An essay on man. Cornish ed |
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Page 33
Superior beings , when of late they saw A mortal man unfold all nature's law ,
Admir'd such wisdom in an earthly shape , And shew'd a Newton as we shew an
ape . Could he , whose rules the rapid comet bind , Describe or fix one movement
...
Superior beings , when of late they saw A mortal man unfold all nature's law ,
Admir'd such wisdom in an earthly shape , And shew'd a Newton as we shew an
ape . Could he , whose rules the rapid comet bind , Describe or fix one movement
...
Page 34
... or idleness ; Or tricks to shew the stretch of human brain , Mere curious
pleasure , or ingenious pain ; Expunge the whole , or lop th ' excrescent parts Of
all our vices have created arts ; Then see how little the remaining sum , Which
sery'd the ...
... or idleness ; Or tricks to shew the stretch of human brain , Mere curious
pleasure , or ingenious pain ; Expunge the whole , or lop th ' excrescent parts Of
all our vices have created arts ; Then see how little the remaining sum , Which
sery'd the ...
Page 98
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 ; Shew'd erring pride ,
whatever is --- is RIGHT ; That reason , passion , answer one great aim ; That true
self ...
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 ; Shew'd erring pride ,
whatever is --- is RIGHT ; That reason , passion , answer one great aim ; That true
self ...
Page 109
He proceeds to confirm his thesis --- Previously endeavours to abate our wonder
at the phænomenon of moral evil ; shews first , its use to the perfection of the
universe , by analogy , from the use of physical evil in this particular system ...
He proceeds to confirm his thesis --- Previously endeavours to abate our wonder
at the phænomenon of moral evil ; shews first , its use to the perfection of the
universe , by analogy , from the use of physical evil in this particular system ...
Page 112
By vanity is meant that luxuriancy of thought and expression in which a writer
indulges himself , to shew the fruitfulness of his fancy or invention . By dress is to
be understood a lower degree of that practice , in amplification of · thought , and ...
By vanity is meant that luxuriancy of thought and expression in which a writer
indulges himself , to shew the fruitfulness of his fancy or invention . By dress is to
be understood a lower degree of that practice , in amplification of · thought , and ...
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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 |