Classic Poem

Most Noble Ignorance! still scorning Pain,
And Labour, the worst Labour of the Brain,
Shou'd not for Folly, but for Wisdom pass,
Since the First Man's Crime, Ruine, and Disgrace,
His Guilt and Curse, but from his Knowledge was;
So since Man's Knowledge has his Ruine been,
Ignorance is the Truest Wisdom then,
Since Men in it Rest, Quiet, Safety find,
The Body's Ease, and True Peace of the Mind;
Then Ignorance shou'd for Discretion go,
Patron of Courage, nay of Science too,
For few wou'd Fight, or Write, did they know what they do;
And Books, the Magazines of Sense, or Wit,
Had never sure been written, but for it;
Then it, for Best Sense we must needs confess,
Since Cause of all Content, and Happiness,
Whence, what is Good or Ill, we cannot guess;
Whence we, for Want of Foresight, Reason, Sense,
Are safe, have Innocence for our Defence;
Dangers, nor Ill Luck, can fore-see, fore-know,
Which our Grief, our Shame, from our Knowledge grow;
Which felt and suffer'd, by Thought, Fear, or Care,
To shun 'em, (tho' they never happen) are;
So Sense, makes Caution make our Mischief sure,
Our Thoughts, Fears, Cares, Cause for 'em to procure;
Whilst Ignorance, for Want of Knowledge is,
And Thinking, but most Innocent, and Wise;
Shou'd, as least Knowledge, for most Prudence go,
Since Men least Happy prove, the more they know;
Then Ignorance Good Sense will justifie,
Is, as least Sense, but most True Policy,
Of which, the Cautious Cunning are least shy;
Best Policy, which Fools wou'd hide alone,
And Wise Men most, to show most Knowledge, own;
Who, to show more Sense, let it less appear,
Since Sense keeps all who deal with it, in Fear;
And since in Courts, for Breeding, Wisdom too,
Not to see Faults, or Follies, does it go,
The Wise, to know all, nothing seem to know;
Since Knowledge makes less Friends than Enemies,
Man in his Ignorance is safe, so wise;
Thus Ignorance for Want of Knowledge, we,
With Reason, most Discretion think to be,
Since still more Knowledge, does more Trouble grow,
More Fear, more Guilt, but as more Knowledge too;
Then Prudent Ignorance, (we must confess)
More Reason shows, as is its Knowledge less,
If Want of Care, or Fear, be Happiness;
To which a Man, for Prudent, Want of Thought,
Or Knowledge, by Stanch Ignorance, is brought;
For Want of Science, 'tis Philosophy,
Makes Men, for less Thought, live more happily,
More wisely then, as more insensibly;
For Want of Knowledge, to have more Content,
To live more Free, more Safe, as Innocent;
By scorning Pedantry, Thought, Sense, 'tis Wit;
Since Knowledge brings more Pain, Care, Fear with it,
Thus Ignorance, for Want of Knowledge, so,
More Reason is, Faith, and Religion too;
In Camps, for daring Fortitude has gone,
Not knowing what it did, has Honour won;
He who no Danger sees, no Fear can know,
In Court or Camp, for best Assurance so,
And Honour, daring Ignorance may go;
For Want of Sense, 'twill baffled be by none,
By no Court-Rants, School-Subtilties run down,
For Want of Reason, best maintains its own;
Thus Ignorance, for want of Knowledge, is
More Sense, as but less Understanding 'tis;
For Want of Sense, 'tis Self-sufficiency,
To make it but on its own Self rely,
Whilst Diffidence does want of Sense imply;
By Thoughtless Ignorance, is Prudence shown,
Since 'tis Court-Policy, to show there none,
Which is most Pow'rful, as it is least known;
Thus Ignorance is most, best Policy,
Since none of Fraud, suspect Simplicity,
Which is confided in, implicitly;
Which can no Guile, in Word or Action show,
So no Man's Shame, but Honour shou'd it grow;
Its Honour, Wisdom, best does justifie,
But by its Boldness, and Simplicity;
Which having to Vain Knowledge no Pretence,
Proves more its Courage, Faith, and Innocence;
Its Patience, Gravity, Discretion too,
Which does more Sense (disputing nothing) show;
Since Men still, for an obstinate Debate,
Or Opposition, grow more Obstinate;
Thus Ignorance, so silent, serious, shou'd,
When most dumb, be for most Sense understood;
Since no Weak Fool can do his Sense more Wrong,
Than by exposing it with his own Tongue;
Whose Want of Sense, but by his Talk is known,
The Fool who nothing says, shou'd go for none;
Who thinks of nothing, nothing e'er can fear,
Then Ignorants, who have for less Thought but less Care,
And Fear, most Happy, as most Sensless are;
Who for less Sense, more Pain and Trouble can
Still undergo, than the more Thoughtful Man;
Then Sense is Nonsense, which does Ease prevent,
Ignorance Wisdom, which brings most Content,
Keeps Man more Safe, but as more Innocent;
Whilst Knowledge is, (as no Man can deny)
As 'twas the First Man's Fault, All's Misery;
Then Happiness in Ignorance shou'd lie;
And Ignorance shou'd for most Reason go,
Which Mischiefs e'er they come, will not fore-know;
Which Sense fears, feels, whether they come or no;
Thus Ignorance is Happiness, ev'n here;
Safety, Peace, Rest, as it will prove elsewhere;
Since it is Faith, and Blind Devotion too,
Believing all, since it does nothing know;
Thus Ignorance, in Truth, most Wisdom is,
As it does know least, must do least amiss,
Gives here, the Faithful, their Fools-Paradise;
For, if Joy, Peace, are more, as Knowledge less,
Much Ignorance must be much Happiness;
Ignorance is our Happy'st State of all,
For such was Adam 's, e'er he had his Fall;
So, 'twas his Knowledge was his First Offence,
But for which, he had kept his Innocence;
Man's first Blest State of Ignorance, it was,
Which now, for that of Innocence does pass,
Since Knowledge was Man's Guilt, so his Disgrace;
The State of Ignorance then does suffice,
Like that of Grace, for our Necessities,
Which them, for Want of Knowledge, best supplies;
Since Man's Sense makes him more Unhappy grow,
In this Life, as he more does of it know,
And makes him less believe in t'other too;
Then Ignorance is Wisdom, since Content
Is Faith, and Virtue, since 'tis Innocent,
Here, elsewhere, the Soul's Torment does prevent;
Which makes Man, Good from Evil less to know,
For this, or next Life, but less Anxious so;
Which makes his Mind at Rest, that's Heaven here,
Without Ambition, Envy, Care, or Fear;
So mends his Faith, and keeps him from Despair,
Makes him, to hope the best, the worst to bear;
Thus Ignorance, is Faith, Hope, Charity,
Makes Man, without Guilt, live Licentiously;
Since Sin's no Sin, till known, for such, it is,
Then Ignorance can nothing Act amiss;
'Tis Grace, by which, Men Innocent must grow,
Faith's Proof, and Guide, of Blind Devotion too;
Nay, without Faith alone, can Sinners save,
Who wou'd ('tis thought) no Faith, but for it, have;
Thus Ignorance is Rest, Salvation, Bliss,
Faith, Hope, without Fear, so True Happiness;
Ev'n Ignorance, for Knowledge too may go,
Since more we know, the less we know, we know;
In fine then, Ignorance we can't deny,
Is the most Stoïcal Stupidity,
For Want of Sense, Faith, and Philosophy;
Since Rest, Peace, Happiness, of all the Wise,
In safe, and quiet Stupefaction, lies,
To keep Mens Minds, from Thoughts, Cares, Fears, at Rest,
In Happy Thoughtlesness, most truly Blest;
Thus Ignorance, is most Sense, as 'tis least;
For Want of Sense, so but more Rational,
Since all Thought, which we can most Reason call,
Is but to think, to have no Thought at all;
For all our Care, Fear, Guilt, are on us brought,
From having too much Knowledge, Sense, or Thought;
Then Height of Sense, is living Senslesly,
And Height of Wisdom, safe Stupidity,
As Height of Joy, but Sensless Ecstacy.