Beast, bird, fish, insect! what no Eye can see,
No glass can reach! from infinite to thee, 240
From thee to nothingOn superior pow'rs
Were we to press, inferior might on ours;
Or in the full creation leave a void,
Where, one step broken, the great scale's destroy'd:
From nature's chain whatever link you strike, 245
Tenth, or ten thousandth, breaks the chain alike.
And if each system in gradation roll,
Alike essential to th' amazing whole;
The least confusion but in one, not all
That system only, but the whole must fall. 250
Let earth unbalanc'd from her orbit fly,
Planets and suns run lawless thro' the sky,
Let ruling angels from their spheres be hurl'd,
Being on being wreck'd, and world on world,
Heav'n's whole foundations to their centre nod, 255
And nature tremble to the throne of God:
All this dread order breakFor whom? for thee?
Vile worm!oh madness! pride! impiety!
What if the foot, ordain'd the dust ⟨to⟩ tread,
Or hand to toil, aspir'd to be the head? 260
What if the head, the eye or ear repin'd
To serve mere engines to the ruling mind?
Just as absurd for any part to claim
To be another in this general frame:
Just as absurd to mourn the tasks or pains, 265
The great directing mind of all ordains.
All
