free-verse225 lines

A Satyre Against Mankind

by John Wilmot

Were I (who to my cost already am

One of those strange prodigious Creatures Man)

A Spirit free, to choose for my own share,

What Case of Flesh, and Blood, I pleas'd to weare,

I'd be a Dog, a Monkey, or a Bear,

Or any thing but that vain Animal,

Who is so proud of being rational.

The senses are too gross, and he'll contrive

A Sixth, to contradict the other Five;

And before certain instinct, will preferr

Reason, which Fifty times for one does err.

Reason, an Ignis fatuus, in the Mind,

Which leaving light of Nature, sense behind;

Pathless and dang'rous wandring ways it takes,

Through errors Fenny Boggs, and Thorny Brakes;

Whilst the misguided follower, climbs with pain,

Mountains of Whimseys, heap'd in his own Brain:

Stumbling from thought to thought, falls headlong down,

Into doubts boundless Sea, where like to drown,

Books bear him up awhile, and make him try,

To swim with Bladders of Philosophy;

In hopes still t'oretake th'escaping light,

The Vapour dances in his dazling sight,

Till spent, it leaves him to eternal Night.

Then Old Age, and experience, hand in hand,

Lead him to death, and make him understand,

After a search so painful, and so long,

That all his Life he has been in the wrong;

Hudled in dirt, the reas'ning Engine lyes,

Who was so proud, so witty, and so wise.

Pride drew him in, as Cheats, their Bubbles catch,

And makes him venture, to be made a Wretch.

His wisdom did his happiness destroy,

Aiming to know that World he shou'd enjoy;

And Wit, was his vain frivolous pretence,

Of pleasing others, at his own expence.

For Witts are treated just like common Whores,

First they're enjoy'd, and then kickt out of Doores:

The pleasure past, a threatning doubt remains,

That frights th'enjoyer, with succeeding pains:

Women and Men of Wit, are dang'rous Tools,

And ever fatal to admiring Fools.

Pleasure allures, and when the Fopps escape,

'Tis not that they're belov'd, but fortunate,

And therefore what they fear, at heart they hate.

But now methinks some formal Band, and Beard,

Takes me to task, come on Sir I'm prepar'd.

Then by your favour, any thing that's writ

Against this gibeing jingling knack call'd Wit,

Likes me abundantly, but you take care,

Upon this point, not to be too severe.

Perhaps my Muse, were fitter for this part,

For I profess, I can be very smart

On Wit, which I abhor with all my heart:

I long to lash it in some sharp Essay,

But your grand indiscretion bids me stay,

And turns my Tide of Ink another way.

What rage ferments in your degen'rate mind,

To make you rail at Reason, and Mankind?

Blest glorious Man! to whom alone kind Heav'n,

An everlasting Soul has freely giv'n;

Whom his great Maker took such care to make,

That from himself he did the Image take;

And this fair frame, in shining Reason drest,

To dignifie his Nature, above Beast.

Reason, by whose aspiring influence,

We take a flight beyond material sense,

Dive into Mysteries, then soaring pierce,

The flaming limits of the Universe,

Search Heav'n and Hell, find out what's acted there,

And give the World true grounds of hope and fear.

Hold mighty Man, I cry, all this we know,

From the Pathetique Pen of Ingello;

From Patricks Pilgrim, Stilling fleets replyes,

And 'tis this very reason I despise.

This supernatural gift, that makes a Myte,

Think he's the Image of the Infinite:

Comparing his short life, void of all rest,

To the Eternal, and the ever blest.

This busie, puzling, stirrer up of doubt,

That frames deep Mysteries, then finds 'em out;

Filling with Frantick Crowds of thinking Fools,

Those Reverend Bedlams, Colledges, and Schools;

Borne on whose Wings, each heavy Sot can pierce,

The limits of the boundless Universe.

So charming Oyntments, make an Old Witch flie,

And bear a Crippled Carcass through the Skie.

'Tis this exalted Pow'r, whose bus'ness lies,

In Nonsense, and impossibilities.

This made a Whimsical Philosopher,

Before the spacious World, his Tub prefer,

And we have modern Cloysterd Coxcombs, who

Retire to think, cause they have naught to do.

But thoughts, are giv'n, for Actions government,

Where Action ceases, thoughts impertinent:

Our Sphere of Action, is lifes happiness,

And he who thinks Beyond, thinks like an Ass.

Thus, whilst against false reas'ning I inveigh,

I own right Reason, which I wou'd obey:

That Reason that distinguishes by sense,

And gives us Rules, of good, and ill from thence:

That bounds desires, with a reforming Will,

To keep 'em more in vigour, not to kill.

Your Reason hinders, mine helps t'enjoy,

Renewing Appetites, yours wou'd destroy.

My Reason is my Friend, yours is a Cheat,

Hunger call's out, my Reason bids me eat;

Perversly yours, your Appetite does mock,

This asks for Food, that answers what's a Clock?

This plain distinction Sir your doubt secures,

'Tis not true Reason I despise but yours.

Thus I think Reason righted, but for Man,

I'le nere recant defend him if you can.

For all his Pride, and his Philosophy,

'Tis evident, Beasts are in their degree,

As wise at least, and better far than he.

Those Creatures, are the wisest who attain,

By surest means, the ends at which they aim.

If therefore Jowler, finds, and Kills his Hares,

Better than Meres, supplyes Committee Chairs;

Though one's a States-man, th'other but a Hound,

Jowler, in Justice, wou'd be wiser found.

You see how far Mans wisedom here extends,

Look next, if humane Nature makes amends;

Whose Principles, most gen'rous are, and just,

And to whose Moralls, you wou'd sooner trust.

Be judge your self, I'le bring it to the test,

Which is the basest Creature Man, or Beast?

Birds, feed on Birds, Beasts, on each other prey,

But Savage Man alone, does Man, betray:

Prest by necessity, they Kill for Food,

Man, undoes Man, to do himself no good.

With Teeth, and Claws, by Nature arm'd they hunt,

Natures allowance, to supply their want.

But Man, with smiles, embraces, Friendships, praise,

Unhumanely his Fellows life betrays;

With voluntary pains, works his distress,

Not through necessity, but wantonness.

For hunger, or for Love, they fight, or tear,

Whilst wretched Man, is still in Arms for fear;

For fear he armes, and is of Armes afraid,

By fear, to fear, successively betray'd.

Base fear, the source whence his best passion came,

His boasted Honor, and his dear bought Fame.

That lust of Pow'r, to which he's such a Slave,

And for the which alone he dares be brave:

To which his various Projects are design'd,

Which makes him gen'rous, affable, and kind.

For which he takes such pains to be thought wise,

And screws his actions, in a forc'd disguise:

Leading a tedious life in Misery,

Under laborious, mean Hypocrisie.

Look to the bottom, of his vast design,

Wherein Mans Wisdom, Pow'r, and Glory joyn;

The good he acts, the ill he does endure,

'Tis all for fear, to make himself secure.

Meerly for safety, after Fame we thirst,

For all Men, wou'd be Cowards if they durst.

And honesty's against all common sense,

Men must be Knaves, 'tis in their own defence.

Mankind's dishonest, if you think it fair,

Amongst known Cheats, to play upon the square,

You'le be undone,

Nor can weak truth, your reputation save,

The Knaves, will all agree to call you Knave.

Wrong'd shall he live, insulted o're, opprest,

Who dares be less a Villain, than the rest.

Thus Sir you see what humane Nature craves,

Most Men are Cowards, all Men shou'd be Knaves:

The diff'rence lyes (as far as I can see)

Not in the thing it self, but the degree;

And all the subject matter of debate,

Is only who's a Knave, of the first Rate?

All this with indignation have I hurl'd,

At the pretending part of the proud World,

Who swolne with selfish vanity, devise,

False freedomes, holy Cheats, and formal Lyes

Over their fellow Slaves to tyrannize.

But if in Court, so just a Man there be,

(In Court, a just Man, yet unknown to me)

Who does his needful flattery direct,

Not to oppress, and ruine, but protect;

Since flattery, which way so ever laid,

Is still a Tax on that unhappy Trade.

If so upright a States-Man, you can find,

Whose passions bend to his unbyass'd Mind;

Who does his Arts, and Pollicies apply,

To raise his Country, not his Family;

Nor while his Pride own'd Avarice withstands,

Receives close Bribes, from Friends corrupted hands.

Is there a Church-Man who on God relyes?

Whose Life, his Faith, and Doctrine Justifies?

Not one blown up, with vain Prelatique Pride,

Who for reproof of Sins, does Man deride:

Whose envious heart makes preaching a pretence

With his obstrep'rous sawcy Eloquence,

To chide at Kings, and raile at Men of sense.

Who from his Pulpit, vents more peevish Lyes,

More bitter railings, scandals, Calumnies,

Than at a Gossipping, are thrown about,

When the good Wives, get drunk, and then fall out.

None of that sensual Tribe, whose Tallents lye,

In Avarice, Pride, Sloth, and Gluttony.

Who hunt good Livings, but abhor good Lives,

Whose Lust exalted, to that height arrives,

They act Adultery with their own Wives.

And e're a score of Years compleated be,

Can from the lofty Pulpit proudly see,

Half a large Parish, their own Progeny.

Nor doating Bishop who wou'd be ador'd,

For domineering at the Councel Board;

A greater Fop, in business at Fourscore,

Fonder of serious Toyes, affected more,

Than the gay glitt'ring Fool, at Twenty proves,

With all his noise, his tawdrey Cloths, and Loves.

But a meek humble Man, of honest sense,

Who Preaching peace, does practice continence;

Whose pious life's a proof he does believe,

Misterious truths, which no Man can conceive.

If upon Earth there dwell such God-like Men,

I'le here recant my Paradox to them,

Adore those Shrines of Virtue, Homage pay,

And with the Rabble World, their Laws obey.

If such there are, yet grant me this at least,

Man differs more from Man, than Man from Beast.