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Can ftoried urn or animated bust

Back to its manfion call the fleeting breath? Can honour's voice provoke the filent duft,

Or Flatt'ry footh the dull cold ear of Death?

Perhaps in this neglected spot is laid

Some heart once pregnant with celestial fire: Hands, that the rod of empire might have fway'd, Or wak'd to extafy the living lyre.

But knowledge to their eyes her ample page, Rich with the fpoils of time, did ne'er unrall ; Chill penury reprefs'd their noble rage,

And froze the genial current of the foul.

Full many a gem of pureft ray ferene

The dark unfathom'd caves of ocean bear; Full many a flower is born to blufh unfeen, And wafte its fweetness in the defert air,

Some village-Hampden, that with dauntless breaft
The little tyrant of his fields withstood;
Some mute inglorious Milton here may reft,
Some Cromwell guiltlefs of his country's blood,

Th' applaufe of lift'ning fenates to command,
The threats of pain and ruin to defpife,
To fcatter plenty o'er a fmiling land,

And read their history in a nation's eyes,

Their lot forbad: nor circumfcrib'd alone

Their growing virtues, but their crimes confin'd; Forbad to wade through flaughter to a throne,

And shut the gates of mercy on mankind ;

The struggling pangs of conscious truth to hide, To quench the blushes of ingenuous shame, Or heap the thrine of luxury and pride

With incenfe kindled at the Mufe's fame.

Far from the madding crowd's ignoble ftrife,
Their fober wifes never learn'd to stray;
Along the cool fequefter'd vale of life
They kept the noifelefs tenor of their way.

Yet ev'n thefe bones from infult to protect,.
Some frail memorial ftill erected nigh,
With uncouth rhymes and fhapelefs fculpture deck'd,
Implores the paffing tribute of a sigh.

An vanis infcripta notis anguftior urna,

Phidiacumve loquens nobile marmor opus, An revocent animam fatali a fede fugacem? Detque iterum vitâ pofle priore frui ? Poffit adulantum fermo penetrare fepulchrum? Evocet aut manes laus et inanis honor?

Forfan in hoc, olim divino femine prægnans
Ingenii, hoc aliquis cefpite dormit adhuc.
Neglecto hoc forfan jaceat fub cespfte, sceptra
Cujus tractârint imperiofa manus.

Vel quales ipfo forfan vel Apolline dignæ
Pulfârint docto pollice fila lyræ.

Doctrinæ horum oculis antiqua volumina prika
Nunquam divitias explicuêre fuas.
Horum autem ingenium torpefcere fecit egestas
Afpera, & auguftæ fors inimica domi.

Multa fub oceano pellucida gemma latescit,
Et rudis ignotum fert & inane decus.
Plurima neglectos fragrans rofa pandit odores,
Ponit & occiduo pendula fole caput,

Æmulus Hamdeni hic aliquis requiefcat agreftis
Quem patriæ indignans exítimulavit amor;
Aufus hic exiguo, eft villæ oppugnare tyrango,
Afferere et forti jura paterna manu.
Aut mutus forfan, fatoque inglorius alter
Hac vel Miltono par, requiefcat humo.
Dormiat aut aliquis Cromuelli hic æmulus audax,
Qui patriam poterit vel jugulaffe fuam.

Eloquio arrectum prompto mulcere fenatum,
Exilii immoto pectore ferre minas,
Divitias larga in patriam diffundere dextrâ,
Historiam ex populi colligere ore fuam,

Hlorum vetuit fors improba ;-nec tamen areto
Tantum ad virtutem limite claufit iter,
Verum etiam & vitia ulterius tranfire vetabat,
Nec dedit his magnum poffe patrare fcelus.
Hos vetuit temere per tragem invadere regnum,
Excipere et furdâ fupplicis aure preces.

Sentire ingenuum nec dedidicere ruborum,
Confcia fuffufus quò notat ora pudor.
Luxuria hi nunquam fefe immerfere superbâ,
Nec Mufæ his laudes proftituere fuas,

At placidè illorum, procul à certamine turbæ Spectabant propriam fobria vota domum; Quifque fibi vivens, & fponte inglorius exul, Dum tacito elabens vita tenore fluit.

Hæc tamen a damno qui fervet tutius offa,
En tumulus fragilem præbet amicus opem!
Et vera agrefti eliciunt fufpiria corde
Incultæ effigies, indocilefque modi.

Their name, their years, fpelt by th' unletter'd Mufe, Atque locum fupplent elegorum nomen & anni

The place of fame and elegy fupply:

And many a holy text around the ftrews,

That teach the ruftic moralift to die,

Quæ formâ infcribit ruftica Mufa rudi: Multa etiam facri diffundit commata textûs, Queis meditans difcat vulgus agrefte mori.

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<< One morn I mifs'd him on the 'cuftom'd hill,
"Along the heath and near his fav'rite tree :
"Another came; nor yet befide the rill,

"Nor up the lawn, nor at the wood was he.

The next with dirges due, in fad array,
"Slow through the church-yard path we saw him
borne,

"Approach and read (for thou can't read) the lay,
"Grav'd on the ftone beneath yon aged thorn."

Heu quis enim dubiâ hâc dulcique excedere vitâ
Juffus, et æternas jam fubituris quas,
Defcendit nigram ad noctem, cupidufque fupremo
Non faltam occiduam refpicit ore diem ?

Decedens alicui faltem mens fidit amico

In cujus blando pectore ponit opem ;
Fletum aliquem expofcunt jam deficientia morte
Lumina, amicorum qui riget imbre genas;
Quin etiam ex tumulo, veteris non infcia flammæ,
Natura exclamat fida, memorque fui.

At tibi, qui temui hoc deducis carmine fortem,
Et defunctorum ruftica fata gemis,
Huc olim intentus fi quis veftigia flectat
Et fuerit qualis fors tua forte roget.

Huic aliquis forfan fenior refpondeat ult.:
Cui niveis albent tempora fparfa cis
"Vidimus hunc quàm fæpe micante.

" Verrentem rapido, mane rubente, gr
"Ad rofeum folis properabat fæpit, ortum,
"Summaque tendebat per juga lætus iter.

"Sæpe fub hac fago, radices undique circum
"Quæ varie antiquas implicat alta fuis,
"Stratus humi meditans medio procumberet æftu,
"Luftraretque inhians flebile murmur aquæ.

"Sæpius hanc fylvam propter viridefque receffus
"Urgeret meditans plurima, lentus iter,
"Intentam hic multâ oblectaret imagine mentem,
"Mufarumque frequens follicitaret opem.
"Jam veluti demens, tacitis erraret in agris,

Aut cujus ftimulat corda repulfus amor.

"Mane aderat nuper, tamen hunc nec viderat arbos,
"Nec juga, nec faliens fons, tacitum.ve nemus;
"Altera lux oritur; nec apertâ hic valle videtur,
"Nec tamen ad fagum, nec prope fontis aquam.

"Tertia fucceffit-lentoque exangue cadaver

"Ecce fepulchrali eft pompa fecuta gradu. "Tu lege, namque potes, cælatum in marmore car

men,

"Quod juxta has vepres exhibet ifte lapis,"

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Large was his bounty, and his foul fincere,

Heav'n did a recompence as largely fend:

He gave to mis'ry, all he had, a tear,

EPITAPHIUM.

UI nunquam favit fama aut fortuna fecunda.

Huic tamen arrifit jucunda Scientia, vultu,
Selegitque, habitans pectora, Cura fibi.

Largus opum fuit, & fincero pectore fretus,
Accepit pretium par, tribuente Deo.
Indoluit miferans inopi, lachrymafque profudit.

He gain'd from Heav'n ('twas all he wish'd), a Scilicet id, miferis quod daret, omne fuit,
friend.

No farther feek his merits to difclofe,

Or draw his frailties from their dread abode, (There they alike in trembling hope repofe) The bofam of his Father and his God.

A cælo interea fidum acquifivit amicum,
Scilicet id, cuperet quod magis, omne fuit.

Ne merita ulterius defuncti exquirere pergas,
Nec vitia ex facrâ fede referre petas.
Utraque ibi trepidâ pariter fpe condita reftant
In gremio Patris fcilicet atque Dei.

ARM

SONG, BY A PERSON OF QUALITY. CARMEN ELEGANS,

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Arcades, æterno viridantes flore juventæ,

Nocte innutantes qualibet inter oves, Afpicite, at fenfim languens juvenilior ætas, Hæc juxta, hæc, inquam florea faxa perit! Ante omnes carum fic levit Adonida Cypris, Deceptufque Deam triftius urfit Amor; Hunc, tacitè adrepens per denfa filentia noctis Incautum fævo dente momordit Aper.

Stringe lyram interea pulchrè Prudentia ludens, Harmoniæque graves, Cynthia, funde modos! Docte ambæ vigiles curas fopire canendo,

Tuque tuum imperti, Præfes Apollo, chorum!
Tuque adamanteis, Pluton' armate catenis,
O Tu Terrorum Rex, metuende Deus,
Duc me, quà paffim chryftallina flumina currunt,
Elyfiique lavat lucida lympha nemuɛ.

Vos etiam mæfti falices, triftefque cupreffi,
Aureliæ æternum ferta dicata meæ ;

Audi etiam, Morpheu, divam placidiffime Morpheu,
Ut queror, ut penitus maceror igne novo..

Triftè fluens, fed lenè fluens, Mæander, amæno Murmure qui curfum flexilis arbe rotas ! Margine fæpe etiam quam plurimus errat amator, Cui tua fubmittunt florea dona decus.

Sic quando fenfim languens Philomela, filentem Mollior aggreditur, nec fine voce, procum; Afpice, de cœlo interea Junonius ales Defcendens, fato cedit inane Melos.

PART OF HOMER'S

Goblets of nectar thy glad fire prepares, And thee, his faireft, nobleft fon declares; While ev'ry god fits rapt, Latona's breaft

HYMN TO APOLLO, Beats with fuperior joy, and hails her fon confeft,

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Thrice bleft Latona! from thee, Goddess, fprung Diana chafte, and Phoebus ever-young: *Her in Ortygia's ifle, and Him you bore At Cynthius' hill on Delos' fea-girt fhore, Where the tall palm upbears its lovely head, And clear Inopus laves the flow'ry mead.

O Phebus, where fhall I begin thy praife! Well can't thou rule the poet's artlefs lays. Oft on the craggy rock, or mountain hoar, By river fide, or on the fea's hoarfe shore, Wand'ring well-pleas'd, with mufic's magic found And airs divine, thou charm'st the region round.

* Delos and Ortygia are mentioned as different ((lands in the Original.

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Say, fhall I fing how firit on Delos' shore,
Thee, glorious progeny, Latona bore *?
How firit; from other ifles, befet with grief,
In vain thy tortur'd mother fought relief,
Each to her out-caft woe denied abode,
Nor durft one ifle receive the future god.
At length to Delos came the lab'ring fair,
And fuppliant thus befought her needful care.
Delos receive Apollo, and Oraile
A glorious temple to record his praife!
Then fhall He govern thee with gentle fway,
And only Phœbus fhall thine ifle obey.

What though no flocks, nor herds, nor juicy vine,
Nor plants of thousand natures shall be thine,
Swift to the temple of the Bowyer-king †,
Oblations rich fhall ev'ry nation bring;
For ever from thy altars fhall arife
The fragrant incenfe of burnt-facrifice.
No longer then regret thy barren foil,
Receive the God, and live by other's toil!

She fpake with inward rapture Delos fmil'd,
And footh'd the fuppliant pow'r with answer mild.
Latona! mighty Cæus' daughter fair,
Full willingly wou'd Delos cafe thy care,
Full willingly behold her barren earth
Witness the glories of Apollo's birth:

The mighty God would raife my lowly name,
And confecrate his native ifle to fame.
One fear alone diftracts my beating heart;
That fear, O Goddefs, lift while I impart.
Seco i to none amid th' æthereal skies,
Apollo foon all terrible fháll rife:
All nations fhall adore the mighty God,
And kings and kingdoms tremble at his nod.
Haply (for ah! dire fears my foul infest,
And fill with horror my tumultuous breast)
Soon as the glorious Godhead fhall be born,
My defert region will he view with scorn,
Indignant (purn me, curfe my barren foil,
And plunge into the waves my hated ifle.
Triumphant then to happier climes remove,
There fix his fhrine, plant there his facred grove.
Whelm'd in the briny main shall Delos lay,
To all the finny brood a wretched prey.
But, O Latona! if, to quell my fear,
You'll deign a folemn facred oath to fwear,
That here the God his glorious feat fhall hold,
And here his fapient oracles unfold,
Your facred burthen here, Latona, lay,
Here view the Godhead bursting into day.

Thus Delos pray'd, nor was her pray'r denied,
But foon with folemn vows thus ratified:
Witness O heaven and earth! O Stygian lake!
Dire adjuration, that no God may break!
In Delos fhall Apollo's fhrine be rear'd,
Delos, his best belov'd, most honour'd, most rever'd,
Thus vow'd Latona: Delos hail'd her earth
Bleft in the glories of Apollo's birth.
Nine hapless days and nights, with writhing throes,
And all the anguish of a mother's woes,
Latona tortur'd lay; in forrowing mood,
Around her many a fifter-goddess tood.
Aloft in heaven imperial Juno fat,
And view'd relentless her unhappy fate.

Here feveral verfes containing nothing but a mere lift of the names of islands are omitted. + Bowyer-king and Bowyer-God are expreffions requently used by Dryden, in his verfion of the firâ Iliad, to fignify Apollo.

Lucina too, the kind affuaging pow'r
That tends the lab'ring mother's child-bed hour,
And mitigates her woes, in golden clouds
High on Olympus' top the Goddess fhrouds.
Her large full eyes with indignation roll,
And livid envy feiz'd her haughty foul,
That from Latona's loins was doom'd to spring
So great a fon, the mighty Bowyer-king.
The milder pow'rs, that near the lab'ring fair
View'd all her pangs with unavailing care,
Fair Iris fent, the many colour'd maid,
To gain with goodly gifts Lucina's aid.
But charg'd her heed, left Juno fhould prevent
With prohibition dire their kind intent,
Fleet as the winged winds, the flying fair
With nimble pinion cut the liquid air.
Olympus gain'd, apart fhe call'd the maid,

Then fought with many a pray'r her needful aid,
And mov'd her foul: when foon with dove-like

pace

Swiftly they meafur'd back the viewless airy space.
Soon as to Delos' ifle Lucina came

The
pangs of travail feiz'd Latona's frame.
Her twining arms fhe threw the palm around,
And preft with deep-indented knee the ground:
Then into day fprung forth the jolly boy,
Earth fimil'd beneath, and heaven rang with joy.
The Sifter Pow'rs that round Latona flood
With chafte ablutions cleans'd the infant-god.
His lovely limbs in mantle white they bound,
And gently drew a golden fwathe around.
He hung not helplefs at his mother's breaft,
But Themis fed him with an heavenly feast.
Pleas'd while Latona views the heavenly boy,
And fondly glows with all a mother's joy,
The lufty babe, ftrong with ambrofial food,
In vain their bonds, or golden fwathes withstood,
Bonds, fwathes, and ligaments with ease he broke
And thus the wond'ring Deities bespoke ;
"The lyre, and founding bow, and to declare
"The Thund'rer's counfels, be Apollo's care!"

He fpake; and onwards all majestic strode;
The Queen of Heaven awe-ftruck view'd the God.
Delos beheld him with atender fmile,
And hail'd, enrich'd with gold, her happy ifle;
Her happy ifle, Apollo's native feat,
His facred haunt, his best-belov'd retreat.
Grac'd with Apollo, Delos glorious fhines,
As the tall mountain crown'd with stately pines.
Now ftony Cynthus would the God afcend,
And now his courfe to various islands bend.
Full many a fane, and rock, and fhady grove,
River, and mountain did Apollo love;
But chiefty Delos: the Ionians there,
With their chafte wives and prattling babes, repair
There gladly celebrate Apollo's name
With many a folemn rite and facred game;
The jolly dance and holy hymn prepare,
And with the Cæftus urge the manly war.
If, when their facred feaft th' Ionians hold,
Their gallant fports a stranger fhou'd behold,
View the strong nerves the brawny chiefs that brace,
Or eye the fofter charms of female grace;
Then mark their riches of a thousand kinds,
And their tall fhips born fwift before the winds,
So goodly to the fight wou'd all appear,
The fair affembly Gods he wou'd declare.
There too the Delian Virgins, beauteous chols,
Apollo's handmaids, wake the living lyre

To Phœbus first they confecrate the lays,
Latona then and chafte Diana praise,

Then heroes old, and matrons chafte rehearle,
And footh the raptur'd heart with facred verse.
Each voice, the Delian maids, each human found
With aptest imitations fweet refound:

Their tongue fo justly tune with accents new,
That none the false distinguish from the true.

Latona! Phœbus! Dian, lovely fair!
Blett Delian nymphs, Apollo's chiefest care,
All hail! and O with praife your poet crown,
Nor all his labours in oblivion drown!
If haply fome poor pilgrim fhall enquire,

O, virgins, who most skilful fmites the lyre?
"Whofe lofty verse in sweetest descant rolls,
"And charms to extafy the hearers fouls?"
O anfwer, a blind bard in Chios dwells,

all the arts of verfe who far excells.

Then o'er the earth shall spread my glorious fame,
And diftant nations fhall record my name.
But Phœbus never will I ceafe to sing,
Latona's noble fon, the mighty Bowyer-king.

Thee Lycia and Mæonia, thee, great Pow'r,
The bleft Miletus' habitants adore;
But thy lov'd haunt is fea-girt Delos' shore.
Now Pytho's ftony foil Apollo treads,
And all around ambrofial fragrance sheds,
Then ftrikes with matchlefs art the golden ftrings,
And ev'ry hill with heavenly mufic rings.

Olympus now and the divine abodes
Glorious he feeks, and mixes with the Gods.
Each heavenly bofom pants with fond defire
To hear the lofty verfe and golden lyre.
Drawn by the magic found, the Virgin-Nine
With warblings fweet the facred minstrel join :
Now with glad heart, loud voice, and jocund lays
Full fweetly carol bounteous heaven's praise;
And now in dirges fad, and numbers flow
Relate the piteous tale of human woe ;
Woe, by the Gods on wretched mortals caft,
Who vainly fhun affliction's wintry blast,
And all in vain attempt with fond delay

Death's certain fhaft to ward, or chafe old age away.
The Graces there, and fmiling Hours are seen,
And Cytherea, laughter-loving Queen,
And Harmony, and Hebe, lovely band,
To fprightlieft measures dancing hand in hand.
There, of no common port or vulgar mien,
With heavenly radiance, shines the Huntress-Queen,
Warbles refponfive to the golden lyre,
Tunes her glad notes, and joins the virgin choir.
There Mars and Mercury with aukward play,
And uncouth gambols, waste the live-long day.
There as Apollo moves with graceful pace
A thousand glories play around his face;
In fplendor dret he joins the feftive band,
And fweeps the golden lyre with magic hand.
Mean while, Latona and imperial Jove
Eye the bright Godhead with parental love;
And, as the Deities around him play,
Well pleas'd his goodly mien and awful port furvey.

*The Translator, when he began this piece, had fome thoughts of giving a complete English verfion of all Homer's Hymns, being the only parts of his works never yet tranflated; but (to fay nothing of his opinion of this fpecimen of his tranflation) fearing that this fpecies of poetry, though it has its beauties, and does not want admirers among the'

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With civil prudence bleft, with martial fire,
A nation's conqueror, and a nation's fire.

Truth, heavenly maid, from th' Empyrean height
Defcend, and with thy ftrong and pureft light
My verfe illume! and O, let mortals hear
Thy facred word, and awfully revere !
Be thou my guide! thy fage experience brings
Unerring maxims to the ear of kings.
Tis thine, bleft maid, and only thine, to show
What most befits the regal pow'r to know.
Purge thou the film from off a nation's eyes,
And thew what ills from civil difcord rife!
Nor spare with decent boldness to disclose
The prince's errors, and the people's woes:
And O! if fable e'er, in times of yore,
Mix'd her foft accents with thy fterner lore,
If e'er her hand adorn'd thy tow'ring head,
And o'er thy front her milder graces fpread
If e'er her fhades, which lovingly unite,
Bad thy fair form fpring ftronger into light,
With me, permit her all thy steps to trace,
Not to conceal thy beauties, but to grace!

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