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Pleas'd with this bauble still, as that before,
Till tir'd he fleeps, and Life's poor play is o'er.

Mean-while Opinion gilds with varying rays
Those painted clouds that beautify our days;
Each want of happiness by Hope fupply'd,
And each vacuity of fenfe by Pride:

NOTES.

285

These

is a description of the circle of human life returning into itself by a fecond childhood, the Poet has with great elegance concluded his defcription with the fame image with which he fet out-And Life's poor play is o'er. WARBURTON. VER. 280. The toys of age:] Exactly what Fontenelle fays, "Il eft des hochets pour tout age."

And Prior,

"Give us play-things for old age."

Yet it is certain that Fontenelle could not have taken this verfe from Prior, for he did not understand English, though Prior wrote it more than twenty years before Fontenelle.

De Lifle, whofe tranflation of Virgil's Georgics is fo frequently and fo unjustly praised by Voltaire, has alfo tranflated, but not publifhed, the Effay on Man. Millot has given another, published 1762. WARTON.

VER. 286. And each vacuity of fense by Pride:] An eminent Cafuift, Father Francis Garaffe, in his Somme Theologique, has drawn a very charitable conclufion from this principle; which he hath well illustrated: "Selon la Juftice (fays this equitable Divine), "tout travail honnête doit être recompenfé de loüange ou de fatisfaction. Quand les bons efprits font un ouvrage excellent, ils font justement recompenfez par les fuffrages du Public. Quand un pauvre esprit travaille beaucoup, pour fair un mauvais ouvrage, il n'eft pas jufte ni raisonable, qu'il attende des louanges publiques; car elles ne lui font Mais afin que dues. fes travaux ne demeurent pas fans recompenfe, DIEU lui donne une fatiffaction perfonelle, que perfonne ne lui peut envier fans une injuftice 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." WARBURTON.

pas

These build as faft as knowledge can destroy;
In folly's cup ftill laughs the bubble, joy;
One prospect loft, another still we gain;
And not a vanity is giv'n in vain ;

Ev'n mean Self-love becomes, by force divine,
The scale to measure others' wants by thine.
See! and confefs, one comfort ftill must rise;
'Tis this, Tho' Man's a fool, yet GOD IS WISE.

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290

1

ARGUMENT OF EPISTLE III.

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

Ver. 27.

1. THE whole Universe one fyftem of Society, Ver. 7, &c. Nothing made wholly for itself, nor yet wholly for another, The happiness of Animals mutual, Ver. 49. II. Reafon or Instinct operate alike to the good of each Individual, Ver. 79. Reafon or Inftinct operate also to Society, in all animals, Ver. 109. III. How far Society carried by Instinct, Ver. 115. How much farther by Reason, 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 fame principle, of Fear, Ver. 237, &c. The Influence of Self-love operating to the focial and public Good, Ver. 266. Refloration of true Religion and Government on their firft principle, Ver 285. Mixed Government, Ver. 288. Various Forms of each, and the true &c.

end of all, Ver. 300,

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