Dr. Johnson's Works: Life, Poems, and Tales Part 42

Stella mea, observans stellas, dii me aethera faxint Multis ut te oculis sim potis aspicere.

Clara Cheroneae soboles, Plutarche, dicavit Hanc statuam ingenio, Roma benigna, tuo.

Das bene collatos, quos Roma et Graecia jactat, Ad divos, paribus pa.s.sibus, ire duces; Sed similem, Plutarche, tuae describere vitam Non poteras, regio non tulit ulla parem.

Dat tibi Pythagoram pictor; quod ni ipse tacere Pythagoras mallet, vocem habuisset opus.

Prolem Hippi, et sua qua meliorem secula nullum Videre, Archidicen, haec tumulavit humus; Quam, regum sobolem, nuptam, matrem, atque sororem Fecerunt nulli sors t.i.tulique gravem.

Cecropidis gravis hic ponor, Martique dicatus, Quo tua signantur gesta, Philippe, lapis.

Spreta jacet Marathon, jacet et Salaminia laurus, Omnia dum Macedum gloria et arma premunt.

Sint Demosthenica ut jurata cadavera voce, Stabo illis qui sunt, quique fuere, gravis.

Floribus in pratis, legi quos ipse, coronam Contextam variis, do, Rhodoclea, tibi: Hic anemone humet, confert narcissus odores c.u.m violis; spirant lilia mista rosis.

His redimita comas, mores depone superbos, Haec peritura nitent; tu peritura nites!

Murem Asclepiades sub tecto ut vidit avarus, Quid tibi, mus, mec.u.m, dixit, amice, tibi?

Mus blandum ridens, respondit, pelle timorem: Hic, bone vir, sedem, nori alimenta, peto.

Saepe tuum in tumulum lacrymarum decidit imber, Quem fundit blando junctus amore dolor; Charus enim cunctis, tanquam, dum vita manebat, Cuique esses natus, cuique sodalis, eras.

Heu quam dura preces sprevit, quam surda querelas Parca, juventutem non miserata tuam!

Arti ignis lucem tribui, tamen artis et ignis Nunc ope, supplicii vivit imago mei.

Gratia nulla hominum mentes tenet, ista Promethei Munera muneribus, si retulere fabri.

Illa triumphatrix Graium consueta procorum Ante suas agmen Lais habere fores, Hoc Veneri speculum; nolo me cernere qualis Sum nunc, nec possum cernere qualis eram.

Crethida fabellas dulces garrire peritam Prosequitur lacrymis filia moesta Sami: Blandam lanifici sociam sine fine loquacem, Quam tenet hic, cunctas quae manet, alta quies.

Dicite, Causidici, gelido nunc marmore magni Mugitum tumulus comprimit Amphiloci.

Si forsan tumulum quo conditur Eumarus aufers, Nil lucri facies; ossa habet et cinerem.

EPICTETI.

Me, rex deorum, tuque, due, necessitas, Quo, lege vestra, vita me feret mea.

Sequar libenter, sin reluctari velim, Fiam scelestus, nec tamen minus sequar.

E THEOCRITO.

Poeta, lector, hic quiescit Hipponax, Si sis scelestus, praeteri, procul, marmor: At te bonum si noris, et bonis natum, Tutum hic sedile, et si placet, sopor tutus.

EUR. MED. 193--203.

Non immerito culpanda venit Proavum vecors insipientia, Qui convivia, lautasque dapes, Hilarare suis jussere modis Cantum, vitae dulce levamen.

At nemo feras iras hominum Domibus claris exitiales, Voce aut fidibus pellere docuit; Queis tamen aptam ferre medelam Utile cunctis hoc opus esset; Namque, ubi mensas onerant epulae, Quorsum dulcis luxuria soni?

Sat laet.i.tia sine subsidiis, Pectora molli mulcet dubiae Copia coenae.

[Greek:]

Tois Araes brotoloighos enhi ptolemoisi memaene, Kahi toios Paphiaen plaesen eroti thean.

The above is a version of a Latin epigram on the famous John duke of Marlborough, by the abbe Salvini, which is as follows:

Haud alio vultu fremuit Mars acer in armis: Haud alio Cypriam percut.i.t ore deam.

The duke was, it seems, remarkably handsome in his person, to which the second line has reference.

SEPTEM AETATES.

Prima parit terras aetas; siccatque secunda; Evocat Abramum dein tertia; quarta relinquit Aegyptum; templo Solomonis quinta supersit; Cyrum s.e.xta timet; laetatur septima Christo.

[a]His Tempelmanni numeris descripseris...o...b..m, [b]c.u.m s.e.x ceiituriis Judaeo millia septem.

Myrias[c] AEgypto cessit his septima pingui.

Myrias adsciscit sibi nonagesima septem Imperium qua Turca[d] ferox exercet iniquum.

Undecies binas decadas et millia septem Sort.i.tur[e] Pelopis tellus quae nomine gaudet.

Myriadas decies septem numerare jubebit Pastor Arabs: decies octo sibi Persa requirit.

Myriades sibi pulchra duas, duo millia poscit Parthenope. [f]Novies vult tellus mille Sicana.

[g]Papa suo regit imperio ter millia quinque.

c.u.m s.e.x centuriis numerat s.e.x millia Tuscus[h].

Centuria Ligures[i] augent duo millia quarta.

Centuriae octavam decadem addit Lucca[j] secundae.

Ut dicas, spatiis quam latis imperet orbi [k]Russia, myriadas ter denas adde trecentis.

[l]Sardiniam c.u.m s.e.xcentis s.e.x millia complent.

c.u.m s.e.xagenis, dum plura recluserit aetas, Myriadas ter mille homini dat terra[m] colendas.

Vult sibi vicenas millesima myrias addi, Vicenis quinas, Asiam[n] metata celebrem.

Se quinquagenis octingentesima jungit Myrias, ut menti pateat tota Africa[o] doctae.

Myriadas septem decies Europa[p] ducentis Et quadragenis quoque ter tria millia jungit.

Myriadas denas dat, quinque et millia, s.e.xque Centurias, et tres decades Europa Britannis[q].

Ter tria myriadi conjungit millia quartae, Centuriae quartae decades quinque[r] Anglia nect.i.t.

Millia myriadi septem foecunda secundae Et quadragenis decades quinque addit Ierne[s].

Quingentis quadragenis socialis adauget Millia Belga[t] novem.

Ter s.e.x centurias Hollandia jactat opima.

Undecimum Camber vult septem millibus addi.

[a] To the above lines, (which are unfinished, and can, therefore, be only offered as a fragment,) in the doctor's ma.n.u.script, are prefixed the words "Geographia Metrica." As we are referred, in the first of the verses, to Templeman, for having furnished the numerical computations that are the subject of them, his work has been, accordingly, consulted, the t.i.tle of which is, a new Survey of the Globe; and which professes to give an accurate mensuration of all the empires, kingdoms, and other divisions thereof, in the square miles that they respectively contain. On comparison of the several numbers in these verses, with those set down by Templeman, it appears that nearly half of them are precisely the same; the rest are not quite so exactly done.--For the convenience of the reader, it has been thought right to subjoin each number, as it stands in Templeman's works, to that in Dr. Johnson's verses which refers to it.

[b] In this first article that is versified, there is an accurate conformity in Dr. Johnson's number to Templeman's; who sets down the square miles of Palestine at 7,600.

[c] The square miles of Egypt are, in Templeman, 140,700.

[d] The whole Turkish empire, in Templeman, is computed at 960,057 square miles.

[e] In the four following articles, the numbers in Templeman and in Johnson's verses are alike.--We find, accordingly, the Morea, in Templeman, to be set down at 7,220 square miles.--Arabia, at 700,000.--Persia, at 800,000.--and Naples, at 22,000.

[f] Sicily, in Templeman, is put down at 9,400.

[g] The pope's dominions, at 14,868.

[h] Tuscany, at 6,640.

[i] Genoa, in Templeman, as in Johnson likewise, is set down at 2,400.

[j] Lucca, at 286.

[k] The Russian empire, in the 29th plate of Templeman, is set down at 3,303,485 square miles.

[l] Sardinia, in Templeman, as likewise in Johnson, 6,600.