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NOTES.

"So Man, who here feems principal alone,
"Perhaps acts fecond to fome fphere unknown;
"Touches fome wheel, or verges to fome goal:
" 'Tis but a part we fee, and not a whole."

But without any regard to the evidence of this illustration, M. de Croufaz exclaims: "See the general conclufion, All "that is, is right. So that at the fight of Charles the first "losing his head on the scaffold, we must have said, this is

right; at the fight too of his judges condemning him, we "must have said, this is right; at the fight of fome of thefe "judges, taken and condemned for the action which he had "owned to be right, we must have cried out, this is doubly "right." Never was any thing more amazing than that the abfurdities arifing from the fenfe in which this critic takes the great principle, of whatever is, is right, did not fhew him his miftake: For could any one in his fenfes employ a propofition in a meaning from whence fuch evident absurdities immediately arife? I have obferved, that this conclufion, whatever is, is right, is a confequence of these premises, that partial evil tends to univerfal Good; which the Author employs as a principle to humble the pride of Man, who would impiously make God accountable for his creation. What then does common sense teach us to understand by whatever is, is right? Did the Poet mean right with regard to Man, or right with regard to God; right with regard to itself, or right with regard to its ultimate tendency? Surely, WITH REGARD TO GOD; for he tells us his defign is to vindicate the ways of God to Man. Surely, with regard to its ULTIMATE TENDENCY; for he tells us again, all partial ill is univerfal Good, Ver. 291. Now is this any encouragement to Vice? Or does it take off from the crime of him who commits it, that God providentially produces Good out of Evil? Had Mr. Pope abruptly faid in his conclufion, the refult of all is, that whatever is, is right, the objector had even then been inexcufable for putting fo abfurd a fenfe upon the words, when he might have feen that it was a conclufion from the general principle abovementioned; and therefore muft neceffarily have another meaning. But what must we think of him, when the Poet, to prevent mistakes, had delivered, in this very place, the prin

NOTES.

ciple itself, together with this conclufion as the confequence

of it?

"All Difcord, Harmony not understood;
"All partial Evil, univerfal Good:

"And, fpite of Pride, in erring Reafon's fpite,
"One truth is clear,-Whatever Is, is Right."

He could not have told his Reader plainer that his conclufion was the confequence of that principle, unless he had written THEREFORE in great Church letters.

ARGUMENT OF

EPISTLE

II.

Of the Nature and State of Man with respect to Himself, as an Individual.

I. THE bufinefs of Man not to pry into God, but to ftudy himself. His Middle Nature; bis Powers and Frailties, Ver. 1 to 19. The Limits of his Capacity, Ver. 19, &c. II. The two Principles of Man, Selflove and Reason, both neceffary, Ver. 53, &c. Selflove the stronger, and why, Ver. 67, &c. Their end the fame, Ver. 81, &c. III. The PASSIONS, and their ufe, Ver. 93 to 130. The Predominant Paffion, and its force, Ver. 132 to 160. Its Neceffity, in directing Men to different purposes, Ver. 165, &c. Its providential Ufe, in fixing our Principle, and afcertaining our Virtue, Ver. 177. IV. Virtue and Vice joined in our mixed Nature; the limits near, yet the things feparate and evident: What is the Office of Reason, Ver. 202 to 216. V. How odious Vice in itself, and how we deceive ourselves into it, Ver. 217. VI. That, however, the Ends of Providence and general Good are answered in our Paffions and Imperfections, Ver. 238, &c. How ufefully thefe are diftributed to all Orders of Men, Ver. 241. How useful they are to Society, Ver. 251. And to Individuals, Ver. 263. In every state, and every age of life, Ver. 273, &c.

THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

ABTOR, LENOX AND
TILDEN FOUNDATION

Plate IX.

1

Vol.III. facing p.79.

Blakey in delin.1748.

Ravenet Sculp

Self Love still stronger, as it's Objects nigh, Reason's at distance, and in prospect liel:That sees immediate Good, by present Sense, Reason the future, and the Consequence.

Essay on Man Ep.1.

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