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The uncertain crescent gleams a sickly light.
Through subterraneous passages they went,
Earth's inmost cells, and caves of deep descent; 50
Of many a flood they view'd the secret source,
The birth of rivers rising to their course,
Whate'er with copious train its channel fills,
Floats into lakes, and bubbles into rills;
The Po was there to see, Danubius' bed,
Euphrates' fount, and Nile's mysterious head.
Further they pass, where ripening minerals flow,
And embryon metals undigested glow,
Sulphureous veins and living silver shine,
Which soon the parent sun's warm powers refine,
In one rich mass unite the precious store,

The parts combine and harden into ore :

55

Here gems break through the night with glittering beam,

And paint the margin of the costly stream,
All stones of lustre shoot their vivid ray,
And mix attemper'd in a various day ;
Here the soft emerald smiles of verdant hue,
And rubies flame, with sapphire's heavenly blue,
The diamond there attracts the wondrous sight,
Proud of its thousand dies and luxury of light.

1738. Et. 22.

65

POEMATA.

HYMENEAL

ON THE MARRIAGE OF HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS

THE PRINCE OF WALES.

IGNARE nostrûm mentes, et inertia corda,
Dum curas regum, et sortem miseramur iniquam,
Quæ solio affixit, vetuitque calescere flammâ
Dulci, quæ dono divûm, gratissima serpit
Viscera per, mollesque animis lene implicat æstus
Nec teneros sensus, Veneris nec præmia nôrunt,
Eloquiumve oculi, aut facunda silentia linguæ:

Scilicet ignorant lacrymas, sævosque dolores, Dura rudimenta, et violentæ exordia flammæ ;

* Printed in the Cambridge Collection, 1736, fol. In this Collection is also a Latin Copy of Hendecasyllables, by Horace Walpole; a short Copy by Thomas Ashton, the friend of Walpole, &c.; and there are some Greek Verses by Richard Dawes, the author of Miscellanea Critica.'

V. 1. " Heu, vatum ignaræ mentes !" Virg. Æn. iv. 65. "Teucrûm mirantur inertia corda," Æn. ix. 55.

V. 2. Sortemque animo miseratus iniquam," Æn. vi. 332.

V. 4. "Dono divûm gratissima serpit," Æn. ii. 269. V. 6. " Nec dulces natos, Veneris nec præmia noris ?" Æn. iv. 33.

V. 7. Vide Hor. Od. iv. i. 35. And Pope. Homer, b, xiv. ver. 252:

"Silence that spoke, and eloquence of eyes." And Fairfax. Tasso, iv. 85:

"Dumb eloquence, persuading more than speech.'

"

;

Scilicet ignorant, quæ flumine tinxit amaro 10 Tela Venus, cæcique armamentaria Divi,

15

Irasque, insidiasque, et tacitum sub pectore vulnus;
Namque sub ingressu, primoque in limine Amoris
Luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae;
Intus habent dulces Risus, et Gratia sedem,
Et roseis resupina toris, roseo ore Voluptas:
Regibus huc faciles aditus; communia spernunt
Ostia, jamque expers duris custodibus istis
Panditur accessus, penetraliaque intima Templi.

Tuque Oh! Angliacis, Princeps, spes optima

regnis,

20

Ne tantum, ne finge metum: quid imagine captus
Hæres, et mentem pictura pascis inani?

Umbram miraris: nec longum tempus, et ipsa
Ibit in amplexus, thalamosque ornabit ovantes.
Ille tamen tabulis inhians longum haurit amorem, 25
Affatu fruitur tacito, auscultatque tacentem

V. 10. "Bis flumine corpora tinguat," Ovid. Met. xii.

413.

V. 11. "Quidquid habent telorum armamentaria cœli," Juv. Sat. xiii. 83.

V. 12. This line, which is unmetrical, is so printed in the Cambridge Collection; and in Park's edition, without remark. The fault is probably in the author, and not in the printer; as the line is composed of two hemistichs of Virgil; Æn. xii. 336, Iræque, Insidiæque, Dei comitatus, aguntur;" and Æn. iv. 67, "Tacitum vivit sub pectore vulnus." Or perhaps a line is omitted, which should in

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V. 14. This line is from Virgil, Æn. vi. 274:

"Luctus et ultrices posuêre cubilia Curæ." V. 18. " Quos dura premit custodia matrum," Hor. Ep. i. i. 22.

Immemor artificis calami, risumque, ruboremque
Aspicit in fucis, pictæque in virginis ore :
Tanta Venus potuit ; tantus tenet error amantes.

28

Nascere, magna Dies,qua sese AUGUSTA Britanno Committat Pelago, patriamque relinquat amœnam; Cujus in adventum jam nunc tria regna secundos Attolli in plausus, dulcique accensa furore Incipiunt agitare modos, et carmina dicunt: Ipse animo sedenim juvenis comitatur euntem Explorat ventos, atque auribus aëra captat, Atque auras, atque astra vocat crudelia; pectus Intentum exultat, surgitque arrecta cupido; Incusat spes ægra fretum, solitoque videtur Latior effundi pontus, fluctusque morantes.

35

40

Nascere, Lux major, qua sese AUGUSTA Britanno Committat juveni totam, propriamque dicabit ;

V. 22. " Atque animum picturà pascit inani,” Æn. i. 464.

V. 23. Nec longum tempus et ingens," &c. Virg. Georg. ii. 80.

V. 30. " Magnus ab integro sæclorum nascitur ordo," Virg. Ecl. iv. 5.

V. 31. "Commisit pelago ratem," Hor. Od. i. iii. 11.
V. 33. " Subitoque accensa furore," En. iv. 697.
V. 35. "Virum qui sic comitatur euntem ?"Æn. vi. 863.
V. 36. This line is from Virgil, Æn. iii. 514:

"Explorat ventos, atque auribus aëra captat." V. 37. From Virg. Georg. iv. 495: " Crudelia retro Fata vocant." Æn. v. 138: " Laudumque arrecta cupido." V. 41. “Nascere, præque diem veniens age, Lucifer, almum," Virg. Ecl. viii. 118.

V. 42. "Connubio jungam stabili, propriamque dicabo," Virg. Æn. i. 73.

At citius (precor) Oh! cedas melioribus astris ;
Nox finem pompæ, finemque imponere curis
Possit, et in thalamos furtim deducere nuptam ; 45
Sufficiat requiemque viris, et amantibus umbras:
Adsit Hymen, et subridens cum matre Cupido
Accedant, sternantque toros, ignemque ministrent;
Ilicet haud pictæ incandescit imagine formæ
Ulterius juvenis, verumque agnoscit amorem.

50

Sculptile sicut ebur, faciemque arsisse venustam Pygmaliona canunt: ante hanc suspiria ducit, Alloquiturque amens, flammamque et vulnera narrat;

54

Implorata Venus jussit cum vivere signum, Fœmineam inspirans animam; quæ gaudia surgunt, Audiit ut primæ nascentia murmura linguæ, Luctari in vitam, et paulatim volvere ocellos

V. 44. So in Gray's Epistle from Sophonisba :

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Pompæ finis erat. Totâ vix nocte quievi." V. 46. On the position of the 'que,' see Burman. Virgil, En. vi. 395.

V. 47. "Prô Venus, et tenerà volucer cum matre Cupido," Ov. Met. ix. 481.

V. 50. "Veros exponit amores," Ovid. Met. x. 439. "Veros parce profitemur amores," Ovid. Art. Am. ii. 639. V. 51. is from Ovid. Met. x. 247:

"Interea niveum mira feliciter arte

Sculpit ebur; formamque dedit, qua fœmina nasci
Nulla potest: operisque sui concepit amorem :
Virginis est veræ facies, quam vivere credas;
Et, si non obstet reverentia, velle moveri :
Ars adeo latet arte suâ. Miratur, et haurit
Pectore Pygmalion simulati corporis ignes."

V. 56. Sed parvæ murmura linguæ," Ov. Met. xii. 49.
V. 59. Excipis amplexu, feliciaque oscula jungis," Ov

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