And knows where faith, law, morals, all began,
All end, in Love of God, and Love of Man.
For him alone, hope leads from goal to goal,
And opens still, and opens on his soul;
Till lengthen'd on to faith, and unconfin'd,
It pours the bliss that fills up all the mind.
He sees, why nature plants in man alone

340

345

Hope of known bliss, and faith in bliss unknown:

(Nature, whose dictates to no other kind

Are giv'n in vain, but what they seek they find)
Wise is her present; she connects in this
His greatest virtue with his greatest bliss;
At once his own bright prospect to be blest,

350

And strongest motives to assist the rest.

Self-love thus push'd to social, to divine,

Gives thee to make thy neighbour's blessing thine.
Is this too little for thy boundless heart?

355

Extend it, let thy enemies have part;

Grasp the whole worlds of reason, life, and sense,

In one close system of benevolence :

Happier as kinder, in whate'er degree,

And height of bliss but height of charity.

360

God loves from whole to parts; but human soul

Must rise from individual to the whole.
Self-love but serves the virtuous mind to wake,
As the small pebble stirs the peaceful lake;
The centre mov'd, a circle straight succeeds,
Another still, and still another spreads;

365

Friend, parent, neighbour, first it will embrace,
His country next, and next all human race;

Wide and more wide, the o'erflowings of the mind

Take every creature in, of every kind;

Earth smiles around, with boundless bounty blest,
And Heav'n beholds its image in his breast.

Come then, my friend, my genius, come along,
O master of the poet, and the song!

370

And while the muse now stoops, or now ascends,
To man's low passions, or their glorious ends,
Teach me, like thee, in various nature wise,
To fall with dignity, with temper rise;
Form'd by thy converse, happily to steer
From grave to gay, from lively to severe;
Correct with spirit, eloquent with ease,
Intent to reason, or polite to please.

375

380

O! while along the stream of time thy name

Expanded flies, and gathers all its fame;

Say, shall my little bark attendant sail,

385

Pursue the triumph, and partake the gale?

When statesmen, heroes, kings, in dust repose,

Whose sons shall blush their fathers were thy foes,

Shall then this verse to future age pretend

Thou wert my guide, philosopher and friend!

390

That, urg'd by thee, I turn'd the tuneful art,

From sounds to things, from fancy to the heart;
For wit's false mirror held up nature's light;
Show'd erring pride, whatever is, is right;
That reason, passion, answer one great aim;
That true self-love and social are the same;
That virtue only makes our bliss below;
And all our knowledge is, ourselves to know?

395

THE

UNIVERSAL PRAYER.

DEO OPTIMO MAXIMO.

FATHER of All! in ev'ry age,
In ev'ry clime ador'd,

By saint, by savage, and by sage,
Jehovah, Jove, or Lord!

Thou Great First Cause, least understood

Who all my sense confin'd

To know but this, that Thou art good,
And that myself am blind;

Yet gave me, in this dark estate,

To see the good from ill;

And, binding nature fast in fate,

Left free the human will.

What conscience dictates to be done,

Or warns me not to do,

This, teach me more than hell to shun,
That, more than heav'n pursue.

Yet not to earth's contracted span,
Thy goodness let me bound,
Or think Thee Lord alone of man,
When thousand worlds are round:

Let not this weak, unknowing hand
Presume thy bolts to throw,
And deal damnation round the land,
On each I judge thy foe:

If I am right, thy grace impart,
Still in the right to stay;
If I am wrong, O teach my heart
To find that better way.

Save me alike from foolish pride,
Or impious discontent,
At aught thy wisdom has deny'd,
Or taught thy goodness lent.

Teach me to feel another's wo;
To hide the fault I see:
That mercy I to others show,
That mercy show to me.

Mean though I am, not wholly so,
Since quicken'd by thy breath;
O lead me, wheresoe'er I go,

Through this day's life or death.

This day be bread and peace my lot: All else beneath the sun,

Thou know'st if best bestow'd or not, And let thy will be done.

To Thee, whose temple is all space,

Whose altar, earth, sea, skies!
One chorus let all being raise!
All nature's incense rise!

ODE ON SOLITUDE.*

HAPPY the man whose wish and care
A few paternal acres bound,
Content to breathe his native air,
In his own ground.

Whose herds with milk, whose fields with bread,
Whose flocks supply him with attire :
Whose trees in summer yield him shade,
In winter, fire.

Bless'd, who can unconcern'dly find
Hours, days, and years slide soft away,
In health of body, peace of mind,
Quiet by day;

Sound sleep by night; study and ease,
Together mix'd; sweet recreation;
And innocence, which most does please,
With meditation.

Thus let me live, unseen, unknown;
Thus unlamented let me die;

Steal from the world, and not a stone
Tell where I lie.

* This was a very early production of Mr. Pope, written when he was about twelve years old.