What's all the noisy jargon of the schools But idle nonsense of laborious fools, 8 60 Who fetter reason with perplexing rules? 80 What sure, what certain mark have we to know The right or wrong 'twixt Burgess, Wake, and Howe? Should untun'd Nature crave the medic art, What health can that contentious tribe impart ? 85 Ev'ry physician writes a diff'rent bill, 91 95 Missing the gout, by chance has hit the stone; Our ripen'd age confirms us to believe: The careful nurse and priest are all we need, The parents' precepts early are instill'd, 105 And spoil the man, while they instruct the child. And nought is current but what custom seals? 110 *Sir Richard Blackmore. We seldom use our liberty aright, Nor judge of things by universal light; Our prepossessions and affections bind 115 The soul in chains, and lord it o'er the mind; Our unexamin'd principles may pass. [ceive, Good Heav'ns! that man should thus himself de To learn on credit, and on trust believe! 120 Better the mind no notions had retain'd, For now, who truth from falsehood would discern, 125 When once remov'd, will smooth the way to truth. To dispossess the child the mortal lives, But death approaches ere the man arrives. [find, Those who would learning's glorious kingdom The dear bought purchase of the trading mind, 130 135 Does not that foolish deference we pay To men that liv'd long since our passage stay? What odd prepost'rous paths at first we tread, And learn to walk by stumbling on the dead? 140 First we a blessing from the grave implore, Worship old urns, and monuments adore; The rev'rend sage, with vast esteem, we prize; For all those errors which their fancies bred : 150 160 Suppose those many dreadful dangers past, Will knowledge dawn, and bless the mind at last? Ah! no; 'tis now environ'd from our eyes, 155 Hides all its charms, and undiscover'd lies. Truth, like a single point, escapes the sight, And claims attention to perceive it right: But what resembles truth is soon descry'd, Spread like a surface and expanded wide. The first man rarely, very rarely, finds The tedious search of long inquiring minds: But yet what's worse, we know not when we err; What mark does truth, what bright distinction, bear? How do we know that what we know is true? 165 How shall we falsehood fly, and truth pursue? Let none then here his certain knowledge boast, 'Tis all but probability at most: This is the easy purchase of the mind, The vulgar's treasure, which we soon may find: 170 But truth lies hid, and ere we can explore The glitt'ring gem, our fleeting life is o'er. G SINCE we can die but once, and after death But when we have resign'd our breath To endless joys or everlasting woes, As we are born, return to dust; "Tis the last point of many ling'ring years : But whither then we go, Whither we fain would know; But hunan understanding cannot show : 5 10 15 |