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Delamonce inv.

II: Chant

Soubeyran Sc.

L'affaire de l'Hom

me eft

l'Homme.

Sa nature,

fes puif.

ESSA I

SUR

L'HOMME

E PITRE

II.

De la nature de l'état de l'Homme par raport à lui-même considéré comme individu.

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PRENS donc à te connoître toi-même, & ne préfume point de développer la divinité. L'étude propre de l'Homme, eft l'Homme. Placé dans fances, fes une efpece d'ifthme, être d'un état mixte, mélange de lu& les limi. miere & d'obfcurité, de grandeur & de baffeffe; avec trop, tes de fa de connoiffance pour le doute sceptique, & avec trop de foibleffe pour la fierté ftoïque; en fufpens entre ces contrarietés, il ne fçait s'il doit agir, ou ne rien faire; fe croire

foibleffes

capacité,

!

Page. 29.

Delamonce Invet del.

Man is only Folly, but God is all Wisdom.

Gallimard Sculp›

Quoique l'Home foit Folie, Dieu efl toute sagesse.

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Of the NATURE and STATE of MAN, with refpect to HIMSELF as an Individual.

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Now then thyself, prefume not God to Scan;
The proper ftudy of mankind is Man.

PLAC'D on this ifthmus of a middle ftate,
A being darkly wife, and rudely great;
With too much knowledge for the Sceptic fide,
With too much weakness for a Stoic's pride
He hangs between, in doubt to act, or rest
In doubt to deem himself a God, or beast;

In doubt his mind or body to prefer ;
Born but to die, and reas'ning but to err;
Alike in ignorance, his reafon fuch,

Whether he thinks too little, or too much :
Chaos of thought and Paffion, all confus'd;
Still by himself abus'd, or difabus'd;
Created half to rife, and half to fall;
Great Lord of all things, yet a prey to all;
Sole Judge of truth, in endless error burl'd;
The glory, jeft, and riddle of the world!

ΤΟ

Go, wondrous creature! mount where fcience guides,

Go measure earth, weigh air, and ftate the tides,

20

Show by what laws the wand'ring planets stray »
Correct old Time, and teach the Sun his way.
Go, foar with Plato to th' empyreal Sphere,
To the first good, first perfect, and first fair;
Or tread the mazy round his follow'rs trod,,
And quitting fenfe call imitating God;
As eaftern priests in giddy circles run,
And turn their heads, to imitate the fun.
Go, teach Eternal Wisdom how to rule;
Then drop into thyself, and be a fool!

SUPERIOR beings, when of late they faw

A mortal man unfold all Nature's law,
Admir'd fuch wifdom in an earthly Shape,
And fhew'd a NEWTON, as we Show an Ape.

COULD he, whofe rules the whirling comet bind,

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