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Thefe build as faft as knowledge can destroy;
In folly's cup still laughs the bubble, joy;

One profpect loft, another still we gain ;

And not a vanity is giv'n în vain ;

290

Ev'n mean Self-love becomes, by force divine,

The scale to measure others wants by thine.

See!

NOTES.

ou de fatisfaction. Quand les bons efprits font un ouvrage excellent, ils font justement recompenfez par les fuffrages du Public. Quand un pauvre efprit travaille beaucoup, pour fair un mauvais ouvrage, il n'eft pas jufte ni raifonable, qu'il attende des louanges publiques; car elles ne lui font pas dues. Mais afin que ses travaux ne demeurent pas fans recompenfe, DIEU lui donne une fatisfaction perfonnelle, que perfonne ne lui peut envier fans une in juftice plus que barbare; tout ainfi que Dieu, qui eft jufte, donne de la fatisfaction aux Grenouilles de leur chant. Autrement la blâme public, joint à leur mécontentement, feroit fuffifant pour les réduire au defefpoir."

W.

VER. 290. And not a vanity] Dr. Balguy has given us some bold and original thoughts on this subject :

"In fingle perfons, it must be owned, the balance of the paf fions is very frequently deftroyed; feldom indeed preferved with exactness and truth. But then the defects to be found in one man are supplied by the exceffes in another. So that, if you confider the whole fpecies, you will neither find too much, nor too little, of any one principle in the human mind. Indolence and ambi tion, avarice and fenfuality, refentment and compaffion, if not in the fame perfons, yet in different perfons, counteract and balance each other. Nor is there a fingle fentiment implanted in our nature which can either be increased, or leffened, in the whole race of mankind, without lofs or harm to the human species; unlefs, indeed, you affume à liberty of altering many things at a time; of forming a new and fantastic fyftem, perhaps made up of inconfiftent parts, and beyond the bounds of poffibility itself. So true is that celebrated paffage of Cicero, de Nat. Deorum, lib. ii. c. 34; "Si quis corrigere aliquid volet, aut deterius faciet, aut id, quod fieri non potuit, defiderabit." Divine Benevolence, p. 100.

G &

See! and confefs, one comfort still must rise;

'Tis this, Tho' Man's a fool, yet GOD IS WISE.

NOTES.

VER. 294. 'Tis this, Tho' Man's a fool,] A little time after the second edition of this Epistle was published, Voltaire writes thus, July 24, 1733, to Monf. Thiriot, his friend, in London:

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"A propos d'epitre, dites à M. Pope, que je l'ai très-bien reconnu, in his Effay on Man (which Pope had not owned at that time); 'tis certainly his ftyle; now and then there is some obfcurity: but the whole is charming." Lettres de M. Voltaire, tome i. p. 165. And, fpeaking of it again, p. 291. he fays, "C'eft un ouvrage qui donne quelquefois de la peine aux lecteurs Anglois." And in a long letter to La Marquife du Deffant, in the year 1736, p. 337. he tells her, "Tout l'ouvrage de Pope, fous mille de pareille obfcurités. Il y a cent eclairs admirables qui percent. à tous momens cette nuit, et votre imagination brillante doit les aimer." I am informed by Lord Orford, an intimate friend of this accomplished lady, that the communicated a great number of Voltaire's letters to the publishers of his Works, which they returned, and would not infert, because they bore very hard on many of the philofophers of Paris, and particularly on Helvetius.

ARGUMENT OF EPISTLE III.

Of the Nature and State of Man with respect to Society.

I. THE whole Universe one system of Society, Ver. 7, &c. Nothing made wholly for itself, nor yet wholly for another, Ver. 27. The happiness of Animals mutual, Ver. 49. II. Reason or Instinct operate alike to the good of each Individual, Ver. 79, Reafon or Instinct operate alfo to Society, in all animals, Ver. 109. III. How far Society carried by Instinct, Ver. 115. How much farther by Reafon, Ver. 128. IV. Of that which is called the State of Nature, Ver. 144. Reafon inftructed by Instinct in the Invention of Arts, Ver. 166; and in the Forms of Society, Ver. 176. V. Origin of Political Societies, Ver. 196. Origin of Monarchy, Ver. 207. Patriarchal Government, Ver. 212. VI. Origin of true Religion and Government, from the fame principle, of Love, Ver. 231, &c. Origin of Superftition and Tyranny, from the same principle, of Fear, Ver. 237, &c. The Influence of Self-love operating to the focial and public Good, Ver. 266. Restoration of true Religion and Government on their first principle, Ver. 285. Mixt Government, Ver. 288. Various Forms of each, and the true end of all, Ver. 300, &c.

EPISTLE III.

ERE then we reft: "The Universal Cause HERE

"Acts to one end, but acts by various laws." In all the madness of fuperfluous health,

The trim of pride, the impudence of wealth,

Let

VARIATIONS.

VER. I. In feveral Edit. in 4to.

Learn, Dulness, learn! "The Universal Caufe," &c.

NOTES.

VER. I. The Univerfal Caufe] Voltaire concludes his objections to Optimism with the following words: "Ce fyftême, du tout eft bien, ne reprefente l'auteur de toute la nature que comme un roi puiffant et mal-faifant, qui ne s'embarraffe pas qu'il en coute la vie à quatre ou cinq cent mille hommes, et que les autres trainent leurs jours dans la difette et dans les larmes, pourvû qu'il vienne à tout de fes deffeins. Loins donc que l'opinion du meilleur des mondes poffible confole, elle eft défefpérante pour les philofophes qui l'embraffent. La queftion du bien et du mal demeure un cahos indebrouillable pour ceux qui cherchent de bonne foi; c'est un jeu d'esprit pour ceux qui difputent; ils font des forçats qui jouent avec leurs chaînes. Pour le peuple non penfant, il refsemble affez à des poiffons qu'on a transporter d'une rivière dans un refervoir; ils ne fe doutent pas qu'ils font là pour être mangés le carême; auffi ne fçavons-nous rien du tout par nous-mêmes des caufes de notre destinée. Mettons à la fin de presque tous les chapitres de Metaphyfique les deux lettres des juges Romains quand ils n'entendant pas une cause. N. L. non liquet, cela n'est pas clair."

VER. 3. Superfluous health,] Immoderate labour and immoderate ftudy are equally the impairers of health: They, whofe fta

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