A Satyre Against Mankind Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCCCDDEECCFFGGHHIIC JKKKLLMMGGNNCCGGGGGG GGOPQRSTTCCUUUGGGFFI IVVFFGGGGCCIDGGFFFFF FGGGGDVGGCCWWFFGGJGG GDDCCFFVVGGIIJJJIXGG FFGGFFFFGGFFFFGGGGCC FFXXJJFFGGJGIICCFFGG CCIJJFFGGGGFFFFGGGGG FFFFFFDGGGGGFFGGGGGF FDGGGGGGGFFGGGGGGJJI YGGFF| Were I who to my cost already am | A |
| One of those strange prodigious Creatures Man | B |
| A Spirit free to choose for my own share | C |
| What Case of Flesh and Blood I pleas'd to weare | C |
| I'd be a Dog a Monkey or a Bear | C |
| Or any thing but that vain Animal | D |
| Who is so proud of being rational | D |
| The senses are too gross and he'll contrive | E |
| A Sixth to contradict the other Five | E |
| And before certain instinct will preferr | C |
| Reason which Fifty times for one does err | C |
| Reason an Ignis fatuus in the Mind | F |
| Which leaving light of Nature sense behind | F |
| Pathless and dang'rous wandring ways it takes | G |
| Through errors Fenny Boggs and Thorny Brakes | G |
| Whilst the misguided follower climbs with pain | H |
| Mountains of Whimseys heap'd in his own Brain | H |
| Stumbling from thought to thought falls headlong down | I |
| Into doubts boundless Sea where like to drown | I |
| Books bear him up awhile and make him try | C |
| To swim with Bladders of Philosophy | J |
| In hopes still t'oretake th'escaping light | K |
| The Vapour dances in his dazling sight | K |
| Till spent it leaves him to eternal Night | K |
| Then Old Age and experience hand in hand | L |
| Lead him to death and make him understand | L |
| After a search so painful and so long | M |
| That all his Life he has been in the wrong | M |
| Hudled in dirt the reas'ning Engine lyes | G |
| Who was so proud so witty and so wise | G |
| Pride drew him in as Cheats their Bubbles catch | N |
| And makes him venture to be made a Wretch | N |
| His wisdom did his happiness destroy | C |
| Aiming to know that World he shou'd enjoy | C |
| And Wit was his vain frivolous pretence | G |
| Of pleasing others at his own expence | G |
| For Witts are treated just like common Whores | G |
| First they're enjoy'd and then kickt out of Doores | G |
| The pleasure past a threatning doubt remains | G |
| That frights th'enjoyer with succeeding pains | G |
| Women and Men of Wit are dang'rous Tools | G |
| And ever fatal to admiring Fools | G |
| Pleasure allures and when the Fopps escape | O |
| 'Tis not that they're belov'd but fortunate | P |
| And therefore what they fear at heart they hate | Q |
| But now methinks some formal Band and Beard | R |
| Takes me to task come on Sir I'm prepar'd | S |
| Then by your favour any thing that's writ | T |
| Against this gibeing jingling knack call'd Wit | T |
| Likes me abundantly but you take care | C |
| Upon this point not to be too severe | C |
| Perhaps my Muse were fitter for this part | U |
| For I profess I can be very smart | U |
| On Wit which I abhor with all my heart | U |
| I long to lash it in some sharp Essay | G |
| But your grand indiscretion bids me stay | G |
| And turns my Tide of Ink another way | G |
| What rage ferments in your degen'rate mind | F |
| To make you rail at Reason and Mankind | F |
| Blest glorious Man to whom alone kind Heav'n | I |
| An everlasting Soul has freely giv'n | I |
| Whom his great Maker took such care to make | V |
| That from himself he did the Image take | V |
| And this fair frame in shining Reason drest | F |
| To dignifie his Nature above Beast | F |
| Reason by whose aspiring influence | G |
| We take a flight beyond material sense | G |
| Dive into Mysteries then soaring pierce | G |
| The flaming limits of the Universe | G |
| Search Heav'n and Hell find out what's acted there | C |
| And give the World true grounds of hope and fear | C |
| Hold mighty Man I cry all this we know | I |
| From the Pathetique Pen of Ingello | D |
| From Patricks Pilgrim Stilling fleets replyes | G |
| And 'tis this very reason I despise | G |
| This supernatural gift that makes a Myte | F |
| Think he's the Image of the Infinite | F |
| Comparing his short life void of all rest | F |
| To the Eternal and the ever blest | F |
| This busie puzling stirrer up of doubt | F |
| That frames deep Mysteries then finds 'em out | F |
| Filling with Frantick Crowds of thinking Fools | G |
| Those Reverend Bedlams Colledges and Schools | G |
| Borne on whose Wings each heavy Sot can pierce | G |
| The limits of the boundless Universe | G |
| So charming Oyntments make an Old Witch flie | D |
| And bear a Crippled Carcass through the Skie | V |
| 'Tis this exalted Pow'r whose bus'ness lies | G |
| In Nonsense and impossibilities | G |
| This made a Whimsical Philosopher | C |
| Before the spacious World his Tub prefer | C |
| And we have modern Cloysterd Coxcombs who | W |
| Retire to think cause they have naught to do | W |
| But thoughts are giv'n for Actions government | F |
| Where Action ceases thoughts impertinent | F |
| Our Sphere of Action is lifes happiness | G |
| And he who thinks Beyond thinks like an Ass | G |
| Thus whilst against false reas'ning I inveigh | J |
| I own right Reason which I wou'd obey | G |
| That Reason that distinguishes by sense | G |
| And gives us Rules of good and ill from thence | G |
| That bounds desires with a reforming Will | D |
| To keep 'em more in vigour not to kill | D |
| Your Reason hinders mine helps t'enjoy | C |
| Renewing Appetites yours wou'd destroy | C |
| My Reason is my Friend yours is a Cheat | F |
| Hunger call's out my Reason bids me eat | F |
| Perversly yours your Appetite does mock | V |
| This asks for Food that answers what's a Clock | V |
| This plain distinction Sir your doubt secures | G |
| 'Tis not true Reason I despise but yours | G |
| Thus I think Reason righted but for Man | I |
| I'le nere recant defend him if you can | I |
| For all his Pride and his Philosophy | J |
| 'Tis evident Beasts are in their degree | J |
| As wise at least and better far than he | J |
| Those Creatures are the wisest who attain | I |
| By surest means the ends at which they aim | X |
| If therefore Jowler finds and Kills his Hares | G |
| Better than Meres supplyes Committee Chairs | G |
| Though one's a States man th'other but a Hound | F |
| Jowler in Justice wou'd be wiser found | F |
| You see how far Mans wisedom here extends | G |
| Look next if humane Nature makes amends | G |
| Whose Principles most gen'rous are and just | F |
| And to whose Moralls you wou'd sooner trust | F |
| Be judge your self I'le bring it to the test | F |
| Which is the basest Creature Man or Beast | F |
| Birds feed on Birds Beasts on each other prey | G |
| But Savage Man alone does Man betray | G |
| Prest by necessity they Kill for Food | F |
| Man undoes Man to do himself no good | F |
| With Teeth and Claws by Nature arm'd they hunt | F |
| Natures allowance to supply their want | F |
| But Man with smiles embraces Friendships praise | G |
| Unhumanely his Fellows life betrays | G |
| With voluntary pains works his distress | G |
| Not through necessity but wantonness | G |
| For hunger or for Love they fight or tear | C |
| Whilst wretched Man is still in Arms for fear | C |
| For fear he armes and is of Armes afraid | F |
| By fear to fear successively betray'd | F |
| Base fear the source whence his best passion came | X |
| His boasted Honor and his dear bought Fame | X |
| That lust of Pow'r to which he's such a Slave | J |
| And for the which alone he dares be brave | J |
| To which his various Projects are design'd | F |
| Which makes him gen'rous affable and kind | F |
| For which he takes such pains to be thought wise | G |
| And screws his actions in a forc'd disguise | G |
| Leading a tedious life in Misery | J |
| Under laborious mean Hypocrisie | G |
| Look to the bottom of his vast design | I |
| Wherein Mans Wisdom Pow'r and Glory joyn | I |
| The good he acts the ill he does endure | C |
| 'Tis all for fear to make himself secure | C |
| Meerly for safety after Fame we thirst | F |
| For all Men wou'd be Cowards if they durst | F |
| And honesty's against all common sense | G |
| Men must be Knaves 'tis in their own defence | G |
| Mankind's dishonest if you think it fair | C |
| Amongst known Cheats to play upon the square | C |
| You'le be undone | I |
| Nor can weak truth your reputation save | J |
| The Knaves will all agree to call you Knave | J |
| Wrong'd shall he live insulted o're opprest | F |
| Who dares be less a Villain than the rest | F |
| Thus Sir you see what humane Nature craves | G |
| Most Men are Cowards all Men shou'd be Knaves | G |
| The diff'rence lyes as far as I can see | G |
| Not in the thing it self but the degree | G |
| And all the subject matter of debate | F |
| Is only who's a Knave of the first Rate | F |
| All this with indignation have I hurl'd | F |
| At the pretending part of the proud World | F |
| Who swolne with selfish vanity devise | G |
| False freedomes holy Cheats and formal Lyes | G |
| Over their fellow Slaves to tyrannize | G |
| But if in Court so just a Man there be | G |
| In Court a just Man yet unknown to me | G |
| Who does his needful flattery direct | F |
| Not to oppress and ruine but protect | F |
| Since flattery which way so ever laid | F |
| Is still a Tax on that unhappy Trade | F |
| If so upright a States Man you can find | F |
| Whose passions bend to his unbyass'd Mind | F |
| Who does his Arts and Pollicies apply | D |
| To raise his Country not his Family | G |
| Nor while his Pride own'd Avarice withstands | G |
| Receives close Bribes from Friends corrupted hands | G |
| Is there a Church Man who on God relyes | G |
| Whose Life his Faith and Doctrine Justifies | G |
| Not one blown up with vain Prelatique Pride | F |
| Who for reproof of Sins does Man deride | F |
| Whose envious heart makes preaching a pretence | G |
| With his obstrep'rous sawcy Eloquence | G |
| To chide at Kings and raile at Men of sense | G |
| Who from his Pulpit vents more peevish Lyes | G |
| More bitter railings scandals Calumnies | G |
| Than at a Gossipping are thrown about | F |
| When the good Wives get drunk and then fall out | F |
| None of that sensual Tribe whose Tallents lye | D |
| In Avarice Pride Sloth and Gluttony | G |
| Who hunt good Livings but abhor good Lives | G |
| Whose Lust exalted to that height arrives | G |
| They act Adultery with their own Wives | G |
| And e're a score of Years compleated be | G |
| Can from the lofty Pulpit proudly see | G |
| Half a large Parish their own Progeny | G |
| Nor doating Bishop who wou'd be ador'd | F |
| For domineering at the Councel Board | F |
| A greater Fop in business at Fourscore | G |
| Fonder of serious Toyes affected more | G |
| Than the gay glitt'ring Fool at Twenty proves | G |
| With all his noise his tawdrey Cloths and Loves | G |
| But a meek humble Man of honest sense | G |
| Who Preaching peace does practice continence | G |
| Whose pious life's a proof he does believe | J |
| Misterious truths which no Man can conceive | J |
| If upon Earth there dwell such God like Men | I |
| I'le here recant my Paradox to them | Y |
| Adore those Shrines of Virtue Homage pay | G |
| And with the Rabble World their Laws obey | G |
| If such there are yet grant me this at least | F |
| Man differs more from Man than Man from Beast | F |
John Wilmot
(1)
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