An Essay on Man; Moral Essays and Satires
()
About this ebook
Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope (1688-1744) was an English poet. Born in London to a family of Catholics who were later expelled from the city during a period of religious persecution, Pope was largely self-educated, and struggled with numerous illnesses from a young age. At 23, he wrote the discursive poem An Essay on Criticism (1711), a manifesto on the art of poetry which gained him the admiration and acclaim of influential critics and writers of his day. His most famous poem, The Rape of the Lock (1712), is a mock epic which critiques aristocratic English society while showcasing Pope’s mastery of poetic form, particularly the use of the heroic couplet. Pope produced highly acclaimed translations of the Iliad and Odyssey, which transformed Homer’s ancient Greek dactylic hexameter into a contemporary rhyming English verse. His work The Dunciad (1728-1743), originally published anonymously in Dublin, is a satirical poem which lampoons English literary society and criticizes the moral and intellectual decay of British life. Second only to Shakespeare for the frequency with which he is quoted, Alexander Pope succumbed to his illnesses at the age of 56 while at the height of his fame and productivity.
Read more from Alexander Pope
The Rape of the Lock and Other Poems Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5An Essay on Criticism Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Rape of the Lock Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dog's Book Of Verse Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Major Works of Alexander Pope Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAn Essay on Man Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAn Essay on Criticism Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEpistle to Dr. Arbuthnot Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThree Hours after Marriage Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5The Oxford Book of Poetry: Latin Verse, English Verse, Book of Ballads & Modern Poetry, With Oxford Lectures on Poetry Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Poetical Works of Alexander Pope (Vol. 1&2): Complete Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAn Essay on Criticism Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPoetry Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAlexander Pope – The Complete Collection Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Iliad of Homer Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Works II Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAn Essay on Man, The Rape of the Lock, and Other Poems Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWindsor Forest Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Poetical Works of Alexander Pope, Volume 2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Odyssey Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Rape of the Lock and the Dunciad Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Iliad Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Poets of the 18th Century - Volume 1: Volume I – Jane Austen to William Cowper Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related authors
Related to An Essay on Man; Moral Essays and Satires
Related ebooks
An Essay on Man Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAn Essay on Man; Moral Essays and Satires Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5An Essay on Man (Barnes & Noble Digital Library): Moral Essays and Satires Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5A Theologico-Political Treatise and A Political Treatise Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Studies in Religion and Literature (Barnes & Noble Digital Library) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Poetry of Alexander Pope - Volume VII: “Act well your part; there all the honour lies.” Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSermons on Evil-Speaking Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHarvard Classics Volume 3: Bacon, Milton's Prose, Thos. Browne Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDelphi Complete Works of Edmund Burke (Illustrated) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe American Heretic's Dictionary Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Ancient and Modern Celebrated Freethinkers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOf Genius' in the Occassional Paper, and Preface to the Creation Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHeretics Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDevil of Envy: Shakespeare's tragedies in the light of Francis Bacon's philosophy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Tale of a Tub Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Plato and Platonism (Barnes & Noble Library of Essential Reading) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Iliad of Homer, Translated by Alexander Pope Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHistory of English Humour, Vol. 2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLeviathan Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Leviathan (Barnes & Noble Library of Essential Reading) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAncient and Modern Celebrated Freethinkers Reprinted From an English Work, Entitled "Half-Hours With The Freethinkers." Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLay Sermons, Addresses, and Reviews (Barnes & Noble Digital Library) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Heretics Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSome Characteristics of the Interior Church Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAn Essay Concerning Human Understanding (Barnes & Noble Library of Essential Reading) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHistory of English Literature Volume 1 (of 3): (Illustrated Edition) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSermons on Various Important Subjects: Written Partly on Sundry of the More Difficult Passages in the Sacred Volume Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsToleration and other essays Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Signature of All Things Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
European History For You
The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dry: A Memoir Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mein Kampf: English Translation of Mein Kamphf - Mein Kampt - Mein Kamphf Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Gulag Archipelago [Volume 1]: An Experiment in Literary Investigation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Quite Nice and Fairly Accurate Good Omens Script Book: The Script Book Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Jane Austen: The Complete Novels Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Rise of the Fourth Reich: The Secret Societies That Threaten to Take Over America Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Oscar Wilde: The Unrepentant Years Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Killing England: The Brutal Struggle for American Independence Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Violent Abuse of Women: In 17th and 18th Century Britain Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Six Wives of Henry VIII Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Law Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Anarchy: The East India Company, Corporate Violence, and the Pillage of an Empire Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Book of English Magic Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Victorian Lady's Guide to Fashion and Beauty Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Gulag Archipelago [Volume 2]: An Experiment in Literary Investigation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith and Love Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Witch: A History of Fear, from Ancient Times to the Present Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Celtic Mythology: A Concise Guide to the Gods, Sagas and Beliefs Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Putin's People: How the KGB Took Back Russia and Then Took On the West Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Anglo-Saxons: A History of the Beginnings of England: 400 – 1066 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Very Secret Sex Lives of Medieval Women Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
Related categories
Reviews for An Essay on Man; Moral Essays and Satires
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
An Essay on Man; Moral Essays and Satires - Alexander Pope
AN ESSAY ON MAN; MORAL ESSAYS AND SATIRES
..................
Alexander Pope
WALLACHIA PUBLISHERS
Thank you for reading. If you enjoy this book, please leave a review or connect with the author.
All rights reserved. Aside from brief quotations for media coverage and reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced or distributed in any form without the author’s permission. Thank you for supporting authors and a diverse, creative culture by purchasing this book and complying with copyright laws.
Copyright © 2016 by Alexander Pope
Interior design by Pronoun
Distribution by Pronoun
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION.
ARGUMENT OF EPISTLE I.
EPISTLE I.
ARGUMENT OF EPISTLE II.
EPISTLE II.
ARGUMENT OF EPISTLE III.
EPISTLE III.
ARGUMENT OF EPISTLE IV.
EPISTLE IV.
EPISTLE I. TO SIR RICHARD TEMPLE, LORD COBHAM.
EPISTLE II. TO A LADY.
EPISTLE III. TO ALLEN LORD BATHURST.
EPISTLE IV. TO RICHARD BOYLE, EARL OF BURLINGTON.
EPISTLE V. TO MR. ADDISON.
THE FIRST SATIRE OF THE SECOND BOOK OF HORACE.: SATIRE I. TO MR. FORTESCUE.
THE SECOND SATIRE OF THE SECOND BOOK OF HORACE.: SATIRE II. TO MR. BETHEL.
THE FIRST EPISTLE OF THE FIRST BOOK OF HORACE.: EPISTLE I. TO LORD BOLINGBROKE.
THE SIXTH EPISTLE OF THE FIRST BOOK OF HORACE.: EPISTLE VI. TO MR. MURRAY.
EPISTLE I. TO AUGUSTUS.
SATIRE II.
SATIRE IV.
EPILOGUE TO THE SATIRES. IN TWO DIALOGUES. WRITTEN IN MDCCXXXVIII.: DIALOGUE I.
DIALOGUE II.
An Essay on Man; Moral Essays and Satires
By
Alexander Pope
An Essay on Man; Moral Essays and Satires
Published by Wallachia Publishers
New York City, NY
First published circa 1744
Copyright © Wallachia Publishers, 2015
All rights reserved
Except in the United States of America, this book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
About Wallachia Publishers
Wallachia Publishers mission is to publish the world’s finest European history texts. More information on our recent publications and catalog can be found on our website.
INTRODUCTION.
..................
POPE’S LIFE AS A WRITER falls into three periods, answering fairly enough to the three reigns in which he worked. Under Queen Anne he was an original poet, but made little money by his verses; under George I. he was chiefly a translator, and made much money by satisfying the French-classical taste with versions of the Iliad
and Odyssey.
Under George I. he also edited Shakespeare, but with little profit to himself; for Shakespeare was but a Philistine in the eyes of the French-classical critics. But as the eighteenth century grew slowly to its work, signs of a deepening interest in the real issues of life distracted men’s attention from the culture of the snuff-box and the fan. As Pope’s genius ripened, the best part of the world in which he worked was pressing forward, as a mariner who will no longer hug the coast but crowds all sail to cross the storms of a wide unknown sea. Pope’s poetry thus deepened with the course of time, and the third period of his life, which fell within the reign of George II., was that in which he produced the Essay on Man,
the Moral Essays,
and the Satires.
These deal wholly with aspects of human life and the great questions they raise, according throughout with the doctrine of the poet, and of the reasoning world about him in his latter day, that the proper study of mankind is Man.
Wrongs in high places, and the private infamy of many who enforced the doctrines of the Church, had produced in earnest men a vigorous antagonism. Tyranny and unreason of low-minded advocates had brought religion itself into question; and profligacy of courtiers, each worshipping the golden calf seen in his mirror, had spread another form of scepticism. The intellectual scepticism, based upon an honest search for truth, could end only in making truth the surer by its questionings. The other form of scepticism, which might be traced in England from the low-minded frivolities of the court of Charles the Second, was widely spread among the weak, whose minds flinched from all earnest thought. They swelled the number of the army of bold questioners upon the ways of God to Man, but they were an idle rout of camp-followers, not combatants; they simply ate, and drank, and died.
In 1697, Pierre Bayle published at Rotterdam, his Historical and Critical Dictionary,
in which the lives of men were associated with a comment that suggested, from the ills of life, the absence of divine care in the shaping of the world. Doubt was born of the corruption of society; Nature and Man were said to be against faith in the rule of a God, wise, just, and merciful. In 1710, after Bayle’s death, Leibnitz, a German philosopher then resident in Paris, wrote in French a book, with a title formed from Greek words meaning Justice of God, Theodicee, in which he met Bayle’s argument by reasoning that what we cannot understand confuses us, because we see only the parts of a great whole. Bayle, he said, is now in Heaven, and from his place by the throne of God, he sees the harmony of the great Universe, and doubts no more. We see only a little part in which are many details that have purposes beyond our ken. The argument of Leibnitz’s Theodicee was widely used; and although Pope said that he had never read the Theodicee, his Essay on Man
has a like argument. When any book has a wide influence upon opinion, its general ideas pass into the minds of many people who have never read it. Many now talk about evolution and natural selection, who have never read a line of Darwin.
In the reign of George the Second, questionings did spread that went to the roots of all religious faith, and many earnest minds were busying themselves with problems of the state of Man, and of the evidence of God in the life of man, and in the course of Nature. Out of this came, nearly at the same time, two works wholly different in method and in tone—so different, that at first sight it may seem absurd to speak of them together. They were Pope’s Essay on Man,
and Butler’s Analogy of Religion, Natural and Revealed, to the Constitution and Course of Nature.
Butler’s Analogy
was published in 1736; of the Essay on Man,
the first two Epistles appeared in 1732, the Third Epistle in 1733, the Fourth in 1734, and the closing Universal Hymn in 1738. It may seem even more absurd to name Pope’s Essay on Man
in the same breath with Milton’s Paradise Lost;
but to the best of his knowledge and power, in his smaller way, according to his nature and the questions of his time, Pope was, like Milton, endeavouring to justify the ways of God to Man.
He even borrowed Milton’s line for his own poem, only weakening the verb, and said that he sought to vindicate the ways of God to Man.
In Milton’s day the questioning all centred in the doctrine of the Fall of Man,
and questions of God’s Justice were associated with debate on fate, fore-knowledge, and free will. In Pope’s day the question was not theological, but went to the root of all faith in existence of a God, by declaring that the state of Man and of the world about him met such faith with an absolute denial. Pope’s argument, good or bad, had nothing to do with questions of theology. Like Butler’s, it sought for grounds of faith in the conditions on which doubt was rested. Milton sought to set forth the story of the Fall in such way as to show that God was love. Pope dealt with the question of God in Nature, and the world of Man.
Pope’s argument was attacked with violence my M. de Crousaz, Professor of Philosophy and Mathematics in the University of Lausanne, and defended by Warburton, then chaplain to the Prince of Wales, in six letters published in 1739, and a seventh in 1740, for which Pope (who died in 1744) was deeply grateful. His offence in the eyes of de Crousaz was that he had left out of account all doctrines of orthodox theology. But if he had been orthodox of the orthodox, his argument obviously could have been directed only to the form of doubt it sought to overcome. And when his closing hymn was condemned as the freethinker’s hymn, its censurers surely forgot that their arguments against it would equally apply to the Lord’s Prayer, of which it is, in some degree, a paraphrase.
The first design of the Essay on Man arranged it into four books, each consisting of a distinct group of Epistles. The First Book, in four Epistles, was to treat of man in the abstract, and of his relation to the Universe. That is the whole work as we have it now. The Second Book was to treat of Man Intellectual; the Third Book, of Man Social, including ties to Church and State; the Fourth Book, of Man Moral, was to illustrate abstract truth by sketches of character. This part of the design is represented by the Moral Essays, of which four were written, to which was added, as a fifth, the Epistle to Addison which had been written much earlier, in 1715, and first published in 1720. The four Moral essays are two pairs. One pair is upon the Characters of Men and on the Characters of Women, which would have formed the opening of the subject of the Fourth Book of the Essay: the other pair shows character expressed through a right or a wrong use of Riches: in fact, Money and Morals. The four Epistles were published separately. The fourth (to the Earl of Burlington) was first published in 1731, its title then being Of Taste;
the third (to Lord Bathurst) followed in 1732, the year of the publication of the first two Epistles on the Essay on Man.
In 1733, the year of publication of the Third Epistle of the Essay on Man,
Pope published his Moral Essay of the Characters of Men.
In 1734 followed the Fourth Epistle of the Essay on Man;
and in 1735 the Characters of Women,
addressed to Martha Blount, the woman whom Pope loved, though he was withheld by a frail body from marriage. Thus the two works were, in fact, produced together, parts of one design.
Pope’s Satires, which still deal with characters of men, followed immediately, some appearing in a folio in January, 1735. That part of the epistle to Arbuthnot forming