Others have Spirits volatile and gay,
Which in the Brain, like darting Meteors, play,
Or Atomes dancing in the solar Ray.
Tho' these with Strength Divine can never rise,
Nor stretch the daring Wing in upper Skies:
Yet sportive with their Wit, that flows with Ease,
And Humour, they the Taste in Fashion please.
In Raill'ry fine, in Conversation bright,
They now with Praises sooth, and now with Satyre bite.

As lighter Airs th' ignoble Audience charm,
Whom the Divine Scarlatti cannot warm,
So Sports of Fancy please the People's Ear,
Who cold the Epick Inspiration hear.
Of either Kind a Genius we should prize,
One makes us laugh, as One would make us wife.

For different Ends the busy Head is fill'd
With different Spirits from the Blood distill'd:
Behold in some, these Agents of the Mind
Mild, but exalted, active and refin'd;
And from the sharp and sullen Vapours freed,
Which from the Bile, and anxious Spleen proceed,
Dart to the Soul a pure, and easy Ray,
Serene as Morn, and sweet as Eden 's Day:
Gentle and soft, as tepid, genial Rains,
Inspire a kindly Warmth thro' all the Veins:
Dispos'd around the Mind's High Judgment-Seat,
They give abundant Light, but moderate Heat.
When Spirits temper'd thus combine, we own
A Fleetwood form'd, a Lock , or Tillotson .

In some the Spirits their rich Store diffuse,
Drawn from a Mixture of digested Dews
And equal Fire, which purer Choler joyns,
And the high Ferment of the Spleen refines.
These plenteous rise, and with their radiant Train
Fill all th' Apartments of th' inlighten'd Brain.
They burn, without exhaling Vapours, bright,
And give a clear and comprehensive Sight,
Piercing Inspection, and attentive Thought,
Where Nature's Steps are trac'd, and Schemes of Science wrought.
From Spirits thus dispos'd expect to see
A Wren , a Newton , or a Gregory .

Those, which the able Statesman's Head inspire,
Approach yet nearer to Etherial Fire.
These by their frequent Sublimations pure,
Mellow by long Digestion, and mature;
Justly attemper'd with proportion'd Flegme,
And to a certain Height exalted, frame
A noble, generous, strong, and steddy Flame;
Which thro' the Brain Meridian Lustre spreads,
Mild as the Glory, which a Seraph sheds.
This Flame is vig'rous, lasting, clear, serene,
And darts not outward, while it shines within.
Hence Judgment flows, and Thoughts sagacious, hence
Come steddy Temper, and superior Sense.
This makes a Master to direct a State,
And forms the Man denominated Great.
Give to the Brain such Guests as these, and we
New Burleighs , and new Walsinghams shall see.

And may Britannia 's Soil with Spirit stor'd,
And blest with Genius, still a Race afford
In Council able, and with Prudence crown'd,
Not less for Wisdom, than for Arms renown'd,
In Action warm, and in Designing cool,
Mighty to conquer, and as sit to rule.

Nor do's the wild intemperate Zone admit
Religion's Empire more than that of Wit,
Alike for Sense and Piety unfit.

Survey the Regions near th' Æquator Line,
To Congo 's Sands from swarthy Abyssine ,
The Nations spread on Guinea 's golden Shore,
The tawny, black, the long, and short-hair'd Moor ,
Who drink the Niger , or the Nile adore;
That People barbarous Madagascar 's Soil,
Camboia 's Kingdom, and Mindano 's Isle,
Who range like Savage Beasts, the Hill and Wood,
Unciviliz'd, and naked snatch their Food,
Nature's pure Growth, and drink the ready Flood.
These stupid Nations, this degenerate Race,
Can scarce the Being of their Maker trace,
Tho' Marks of Pow'r Divine shine bright on Nature's Face:
And those, who Altars for Religion raise,
To Demons , not to Gods, direct their Praise.

Soon as th' unhappy Head of Humane Kind,
By secret Guile and flatt'ring Arts inclin'd,
Had (fatal Choice!) embrac'd th' Impostor's Cause,
Abjur'd his Soveraign, and despis'd his Laws;
Inflicted Mists, and Shades of penal Night
Involv'd his Offspring, and perplex'd their Sight;
Hence, lost in various Error, they ador'd
Some Fellow-Creature, as their Maker-Lord;
And mumerous Kinds of Idols did revere,
The Objects of their Love, or of their Fear.

Some deify'd the Seraph-Race, that fell
From bright celestial Thrones, condemn'd to dwell
In Falshood's dark Abodes, and reign accurs'd in Hell.
While these Fall'n-Angels, Princes of the Air,
From their low Seats to ours, did oft repair,
To manage here their Empire, to preside
O'er warring Winds, and wrathful Tempests guide,
To ripen Plagues, and Torments to dispense,
To scourge Mankind, and punish bold Offence;
Mistaken Man, by Terrors thus alarm'd,
Bow'd to the Pow'rs with so much Vengeance arm'd:
And to the fierce Tormentors Fanes did reer;
While Demons thus were first made Gods by Fear.

Th' Apostate Spirits proud to be ador'd,
And vie in Honours with their Soveraign Lord;
In various Climes appointed various Modes,
By which th' Usurpers were aton'd as Gods.
In Person some, disguis'd in Humane Shape,
Met their Adorers, some assum'd the Ape.
The Satyr's Form some did capricious chuse,
Some did the Goat's, and some the Serpent's use;
Others were pleas'd, from different Taste of Pride,
Unseen in various Idols to reside:
Temples and Domes were rais'd, the high Abodes
Of wing'd, four-footed, and of reptile Gods.

Some did the Town, and some the Desart love;
These chose the Hill, and those the shady Grove.
Here burning Incense sooth'd their Nostrils, there
They view'd the prost'rate Crowd, and heard their abject Pray'r.
Here impious Priests, full of the Demon Guest,
With trembling Limbs and agitated Breast,
Exclaiming loud the Fiend within confest.
While some with Rites uncouth, and hollow Notes
Exploded frightful thro' their lab'ring Thoats,
From murm'ring Bowels raving did dispense
Dark Oracles, and Words of doubtful Sense,

As Evil Spirits were by Men implor'd,
So Good, their own Invention, were ador'd.
Such Deities their Guardian Genij were,
Who rul'd wide Realms, or made great Towns their Care;
And those, who still assiduous did attend
Their Fav'rite's Person, and his Life defend:
Such those commission'd to protect their Tow'rs,
And guard their Walls against invading Pow'rs;
And Lares , plain, familiar, inmate Gods,
Who watchful kept their Votaries Abodes.

Those of their Race, who useful Arts did find,
Or blest with gen'rous Labour Humane Kind,
By States too grateful were enrol'd Divine,
And mid'st the Stars did Gods illustrious shine.
Bacchus , and Ceres , who obtain'd a Place
High in the Heav'ns among th' Immortal Race,
Their Priests and Altars to their Skill did owe;
One taught to plant the Vine, and One to sow.
Robust Alcides , whose heroick Toil,
From Plagues and Monsters freed his Native Soil,
By Strength Athletick climb'd to Heav'n and rais'd
His Temples by the Club, which rescu'd Nations prais'd.
On Æsculapius Altars they bestow'd,
First their Physician, and at length their God.

Some duller yet of Reason, more debase
The Dignity of Man's superior Race,
While stupid they with sacred Honours crown
Creatures of Rank inferior to their own;
Worship wild Inmates, which the Woods infest,
The Desart's Terror, or the Mountain's Guest,
That walk, and run, or on their Bellies creep,
Traverse the Air, or range the spacious Deep.

Rude Africk Realms, far from the Tropic Lines,
On which the Sun, profuse of Glory, shines,
Abject, their own Destroyers idolize,
And stock with Monster-Gods th' affronted Skies.
The wild and barb'rous Nations of the Land,
That stretches near the Erythraean Strand,
The Viper, Snake, and Basilisk adore,
And from their Plagues and Torments Aid implore

Ægypt bow'd down before the Crocodile,
Who fierce infests their other God, the Nile ;
The Terror That, and This the Blessing of their Soil.

While Heroes dead, and Demons were prefer'd
To Thrones Divine, and Beasts were Gods declar'd,
Ev'n Herbs themselves, cheap verdant Deities,
From Earth transplanted, flourish'd in the Skies.
Ægypt in Garden Pow'rs her Safety plac'd,
Divinities of high delicious Taste:
Her Sons, like modern Rome , their Gods did eat,
Who fixt in Domes, or on their Tables set,
Did raise Devotion now, and now their Hunger treat.

Some lifting to the glorious Sun and Skies
Magnificent with Stars, their wond'ring Eyes
In Error lost, took for their Maker God
His Throne refulgent and August Abode.

But Muse return, and thy first Aim pursue,
With closer Flight, and with less distant View.

Nor do the Nations which inhabit near
Arcturus , and the never-setting Bear ,
In Nova Zembla , and Iselandia 's Isle,
In Lapland Hills, and bleak Muscovia 's Soil,
More noble Dictates of Religion own,
Than the Brute Kingdoms of the Torrid Zone .
This heav'nly Plant, which Life Divine bestows,
Rare in incliment Air successful grows,
'Tis scorcht with Libia 's Heats, and nip'd with Russia 's Snows.

'Tis true th' Almighty can with Ease display
O'er dull benighted Realms celestial Day;
And to th' unaptest Natures can impart
Transforming Pow'r, and with unerring Art
Bend the reluctant Will, and new create the Heart
Yet who shall tax his Goodness, who arraign
Of Providence Divine the secret Chain,
If chief we see his Blessings the Reward
Of Thoughts more Humane, and of Minds prepar'd?
Nations, 'tis known, with finer Nature blest,
And Sense and Wit superior to the rest,
Soonest Divine Religion's Charms discern,
Meet the blest Teacher, and her Dictates learn.

And hence, ye various Nations dull of Thought,
To near the Solar Orb, or too remote,
Stupid of Mind, and obstinate of Will,
Unconscious of the Rules of Good and Ill,
Rarely your Souls to pious Acts incline,
Or feel th' impulsive Force of Light Divine:
Obdurate, rarely in your yielding Breast,
You entertain the Beatifick Guest.
Your Hearts, as barren as your Rocks and Sand,
Her Charms and pow'rful Influence withstand;
Whose heav'nly Rays defeated thence recoil,
Like Sun-Beams wasted on unfruitful Soil.

Know, hardy Atheists, who insulting say
Some populous Realms to Gods no Homage pay,
And therefore Nature's universal Law
Imprints not on the Mind Religious Awe;
That those, who no superior Being own,
Are more from Beasts by Shape, than Reason known.

Then impious Maxims, which affront the Skies,
From Want of Wit, and not Abundance rise.