Note 1425 — AN ESSAY ON MAN, IN FOUR EPISTLES (continued 3)
Reading edition
The MS. adds:
In no extreme lies real happiness, Not ev'n of good or wisdom in excess.
"Good" and "wisdom" in the last line might be supposed to mean something that was not true wisdom and goodness if Pope had not argued, ver. 259-268, that real wisdom was injurious to happiness. He would have the "right thinking" alloyed with error, and the "meaning well" with evil.