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THE

HE ESSAY ON MAN was intended to have been comprised in Four Books:

The First of which, the Author has given us under ́that title, in four Epiftles.

The Second was to have confifted of the fame number: 1. Of the extent and limits of human Reason. 2. Of thofe Arts and Sciences, and of the parts of them, which are useful, and therefore attainable, together with those which are unuseful, and therefore unattainable. 3. Of the Nature, Ends, Ufe, and Application of the different Capacities of Men. 4. Of the Ufe of Learning, of the Science of the World, and of Wit; concluding with a Satire against a Mifapplication of them, illuftrated by Pictures, Characters, and Examples.

The Third Book regarded Civil Regimen, or the Science of Politics, in which the several forms of a Republic were to be examined and explained; together with the feveral Modes of Religious Worship, as far forth as they affect Society; between which the Author always fuppofed there was the most interesting relation and clofeft connection; fo that this part would have treated of Civil and Religious Society in their full extent.

The Fourth and last Book concerned private Ethics, or practical Morality, confidered in all the Circumftances, Orders, Profeffions, and Stations of human Life.

The Scheme of all this had been maturely digested, and communicated to L. Bolingbroke, Dr. Swift, and one or two more, and was intended for the only work of his riper Years: but was, partly through ill health, partly through difcouragements from the depravity of the times, and partly on prudential and other confiderations, interrupted, poftponed, and lastly, in a manner laid aside.

But as this was the Author's favourite Work, which more exactly reflected the image of his ftrong capaci ous Mind, and as we can have but a very imperfect idea of it from the disječa membra Poete that now remain, it may not be amifs to be a little more particular concerning each of these projected books.

The FIRST, as it treats of Man in the abstract, and confiders him in general under every of his relations, becomes the foundation, and furnishes out the fubjects, of the three following; fo that

The SECOND Book was to take up again the First and Second Epiftles of the First Book, and treats of Man. in his intellectual Capacity at large, as has been explained above. Of this only a small part of the conclufion (which, as we faid, was to have contained a Satire against the misapplication of Wit and Learning) may be found in the Fourth Book of the Dunciad, and up and down, occafionally, in the other three.

The THIRD Book, in like manner, was to-reaffume the fubject of the Third Epiftle of the First, which treats of Man in his Social, Political, and Religious Capacity. But this part the Poet afterwards conceived might be best executed in an EPIC POEM; as the Action would make it more animated, and the Fable lefs invidious; in which all the great Principles of true and false Governments and Religions fhould be chiefly delivered in feigned Examples.

The FOURTH and last Book was to pursue the subject of the Fourth Epistle of the First, and treats of Ethics, or practical Morality; and would have confifted of many members; of which the four following Epiftles were detached Portions: the two firft, on the Characters of Men and Women, being the introductory part of this concluding Book.

MORAL ESSAY S.

EPISTLE I.

то

Sir Richard Temple, L. Cobham.

ARGUMENT.

Of the Knowledge and Characters of MEN.

I. THAT it is not fufficient for this knowledge to confider Man in the Abstract: Books will not ferve the purpose, nor yet our own Experience fingly, ver. 1. General maxims, unless they be formed upon both, will be but notional, ver. 10. Some Peculiarity in every man, characteristic to himself, yet varying from himself, ver. 15. Difficulties arifing from our own Paffions, Fancies, Faculties, etc. ver. 31. The shortness of Life to obferve in, and the uncertainty of the Principles of Action in men to obferve by, ver. 37, etc. Our own Principle of action often hid from ourselves, ver. 41. Some few Characters plain, but in general confounded, dissembled, or inconfiftent, ver. 51. The fame man utterly different in different places and seasons, ver. 71. Unimaginable weaknesses in the greateft, ver. 70, etc. Nothing conftant and certain but God and Nature, ver. 95. No judging of the Motives from the actions; the fame actions proceeding from contrary Motives, and the fame Motives influencing contrary actions, ver. 100. II. Yet to form Characters, we can only take the ftrongest actions of a

man's life, and try to make them agree: The utter uncertainty of this, from Nature itself, and from Policy, ver. 120. Characters given according to the rank of men of the world, ver. 135. And some reason for it, ver. 140. Education alters the Nature, or at leaft Character, of many, ver. 149. Actions, Paffions, Opinions, Manners, Humours or Principles, all fubject to change. No judging by Nature, from ver. 158. to ver. 178. III. It only remains to find (if we can) his RULING PASSION: That will certainly influence all the reft, and can reconcile the feeming or real inconfiftency of all his actions, ver. 175. Inftanced in the extraordinary character of Clodio, ver. 179. A caution against mistaking second qualities for first, which will defroy all poffibility of the knowledge of mankind, ver. 210. Examples of the ftrength of the Ruling Paffion, and its continuation to the laft breath, ver. 222, etc.

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