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...."