Dr. Johnson's Works: Life, Poems, and Tales Part 38

His cura, credo, sedibus exulat; His blanda certe pax habitat locis; Non ira, non moeror quietis Insidias meditatur horis.

At non cavata rupe latescere, Menti nec aegrae montibus aviis Prodest vagari, nec frementes In specula numerare fluctus.

Humana virtus non sibi sufficit; Datur nec aequum cuique animum sibi Parare posse, utcunque jactet Grandiloquus nimis alta Zeno.

Exaestuantis 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, Torva ubi rident steriles coloni Rura labores.

Pervagor gentes hominum ferorum, Vita ubi nullo decorata cultu Squallet informis, tugurique fumis Foeda latescit.

Inter erroris salebrosa longi, Inter ignotae strepitus loquelae, Quot modis, mec.u.m, quid agat, requiro, Thralia dulcis?

Seu viri curas pia nupta mulcet, Seu fovet mater sobolem benigna, Sive c.u.m libris novitate pascit Sedula mentem.

Sit memor nostri, fideique solvat Fida mercedem, meritoque blandum Thraliae discant resonare nomen Littora Skiae.

SPES.

Apr. 16, 1783.

Hora sic peragit citata cursum; Sic diem sequitur dies fugacem!

Spes novas nova lux parit, secunda Spondens omnia credulis homullis; Spes ludit stolidas, metuque caeco Lux angit, miseros ludens homullos.

VERSUS COLLARI CAPRAE DOMINI BANKS INSCRIBENDI.

Perpetui, ambita bis terra, praemia lactis Haec habet, altrici capra secunda Jovis.

AD FOEMINAM QUANDAM GENEROSAM QUAE LIBERTATIS CAUSAE IN SERMONE PATROCINATA FUERAT.

Liber ut esse velim, suasisti, pulchra Maria: Ut maneam liber, pulchra Maria, vale.

JACTURA TEMPORIS.

Hora perit furtim laetis, mens temporis aegra Pigritiam incusat, nec minus hora perit.

Quas navis recipit, quantum sit pondus aquarum, Dimidrum tanti ponderis intret onus.

Quot vox missa pedes abit, horae parte secunda?

Undecies centum denos quater adde duosque.

[Greek: Eis BIRCHION][a]

[Greek:]

Eiden Alaetheiae proaen chairousa graphonta Haeroon te bious Birchion, aede sophon Kai bion, eipen, hotan rhipsaes thanatoio belessi, Sou pote grapsomenon Birchion allon echois.

[a] The rev. Dr. Thomas Birch, author of the History of the Royal Society, and other works of note.

[Greek:] Eis to taes ELISSAES peri ton oneiron ainigma.[a]

Tae kallous dunamei ti telos; Zeus panta dedoken Kupridi, und' autou skaeptra memaele theo.

Aek Dios estin Onap, theios pot' egrapsen Homaeros, Alla tod' eis thnaetous Kupris epempsen onar Zeus mounos phlogoenti poleis ekperse kerauno, Ommasi lampra Dios Kupris oista pherei.

[a] When Johnson had composed this Greek epigram to Mrs. Elizabeth Carter, he said, in a letter to Cave, "I think she ought to be celebrated in as many different languages as Louis le grand." His admiration of her learning was so great, that when he wished to praise the acquirements of any one excessively, he remarked that, he knew as much Greek almost as Mrs. Carter. The verses in Elizae Aenigma are addressed to the same excellent and accomplished lady.

It is now nearly an insult to add, that she translated Epictetus, and contributed Nos. 44 and 100, to the Rambler. See Boswell, i.

iii. and iv. and preface to Rambler, ii.--ED.

IN ELIZAE AENIGMA.

Quis formae modus imperio? Venus arrogat audax Omnia, nec curae sunt sua sceptra Jovi.

Ab Jove Maeonides descendere somnia narrat: Haec veniunt Cypriae somnia missa Deae.

Jupiter unus erat, qui stravit fulmine gentes; Nunc armant Veneris lumina tela Jovis.

[a]O! Qui benignus crimina ignoscis, pater, Facilisque semper confitenti ades reo, Aurem faventem precibus O! praebe meis; Scelerum catena me laborantem grave Aeterna tandem liberet clementia, Ut summa laus sit, summa Christo gloria.

Per vitae tenebras rerumque incerta vagantem Numine praesenti me tueare, pater!

Me ducat lux sancta, Deus, lux sancta sequatur; Usque regat gressus gratia fida meos.

Sic peragam tua jussa libens, accinctus ad omne Mandatum vivam, sic moriarque tibi.

Me, pater omnipotens, de puro respice coelo, Quem moestum et timidum crimina dira gravant; Da veniam pacemque mihi, da, mente serena, Ut tibi quae placeant, omnia promptus agam.

Solvi, quo Christus cunctis delicta redemit, Et pro me pretium, tu patiare, pater.

[a] This and the three following articles are metrical versions of collects in the liturgy; the first, of that, beginning, "O G.o.d, whose nature and property"; the second and third of the collects for the seventeenth and twenty-first Sundays after Trinity; and the fourth, of the first collect in the communion service.

[Dec. 5, 1784.][a]

Summe Deus, cui caeca patent penetralia cordis; Quem nulla anxietas, nulla cupido fugit; Quem nil vafrities peccantum subdola celat; Omnia qui spectans, omnia ubique regis; Mentibus afflatu terrenas ejice sordes Divino, sanctus regnet ut intus amor: Eloquiumque potens linguis torpentious affer, Ut tibi laus omni semper ab ore sonet: Sanguine quo gentes, quo secula cuncta piavit, Haec n.o.bis Christus promeruisse velit!

[a] The day on which he received the sacrament for the last time; and eight days before his decease.

PSALMUS CXVII.

Anni qua volucris ducitur orbita, Patrem coelicolum perpetuo colunt Quo vis sanguine cretae Gentes undique carmine.

Patrem, cujus amor blandior in dies Mortales miseros servat, alit, fovet, Omnes undique gentes, Sancto dicite carmine.

[a]Seu te saeva fames, levitas sive improba fecit, Musca, meae comitem, participemque dapis, Pone metum, rostrum fidens immitte culullo, Nam licet, et toto prolue laeta mero.