B-sometimes would to thy cottage tend; An artful enemy, but seeming friend : Conscious of having plann'd thy worldly fate 22, He could not love thee, and he durst not hate. But then seraphic Ken was all thy own; And he 23, who long declin❜d Ken's vacant throne, Begging with earnest zeal to be deny'd;— By worldlings laught at, and by fools decry'd: Dodwell was thine, the humble and resign'd; Nelson, with Christian elegance of mind; And he 24, whose tranquil mildness from afar Spoke him a distant, but a brilliant star. These all forsook their homes-Nor sigh'd nor wept ; Mammon they freely gave, but God they kept. Ah, look on honours with Macarius' eyes, Snares to the good, and dangers to the wise! 25 In silence for himself, for friends in tears, He wander'd o'er the desert forty years. The cloud and pillar (or by night or day) Reviv'd his heart, and ascertain'd the way 6. His sandals fail'd not; and his robes untorn Escap'd the bramble and entangling thorn 27. Heav'n purify'd for him th' embitter'd well 28, And manna from aërial regions fell 9. At length near peaceful Pisgah he retir'd, And found that rest his pilgrimage requir'd: Where, as from toils he silently withdrew, Half Palestina 31 open'd on his view: "Go, pious hermit," groves and mountains cry'd: "Enter, thou faithful servant," Heav'n reply'd. Mild as a babe reclines himself to rest, And smiling sleeps upon the mother's breast, Tranquil, and with a patriarch's hopes, he gave His soul to Heav'n, his body to the grave; And with such gentleness resign'd his breath, That 'twas a soft extinction, and not death. 22 Bishop Ken used to say, that king William and queen Mary would gladly have permitted the non-juring bishops and clergy (who had just before signalized themselves in a steady opposition to popery) to have enjoyed their preferments till death, upon their parole of honour given, that they would never disturb the government; which favour would have been thankfully accepted of, and complied with, by the aforesaid bishops, &c.; but somebody here alJuded to (at least as Macarius thought) traversed their majesties' gracious intentions. In proof of this, bishop Ken performed the funeral service over Mr. Kettlewell in the year 1695, and prayed for king William and queen Mary. Happy! who thus, by unperceiv'd decay, Accept this verse, to make thy mem❜ry live, ine. By proxy, from a gen'rous kindred spread, And thy own Chesterfield protects my age. BOETIUS: OR, THE UPRIGHT STATESMAN, A SUPPOSED EPISTLE FROM BOETIUS TO HIS WIFE RUSTICIANA. Pectore magno Spemque metumque domat, vitio sublimior omni, Exemptus fatis; indignantemque repellit Fortunam; dubio quem non in turbine rerum Depréndit suprema dies, sed abire paratum, Ac plenum vitâ, Stat. Sylv. L. I. ARGUMENT. BOETIUS flourished in the former part of the sixth century. fle was descended from the 32 Macarius (who was born the 28th of Octo 23 Dr. George Hooper. N. B. It must here also be remembered, that Dr. Beveridge, refusedber, 1650) was dispossessed of his preferments to succeed bishop Ken in 1691, and then the offer was made to R. Kidder, D. D. 24 Mr. John Kettlewell, vicar of Coleshill in Warwickshire. 25 See Exodus, passim. Psalm xcv, v. 10. Hebr. ch. iii, v. 17. 25. 26 Exod. ch. xiii, v. 21. 27 Deut. ch. viii, v. 4. 28 Waters of Marah. Exod. ch. xv, v. 23— in 1691, and remained deprived till the time of his death, which happened in February 1735; and (which is remarkable enough) the bishops Kidder, Hooper, and Wynne all contrived that Macarius should receive the little profits from his prebend of Wells as long as he lived. A circumstance to their honour, as well as his. 33 Ilunc saltem accumulem donis, & fungar inani Manlian family, and was one of the first persons of Rome in fortunes and dignity. He received his education at Athens; after which he was thrice consul, and always renowned for his eloquence in the senate. He was upon all occasions inflexibly honest and veracious. His book entituled the Consolation of Philosophy, may be looked upon as a master-piece of fine writing. The poetry of it is equal to most compositions in the Augustan age; and that even in the classical purity of style: but something which manifests the declension of the Roman language may be discovered in the prose part. In his prose writings he made Aristotle his model; and, like him, is always clear, though concise: leaving an infinite fund for the mind of the reader to work upon. Many works pass under his name: some are genuine; and some are looked upon as supposititious. This book of Philosophical Consolation (from which a large part of the present epistle is extracted) has been universally admired in all ages, insomuch that there are many more fine manuscripts extant of it, than of Virgil, Horace, and Cicero, all taken together. The work we here speak of has been the particular delight and study of princes and good politicians. Chaucer translated it into our language, and afterwards it was translated by queen Elizabeth, &c. Boetius had two wives: the first was Helpés a Sicilian, whose conjugal affection is celebrated by him in an epitaph still extant. His second wife (to whom the following letter is supposed to be addressed) was Rusticiana, the daughter of Symmachus, a Roman senator and consul; one of the most virtuous, learned, and amiable persons of that age. As to Rusticiana, historians give her all perfections of mind and body. By her Boetius had several children: and two of his sons when young had the honour to be publicly carried to the senate-house in a consular chair, by way of extraordinary compliment to their father. When Theodoric the Goth made himself master of the kingdom of Italy, he wisely made choice of Boetius to be the director of his councils, and governed for many years to the universal satisfaction of his subjects. From Edward Philips, who writ one of the best accounts we have of the poets, ancient and modern, says, some authors assert that Helpés was daughter of a Sicilian king, and that she writ hymus in honour of the apostles after she embraced christianity." Philips's authority carries weight with it: for Milton was the instructor of his youthful studies, and afterwards revised the work we here allude to; Philips's mother being Milton's sister. Philips's book was published in 12mo, 1665, and entituled Theatrum Poetarum. One Winstanley, a barber, transcribed the lives of the English poets from our author's work almost verbatim, and published them in 1687. A most notorious plagiarism; it being but 22 years after the Theatrum Poetarum was published. a principle of self-interest he had long concealed his inclination for Arianism; but a sen ries of prosperous government made him ambitious, self-confident, and jealous of Boetius's glory. In addition to this, the Gothic chieftains that belonged to him were uneasy to see all power in the hands of a Roman; and one of them in particular, named Trigilia, having gained a new and great ascendancy over the king, contrived our statesman's ruin, by suborning false witnesses, and devising treasonable letters between him and Justin, emperor of the east. Boetius was first banished to Pavia, and after four years confinement privately executed in prison. His father in-law, Symmachus, incurred the same fate. Theodoric soon after◄ wards died with remorse, under all the agonies of a disturbed mind. It has been looked upon by many good christians as no small misfortune, that Boetius in his Consolation has not derived his arguments from divine wisdom as well as prophane philosophy. One may perceive here and there several hints taken from Scripture, but nothing as I remember, in totidem verbis: yet his general belief of Christianity has never been suspected, nor even his orthodoxy; for he writ an express treatise on the consubstantiality of the Trinity, which is still preserved, and looked upon to be genuine. These circumstances induced me to conclude this epistle in a manner not unworthy of our philosopher, and highly agreeable to his imitator. It has often been thought, that a second part added to Boetius's Consolation, written in the same manner of a vision, and consisting of verse and prose interchangeably, where Divine Wisdom is introduced as the speaker and comforter, would afford us one of the finest and most instructive works that could be composed. The sieur de Ceriziers, almoner to Louis the XIIth, made an attempt of this kind about the year 1636, and executed it with some degree of success. Boetius was commented upon by no less a person than Thomas Aquinas, who was one of the clearest and purest writers of his time. This shows the esteem in which the scholastic ages held him. In our country king Alfred was the first wh translated the Consolation of Philosophy, and this translation is still extant. Chaucer, as we have already hinted, gave us another version; and a third, I think, was published by the monks of Tavistock, at the second press that was established in England. A fourth translation was made (as some say) by queen Elizabeth; and one or too more preceded the version published by lord Preston. I have nothing farther to add, but that my wor◄ thy friend, to whom this elegy is addressed, will be pleased to bear in memory these beautiful verses of antiquity; which may be applied (not improperly) both to him and me. Nos facta aliena canendo Vergimur in senium; propriis tu pulcher ab aunis Ipse canenda geres, patriæque exempla parabis; Jamque vale, & penitùs noti tibi vatis amorem EPISTLE FROM BOETIUS TO HIS WIFE RUSTICIANA. And it came to pass from the time that he (Potiphar) had made him over-seer in his house, and over all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the Lord was upon all he had in the house and in the field. Gen. ch. xxxix, v. 5. INTRODUCTION. THE man, that's truly read in virtue's laws, Eliot, to whom kind Nature did impart O wife, more gentle than the western breeze, Which (loath to part) dwells whisp'ring on the trees: Chaste as th' lamb th' indulgent pastor leads Fair as the spring, and yet more true than fair, Weep not to read these melancholy strains; Change courts for cells, and coronets for chains.— Mark well the man, and Heav'n thy labour Thy knowledge, and thy virtues, gave offence. bless; In all be like him, but unhappiness! RUSTICIANA, loveliest of thy kind, Most in my eyes, and ever in my mind; All-bounteous God, how gracious was the care "The fortitude of a just man consists in contemning the flatteries of prosperity, and overcoming the fears of poverty." Sti. Gregor. Moral. L. VIII. When excellence is eminent, like thine, Our eyes are dazzled with too bright a shrine; What visionary hope the wretch beguiles, And sycophants the growing mischief fed, Till th' Arian sophist 3 crept thro' all restraint; The tempter ply'd him, and there split the saint. Th' assassin-hand which Odoácer slew, From a fat earth, and form'd for bulk, not use; Fore-warn'd my prince of arbitrary sway, Monarchs, sometimes, discard thro' fear, or hate, [state; Those, whose good sense and virtues poize the So mariners, when storms the ocean sweep, Commit their guardian-ballast to the deep. Methinks, in these my solitudes, I hear Tricilla whisp'ring in the tyrant's ear 8, "Assert the glories which are all thy own; And lop the branch that over-shades the throne;" When he and malice know, I taught no more Than ev'ry righteous statesman taught before. I show'd my prince 9-"The first of regal arts Was to reign monarch of the people's hearts; (Swift to encourage, eager to redress, But mostly that, which persecutes the soul: And when frout his exalted cage he sees [trees, power and abundance of people under their command; but exert their authority and power in a very different manner: for the former seeks only the good of those whom he governs, and hazards all, even his life, that they may live in peace and safety." He then gives the contrast of their characters in more full detail. Synesius Bishop of Cyrene to the Emperor 10 Ovid. Met. XV, v. 482. A saying of Constantius Chlorus, the father of Constantine the Great. 12 The character of a just and pious prince is finely marked by Isaiah, ch. xvi, v. 5. "In mercy shall the throne be established, and he shall sit upon it in truth, in the tabernacle of David; judging and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness." 13 Much to this purpose is a passage in the Son of Sirach:-"As long as thou livest, and hast breath in thee, give not thyself over to any. In all thy works keep to thyself the pre-eminence, and leave not a stain in thine honour." Such truths my crimes! But Charity's soft | When lo, a figure of celestial mien veil Shall shade the hateful remnant of the tale. Far from the solar walk, and court's high-way 17? The consul's station, or the statesman's place; How hard the contest, and how sharp the strife I'll dwell no longer on this angry theme 21 ;- Like a sick child, I moan'd myself to rest: 16 Pretiosissimum generis humani decus Symmachus socer; Vir totus et sapientia, virtutibusque factus. Boet, de Consolat, L. II, Pros. 4. Socer Symmachus, sanctus, atque actu ipso reverendus. Ibid. L. I, Pros. 4. 17" In chusing men who are to discharge the highest offices, the safest conduct is to take the man who goes out of his way in order to decline it, and not the man who intrudes boldly for it." St. Bernard. (Known indistinctly once, and faintly scen) Approach'd me; fa'r and graceful as a queen. Now, (strange to tell!) she seem'd of human size, And now, her form august half reach'd the skies. See a dumb image petrify'd with grief! "Med'cines, and not complaints, thy pangs must |
