Self Love still stronger as its Objects nigh, Reasons at distance, and in prospect lie; That sees immediate Good by present Sense, Reason the future, and the Conse !,, EPISTLE II. I KNOW then thyself, prefume not God to scan, Plac'd on this ifthmus of a middle state, 5 10 15 Sole judge of Truth, in endless Error hurl'd: The glory, jeft, and riddle of the world! Go, wond'rous creature! mount where Science guides, Go, measure earth, weigh air, and state the tides; 20 VER. 2. The proper study, etc.] The poet having fhewn, in the firft epiftle, that the ways of God are too high for our comprehenGon, rightly draws this conclufion: and methodically makes it the fubject of his Introduction to the second, which treats of the Nature of Man. VER. 2. Ed. ift. VARIATION S. The only science of Mankind is Man. For more perfection than this ftate can bear Inftru&t the planets in what orbs to run, Superior beings, when of late they saw 25 30 35 VER. 22. Correct old Time,] This alludes to Sir Ifaac Newton's Grecian Chronology, which he reformed on those two fublime conceptions, the difference between the reigns of kings, and the generations of men; and the pofition of the colures of the equinoxes and folftices at the time of the Argonautic expedition. VARIATION S. Obferve how near he edges on our race; So Pug might plead, and call his Gods unkind, Go, reafoning thing! affume the Doctor's chair, Fix moral fitness, and to God give rule, VER. 21. Edit. 4th and 5th. Shew by what rules the wand'ring planets stray, VER. 35. Ed. first. Could he, who taught each Planet where to roll, Who faw its fires here rife, and there defcend, Or Learning's Luxury, or Idlenefs; Or tricks to fhew the stretch of human brain, 40 45 VER. 37. Who faw its fires bere rife, etc.] Sir Ifaac Newton, in calculating the velocity of a Comet's motion, and the course it defcribes, when it becomes vifible in its defcent to, and afcent from the Sun,, conjectured, with the highest appearance of truth, that Comets revolve perpetually round the Sun, in ellipfes vaftly eccentrical, and very nearly approaching to parabolas. In which he was greatly confirmed, in obferving between two Comets a coincidence in their perihelions, and a perfect agreement in their yelocities. VER. 45-Vanity or Dress,] These are the first parts of what the Poet, in the preceding line, calls the scholar's equipage of Pride. By vanity, is meant that luxuriancy of thought and expreffion in which a writer indulges himself, to fhew the fruitfulness of his fancy or invention. By drefs, is to be understood a lower degree of that practice, in amplification of thought and ornamental expreffion, to give force to what the writer would convey: but even this, the poet, in a severe fearch after truth, condemns; and with great judgment. Concifeness of thought and fimplicity of expreffion, being as well as the beft inftruments, as the best vehicles of Truth. VER. 46. Or Learning's Luxury, or Idleness;] The Luxury of Learning confifts in dreffing up and difguifing old notions in a new way, fo as to make them more fashionable and palatable; inftead of examining and fcrutinizing their truth. As this is often done for pomp and fhew, it is called luxury; as it is often done too to fave pains and labour, it is called idleness. Ver. 47. Or tricks to fhew the ftretch of human brain,] Such as the mathematical demonftrations concerning the fmall quantity of matter, the endless divifibility of it, etc. VER. 48. Mere curious pleasure, or ingenious pain ;] That is, when Admiration fets the mind on the rack |