What vary'd Being peoples every star, May tell why Heaven has made us as we are. Look'd through? or can a part contain the whole? And drawn fupports, upheld by God, or thee? 30 II. Prefumptuous Man! the reason wouldst thou find, Why form'd no weaker, blinder, and no lefs? Taller or ftronger than the weeds they shade; 40 Of Syftems poffible, if 'tis confeft, And all that rifes, rife in due degree; Then, in the scale of reafoning life, 'tis plain, May, must be right, as relative to all. 45 50 In human works, though labour'd on with pain, 55 So So Man, who here seems principal alone, 31 60 When the proud steed shall know why man restrains 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 so, 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 sphere, What matter, foon or late, or here, or there? The bleft to-day is as completely so, As who began ten thousand years ago. From brutes what men, from men what fpirits 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 systems into ruin hurl'd, And now a bubble burst, and now a world. Hope humbly then; with trembling pinions foar; 90 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 Ver. 93. in the first Folio and Quarto, What blifs above he gives not thee to know, His foul proud Science never taught to stray Yet fimple Nature to his hope has given, Where flaves once more their native land behold, He asks no Angel's wing, no Seraph's fire; His faithful dog fhall bear him company. IV. Go, wifer thou! and in thy scale of fenfe, VARIATIONS. After ver. 108. in the first Edition; But does he fay the Maker is not good, D Pride Pride still is aiming at the bleft abodes, Men would be Angels, Angels would be Gods. L Afpiring to be Angels, Men rebel: 1 125 130 V. Afk for what end the heavenly bodies fhine, Earth for whofe ufe? Pride anfwers, "Tis for mine: "For me kind Nature wakes her genial power; Suckles each herb, and fpreads 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 rife; "My foot-stool earth, my canopy the skies." 135 -140 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 "Acts not by partial, but by general laws; ́ 145 "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 Of showers and fun-fhine, as of Man's defires; As much eternal springs and cloudless skies, As men for ever temperate, calm, and wife. |