, But gives that Hope to be thy blifs below. His foul proud Science never taught to stray Yet fimple Nature to his hope has given, He afks no Angel's wing, no Seraph's fire; IV. Go, wifer thou! and in thy scale of fense, VARIATIONS. After ver. 108. in the firft Edition; D 105 110 115 120 Pride ( 34 Pride ftill is aiming at the bleft abodes, Men would be Angels, Angels would be Gods. *Of Order, fins against th' Eternal Cause. 125 130 V. Ask for what end the heavenly bodies shine, Earth for whofe use? Pride answers, ""Tis for mine: "For me kind Nature wakes her genial power; "Suckles each herb, and spreads out every flower; Annual for me, the grape, the rose, renew "The juice nectareous, and the balmy dew; "For me, the mine a thousand treasures brings; "For me, health gushes from a thousand springs; "Seas roll to waft me, funs to light me rise; My foot-ftool earth, my canopy the skies." But errs not Nature from this gracious end, From burning funs when livid deaths defcend, When earthquakes fwallow, or when tempefts fweep Towns to one grave, whole nations to the deep ? "No ('tis reply'd) the first Almighty Cause 135 140 145 "Acts not by partial, but by general laws; "Th' exceptions few; fome change fince all began: "And what created perfect ?"-Why then Man? If. the great end be human Happiness, Then Nature deviates; and can Man do lefs? 150 As much eternal springs and cloudless skies, |