EPITAPH FOR MR. HOGARTH. THE hand of him here torpid lies,
That drew th' essential form of grace; Here closed in death th' attentive eyes, That saw the manners in the face.
Thou know'st those arts which blast with envious praise,
Which aggravate a fault with feign'd excuses,
And drive discountenanced virtue from the
throne;
That leave the blame of rigour to the prince,
And of his every gift usurp the merit ;
That hide in seeming zeal a wicked purpose,
Of the following Lines written under a Print re- And only build upon another's ruin.
presenting Persons Skating.
SUR un mince crystal l'hyver conduit leurs pas,
Le précipice est sous la glace:
Telle est de nos plaisirs la lég re surface:
Glissez, mortels; n'appuyez pas.
O'ER ice the rapid skater flies,
With sport above, and death below; Where mischief lurks in gay disguise, Thus lightly touch and quickly go.
O'ER crackling ice, o'er gulfs profound,
With nimble glide the skaters play;
O'er treacherous Pleasure's flowery ground
Thus lightly skim and haste away.
TO MRS. THRALE
On her completing her thirty-fifth year.
AN IMPROMPTU.
OFT in danger, yet alive
We are come to thirty-five;
Long may better years arrive,
Better years than thirty-five!
Could philosophers contrive
Life to stop at thirty-five,
Time his hours should never drive
O'er the bounds of thirty-five.
High to soar, and deep to dive,
Nature gives at thirty-five.
Ladies, stock and tend your hive,
Trifle not at thirty-five;
For, howe'er we boast and strive,
Life declines from thirty-five.
He that ever hopes to thrive
Must begin by thirty-five;
And all who wisely wish to wive
Must look on Thrale at thirty-five.
IMPROMPTU TRANSLATION
Of an air in the Clemenza de Tito of Metastasio
beginning "Deh se piacermi vuoi."
WOULD you hope to gain my heart,
Bid your teasing doubts depart;
He, who blindly trusts, will find
Faith from every generous mind;
He, who still expects deceit,
Only teaches how to cheat.
[This originally appeared in the Gentleman's Maga. zine, for the year 1743. See Boswell's Life of Johnson under that year. It was afterwards printed in Mrs. Wil. liams's Miscellanies, in 1766, with several variations, which are pointed out below. J. B.]
FRIENDSHIP! peculiar boon of heaven,
The noble mind's delight and pride,
To men and angels only given,
To all the lower world denied.
While love, unknown among the blest,
Parent of thousand wild desires,
The savage and the human breast
Torments alike with raging fires;
With bright, but oft destructive, gleam,
Alike, o'er all his lightnings fly;
Thy lambent glories only beam
Around the favourites of the sky.
Thy gentle flows of guiltless joys
On fools and villains ne'er descend,
In vain for thee the tyrant sighs,
And hugs a flatterer for a friend.
Directress of the brave and just,
O guide us through life's darksome way!
And let the tortures of mistrust
On selfish bosoms only prey.
Nor shall thine ardours cease to glow,
When souls to blissful climes remove:
What raised our virtue here below,
Shall aid our happiness above.
Stanza 1. This stanza is omitted in Mrs. Williams's Miscellanies, and instead of it we have the following, which may be suspected from internal evidence not to have been Johnson's.
When virtues kindred virtues meet,
And sister souls together join,
Thy pleasures, permanent as great,
Are all transporting, all divine.
Stanza 2, line 2d. Parent of rage and hot desires
Mrs. W. line 4th. Inflames alike with equal fires. Stanza 4, line 3d. In vain for thee the monarch sighs,
Stanza 6, line 1st. O! shall thy flames then cease to glow.
FROM THE MEDEA OF EURIPIDES, v. 190.
[This was written by Johnson for his friend, Dr. Bur.
Of a speech of Aquileio in the Adriano of Metasta-ney, and was inserted as the work of "A learned friend,"
sio, begining " Tu che in corte invechiasti."
GROWN old in courts, thou surely art not one
Who keeps the rigid rules of ancient honour;
Who skill'd to sooth a foe with looks of kind-
To sink the fatal precipice before him,
And then lament his fall by seeming friendship;
Open to all, true only to thyself,
in that gentleman's History of Music, Vol. II. p. 340. It
has always been ascribed to Johnson; but to put the mat-
ter beyond a doubt, Mr. Malone ascertained the fact by
applying to Dr. Burney himself. J. B.]
THE rites derived from ancient days
With thoughtless reverence we praise,
The rites that taught us to combine
The joys of music and of wine,
And bid the feast, and song, and bowl, O'erfill the saturated soul:
But ne'er the flute or lyre applied
To cheer despair and soften pride,
Nor call them to the gloomy cells,
Where Want repines and Vengeance swells;
Where Hate sits musing to betray,
And Murder meditates his prey,
To dens of guilt and shades of care,
Ye sons of melody repair;
Nor deign the festive dome to cloy,
With superfluities of joy.
Ah! little needs the minstrel's power,
To speed the light convivial hour.
The board with varied plenty crown'd,
May spare the luxuries of sound.
Ex alieno ingenio poeta, ex suo tantum versificator.
SCALIG. Poet.
TOLLITE Concentum, Solymææ tollite nymphæ, Nil mortale loquor; cœlum mihi carminis alta Materies; poscunt gravius cœlestia plectrum. Muscosi fontes, sylvestria tecta valete, Aonidesque Dee, et mendacis somnia Pindi: Tu, mihi qui flammâ movisti pectora sancti Sidereâ Isaiæ, dignos accende furores!
Immatura calens rapitur per secula vates
Sic orsus-Qualis rerum mihi nascitur ordo!
Virgo! virgo parit! felix radicibus arbor
Jessæis surgit, mulcentesque æthera flores
Coelestes lambunt animæ, ramisque columba,
Nuncia sacra Dei, plaudentibus insidet alis.
Nectareos rores, alimentaque mitia cœlum
Præbeat, et tacite fœcundos irriget imbres.
Huc, foedat quos lepra, urit quos febris, adeste,
Dia salutares spirant medicamina rami;
Hic requies fessis: non sacra sævit in umbra
Vis Borea gelida, aut rapidi violentia solis.
Irrita vanescent prisca vestigia fraudis,
Justitiæque manus pretio intemerata bilancem
Attollet reducis; bellis prætendet olivas
Compositis pax alma suas, terrasque revisens
Sedatas niveo virtus lucebit amictu:
Volvantur celeres anni! lux purpuret ortum
Expectata diu! naturæ claustra refringens,
Nascere, magne puer! tibi primas, ecce, corollas
Deproperat tellus, fundit tibi munera quicquid
Carpit Arabs, hortis quicquid frondescit Eois.
Altius, en! Lebanon gaudentia culmina tollit.
En! summo exultant nutantes vertice sylvæ.
Mittit aromaticas vallis Saronica nubes,
Et juga Carmeli recreant fragrantia cœlum.
Deserti lætâ mollescunt aspera voce,
Auditur Deus! ecce Deus! reboantia circum,
Saxa sonant, Deus! ecce Deus! deflectitur
æther,
Demissumque Deum tellus capit; ardua cedrus,
Gloria sylvarum, dominum inclinata salutet.
Surgite convalles, tumidi subsidite montes!
Sternite saxa viam, rapidi discedite fluctus ;
En! quem turba diu cecinerunt enthea, vates,
En salvator adest; vultus agnoscite cæci
This translation has been severely criticised by Dr Warton, in his edition of Pope, vol. i. p. 105. Svo. 1797. It certainly contains some expressions that are not classical. Let it be remembered, however, that it was a college exercise, performed with great rapidity, and was at first praised beyond all suspicion of defect.-C.
Divinos, surdos sacra vox permulceat aures.
Ille cutim spissam visus hebetare vetabit,
Reclusisque oculis infundet amabile lumen ;
Obstrictasque diu linguas in carmina solvet.
Ille vias vocis pandet, flexusque liquentis
Harmoniæ purgata novos mirabitur auris.
Accrescunt teneris tactu nova robora nervis.
Consuetus fulcro innixus reptare bacilli
Nunc saltu capreas; nunc cursu provocat euros.
Non planctus, non mæsta sonant suspiria;
pectus
Singultans mulcet, lachrymantes tergit ocellos.
Vincla coercebunt luctantem adamantina mortem
Eternoque Orci dominator vulnere languens
Invalidi raptos sceptri plorabit honores.
Ut qua dulce strepent scatebræ, qua lata virescunt
Pascua, qua blandum spirat purissimus aer.
Pastor agit pecudes, teneros modo suscipit agnos
Et gremio fotis selectas porrigit herbas,
Amissas modo quærit oves, revocatque vagantes;
Fidus adest custos, seu nox furat horrida nimbis,
Sive dies medius morientia torreat arva.
Postera sic pastor divinus secla beabit,
Et curas felix patrias testabitur orbis.
Non ultra infestis concurrent agmina signis,
Hostiles oculis flammas jaculantia torvis;
Non litui accendent bellum, non campus ahenis
Triste coruscabit radiis; dabit hasta recusa
Vomerem, et in falcem rigidus curvabitur ensis.
Atria, pacis opus, surgent, finemque caduci
Natus ad optatum perducet cœpta parentis.
Qui duxit sulcos, illi teret area messem,
Et seræ texent vites umbracula proli..
Attoniti dumeta vident inculto coloni
Suave rubere rosis, sitientesque inter arenas
Garrula mirantur salientis murmura rivi.
Per saxa, ignivomi nuper spelæa draconis.
Canna viret, juncique tremit variabilis umbra.
Horruit implexo qua vallis sente, figuræ
Surgit amans abies teretis, buxique sequaces
Artificis frondent dextræ; palmisque rubeta
Aspera, odorata cedunt mala gramina myrto
Per valles sociata lupo lasciviet agna,
Cumque leone petet tutus præsepe juvencus.
Florea mansueta petulantes vincula tigri
Per ludum pueri injicient, et fessa colubri
Membra viatoris recreabunt frigore linguæ.
Serpentes teneris nil jam lethale micantes
Tractabit palmis infans,motusque trisulcæ
Ridebit linguæ innocuos, squamasque virentes
Aureaque admirans rutilantis fulgura crista.
Indue reginam, turritæ frontis honores
Tolle Salema sacros, quam circum gloria pennas
Explicat, incinctam radiata luce tiara!
En! formosa tibi spatiosa per atria, proles
Ordinibus surgit densis, vitamque requirit
Impatiens, lenteque fluentes increpat annos.
Ecce peregrinis fervent tua limina turbis ;
Barbarus en clarum divino lumine templum
Ingreditur, cultuque tuo mansuescere gaudet
Cinnameos cumulos, Nabathæi muncra veris,
Ecce cremant genibus trite regalibus are!
Solis Ophyræis crudum tibi montibus aurum
Maturant radii; tibi balsama sudat Idume.
Etheris en portas sacrofulgore micantes
Coelicole pandunt, torrentis aurea lucis
Flumina prorumpunt; non posthac sole rubescet
India nascenti, placideve argentea noctis
Luna vices revehet; radios pater ipse diei
Proferet archetypos; cœlestis gaudia lucis
Ipso fonte bibes, quæ circumfusa beatam
Regiam inundabit, nullis cessura tenebris.
Littora deficiens arentia deseret æquor;
Sidera fumabunt, diro labefacta tremore
Saxa cadent, solidique liquescent robora montis:
Tu secura tamen confusa elementa videbis,
Lætaque Messia semper dominabere rege,
Pollicitis firmata Dei, stabilita ruinis.
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[Nocti, inter 16 et 17 Junii, 1783.*] SUMME Pater, quodcunque tuum de corpore Nument [velit: Hoc statuat, precibus Christus adesse Ingenio parcas, nec sit mihi culpa rogâsse,¶ Qua solum potero parte, placere** tibi.
[Cal. Jan. in lecto, ante lucem. 1784.] SUMME dator vitæ, naturæ æterne magister, Causarum series quo moderante fluit, Respice quem subijet senium, morbique seniles, Quem terret vitæ meta propinqua suæ. Respice inutiliter lapsi quem pœnitet ævi; Recte ut pæniteat, respice, magne parens,
PATER benigne, summa semper lenitas,
Crimine gravatam plurimo mentem leva:
Concede veram pœnitentiam, precor,
Concede agendam legibus vitam tuis.
Sacri vagantes luminis gressus face
Rege et tuere, quæ nocent pellens procul;
Veniam petenti, summe da veniam, pater;
Veniæque sancta pacis adde gaudia:
Sceleris ut expers, omni et vacuus metu,
Te, mente purâ, mente tranquillâ colam:
Mihi dona morte hæc impetret Christus suâ.
SUMME Pater, puro collustra lumine pectus,
Anxietas noceat ne tenebrosa mihi.
In me sparsa manu virtutum semina larga
Sic ale, proveniat messis ut ampla boni.
Noctes atque dies animo spes læta recurset,
Certa mihi sancto flagret amore fides.
Certa vetat dubitare fides, spes læta timere.
Velle vetet cuiquam non bene sanctus amor. Da, ne sint permissa, Pater, mihi præmia frusEt colere, et leges semper amare tuas. [tra, Hæc mihi, quo gentes, quo secula, Christe, piâsti, Sanguine, precanti promereare tuo!
MENS mea, quid quereris? veniet tibi mollior hora,
In summo ut videas numine læta patrem, Divinam insontes iram placavit lesus; Nunc est pro poœna poenituisse reis.
CHRISTIANUS PERFECTUS, Qui cupit in sanctos Christo cogente referri, Abstergat mundi labem, nec gaudia carnis Captans, nec fastu tumidus, semperque futuro Instet, et evellens terroris spicula corde, Suspiciat tandem clementem in numine patrem. Huic quoque, nec genti nec sectæ noxius ulli,
The night above referred to by Dr. Johnson, was that in which a paralytic stroke had deprived him of his voice and, in the anxiety he felt lest it should likewise have impaired his understanding, he composed the above lines, and said, concerning them, that he knew at the time that they were not good, but then that he deemed his discerning this to be sufficient for the quieting the anxiety before mentioned, as it showed him that his power of juaging was not diminished.
† Al. tuæ. Al. leges.
Al. statuant.
Al. vetis. T Al. precari. * Al. litare.
Sit sacer orbis amor, miseris qui semper adesse
Gestiat, et, nullo pietatis limite clausus,
Cunctorum ignoscat vitiis, pietate fruatur.
Ardeat huic toto sacer ignis pectore, possit
Ut vitam, poscat si res, impendere vero.
Cura placere Deo sit prima sit ultima, sanctæ
Irruptum vitæ cupiat servare tenorem ;
Et sibi, delirans quanquam et peccator in horas
Displiceat, servet tutum sub pectore rectum:
Nec natet, et nunc has partes, nunc eligat illas,
Nec dubitet quem dicat herum, sed, totus in uno,
Se fidum addicat Christo, mortalia temnens.
Sed timeat semper, caveatque ante omnia, turbæ
Ne stolidæ similis, leges sibi segreget audax
Quas servare velit, leges quas lentus omittat,
Plenum opus effugiens, aptans juga mollia collo,
Sponte sua demens; nihilum decedere summæ
Vult Deus, at qui cuncta dedit tibi, cuncta re-
poscit.
Denique perpetuo contendit in ardua nisu,
Auxilioque Dei fretus, jam mente serena
Pergit, et imperiis sentit se dulcibus actum.
Paulatim mores, animum, vitamque refingit
Effigiemque Dei, quantum servare licebit,
Induit, et, terris major, cœlestia spirat.
ETERNE rerum conditor,
Salutis æternæ dator;
Felicitatis sedibus
Qui nec scelestos exigis,
Quoscumque scelerum pœnitet;
Da, Christe, pœnitentiam,
Veniamque, Christe, da mihi;
Ægrum trahenti spiritum
Succurre præsens corpori,
Multo gravatam crimine
Mentem benignus alleva.
LUCE collustret mihi pectus alma,
Pellat et tristes animi tenebras,
Nec sinat semper tremere ac dolere,
Gratia Christi:
Me Pater tandem reducem benigno
Summus amplexu foveat, beato
Me gregi Sanctus socium beatum
Spiritus addat.
JEJUNIUM ET CIBUS. SERVIAT ut menti corpus jejunia serva, Ut mens utatur corpore, sume cibos.
AD URBANUM.* 1738. URBANE, nullis fesse laboribus, Urbane, nullis victe calumniis, Cui fronte sertum in erudita Perpetuo viret, et virebit ; Quid moliatur gens imitantium, Quid et minetur, sollicitus parum,' Vacare solis perge Musis,
Juxta animo studiisque felix. Linguæ procacis plumbea spicula, Fidens, superbo frange silentio;
Victrix per obstantes catervas
Sedulitas animosa tendet.
See Gent. Mag. Vol. VIII. p. 156; and see also the Introduction to Vol. LIV.
Intende nervos fortis, inanibus Risurus olim nisibus æmuli; Intende jam nervos, habebis Participes opera Camœnas. Non ulla Musis pagina gratior, Quam que severis ludicra jungere Novit, fatigatamque nugis
Utilibus recreare mentem. Texente nymphis serta Lycoride, Rosæ ruborem sic viola adjuvat Immista, sic Iris refulget Æthereis variata fucis.
IN RIVUM A MOLA STOANA LITCH
FELDIE DIFFLUENTEM.
ERRAT adhuc vitreus per prata virentia rivus,
Quo toties lavi membra tenella puer;
Hic delusa rudi frustrabar brachia motu,
Dum docuit blanda voce natare pater.
Fecerunt rami latebras, tenebrisque diurnis
Pendula secretas abdidit arbor aquas.
Nunc veteres duris periêre securibus umbræ,
Longinquisque oculis nuda lavacra patent.
Lympha tamen cursus agit indefessa perennis,
Tectaque qua fluxit, nunc et aperta fluit.
Quid ferat externi velox, quid deterat ætas,
Tu quoque securus res age, Nise, tuas.
[Post Lexicon Anglicanum auctum et emendatum.]
LEXICON ad finem longo luctamine tandem
Scaliger ut duxit, tenuis pertæ sus opellæ,
Vile indignatus studium, nugasque molestas
Ingemit exosus, scribendaque lexica mandat
Damnatis, pœnam pro pœnis omnibus unam.
Ille quidem recte, sublimis, doctus et acer, Quem decuit majora sequi, majoribus aptum, Qui veterum modo facta ducum, modo carmina vatum,
Gesserat et quicquid virtus, sapientia quicquid
Dixerat, imperiique vices, cœlique meatus,
Ingentemque animo seclorum volveret orbem.
Fallimur exemplis; temere sibi turba scho-
larum
Ima tuas credit permitti Scaliger iras.
Quisque suum nórit modulum; tibi, prime vi-
Ut studiis sperem, aut ausim par esse querelis,
Non mihi sorte datum; lenti seu sanguinis obsint
Frigora, seu nimium longa jacuisse veterno,
Sive mihi mentem dederit natura minorem.
Te sterili functum cura, vocumque salebris
Tuto eluctatum spatiis sapientia dia
Excipit æthereis, ars omnis plaudit amico,
Linguarumque omni terrâ discordia concors
Multiplici reducem circumsonat ore magistrum.
Me, pensi immunis cum jam mihi reddor in-
ertis
Desidiæ sors dura manet, graviorque labore Tristis et atra quies, et tardæ tædia vitæ. Nascuntur curis curæ, vexatque dolorum Importuna cohors, vacuæ mala somnia mentis. Nunc clamosa juvant nocturnæ gaudia mensæ, Nunc loca sola placent; frustra te, Somne, recumbens
Alme voco, impatiens noctis metuensque diei.
* See the life of Dr. Johnson.
PARVA quidem regio, sed religione priorum
Clara, Caledonias panditur inter aquas.
Voce ubi Cennethus populos domuisse feroces
Dicitur, et vanos dedocuisse deos.
Huc ego delatus placido per cærula cursu,
Scire locus volui quid daret iste novi.
Illic Leniades humili regnabat in aula,
Leniades, magnis nobilitatis avis.
Una duas cepit casa cum genitore puellas,
Quas Amor undarum crederet esse deas.
Nec tamen inculti gelidis latuere sub antris,
Accola Danubii qualia savus habet.
Mollia non desunt vacuæ solatia vitæ,
Sive libros poscant otia, sive lyram. Fulserat illa dies, legis qua docta supernæ Spes hominum et curas gens procul esse jubet. Ut precibus justas avertat numinis iras
Et summi accendat pectus amore boni. Ponte inter strepitus non sacri munera cultus Cessarunt, pietas hic quoque cura fuit.
Cum filium peregre agentem desiderio nimis tristi Nil opus est æris sacra de turre sonantis
Admonitu, ipsa suas nunciat hora vices. Quid, quod sacrifici versavit fœmina libros ? Sint pro legitimis pura labella sacris.
Quo vagor ulterius? quod ubique requiritur hic est,
Hic secura quies, hic et honestus amor.
PONTI profundis clausa recessibus,
Strepens procellis, rupibus obsita,
Quam grata defesso virentem,
Skia, sinum nebulosa pandis !
His cura, credo, sedibus exulat;
His blanda certe pax habitat locis ;
Non ira, non moror quietis
Insidias meditatur horis.
At non cavatâ rupe latescere,
Menti nec ægræ montibus aviis
Prodest vagari, nec frementes
In specula numerare fluctus.
Humana virtus non sibi sufficit;
Datur nec æquum cuique animum sibi
Parare posse, utcunque jactet
Grandiloquus nimis alta Zeno.
Exæstuantis pectoris impetum
Rex summe, solus tu regis, arbiter;
Mentisque, te tollente, fluctus ;
Te, resident, moderante fluctus.
ODE DE SKIA INSULA. PERMEO terras ubi nuda rupes Saxeas miscet nebulis ruinas,
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