Τοινδε δυοιν ἑνος ἁιρεσις, η το γενεσθαι
Μηδεποτ’ η το θανειν αυτικα τικτομενον.
V. 657.
Others from the wall defend
With dart and javelin, stones.
Virg. Æn. X. 130.
Hi jaculis, illi certant defendere saxis.
We could subjoin many other instances, but
these may suffice to prove, that he who marked
them was not confined to a very circumscribed path
of reading. There are, however, some imitations
by Pope, which appear worth preserving.
Prologue to Sat.
Pretty in amber to observe the forms
Of hairs, or straws, or dirt, or grubs, or worms,
The things we know are neither rich nor rare,
But wonder how the devil they came there.
Martial. VI. 15.
Dum Phaetonteâ formica vagatur in umbrâ
Implicuit tenuem succina gutta feram,
Sic modo quæ fuerat vitâ contempta manente,
Funeribus facta est nunc pretiosa suis.
Essay on Man, B. IV.
Or why so long, if long in life can be,
Lent heaven a parent to the poor and me.
Virg. Æn. X. 861
Phœbe diu, res si qua diu mortalibus ulla est
Viximus.
Moral Essays, II.
Dip in the rainbow, trick her off in air,
Chuse a firm cloud, before it fall and in it
Catch e’er she change this Cynthia of the minute.
Cowley’s David.
He took for skin a cloud most soft and bright,
Of a new rainbow ere it fret or fade,
The choicest there cut out.
Moral Essays, III.
Nature, as in duty bound,
Deep hid this shining mischief under ground,
But when by man’s audacious labour won,
Flamed forth this rival to its sire the sun.
Cowley’s David.
Where the sun’s fruitful beams give metals birth,
Where he the growth of fatal gold does see,
Gold which alone more influence has than he.
Dunciad, Book IV.
Tis true on words is still our whole debate,
Dispute of me or te, of aut or at.
Gr. Epig. in Athen. Lib. V.
Φευγετ Ἀρισταρχειοι
Γωνιοβομβυκες, μονοσυλλαβοι, οισε μεμηλε
Το σφιν, καὶ σφωιν, καὶ το μιν, ηδε το νιν.
Windsor Forest.
Hills, vales, and woods, appear already crost,
And e’er he starts a thousand steps are lost.
Lucret. II. 263.
Nonne vides etiam patefactis tempore puncto
Carceribus, non posse tamen prorumpere equorum
Vim cupidam tam desubito quam mens avet ipsa,
Et seq.
Rape of the Lock.
Trivial the subject, but not so the praise.
Virg. Georg.
In tenui labor, et tenuis non gloria.
Windsor Forest, 337.
First the famed authors of his ancient name,
The winding Isis and the fruitful Thame;
The Kennet swift, for silver eels renowned,
The Lodden slow with verdant alders crowned;
Cole whose dark streams his flowery islands lave,
And chalky Wey that rolls a milky wave;
The blue transparent Vandalis appears,
The gulphy Lee his sedgy tresses rears;
And sullen Mole, that hides his diving flood,
And silent Darent stained with Danish blood.
Claudian in Prob. et Olyb. Cons. V. 254.
Indigenas fluvios, Italis quicunque suberrant
Montibus, Alpinasque bibunt de more pruinas,
Vulturnusque rapax, et Nar vitiatus odoro
Sulfure, tardatisque suis erroribus useus,
Et Phætonteæ perpessus damna ruinæ,
Eridanus, flavæque terens querceta Maricæ
Liris et Æbaliæ qui temporat arva Galesus.
Art. of Crit.
Shakes off the dust, and rears his reverend head.
Claudian. I. Stel. Cons. II. 127.
despectaque Musæ
Cella levant.
To revert for a moment to Milton, the following
similitude will appear very remarkable.
Book IV. v. 159.
As when to them who sail
Beyond the Cape of Hope, and now are past
Mozambic, off at sea north-east winds blow
Sabean odours from the spicy shore
Of Araby the blest, with such delay
Well pleased they slack their course, and many a league
Cheered with the grateful smell, old Ocean smiles.
Diodorus Siculus, L. III. c. 45.
Θεια γαρ τις φαινεται και λογου κρειττων ἡ προς πιπτουσα
και κινοῦσα τας εκαστων αισθησεις εοωδια. Και γαρ τους παρα
πλεοντας, καιπερ πολυ της χερσου κεχωρισμενους, ουκ αμοιρους
ποιει της τοιαυτης απολαυσεως—κατα γαρ την εαρινην ωραν,
οταν αμενος απογειος· γενηται, συμβαινει τας απο των σμυρνοφορων
δενδρων και των αλλων των τοιαυτων αποπνεομενας εοωδιαδ
διικνεισθαι προς τα πλησιον μερη της θαλαττης.
For the variety of fragrances which here is perpetually
exhaled seems somewhat divine, and beyond the power of
description; for they who are sailing by, although at a considerable
distance from the coast, cannot be insensible of
this delight; for in the season of Spring, when the wind
blows from the land, it brings with it to the contiguous parts
of the sea, the sweet fragrance of myrrh, and other aromatic
shrubs.
One more resemblance shall suffice.
Book VII. v. 438.
The swan with arched neck
Between her white wings mantling proudly, rows
Her state with oary feet.
Silius Italicus, XIV. 190.
Haud secus Eridani stagnis ripâve Caystri
Innatat albus olor, pronoque immobile corpus
Dat fluvio, et pedibus tacitas eremigat undas.
The lines which are subjoined are among the
very first poetical productions of the late amiable
Mr. Jerningham.
AN IRREGULAR ODE
IN HONOUR OF MISS CAMPBELL,
By Mr. J—m,
Written Impromptu at Lady J—’s Tea Table.
Oh the pride
Of Lord Hyde,
And the care
Of Lord Clare,
And the darling
Of Alderman Starling.
For Venus oft art thou mistaken,
In Bruton-street, by Teddy Bacon
[7].
Sir Armine
[8], when he looks at thee,
Forgets his house of Industry.
One touch of thy celestial hand,
Tho’ shaded by thy brownest glove,
(Such is the power of mighty Love)
Consumes to atoms Mr. Brand
[9].
Thy rising charms spread such alarms,
That when of late to Berkeley-square
[10],
(With conquests big) thou didst repair,
Intent thy skill in dancing to display,
The amorous youth for fear kept all away.
In prose or rhyme it cannot told be,
How deep you’ve wounded Mr. Bowlby.
One of the valiant sons of war
Still wears thy deep imprinted scar,
’Tis Captain—what d’ye call him—Pshaw!
The little Adjutant—Fanshaw
[11].
Then to Squallini Brooke
[12] thou’rt such a treat,
The Doctor sweetly smiles, and does not—eat.
And when you come to Grosvenor-square,
You make no small confusion there,
Thy beauteous form too briskly urges
The throbbing pulse of Mr. Burges
[13].
To Mr. Lombe
[14] you give a fever,
For thee he quits his lovely B—r.
Thy beauty casts so warm a ray,
That hearts and bowels melt away,
On warlike Alpe
[15], of the Militia,
It had th’ effect of strong magnesia.
On Wisdom’s calm sequester’d seat,
Thou’st dared to rush with impious feet,
And there thou hast been fondly thieving
The heart that’s due to Madam Stephen
[16].
Now cease, oh Muse, thy too ambitious strain,
To count her charms thou still wouldst strive in vain,
Were you blest with the pen of the Bard of Fernay
[17],
Quick time.Or the still keener wit of Sir Hanson Berney
[18].