Or in the full creation leave a void,

Where, one step broken, the great scale's destroy’d: From nature's chain whatever link

you

strike, Tenth, or ten thousandth, breaks the chain alike,

And, if each system in gradation roll, Alike essential to th’amazing whole,

The least confusion but in one, not all

That system only, but the whole must fall.

Let earth, unbalanc'd, from her orbit fly, Planets and suns run lawless thro' the sky; Let ruling angels from their spheres be hurl'd, Being on being wreck’d, and world on world;

Heay'n's whole foundations to their center nod,

And nature tremble to the throne of God.

All this dread Order break!---for whom? for thee!

Vile worm!---Oh madness! pride! impiety!

9. What if the foot, ordain'd the dust to tread,

Or hand, to toil, aspir'd to be the head?
What if the head, the eye, or ear repin'd
To serve mere engines to the ruling mind?
Just as absurd for any part to claim
To be another, in this gen'ral frame:
Just as absurd, to mourn the tasks or pains
The

great directing Mind of All ordains.
All are but parts of one stupendous whole,
Whose body nature is, and God the soul;
That, chang'd thro' all, and yet in all the same;
Great in the earth, as in th' æthereal frame;
Warms in the sun, refreshes in the breeze,

Glows in the stars, and blossoms in the trees,

Lives thro' all life, extends thro' all extent,

Spreads undivided, operates unspent ;

Breathes in our soul, informs our mortal part,

As full, as perfect in a hair as heart;
As full, as perfect, in vile man that mourns,
Aš the rapt seraph that adores and burns:
To him no high, no low, no great, no small;
He fills, he bounds, connects, and equals all.

10. Cease then, nor Order imperfection name: Our

proper bliss depends on what we blame. Know thy own point: this kind, this due degree Of blindness, weakness, heav'n bestows on thee.

Submit.---In this, or any other sphere,

Secure to be as blest as thou canst bear :

Safe in the hand of one disposing pow'r,

Or in the natal, or the mortal hour.

All nature is but art, unknown to thee;

All chance, direction, which thou canst not sce:

All discord, harmony not understood;
All partial evil, universal good :
And, spite of pride, in erring reason's spite,
One truth is clear, Whatever is, is right.