Wide and more wide, th' o'erflowings of the mind
Take every creature in of every kind :
Earth smiles around, with boundless bounty blest,
And heaven beholds its image in his breast.

Come then, my friend! my genius! come along,
O master of the poet and the song!
And while the Muse now stoops, or now ascends,
To man's low passions, or their glorious ends,
Teach me, like thee, in various nature wise,
To fall with dignity, with temper rise :
Form’d by thy converse, happily to steer
From grave to gay, from lively to severe ;
Correct with spirit, eloquent with ease,
Intent to reason, or polite to please.
O! while along the stream of time thy name
Expanded flies, and gathers all its fame,

my

little bark attendant sail, Pursue the triumph, and partake the gale ? When statesmen, heroes, kings, in dust repose, Whose sons shall blush their fathers were thy foes, Shall then this verse to future age pretend Thou wert my guide, philosopher, and friend? That, urg'd by thee, I turn'd the tuneful art From sounds to things, from fancy to the heart; For wit's false mirror held up nature's light, Show'd erring pride-whatever is is right; That reason, passion, answer one great aim ; That true self-love and social are the same; That virtue only makes our bliss below, And all our knowledge is ourselves to know.

Say, shall

UNIVERSAL PRAYER.

DEO OPT. MAX.

FATHER of all! in every age,

In every clime ador’d,
By saint, by savage, and by sage,

Jehovah, Jove, or Lord !

Thou Great First Cause, least understood,

Who all my sense confin'd
To know but this, that thou art good,

And that myself am blind :
Yet gave me, in this dark estate,

To see the good from ill : And binding nature fast in fate,

Left free the human will.

What conscience dictates to be done,

Or warns me not to do;
This teach me more than hell to shun,

That more than heaven pursue.
What blessings thy free bounty gives

Let me not cast away;
For God is paid when man receives ;

T' enjoy is to obey.
Yet not to earth's contracted span

Thy goodness let me bound,
Or think thee Lord alone of

man, When thousand worlds are round.

86

THE POEMS OF POPE.

Let not this weak unknowing hand

Presume thy bolts to throw,
And deal damnation round the land

On each I judge thy foe.
If I am right, thy grace impart,

Still in the right to stay ;
If I am wrong, O teach my heart

To find that better way.
Save me alike from foolish pride

Or impious discontent,
At aught thy wisdom has denied,

Or aught thy goodness lent.
Teach me to feel another's woe,

To hide the fault I see: That mercy I to others show, That mercy

show to me. Mean though I am, not wholly so,

Since quicken’d by thy breath ; O lead me, whereso'er I go,

Through this day's life or death! This day be bread and peace my lot:

All else beneath the sun Thou know'st if best bestow'd or not,

And let thy will be done. To Thee, whose temple is all space,

Whose altar earth, sea, skies, One chorus let all Being raise,

All nature's incense rise !

MORAL ESSAYS.

IN FOUR EPISTLES.

Est brevitate opus, ut currat sententia, rieu se
Impediat verbis lassas onerantibus aures:
Et sermone opus est modo tristi, sæpe jocoso,
Defendente vicem modo rhetoris atque poetæ,
Interdum urbani, parcentis viribus, atque
Extenuantis eas consulto.

HOR.