n. But this passage has a certain glow of fine humanity and is
touched with real pathos. A further passage or two may sufficiently
indicate his higher qualities. In the end of the third epistle Pope is
discussing the origin of government and the state of nature, and
discussing them in such a way as to show conclusively that he does not
in the least understand the theories in question or their application.
His state of Nature is a sham reproduction of the golden age of poets,
made to do duty in a scientific speculation. A flimsy hypothesis learnt
from Bolingbroke is not improved when overlaid with Pope's conventional
ornamentation. The imaginary history proceeds to relate the growth of
superstition, which destroys the primeval innocence; but why or when
does not very clearly appear; yet, though the general theory is
incoherent, he catches a distinct view of one aspect of the question and
expresses a tolerably trite view of the question with singular
terseness. Who, he asks,--

First taught souls enslaved and realms undone,
The enormous faith of many made for one?

He replies,--

Force first made conquest and that conquest law;
Till Superstition taught the tyrant awe,
Then shared the tyranny, then lent it aid,
And gods of conquerors, slaves of subjects made;
She, 'mid the lightning's blaze and thunder's sound,
When rock'd the mountains and when groan'd the ground--
She taught the weak to trust, the proud to pray
To Power unseen and mightier far than they;
She from the rending earth and bursting skies
Saw gods descend and fiends infernal rise;
There fix'd the dreadful, there the blest abodes;
Fear made her devils, and weak hope her gods;
Gods partial, changeful, passionate, unjust,
Whose attributes were rage, revenge, or lust;
Such as the souls of cowards might conceive,
And, framed like tyrants, tyrants would believe.

If the test of poetry were the power of expressing a theory more closely
and pointedly than prose, such writing would take a very high place.
Some popular philosophers would make a sounding chapter out of those
sixteen lines.

The Essay on Man brought Pope into difficulties. The central thesis,
"whatever is is right," might be understood in various senses, and in
some sense it would be accepted by every theist. But, in Bolingbroke's
teaching, it received a heterodox application, and in Pope's imperfect
ve