Besiege the son of glory's splendid door, Grow grey and old together with the poor. Page 104.
MAN BLIND TO FUTURE EVENTS. SAY not, Oman! for it becomes thee not, This evil shall not happen to my lot. Page 56.
GOOD AND EVIL BLENDED.
No good in life the race of men can see,
Spring from one rot, as branches from the tree; As gold more splendid from the fire appears, Thus friendship brightens by the length of
But near the good we find the evil still, And frequent good arises out of ill.
THE DANGERS OF MATRIMONY.
A. WHILE prudence guides, change not, at any A life of freedom for the married state: [rate, I ventur'd once to play that desperate game, And therefore warn you, not to do the same. B. The counsel may be sage which you advance; But I'm resolv'd to take the common chance. A. Mild gales attend that voyage of your life, And waft you safely thro' the sea of strife: Not the dire Libyan, or Ægæan sea, Where out of thirty ships scarce perish three; But that, where daring fools most dearly pay, Where all that sail are surely cast away. Page 22.
THE COMFORTS OF MATRIMONY.
You judge quite wrong to think your fortune hard;
Life's troubles, not its blessings, you regard: Believe me, friend; the race of man can know No earthly comfort,unallay'd with woe. Much plague, no doubt,attends a sumptuous wife, She's the sure torment of her husband's life. Yet ev'n from her some benefits accrue. She brings him sons, she brings him daughters When ill, her care administers relief, When fortune frowns, she solaces his grief: When age or sickness, brings him to his end, She decently inters him, like a friend.
Think, think on this when slight vexations tease; The mighty charm will set your heart at ease: But if you let wild sorrow thus prevail, And place no comforts in the other scale; Not weighing gain with loss, nor good with ill, Still you must murmur, and be wretched still. Page 122.
ROUSE but old Myrtila, the nurse, and give her The least occasion, and she'll talk for ever: With far less art and ease you may restrain The sounding cymbals of Dodona's fane, (Which, if but touch'd, the holy augur hears The live-long day remurmur'd in his ears) Than still this chattering crone who with her
"KNow thou thyself," was always said of old, A maxim not quite absolute I hold; It had been better far, you must allow, And more our interest, "Other men to know," Page 86.
GRAMINEOS infra campos, penetralia Flora Purpureis opibus redolentia, fumeus aër Caligat; varios hic tellus ubere partu Flammarum ponit fœtus, et pinguia venis Nutrimenta fovet, genitalia semina rerum. Quæ postquam matris dudum sopita silenti Incubûere sinu, quoties Titanius ardor Sævit in æstivas luces, patefacta sub auras Reddit humus; pars æthereâ regione viarum Expatiatur ovans; levitas sua sufficit alas. Fars ignava tenet terræ confinia, sese Insinuans inter nocturnos undique rores. Et jam, seu calidis pugnent humentia, vires Sive bitumineæ rapiant incendia, flamma Exilit, et vivos imitatur ludicra motus.
Aspice! cùm rebus nox abstulit atra colorem, Fusus ad irriguas ripas micat igneus humor, Mobilitate vigens, et eundo flumina verrit Summa levis, liquidisque sororibus oscula libat.
Jam varios meditans excursus ocyus Euro Ardet abire fugâ per inane volatile lumen. Stare loco nescit, saliensque per omnia puncto Temporis itque reditque vagans sine corpore vita. Hinc sæpe,obscoenos iterat dum noctua cantus, Nigrantes inter tenebras prope limina Divûm Tristibus insultat lux importuna sepulchris. Agros buc gressus si fortè advertat anus quæ, Igneolos cernit lemures, simulachraque mille Horret inops animi, stolidi figmenta timoris. Jamque adeo latè fabellam spargit anilem Fama volans, trepidat mentes ignobile vulgus. Scilicet hic animæ tenues, defunctaque vitâ Corpora, subsiliunt obscurâ nocte per umbram. Seu Libitina fero visu sua regna pererrat, Et tumulos numerans lugubres, horrida quassat Funebres tædas & formidabile lumen.
Quin & mille dolos volvens sub pectore flamma Avia pervolitat, quam cæcâ nocte viator Deprensus sectatur ovans; quid cogitet ignis Nescius heu! Fax ante volans per opaca locorum Errabunda regit vestigia, perfida tandem Deferit immersum stagno squalente colonum Eructantem iras, hirsutaque colla madentem.
WILL WITH A WISP. DEEP in the silence of the grassy plains, Where Flora, drest in purple beauty reigns, Ambrosial queen of flowerets sweet and fair; Impregnated with vapours the thick air Grows stagnant: here at frequent births trans- Profuse, the living particles of fire, [pire, Which, from her lap, the Earth prolific flings, The genial seeds, and origin of things: These, long time ripening, oft as Titan's ray Bright-burning blazes on the summer's day, At length, emerging from the soil, repair, And sport, capricious, in the fields of air: Some, lightly mounting in th' etherial sky, Expatiate freely, and in meteo:s fly: [sue, Some, near the ground their vagrant course pur- And blend delusion with the nightly dew: For whether from the strife of moist and dry, Or from bitumen fiery sparkles fly,
Talem flumineæ quondam risêre sorores Pana Deum Arcadia, taciti Ladonis ad amnem ; Scilicet hic nympham captans juvenile micantem, Oscula dum peteret, mediis effusus in undis Virgine pro tenerâ fœdam complectitur ulvam.
Ast ubi jam Phœbi radiis Aurora rubescit Pulchrior, & stellis acies obtusa videtur, Purpureo superata die, caput abdit imago, Et procul in tenues it vita minutula ventos.
Haud secus ignaros duxit Cartesius olim Philosophos, rapiens deserta per ardua cœcæ Nature; demum Newtonus luce coruscans Eoâ, mundique sagax arcana tueri, Materiam pepulit subtilem, egitque sub umbras.
Cantabr. in comitiis prioribus, 1730-1.
'This e'egant copy of verses was written, as an academical exercise, by my worthy friend, and former tutor, the rev. Richard Oakley, M, A. late fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge.
A sudden flame the mingling vapours give, Which seems, to mortal eyes, to move and live. Lo! when the beauteous landscape fades in night, In some irriguous valley, glimmering bright, The false flame dances, or with quivering gleam, Skims on the bosom of the winding stream, Sports with the Naiads, and in wanton play, Kisses the sisters of the watery way. Now through the void the vain excursive light, Fleet as the wind, precipitates its flight, Unfix'd and volatile with instant bound
'Tis here, 'tis there, and roves the country round. Oft as the darkling owl renews her song, In lone church-yards it gleams, the mournful graves among.
Should some old hag slow hobbling hither tend, She spies, no doubt, the fiery-flaming fiend; To her mind's eye a thousand ghosts appear, The foolish apparitions of her fear.
Then all around tremendous tales are spread, And the weak vulgar stand appall'd with dread; For here they deem, depriv'd the golden light, That spirits wander in the gloom of night; Or that pale Proserpine, fierce-visag'd, comes To number all the melancholy tombs, And dreadful, as she frowns, the deadly dame Shakes her dire torches tipt with livid flame.
Oft o'er the dreary waste, or boundless plain, This bright deception leads the nightly swain; Thoughtless of harm he plods the forest o'er, Where never wanderer bent his way before, At length, deluded by the fickle fire, He sinks absorpt in bogs, and flounces in the mire.
Thus once, where Ladon rolls his silent flood, Laugh'd the fair Naiads at th' Arcadian god; A blooming nymph he saw, admir'd, carest, And when he strove to clasp her to his breast, Plung'd in the waves among the watery weeds He lost the virgin, and embrac'd the reeds.
But when the rosy morn her blush displays, And all the splendour of the stars decays, The light fantastic phantoms cease to glare, Lost in the day, and flit in empty air.
Descartes thus, great Nature's wandering Fallacious led philosophy aside, [guide, 'Till Newton rose, in orient beauty bright, [light, He rose, and brought the world's dark laws to Then subtile matter saw, and vanished at his
DATUR MUNDORUM PLURALITAS,
BY CHRISTOPHER SMART, M. A.
UNDE labor novus hic menti? Quæ cura quie- WHENCE this new ardor? whence this rage to
Sollicitat, rapiensque extra confinia terræ, [tam Cœlestes sine more jubet volitare per ignes? Scilicet impatiens angusto hoc orbe teneri, Fontenelle, tuos audax imitarier ausus Gestio, & insolitas spirant præcordia flammas.
Fallor, an ipe venit? Delapsus ab æthere
Pegason urget eques, laterique flagellifer instat : Me vocat; & duris desiste laboribus, inquit, "Me duce, carpe viam facilem, tibi singula clarè Expediam, tibi cernere erit, quos sidera nôrunt, Indigenas, cultusque virûm, moresque docebo." Nec mora, pennipedem conscendo jussus, ovansque [orum (Quanquam animus secum volvens exempla priBellerophonteæ pallet dispendia famæ) Post equitem sedeo, liquidumque per aëra labor. -Mercurium petimus primùm: dux talibus inAspicias vanæ malesana negotia gentis, [fit: Quam mens destituit Titane exusta propinquo. Stramineis viden'? Hic velatus tempora sertis Emicat, & solos reges crepat atque tetrarchas. Ille suam carbone Chloen depingit amator Infelix, ægram rudia indigestaque mentem Carmina demulcent, îndoctaque tibia musas. En! sedet incomptus crines barbataque menta Astrologus, nova qui venatur sidera, solus Semper in obscuro penetrali; multaque muros Linea nigrantes, & multa triangula pingunt. Ecce! sed interea curru flammante propinquat Titan.-Clamo, O me! gelidâ sub rupe, sub umba
Siste precor: tantos nequeo perferre calores."
Pegason inde tuo genius felicior astro Appulit, alma Venus. Spirant quam molliter anræ!
Ridet ager, frugum facilis, lascivaque florum Nutrix; non Euri ruit hic per dulcia Tempe Vis fera, non Bore: sed blandior aura Favonî, Lenis agens tremulo nutantes vertice sylvas, Usque fovet teneros, quos usque resuscitat, ig- Hic lætis animata sonis saltatio vivit : [nes. Hic jam voce ciet cantum, jam pectine, dulces Musica docta modos: pulchræ longo ordine nymphæ
Cestivas ducunt choreas, dilecta juventus Fertatim stipant comites: latè halat amomo Omne nemus, varioque æterni veris odore: Cura procul: circumvolitant risusque jocique: Atque amor est, quodcunque vides. Venus ipsa
Imperio regit indigenas, hic innuba Phoebe, Junuba Pallas amet, cupiant servire Catones.
[space? New worlds that roll through ether's boundless Snatch'd from the confines of this orb of clay, With emulation fir'd I wing my way, Where Fontenelle first saw the planets roll, And all the god tumultuous shakes my soul. Yes, yes, he comes! and through the sunbright skies [cries. Drives foaming Pegasus; "Cease, cease," he "All meaner tasks; 'tis thine with me to soar, And visit kingdoms unexplor'd before; While I succinctly show each various race, The manners, and the genius of the place." I (though my mind with lively horrour fraught, Thinks on Bellerophon, and dreads the thought) Mount quick behind; the winged courser flies, And cleaves the azure of the liquid skies.
First Mercury, swift circling round the Sun, We reach, when thus my friendly guide begun: "Mark well the genius of this fiery place, The wild amusements of the brainsick race, Whose minds the beams of Titan, too intense, Affect with frenzy, and distract the sense. A monarch here gives subject princes law A mighty monarch, with a crown of straw. Here the lone lover, on the cieling bare, With charcoal paints his Chloe heav'nly fair; In sadly soothing strain rude notes he sings, Or grates barsh discord from the jarring strings. Lo; an astrologer, with filth besmear'd, Rough and neglected, with a length of beard, Pores round his cell for undiscover'd stars, And decks the wall with triangles and squares. Lo! But the radiant car of Phoebus nigh Glows with red ardour, and inflames the skyOh! waft me, hide me in some cool retreat; I droop, I sicken with the fervent heat,"
Thence to that milder orb we wing our way, Where Venus governs with an easy sway. Soft breathes the air; fair Flora paints the ground, And fruitful Ceres deals her gifts around. This blissful Tempe no rough blasts molest, Of blustering Boreas, or the baleful east ; But gentle Zephyrs o'er the woodlands stray, Court the tall trees, and round the branches play, Their genial gaies dispensing as they flow, To fan those passions which they teach to glow. Here the gay youth in measur'd steps advance, While sprightly music animates the dance; Here the soft sounds of melody inspire Sighs to the song, and languors to the lyre: Fair nymphs and amorous swains, a lovely band, Blend in the dance, light-bounding hand in
From every grove the buxom Zephyrs bring The rich ambrosia of eternal spring.
Care dwells not here, their pleasures to destroy, But laughter, jest, and universal joy: All, all is love; for Venus reigns confest The sole sultana of each captive breast: Cold Cynthia here would Cupid's victim prove, Or the chaste daughter of inperial Jove, And rigid Cato be the slave of love.
Jamque datum molimur iter, sedesque beatas Multa gemens linquo; & lugubre rubentia Martis
Arva, ubi sanguineæ dominantur in omnia rixæ, Advebimur, ferro riget horrida turba, geritque Spiculaque, gladiosque, ferosque in bella dolones. Pro choreâ, & dulci modulamine, Pyrrhicus illis Saltus, & horribiles placet ære ciere sonores. Hic conjux viduata viro longo effera luctu Flet noctum, solumque torum sterilesque Hyme-
Deplorans, lacerat crines, & pectora plangit : Necquicquam-sponsus ni fortè appareat, hospes Heu! brevis, in somnis, & ludicra fallat imago. Immemor ille tori interea ruit acer in hostem : Horrendum strepit armorum fragor undique campis;
Atque immortales durant in sæcula pugnæ.
Hinc Jovis immensum delati accedimus or. Illic mille locis exercet sæva tyrannus [bem. Imperia in totidem servos, totidemque rebelles: Sed brevis exercet: parat illi fata veneno Perjurus, populosque premit novus ipse tyrannus. Hi decies pacem figunt pretio atque refigunt: um demum arma parant: longe lateque co- hortes
Extenduntur agris; simul æquora tota teguntur Classibus, & ficti celebrantur utrinque triumphi. Fœdera mox ineunt nunquam violanda: brevique | Belli iterum simulachra cient! referuntur in al- Classes, pacificoque replentur milite campi. [tum Filius hic patri meditatur, sponsa marito, Servus hero insidias. Has leges scilicet illis Imposuit natura locis, quo tempore patrem Jupiter ipse suum solio detrusit avito. Inde venena viris, perjuria, munera, fraudes, Suadet opum sitis, & regnandi dira cupido.
Saturni tandem ros illætabilis ora Accipit: ignavum pecus hic per opaca locorum Pinguescunt de more, gravi torpentque veterno. Vivitur in specubus: quis enim tam sedulus,
Qui struat ingentes, operosaque mænia condat? Idem omnes stupor altus habet, sub pectore fixus. Non studia ambitiosa Jovis, variosve labores Mercurii, non Martis opus, non Cyprida nôrunt. Post obitum, ut perhibent, sedes glomerantur in istas
Qui longam nullas vitam excoluêre per artes; Sed Cerere & Baccho pleni, somnoque sepulti Cunctarum duxêre æterna oblivia rerum. [rum, Non avium auditur cantus, non murmur aquaMugitusve boum, aut pecorum balatus in agris: Nudos non decorant segetes, non gramina campos.
Sylva, usquam si sylva, latet sub monte nivali, Et canet viduata comis: hic noctua tantùm Glisque habitat, bufoque & cum testudine, talpa. Flumina dum tardè subterlabentia terras
Now through the destin'd fields of air we fly, And leave those happy mansions with a sigh: Thence the dire coast we reach, the dreary plains, [reigns: Where Mars, grim god, and bloody Discord The host in arms embattled sternly stands, The sword, the dart, the dagger in their hands. Here no fair nymphs to silver sounds advance, But buskin'd heroes form the Pyrrhic dance. And brazen trumpets, terrible from far, With martial music fire the soul to war. Here mourns the lovely bride her husband fled, The sterile nuptials, the deserted bed, Sighs the long nights, and, frantic with despair, Beats her soft breast, and rends her flowing hair: In vain she sighs, in vain dissolves in tears- In sleep, perchance, the warrior lord appears, A fleeting form that glides before her sight, A momentary vision of the night.
Mean while, regardless of her tender woe, The hardy husband rushes on the foe: Harsh sounds of war through regions distant rage, And fights immortal last from age to age.
Hence through the boundless void we nimbly
And reach the wide-extended plains of Jove. Here the stern tyrant sways an iron rod; A thousand vassals tremble at his nod. How short the period of a tyrant's date! The poisonous phial speeds the work of fate: Scarce is the proud, imperious tyrant dead, But, lo! a second lords it in his stead. Here peace, as common merchandize is sold, Heav'n's first, best blessing, for pernicious gold: War soon succeeds, the sturdy squadrons stand Wide o'er the fields, a formidable band: With numerous fleets they crowd the groaning main,
And triumph for the victories they feign: Again in strict alliances unite,
Till Discord raise the phantom of a fight; Again they sail; again the troops prepare Their falchions for the mockery of war. The son inhuman seeks his father's life, The slave his master's, and her lord's the wife. With vengeance thus their kindling bosoms fire, Since Jove usurp'd the sceptre of his sire. Hence poisons, bribes, frauds, perjuries, betray; And thirst of gold, and avarice of sway.
At length we land, vast fields of ether crost, On Saturn's cold, uncomfortable coast; In dismal gloom here drones inactive lull The lazy hours, lethargically dull. In caves they live; were sluggards ever known To raise a citadel, or build a town? The same deep stupor, through the lifeless whole, Chills in the breast, and freezes in the soul. These never know th' ambitious schemes of Jove, Their breasts not fire-fraught Mercury can move, Mars cannot spur to war, nor Venus woo to love, Here rove those souls, 'tis said, when life departs, Who left uncultivated useful arts; But stupify'd with plenty and repose, Dreamt out long life in one continued doze! No feather'd songsters, with sweet-warbled Attune to melting melody the plains, [strains No flocks, no herds here feed in pastures wide, No fountains musically-murmuring glide; Th' ungenial waste no tender herbage yields, No harvests wave luxuriant in the fields.
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