IV. Nor think in nature's state they blindly trod; The state of nature was the reign of God:[1327] Self-love and social at her birth[1328] began, Union[1329] the bond of all things, and of man. 150 Pride then was not; nor arts, that pride to aid; Man walked with beast joint tenant of the shade;[1330] The same his table, and the same his bed; No murder clothed him,[1331] and no murder fed. In the same temple, the resounding wood,[1332] 155 All vocal beings hymned their equal God:[1333] The shrine with gore unstained, with gold undressed, Unbribed, unbloody, stood the blameless priest:[1334] Heav'n's attribute was universal care, And man's prerogative to rule, but spare. 160 Ah! how unlike the man of times to come![1335] Of half that live the butcher and the tomb;[1336] Who, foe to nature, hears the gen'ral groan, Murders their species, and betrays his own.[1337] But just disease to luxury succeeds, 165 And ev'ry death its own avenger breeds; The fury-passions from that blood began, And turned on man a fiercer savage,[1338] man.[1339] [Sidenote: Reason instructed by instinct in the invention of arts, and in the forms of society.] See him from nature rising slow to art![1340] To copy instinct then was reason's part; 170 Thus then to man the voice of nature spake[1341]-- "Go, from the creatures thy instructions take: Learn from the birds what food the thickets yield;[1342] Learn from the beasts the physic of the field;[1343] Thy arts of building from the bee receive;[1344] 175 Learn of the mole to plough, the worm to weave;[1345] Learn of the little nautilus to sail, Spread the thin oar, and catch the driving gale.[1346] Here too all forms of social union find, And hence let reason, late, instruct mankind:[1347] 180 Here subterranean works and cities see; There towns aërial on the waving tree. Learn each small people's genius, policies, The ants' republic, and the realm of bees: How those in common all their wealth bestow,[1348] 185 And anarchy without confusion know;[1349] And these for ever, though a monarch reign, Their sep'rate cells and properties maintain.[1350] Mark what unvaried laws preserve each state, Laws wise as nature, and as fixed as fate. 190 In vain thy reason finer webs shall draw, Entangle justice in her net of law, And right, too rigid, harden into wrong;[1351] Still for the strong too weak, the weak too strong.[1352] Yet go! and thus o'er all the creatures sway, 195 Thus let the wiser make the rest obey; And for those arts mere instinct could afford, Be crowned as monarchs, or as gods adored."[1353]