He seiz'd his brush, his colours spread;
And-" Oh! my child, accept," he said,
('Tis all that I can now bestow,)
"This tribute of a father's wo!"
Then, faithful to the two-fold part,
Both of his feelings and his art,
He clos'd his eyes, with tender care,
And form'd at once a fellow pair.
His brow, with amber locks beset,
And lips he drew, not livid yet;
And shaded all, that he had done,
To a just image of his son.
Thus far is well. But view again,
The cause of thy paternal pain!
Thy melancholy task fulfil!
It needs the last, last touches still.
Again his pencil's pow'rs he tries,
For on his lips a smile he spies :
And still his cheek, unfaded, shows
The deepest damask of the rose.
Then, heedless to the finish'd whole,
With fondest eagerness he stole,
Till scarce himself distinctly knew
The cherub copied from the true.
Now, painter, cease! Thy task is done,
Long lives this image of thy son;
Nor short liv'd shall the glory prove,
Or of thy labour, or thy love.
AD dextram, ad lævam, porro, retro, itque, reditque,
Deprensum in laqueo quem labyrinthus habet,
Et legit et relegit gressus, sese explicet unde,
Perplexum quærens unde revolvat iter.
Sta modo, respira paulum, simul accipe filum;
Certius et melius non Ariadne dabit.
Sic te, sic solum exepdies errore, viarum
Principium invenies, id tibi finis erit.
FROM right to left, and to and fro,
Caught in a labyrinth you go,
And turn, and turn, and turn again,
To solve the myst'ry, but in vain ;
Stand still, and breathe, and take from me
A clew, that soon shall set you free!
Not Ariadne, if you meet her,
Herself could serve you with a better.
You enter'd easily find where
And make, with ease, your exit there!
NEMO MISER NISI COMPARATUS
"QUIS fuit infelix adeo! quis perditus æque !"
Conqueritur mæsto carmine tristis amans.
Non novus hic questus, rarove auditus; amantes
Deserti et spreti mille queruntur idem.
Fatum decantas quod tu miserabile, multus
Deplorat, multo cum Corydone, Strephon,
Si tua cum reliquis confertur amica puellis,
Non ea vel sola est ferrea, tuve miser.
NO SORROW PECULIAR TO THE
THE lover, in melodious versos,
His singular distress rehearses.
Still closing with a rueful cry,
"Was ever such a wretch as I?"
Yes! Thousands have endur'd before
All thy distress; some, haply more
Unnumber'd Corydons complain,
And Strephons, of the like disdain ;
And if thy Chloe be of steel,
Too deaf to hear, too hard to feel;
Not her alone that censure fits,
Nor thou alone hast lost thy wits.
FRONDIBUS, et pomis, herbisque tenaciter hæret
Limax, et secum portat ubique domum.
Tutus in hac sese occultat, si quando periclum
Imminet, aut subitæ decidit imber aquæ.
Cornua vel leviter tangas, se protinus in se
Colligit, in proprios contrahiturque lares.
Secum habitat quacunque habitat; sibi tota supellex,
Solæ quas adamat, quasque requirit opes.
Secum potat, edit, dormit; sibi in ædibus iisdem
Conviva et comes est, hospes et hospitium.
Limacem, quacumque siet, quacumque moretur,
Siquis eum quærat, dixeris esse domi.
To grass, or leaf, or fruit, or wall,
The Snail sticks close, nor fears to fall,
As if he grew there, house and all
Within that house secure he hides,
When danger imminent betides
Of storm, or other harın besides
Give but his horns the slightest touch,
His self-collecting power is such,
He shrinks into his house, with much
Displeasure.
Where'er he dwells, he dwells alone,
Except himself has chattels none,
Well satisfied to be his own
Thus, hermit-like, his life he leads
Nor partner of his banquet needs,
And if he meets one, only feeds
Who seeks him must be worse than blind, (He and his house are so combin'd,)
If, finding it, he fails to find
CALCARI instruitur juvenis; geminove vel uno, Haud multum, aut ocreis cujus, et unde, refert; Fors fortasse suo, fortasse aliunde, flagello;
Quantulacunque sui, pars tamen ipse sui. Sic rite armatus, quinis (et forte minoris)
Conductum solidis scandere gestit equum. Lætus et impavidus qua fert fortuna (volantem Cernite) quadrupedem pungit et urget iter : Admisso cursu, per rura, per oppida fertur:
Adlatrant catuli, multaque ridet anus. Jamque ferox plagis erecta ad verbera dextra Calce cruentata lassat utrumque latus. Impete sed tanto vixdum confecerit ille
Millia propositæ sexve novemve viæ, Viribus absumptis, fessusque labore, caballus
Sternit in immundum seque equitemque lutum Vectus iter peraget curru plaustrove viator? Proh pudor et facinus! cogitur ire pedes. Si, nec inexpertum, seniorem junior audis, Quæ sint exiguæ commoda disce more. Quam tibi præcipio, brevis est, sed regula certa; Ocyus ut possis, pergere lentus eas'
WITH two spurs or one; and no great matter which Boots bought, or boots borrow'd, a whip, or a switch, Five shillings or less for the hire of his beast, Paid part into hand ;-you must wait for the rest. Thus equipt, Academicus climbs up his horse, And out they both sally for better or worse; His heart void of fear, and as light as a feather, And in violent haste to go not knowing whither;
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