As far as goose could judge, he reason'd right;
But as to Man, mistook the matter quite.
After VER. 84, in the MS.--
While Man, with opening views of various ways
Confounded, by the aid of knowledge strays:
Too weak to choose, yet choosing still in haste,
One moment gives the pleasure and distaste.
VER. 197, in the first edition--
Who for those arts they learn'd of brutes before,
As kings shall crown them, or as gods adore.
VER. 201, in the MSS. thus--
The neighbours leagued to guard their common spot:
And love was Nature's dictate, murder, not.
For want alone each animal contends,
Tigers with tigers, that removed, are friends.
Plain Nature's wants the common mother crown'd,
She pour'd her acorns, herbs, and streams around.
No treasure then for rapine to invade,
What need to fight for sunshine or for shade!
And half the cause of content was removed,
When beauty could be kind to all who loved.
EPISTLE IV.
ARGUMENT.
OF THE NATURE AND STATE OF MAN WITH RESPECT TO HAPPINESS.
I. False notions of happiness, philosophical and popular, answered from
ver. 19 to ver. 27. II. It is the end of all men, and attainable by all,
ver. 29. God intends happiness to be equal; and to be so, it must be
social, since all particular happiness depends on general, and since he
governs by general, not particular laws, ver.
Pages:
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254