Wednesday, January 15, 2014
ESSAY ON MAN by Alexander Pope
ESSAY ON MAN, by Alexander Pope (Forgotten Books: 1848, 2012), p.12
"Two principles in human nature reign: self-love to urge, and reason to restrain:
"Nor this a good, nor that a bad we call, each works its end, to move or govern all:
"And to their proper operation still,
Ascribe all good, to their improper, ill.
"Self-love, the spring of motion, acts the soul; Reasoning's comparing balance rules the whole.
"Man, but for that, no action could attend, and, but for this, were active to no end.
"Fix'd like a plant on his peculiar spot, to draw nutrition, propagate, and rot;
"Or meteor-like, flame lawless through the void, destroying others, by himself destroy'd...."