Book IV.
The Dunciad.
193
[R 1]Or, at one bound o'er-leaping all his laws,[R 2]
Make God Man's Image, Man the final Cause,
Find Virtue local, all Relation scorn,
480 See all in Self,[R 3] and but for self be born:
Of nought so certain as our Reason still,[R 4]
Of nought so doubtful as of Soul and Will.
Oh hide the God still more! and make us see
Such as Lucretius drew,[R 5] a God like Thee:
Make God Man's Image, Man the final Cause,
Find Virtue local, all Relation scorn,
480 See all in Self,[R 3] and but for self be born:
Of nought so certain as our Reason still,[R 4]
Of nought so doubtful as of Soul and Will.
Oh hide the God still more! and make us see
Such as Lucretius drew,[R 5] a God like Thee:
Remarks
- ↑ Ver. 475. Thrust some Mechanic Cause into his place,
Or bind in Matter, or diffuse in Space.]The first of these Follies is that of Des Cartes, the second of Hobbs, the third of some succeeding Philosophers. - ↑ Ver. 477. Or, at one bound, &c.] These words are very significant: In their Physical and Metaphysical reasonings it was a Chain of pretended Demonstrations that drew them into all these absurd conclusions. But their errors in Morals rest only on bold and impudent Assertions, without the least shadow of proof, in which they o'er-leap all the laws of Argument as well as Truth.
- ↑ Ver. 478, &c. Make God Man's Image, Man the final Cause,
Find Virtue local, all Relation scorn,
See all in Self———Here the Poet, from the errors relating to a Deity in Natural Philosophy, descends to those in Moral. Man was made according to God's Image; this false Theology, measuring his Attributes by ours, makes God after Man's Image. This proceeds from the imperfection of his Reason. The next, of imagining himself the Final Cause, is the effect of his Pride: as the making Virtue and Vice arbitrary, and Morality the imposition of the Magistrate, is of the Corruption of his heart. Hence he centers every thing in himself. The Progress of Dulness herein differing from that of Madness; one ends in seeing all in God, the other in seeing all in Self. - ↑ Ver. 481. Of nought so certain as our Reason still.] Of which we have most cause to be diffident. Of nought so doubtful as of Soul and Will: two things the most self-evident, the Existence of our Soul, and the Freedom of our Will.
- ↑ Ver. 484. Such as Lucretius drew,] Lib. i. ver. 57.Omnis enim per se Divom natura necesse'st
Immortali ævo summa cum pace fruatur,
