In nature's channel, thus the questions run. “What am I? and from whence ?—I nothing know, "But that I am; and, fince I am, conclude 1450 "Something eternal: had there e'er been nought, Nought ftill had been: eternal there must be.-"But what eternal?-Why not human race? "And Adam's ancestors without an end?"That's hard to be conceiv'd; fince every link 1455 "Of that long-chain'd succession is so frail ; "Can every part depend, and not the whole? "Yet grant it true; new difficulties rife ; "I'm still quite out at fea; nor fee the shore. “Whence earth, and these bright orbs ?—Eternal too ? "Grant matter was eternal; ftill these orbs. "Would want fome other father;-much defign "Is feen in all their motions, all their makes ; "Defign implies intelligence, and art; "That can't be from themselves—or man; that art 1465 "Man scarce can comprehend, could man bestow? "And nothing greater yet allow'd than man.— "Who, motion, foreign to the smallest grain, "Shot through vast masses of enormous weight? "Who bid brute matter's reftive lump affume "Such various forms, and gave it wings to fly? "Has matter innate motion? then each atom, "Afferting its indisputable right 1479 "To dance, would form an universe of duft: "Has matter none? Then whence these glorious forms "And boundless flights, from bapeless, and repos'd? "Has matter more than motion? has it thought, "Judgment, "Judgment, and genius? is it deeply learn'd "In mathematics? Has it fram'd fuch laws, "Which but to guefs, a Newton made immortal?--1486 "If so, how each sage atom laughs at me, "Who think a clod inferior to a man! "If art, to form; and counsel, to conduct; "And that with greater far, than human skill; "Refides not in each block ;-a Godhead reigns.-1485 "Grant, then, invifible, eternal, Mind; "That granted, all is folv'd.-But, granting that, "Draw I not o'er me a still darker cloud? "Grant I not that which I can ne'er conceive? "A being without origin, or end ! 1490 "Hail, human liberty! There is no God— "Yet, why? On either scheme that knot fubfifts "Subfift it must, in God, or human race; "If in the laft, how many knots befide, • Indissoluble all?—Why chufe it there, "Where, chofen, still fubfift ten thousand more? Reject it, where, that chofen, all the rest 1495 cr Difpers'd, leave reason's whole horizon clear? "This is not reafon's dictate; reason fays, "Clofe with the fide where one grain turns the fcale; 1500 "What vaft preponderance is here! can reason "With louder voice exclaim-Believe a God? "And reason heard, is the fole mark of man. "What things impoffible must man think true, "On any other system! and how strange "To disbelieve, through mere credulity!" If, in this chain, Lorenzo finds no flaw, E 2 1505 Let Let it for ever bind him to belief. 1510 And where the link, in which a flaw he finds? And hangs creation, like a precious gem, 1515 1520 Though little, on the footftool of his throne ! Its extra-mundane head? and fays, to gods, "I ftand, the plan's proud period; I pronounce "That refts, or rolls, ye heights, and depths refound! "Refound! refound! ye depths, and heights, refound!” Hard are thofe questions !-Answer harder ftill. 1535 Is this the fole exploit, the single birth, The folitary fon of power divine? Or Or has th' Almighty Father, with a breath, "grave! 1540 1545 1550 Think'st thou my scheme, Lorenzo, spreads too wide? Is this extravagant. ?—No; this is just ; Juft, in conjecture, though 't were falfe in fact. If 'tis an error, 'tis an error fprung. From noble root, high thought of the Moft-High. 1555 But wherefore error? who can prove it tuch ?— He that can fet Omnipotence a bound. Can man conceive beyond what God can do? He fummons into being, with like ease, A whole creation, and a fingle grain. 1560 Speaks he the word? a thousand worlds are born! A thousand worlds? there's space for millions more ; And in what space can his great fiat fail? The warm imagination: why condemn ? · 1565 Why not indulge fuch thoughts, as fwell our hearts. With fuller admiration of that power, Who gives our hearts with fuch high thoughts to swell? The lefs is left to Chaos, and the realms 1570 And, though most talkative, makes no report? Glaffes (that revelation to the fight!) 1580 If, then, on the reverfe, the mind would mount Stupendous Architect! Thou, Thou art all! 1585 1590 O for the voice-of what? of whom ?-What voice Can answer to my wants, in such ascent, As dares to deem one univerfe too fmall ? 1595 Of |