150 PASSIONS and different TEMPERS, 
on the passions, that things appear to us in quite different 
lights, as thefe are gentle or turbulent, well, or ill governed. 
Mr. pope fays, 
44 The ruling pajjion , he it what it will , 
44r The ruling paffion governs reajon ft HIT 
Thefe lines found very prettily, but I hope they are not ftridtly 
true. In plain profe it may ftand thus: The ftrongeft paffion 
in the bread; always prevails over reafon. Every bread, I be- 
lieve, has its ruling passion, but furely reafon is not al- 
ways fubfervient to fuch paffion. The predominant inclina- 
tion of the mind may give reafon a byas, but does not therefore 
govern it. We may grant, indeed, that when this ruling 
paffion has the greater mixture of good., tho’ evil be blended 
v/ith it, then Mr. pope’s remark is true 
44 TT eternal art educing good from ill, 
44 Grafts on this passion our best principle . 
M 'Tis thus the mercury of nian is fix’ d^ 
4 4 Strong grows the virtue with his nature mix'd ; 
44 The drofs cements what elfie were too refin’d , 
44 And in one inter eft body aSl.s with mindT 
You will find that this philofophical poet goes on to explain his 
meaning, which feems to be entirely agreeable to experience, 
and demonftrates how reafon and paffion mutually adt on each 
other, perhaps near the fame in him whofe reafon is ftrong, 
as in him whofe paffions are weak. Nor is the wrfdom of 
providence lefs demonftrable, that thofe who have the 
ftrongeft reafon, have generally the ftrongeft paffions. Our 
a&ions 
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