ADMIRANDA cano levium spectacula rerum, Exiguam gentem, et vacuum sine mente popellum; Quem, non surreptis cœli de fornice flammis, Innocua melior fabricaverat arte Prometheus.
Compita qua risu fervent, glomeratque tumultum Histrio, delectatque inhiantem scommate turbam; Quotquot lætitiæ studio aut novitate tenentur, Undique congressi permissa sedilia complent. Nec confusus honos; nummo subsellia cedunt Diverso, et varii ad pretium stat copia scamni. Tandem ubi subtrahitur velamen, lumina passim Angustos penetrant aditus, qua plurima visum Fila secant, ne, cum vacuo datur ore fenestra, Pervia fraus pateat: mox stridula turba penates Ingreditur pictos, et mania squallida fuco. Hic humiles inter scenas, angustaque claustra, Quicquid agunt homines, concursus, bella, triumphos, Ludit in exiguo plebecula parva theatro.
Sed præter reliquos incedit HoмUNCIO rauca Voce strepens; major subnectit fibula vestem, Et referunt vivos errantia lumina motus; In ventrem tumet immodicum; pone eminet ingens A tergo gibbus; Pygmæum territat agmen Major, et immanem miratur turba Gigantem. Hic magna fretus mole, imparibusque lacertis Confisus, gracili jactat convitia vulgo,
Et crebro solvit, lepidum caput, ora cachinno. Quanquam res agitur solenni seria pompa, Spernit sollicitum intractabilis ille tumultum, Et risu importunus adest, atque omnia turbat. Nec raro invadit molles, pictamque protervo Ore petit Nympham, invitoque dat oscula ligno. Sed comitum vulgus diversis membra fatigant Ludis, et vario lascivit mobile saltu.
Sæpe etiam gemmis rutila, et spectabilis auro, Lignea gens prodit, nitidisque superbit in ostris. Nam, quoties festam celebrat sub imagine lucem, Ordine composito Nympharum incedit honestum Agmen, et exigui proceres, parvique quirites. Pygmæos credas positis mitescere bellis, Jamque, infensa Gruum temnentes prælia, tutos Indulgere jocis, tenerisque vacare choreis. Tales, cum medio labuntur sidera cœlo, Parvi subsiliunt Lemures, populusque pusillus Festivos, rediens sua per vestigia, gyros Ducit, et angustum crebro pede pulsitat orbem. Mane patent gressus; hinc succos terra feraces Concipit, in multam pubentia gramina surgunt Luxuriem, tenerisque virescit circulus herbis.
At non tranquillas nulla abdunt nubila luces, Sæpe gravi surgunt bella, horrida, bella, tumultu. Arma cient truculenta cohors, placidamque quietem Dirumpunt pugnæ; usque adeo insincera voluptas Omnibus, et mistæ castigant gaudia curæ. Jam gladii, tubulique ingesto sulphure fœti, Protensæque hasta, fulgentiaque arma, minæque Telorum ingentes subeunt; dant claustra fragorem Horrendum, ruptæ stridente bitumine charta Confusos reddunt crepitus, et sibila miscent. Sternitur omne solum pereuntibus; undique cæsæ Apparent turma, civilis crimina belli.
Sed postquam insanus pugnæ deferbuit æstus, Exuerintque truces animos, jam Marte fugato, Diversas repetunt artes, curasque priores. Nec raro prisci heroes, quos pagina sacra Suggerit, atque olim peperit felicior ætas, Hic parva redeunt specie. Cano ordine cernas Antiquos prodire, agmen venerabile, Patres.
Rugis sulcantur vultus, prolixaque barbæ Canities mento pendet: sic tarda senectus TITHONUM minuit, cum moles tota cicadam Induit, in gracilem sensim collecta figuram. Nunc tamen unde genus ducat, quæ dextra latentes Suppeditet vires, quem poscat turba moventem, Expediam. Truncos opifex et inutile lignum Cogit in humanas species, et robore natam Progeniem telo efformat, nexuque tenaci
Crura ligat pedibus, humerisque accommodat armos, Et membris membra aptat, et artubus insuit artus. Tunc habiles addit trochleas, quibus arte pusillum Versat onus, molique manu famulatus inerti Sufficit occultos motus, vocemque ministrat. His structa auxiliis jam machina tota peritos Ostendit sulcos, duri et vestigia ferri:
Hinc salit, atque agili se sublevat incita motu, Vocesque emittit tenues, et non sua verba.
AD INSIGNISSIMUM VIRUM
D. THO. BURNETTUM,
SACRE THEORIE TELLURIS AUTOREM.
NON usitatum carminis alitem, BURNETTE, poscis, non humiles modos; Vulgare plectrum, languidæque Respuis officium camœnæ.
Tu mixta rerum semina conscius, Molemque cernis dissociabilem, Terramque concretam, et latentem Oceanum gremio capaci :
Dum veritatem quærere pertinax Ignota pandis, sollicitus parum Utcunque stet commune vulgi Arbitrium et popularis error. Auditur ingens continuo fragor, Illapsa tellus lubrica deserit Fundamina, et compage fracta Suppositas gravis urget undas.
Impulsus erumpit medius liquor, Terras aquarum effusa licentia Claudit vicissim; has inter orbis Relliquiæ fluitant prioris.
Nunc et recluso carcere lucidam Balæna spectat solis imaginem, Stellasque miratur natantes, Et tremulæ simulacra lunæ. Quæ pompa vocum non imitabilis! Qualis calescit spiritus ingenî! Ut tollis undas! ut frementem Diluvii reprimis tumultum! Quis tam valenti pectore ferreus Ut non tremiscens et timido pede Incedat, orbis dum dolosi
Detegis instabiles ruinas?
Quin hæc cadentum fragmina montium Natura vultum sumere simplicem Coget refingens, in priorem.
Mox iterum reditura formam. Nimbis rubentem sulphureis Jovem Cernas; ut udis sævit atrox hyems Incendiis, commune mundo
Et populis meditata bustum! Nudus liquentes plorat Athos nives, Et mox liquescens ipse adamantinum Fundit cacumen, dum per imas Saxa fluunt resoluta valles. Jamque alta cœli monia corruunt, Et vestra tandem pagina (proh nefas!) BURNETTE, vestra augebit ignes, Heu socio peritura mundo. Mox æqua tellus, mox subitus viror Ubique rident: En teretem globum! En læta vernantis Favoni
Flamina, perpetuosque flores! O pectus ingens! O animum gravem, Mundi capacem! si bonus auguror, Te, nostra quo tellus superbit, Accipiet renovata civem.
USEFULNESS OF ANCIENT MEDALS.
ESPECIALLY IN RELATION TO THE LATIN AND GREEK POETS.
Quoniam hæc ratio plerumque videtur Tristior esse, quibus non est tractata, retroque Volgus abhorret ab hac: volui tibi suaviloquenti Carmine Pierio rationem exponere nostram, Et quasi musæo dulci contingere melle, Si tibi forte animum tali ratione tenerem.
OCCASIONED BY MR. ADDISON'S TREATISE ON MEDALS.
SEE the wild waste of all-devouring years! How Rome her own sad sepulchre appears: With nodding arches, broken temples spread! The very tombs now vanished like their dead! Some felt the silent stroke of mouldering age; Some, hostile fury; some, religious rage; Barbarian blindness, Christian zeal, conspire; And Papal piety, and Gothic fire.
Perhaps by its own ruins saved from flame, Some buried marble half preserves a name ; That name the learn'd with fierce disputes pursue, And give to Titus old Vespasian's due.
Ambition sighed. She found it vain to trust The faithless column and the crumbling bust;
Huge moles whose shadow stretched from shore to shore, Their ruins perished, and their place no more! Convinced, she now contracts her vast design; And all her triumphs sink into a coin. A narrow orb each crowded conquest keeps; Beneath her palm here sad Judæa weeps ; Now scantier limits the proud arch confine, And scarce are seen the prostrate Nile and Rhine: A small Euphrates through the piece is rolled; And little eagles wave their wings in gold.
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