Paffions, like elements, tho' born to fight, Yet, mix'd and foften'd, in his work unite: Thefe, 'tis enough to temper and employ ; But what compofes Man, can Man destroy? Suffice that Reason keep to Nature's road, Subject, compound them, follow her and God. Love, Hope, and Joy, fair Pleafure's smiling train, Hate, Fear, and Grief, the family of Pain, 115 These VARIATIONS. After Ver. 112. in the MS. The soft reward the virtuous, or invite ; NOTES. coming out of his profound repose. . “It is,” says he, “exceffively poetical, and prefents us with ideas which we ought not to dwell upon," &c. and then, as ufual, blames the Author for the blunder of his Tranflator. Comm. p. 158. W. VER. 109. Nor God alone, &c.] These words are only a fimple affirmation in the poetic drefs of a fimilitude, to this purpose: Good is not only produced by the subdual of the Paffions, but by the turbulent exercise of them. A truth conveyed under the most fublime imagery that poetry could conceive or paint. For the author is here only shewing the providential issue of the Paffions; and how, by God's gracious difpofition, they are turned away from their natural destructive bias, to promote the Happiness of Mankind. As to the method in which they are to be treated by Man, in whom they are found, all that he contends for, in favour of them, is only this, that they should not be quite rooted up and destroyed, as the Stoics, and their followers, in all Religions, foolishly attempted. For the reft, he conftantly repeats this advice, "The action of the ftronger to fufpend, Reason still use, to Reason ftill attend." W. VER. 110. Walks upon the wind.] In Dryden's Ceyex and Alcione is, "And now fublime she rides upon the wind.” VER. 117. Love, Hope, and Joy,] This beautiful group of allegorical perfonages, fo ftrongly contrafted, how does it act? The 120 These mix'd with art, and to due bounds confin'd, The whole employ of body and of mind. All spread their charms, but charm not all alike; 125 As strong or weak, the organs of the frame; NOTES. 130 And The profopopoeia is unfortunately dropped, and the metaphor changed immediately in the fucceeding lines, viz. "Thefe mix'd with art," &c. VER. 128. On diff'rent fenfes] A didactic poet, who has happily indulged himself in bolder flights of enthusiasm, fupported by a more figurative ftyle than our Author used, has thus nobly illuftrated this very doctrine : "Diff'rent minds And gentleft beauty. Hence, when lightning fires And Ocean, groaning from the lowest bed, All on the margin of some flow'ry stream, And hence one MASTER PASSION in the breast, As Man, perhaps, the moment of his breath, The young disease, that must fubdue at length, 135 Grows with his growth, and ftrengthens with his strength: So, caft and mingl'd with his very frame, The Mind's difeafe, its RULING PASSION came; Nature its mother, Habit is its nurse; NOTES. 149 145 We, VER. 133. As Man, perhaps, &c.] “Antipater Sidonius Poeta omnibus annis uno die natali tantum corripiebatur febre, et eo confumptus eft fatis longa fenecta." Plin. 1. vii. N. H. This Antipater was in the times of Craffus; and is celebrated for the quicknefs of his parts by Cicero. W. VER. 147. Reafon itself, &c.] The Poet, in fome other of his epiftles, gives examples of the doctrines and precepts here delivered. Thus, in that of the Ufe of Riches, he has illuftrated this truth in the character of Cotta. W. VER. 148. Turns vinegar] Taken from Bacon, De Calore; and the preceding verfe, and comparison, 132. "Like Aaron's ferpent," is from Bacon likewife. We, wretched fubjects, tho' to lawful fway, Proud of an eafy conqueft all along, She but removes weak Paffions for the strong: 150 155 The doctor fancies he has driv'n them out. 160 Yes, Nature's road must ever be preferr'd; And treat this paffion more as friend than foe: Like varying winds, by other paffions tost, NOTES. 165 Let VER. 149. We, wretched fubjects,] The weakness and infufficiency of Human Reason is here painted in the strongest colours: from whence the neceffity and the utility of Revelation may be justly inferred. VER. 157. Proud of an eafy] From the Duc de la Rochefoucault, Maxim. 10. ; as is alfo Verse 170. from Maxim. 266,; and also Verse 272. from the fame author, Maxim. 36. The late excellent Duke de la Rochefoucault, in a letter to Dr. Adam Smith, dated Paris, 3 Mars. 1778, fpeaks thus of the Maxims of his ingenious grandfather, as too fevere on Human Nature: "Perhaps it may be urged to excufe him, that he had feen and known men chiefly in a court, or in the time of a civil war; deux, theatres fur lefquels ils font certainement plus mauvais qu'ailleurs." Let pow'r or knowledge, gold or glory, please, Or (oft more ftrong than all) the love of eafe; 170 Th' Eternal Art educing good from ill, As fruits, ungrateful to the planter's care, See anger, zeal, and fortitude fupply; Nor Virtue, male or female, can we name, 175 180 185 190 VARIATIONS. After Ver. 194. in the MS. How oft with Paffion, Virtue points ker charms ! Thus Peleus' |