EPITAPH ON CLAUDE PHILIPS, AN ITINERANT MUSICIAN. PHILIPS! whose touch harmonious could remove EPITAPHIUM IN THOMAM HANMER, BARONETTUM. Honorabilis admodum THOMas Hanmer, Wilhelmi Hanmer armigeri è Peregrina Henrici North De Mildenhal in Com. Suffolciæ Baronetti sorore et hærede. Johannis Hanmer de Hanmer Baronetti Antiquo gentis suæ et titulo, et patrimonio successit * These lines are among Mrs Williams's Miscellanies; they are nevertheless recognized as Johnson's in a memorandum of his hand-writing, and were probably written at her request. Philips was a travelling fiddler up and down Wales, and was greatly celebrated for his performance. Alteram Isabellam, honore à patre derivato de Arlington comitissam Deindè celcissimi principis ducis de Grafton viduam dotariam Alteram Elizabetham Thomæ Folks de Barton in Com. Suff. armigeri. Filiam et hæredem Inter humanitates studia felicitèr enutritus Omnes liberalium artium disciplinas avidè arripuit, Quas morum suavitate haud leviter ornavit. Postquam excessit et ephebis Continuo inter populares suos fama eminens Et comitatus sui legatus ad Parliamentum missus Ad ardua regni negotia per annos prope triginta Si accinxit Cumq; apud illos amplissimorum virorum ordines Sed probe perpensa dissertè expromere Non minus integritatis quam eloquentiæ laude commendatus Equè omnium utcunq; inter se alioqui dissidentium Aures atque animos attraxit Annoque demum M.DCC.XIII. regnante Annâ Felicissima, florentissimæque memoriæ regina Ad prolocutoris cathedram Communi senatûs universi voce designatus est: Quod munus Cum nullo tempore non difficile Tum illo certè negotiis Et varus et lubricis et implicatis difficillimum Honores alios, et omnia, quæ sibi in lucrum cederent, munera Sedulo detectravit Ut rei totus inserviret publicæ, Et fide in patriam incorrupta notus. Ubi omnibus, quæ virum civimque bonum decent officiis satis fecisset, Paulatim se à publicis consiliis in otium recipiens Inter literarum amoenitates, Inter ante-actæ vitæ haud insuaves recordationes, Et bonis omnibus, quibus charissimus vixit, PARAPHRASE OF THE ABOVE EPITAPH, ; THOU who survey'st these walls with curious eye, Thus early wise, th' endanger'd realm to aid, His country call'd him from the studious shade; * This Paraphrase is inserted in Mrs Williams's Miscellanies. The Latin is there said to be written by Dr Freind. Of the person whose memory it celebrates, a copious account may be seen in the Appendix to the Supplement to the Biographia Britannica. In life's first bloom his public toils began, Suspended faction ceas'd from rage and strife, Then when dark arts obscur'd each fierce debate, When mutual frauds perplex'd the maze of state, The moderator firmly mild appear'd Beheld with love-with veneration heard. This task perform'd-he sought no gainful post, Age call'd, at length, his active mind to rest, Calm Conscience, then, his former life survey'd, And recollected toils endear'd the shade, Till Nature call'd him to the genʼral doom, TO MISS HICKMAN,* playing on the Spinnet. BRIGHT Stella, form'd for universal reign, When old Timotheus struck the vocal string, These lines, which have been communicated by Dr Turton, son to Mrs Turton, the Lady to whom they are addressed by her maiden name of Hickman, must have been written at least as early as the year 1734, as that was the year of her marriage at how much earlier a period of Dr Johnson's life they may have been written, is not known. |