Go, wond'rous creature! mount where Science guides, Go, measure earth, weigh air, and ftate the tides; 20 Correct old Time, and regulate the Sun; 25 As VARIATIONS. VER. 21. Ed. 4th and 5th. Show by what rules the wand'ring planets ftray, NOTES. VER. 20. Go, meafure earth, &c.] Alluding to the noble and ufeful labours of the modern Mathematicians, in measuring a degree at the equator and the polar circle, in order to determine the true figure of the earth; of great importance to astronomy and navigation; and which proved of equal honour to the wonderful fagacity of Newton. WARBURTON. VER. 22. Correa old Time, &c.] This alludes to Newton's Grecian Chronology, which he reformed on those two sublime conceptions, the difference between the reigns of kings, and the generations of men; and the position of the colures of the equinoxes and folftices at the time of the Argonautic expedition. WARBURTON. VER. 26. And quitting fenfe, &c.] This alludes to that philofophical fyftem, founded on the doctrines of Plato, which Ammonius Saccas taught, towards the conclufion of the second century, who laid the foundation of the fect which was diftinguished by the name of the New Platonics. His object was to unite Platonism with Chriftianity. He taught his followers to abftract themselves from all worldly feelings, and, by a continual contemplation of the Divine Nature, to work themselves up to an imitation of the Supreme Being, to mortify the body, and to enjoy in spirit an holy and fublime communion with Heaven. See Mofheim, vol. i. p. 85. Maclaine's Tranf.-Brucker's Hiftoria Philo. vol. ii, iii. As Eastern priests in giddy circles run, COMMENTARY. 30 Admir'd VER. 31. Superior Beings, &c.] To give this fecond argument its full force, he illuftrates it (from ver. 30 to 43.) by the nobleft example that ever was in fcience, the incomparable NEWTON; who, although he penetrated fo far beyond others into the works of GOD, yet could go no farther in the knowledge of his own nature than the generality of his fellows. Of which the Poet affigns this very just and adequate reason: In all other sciences the Understanding is unchecked and uncontrouled by any oppofite principle; but in the fcience of Man, the Paffions overturn, as faft as Reafon can build up. WARBURTON. NOTES. VER. 29, 30. Go, teach Eternal Wifdom, &c.] Thefe two lines are a conclufion from all that had been said from ver. 18, to this effect: Go now, vain Man, elated with thy acquirements in real science, and imaginary intimacy with God; go, and run into all the extravagancies I have exploded in the first epistle, where thou pretendedit to teach Providence how to govern; then drep into the obfcurities of thy own nature, and thereby manifeft thy ignorance and folly. WARBURTON. VER. 31. Superior Beings, &c.] In these lines the Poet speaks to this effect: But to make you fully fenfible of the difficulty of this study, I fhall inftance in the great Newton himself; whom, when fuperior beings, not long fince, faw capable of unfolding the whole law of Nature, they were in doubt whether the owner of fuch prodigious fagacity fhould not be reckoned of their order: just as men, when they see the surprising marks of Reason in an Ape, are almost tempted to rank him with their own kind." And yet this wondrous man could go no further in the knowledge of himfelf than the generality of his fpecies. M. Du Refnel, who under Admir'd fuch wisdom in an earthly shape, And fhew'd a NEWTON as we fhew an Ape. Could he, whofe rules the rapid Comet bind, Defcribe or fix one movement of his Mind? 35 Who VER. 35. Ed. Ift. VARIATIONS. Could he, who taught each Planet where to roll, NOTES. ftood nothing of all this, tranflates thefe four celebrated lines thus: "Des celeftes Efprits la vive intelligence Regarde avec pitie notre foible Science; Newton, le grand Newton, que nos admirons tous Eft peut-être pour eux, ce qu'un Singe eft pour nous.' But it is not the pity, but the admiration of those celestial Spirite which is here spoken of. And it was for no flight cause they admired; it was, to see a mortal man unfold the whole law of Nature. By which we see it was not Mr. Pope's intention to bring any of the Ape's qualities, but its fagacity, into the comparison. WARBURTON. VER. 34. as we fhew an Ape.] Evidently borrowed from the following paffage in the Zodiac of Palingenius, and not, as hath been fuggefted by Dr. Hurd, from Plato. Pope was a reader and publisher of the modern Poets of Italy who wrote in Latin. 'The words are, "Simia Cœlicolum rifufq; jocufq; Deorum eft Tunc Homo, cum temerè ingenio confidit, et audet WARTON. VER. 34. And fhew'd a NEWTON, &c.] This image gives an air of burlefque to the paffage, notwithstanding all that can be faid. It is degrading to the subject, to the idea of the "Superior Beings," and to the character on whom it is meant as a panegyric. Who faw its fires here rise, and there defcend, COMMENTARY. 40 Deduct VER. 43. Trace Science then, &c.] The conclufion, therefore, from the whole is (from ver. 42 to 53.), that as, on the one hand, we should perfift in the study of Nature; fo, on the other, in order to arrive at Science, we should proceed in the fimplicity of truth; and then the produce, though fmall, will yet be real. WARBURTON. NOTES. VER. 37. Who faw its fires here rife, &c.] Sir Ifaac Newton, in calculating the velocity of a Comet's motion, and the course it defcribes, when it becomes vifible in its descent to, and ascent from, the Sun, conjectured, with the higheft 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 observing between two Comets a coincidence in their perihelions, and a perfect agreement in their velocities. WARBURTON, VER. 44. First trip off] The abuses of learning are enumerated with brevity and elegance in these few lines. It was a favourite fubject with our author; and it is faid he intended to have written four epiftles on it, wherein he would have treated of the extent and limits of human reafon; of arts and sciences useful and attainable; of the different capacities of different men; of the knowledge of the world; and of wit. Such cenfures, even of the most unimportant parts of literature, fhould not, however, be carried too far; and a fenfible writer obferves, that there is not indeed any part of knowledge which can be called entirely ufelefs. "The Deduct what is but Vanity, or Drefs, 45 Or Learning's Luxury, `or Idlenefs ; Or tricks to fhew the ftretch of human brain, Of all our Vices have created Arts; Then fee how little the remaining fum, 50 Which ferv'd the past, and muft the times to come! II. Two NOTES. moft abftracted parts of mathematics, and the knowledge of mythological hiftory, or ancient allegories, have their own pleasures, not inferior to the more gay entertainments of painting, mufic, or architecture; and it is for the advantage of mankind that some are found who have a taste for these ftudies. The only fault lies in letting any of those inferior taftes engross the whole man to the exclufion of the nobler pursuits of virtue and humanity *.” We may here apply an elegant obfervation of Tully, who fays, in his Brutus, Credo, fed Athenienfium quoque plus interfuit firma tecta in domiciliis habere, quam Minervæ fignum ex ebore pulcherrimum: tamen ego me Phidiam effe mallem quam vel optimum fabrum lignarium; quare non quantum quifque profit, fed quanti quifque fit, ponderandum eft: præfertim cum pauci pingere egregiè poffint aut fingere, operarii autem aut bajuli deeffe non poffint." WARTON. VER. 47. Or tricks to fhew the firetch of human brain,] Such as the mathematical demonftrations concerning the fmall quantity of matter; the endless divifibility of it, &c. WARBURTON. VER. 48. Mere curious pleasure, or ingenious pain ;] i. e. when Admiration has fet the mind on the rack. WARBURTON. VER. 49. Expunge the whole, or lop th' excrefcent parts Of all our Vices have created Arts ;] i. e. Those parts of natural Philofophy, Logic, Rhetoric, Foetry, &c. which adminifter to luxury, deceit, ambition, effeminacy, WARBURTON. &c. *Hutchefon's Nature and Conduct of the Paffions, p. 179. |