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KNOW
THYSELF by ALEXANDER POPE
Know
then thyself, presume not God to scan;
The
proper study of mankind is Man.
Placed
on this isthmus of a middle state,
A
being darkly wise and rudely great:
With
too much knowledge for the Sceptic side,
With
too much weakness for the Stoic;s pride,
He
hangs between; in doubt to act or rest,
In
doubt to dem himself a God or Beast,
In
doubt his mind or body to prefer;
Born
but to die, and reasoning but to err;
Alike
in ignorance, his reason such
Whether
he thinks too little or too much:
Chaos
of thought and passion, all confused;
Still
by himself abused. or disabused;
Created
half to rise and half to fall;
Great
lord of all things, yet a prey to all;
Sole
judge of truth, in endless error hurled:
The
glory , jest and riddle of the world!
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