An essay on man. Cornish ed |
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Page 12
Presumptuous man ! the reason wouldst thou find , Why form'd so weak , so little ,
and so blind ? First , if thou canst , the harder reason guess , Why form'd no
weaker , blinder , and no less . Ask of thy mother earth , why oaks are made
Taller or ...
Presumptuous man ! the reason wouldst thou find , Why form'd so weak , so little ,
and so blind ? First , if thou canst , the harder reason guess , Why form'd no
weaker , blinder , and no less . Ask of thy mother earth , why oaks are made
Taller or ...
Page 19
... some change since all began , " And what created perfect ? ” --- Why then man
? If the great end be human happiness , Then nature deviates ; and can man do
less ? As much that end a constant course requires Of show'rs EP . I. 19 ESSAY ...
... some change since all began , " And what created perfect ? ” --- Why then man
? If the great end be human happiness , Then nature deviates ; and can man do
less ? As much that end a constant course requires Of show'rs EP . I. 19 ESSAY ...
Page 21
Now upward will he soar , - And little less than angel , would be more ; Now
looking downwards just as griev'd appears , To want the strength of bulls , the fur
of bears . Made for his use , all creatures if we call , Say what their use , had he
the ...
Now upward will he soar , - And little less than angel , would be more ; Now
looking downwards just as griev'd appears , To want the strength of bulls , the fur
of bears . Made for his use , all creatures if we call , Say what their use , had he
the ...
Page 39
All spread their charms , but charm not all alike ; On diff'rent senses diff'rent
objects strike : Hence diff'rent passions more or less inflame , As strong or weak
the organs of the frame ; And hence one master passion in the breast , Like
Aaron's ...
All spread their charms , but charm not all alike ; On diff'rent senses diff'rent
objects strike : Hence diff'rent passions more or less inflame , As strong or weak
the organs of the frame ; And hence one master passion in the breast , Like
Aaron's ...
Page 87
... From Macedonia's madman to the Swede ; The whole strange purpose of their
lives , to find Or make an enemy of all mankind ! Not one looks backward ,
onward still he goes , Yet ne'er looks forward further then his nose . No less alike
the ...
... From Macedonia's madman to the Swede ; The whole strange purpose of their
lives , to find Or make an enemy of all mankind ! Not one looks backward ,
onward still he goes , Yet ne'er looks forward further then his nose . No less alike
the ...
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Common terms and phrases
alike angels appear ARGUMENT bear beast began blessing blest blind bliss body bounds breath cause common creature death depends direction draws earth EPISTLE equal Essay ev'ry evil extreme faith fall fear feel follow fool forms future gain gives gods grows hand happiness heart heav'n hope human individual instinct judge kind kings knowledge Learn less light lives Look Lord man's mankind means mind moral nature nature's never o'er pain passions peace perfect pleasure poet pow'r present pride principle proper Providence reason rest rise ruling Self-love sense serves shew social soul spirit spread strength strong superior taught teach tell thee things thinks thou thought thro true truth turns universal vice virtue weak whole wise
Popular passages
Page 32 - KNOW then thyself, presume not God to scan; The proper study of mankind is Man. Placed on this isthmus of a middle state, A being darkly wise, and rudely great: With too much knowledge for the Sceptic side, With too much weakness for the Stoic's pride, He hangs between; in doubt to act, or rest; In doubt to deem himself a god, or beast; In doubt his mind or body to prefer; Born but to die, and reas'ning but to err; Alike in ignorance, his reason such, Whether he thinks too little, or too much...
Page 100 - What Conscience dictates to be done, Or warns me not to do — This, teach me more than hell to shun, That, more than heaven pursue.
Page 28 - 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 Power, Or in the natal, or the mortal hour.
Page 71 - For forms of government let fools contest ; Whate'er is best administer'd is best : For modes of faith let graceless zealots fight ; His can't be wrong whose life is in the right...
Page 35 - Two Principles in human nature reign; Self-love, to urge, and Reason, to restrain; Nor this a good, nor that a bad we call, Each works its end, to move or govern all: And to their proper operation still, Ascribe all Good; to their improper, 111.
Page 74 - Ask of the Learn'd the way? The Learn'd are blind; This bids to serve, and that to shun mankind; "° Some place the bliss in action, some in ease, Those call it Pleasure, and Contentment these...
Page 78 - Know, all the good that individuals find, Or God and nature meant to mere mankind, Reason's whole pleasure, all the joys of sense, Lie in three words, health, peace, and competence But health consists with temperance alone ; And peace, oh virtue ! peace is all thy own.
Page 108 - Were there all harmony, all virtue here; That never air or ocean felt the wind; That never passion discompos'd the mind.
Page 96 - 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 ; Friend, parent, neighbour, first it will embrace ; His country next, and next all human race ; Wide and more wide, th...
Page 76 - Obvious her goods, in no extreme they dwell ; There needs but thinking right and meaning well ; And mourn our various portions as we please, Equal is common sense and common ease. Remember man, " the Universal Cause Acts not by partial but by general laws," And makes what happiness we justly call Subsist not in the good of one, but all.
Bibliographic information
| Title | An essay on man. Cornish ed |
| Author | Alexander Pope |
| Published | 1798 |
| Original from | Oxford University |
| Digitized | 18 Jun 2007 |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |