Note 5 — CHRONICLES OF BORDER WARFARE

Pope has very finely expressed the leading articles of religion among the Indians in the following lines.

Lo, the poor Indian! whose untutor’d mind Sees God in clouds, or hears him in the wind; His soul proud science never taught to stray Far as the Solar Walk or Milky Way; Yet simple nature to his hope has giv’n, Behind the cloud-topt hill an humbler heav’n; Some safer world in depth of woods embrac’d, Some happier island in the wat’ry waste; Where slaves once more their native land behold, No fiends torment, no Christians thirst for gold. To BE, contents his natural desire, He asks no angel’s wing, no seraph’s fire: But thinks admitted to that equal sky, His faithful dog shall bear him company.