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TWO POEMS VIZ.
I. On the DELUGE, PARADISE, The Burning of the WORLD, and of the New HEAVENS and New EARTH. An Ode to Dr. Burnett.
II. In Praiſe of PHYSIC and POETRY. An Ode to Dr. Hannes.
Written by Mr. ADDISON.
LONDON: Printed for E. CURLL in Fleet-ſtreet. 1718. Price Six Pence.
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Univ. Coll. Oxon. April 13. 1718.
Mr. CURLL,
YOUR Deſign of obliging the Public with a correct Edi⯑tion of all Mr. ADDISON'S Latin Poems, and Tranſla⯑ions of them, meets here with a gene⯑al Approbation.
According to my Promiſe I have ſent you the TWO ODES: You pro⯑mis'd to conceal my Name, which I nſiſt on. I will be anſwerable to the World for the Juſtneſs of the Tran⯑lation, and hitting the AUTHOR'S Mind; omitting, I think, no Empha⯑ical Beauty or Turn Mr. ADDISON has expreſs'd in the Original. Next Week you ſhall have (what I can't [] help calling Mr. ADDISON'S Maſ⯑ter-Piece) his POEM on the Peace of Reſwick; upon the Publication of which, the Engliſh Reader will ſee what Havock has been made of this Performance, by all the modern Poets who have wrote upon that Subject; and whatever Beauties have been ad⯑mir'd in their Works, are owing to this excellent Original. The Battle of the Pygmies and Cranes, The Puppet-ſhow, The Bowling-green, and The Barometer, you ſhall have with all convenient Speed.
Yours, &c.
Ad Inſigniſſimum Virum D. THO. BURNETTUM, Sacrae Theoriae Telluris Autorem.
[]NON uſitatum carminis alitem,
BURNETTE, poſcis, non humiles modos:
Vulgare plectrum, languidaeque
Reſpuis officium camoenae.
Tu mixta rerum ſemina conſcius,
Molémque cernis diſſociabilem,
Terrámque concretam, & latentem
Oceanum gremio capaci:
Dum veritatem quaerere pertinax
Ignota pandis, ſollicitus parùm
Utcunque ſtet commune vulgi
Arbitrium & popularis error.
Auditur ingens continuò fragor,
Illapſa tellus lubrica deſerit
Fundamina, & compage fractâ
Suppoſitas gravis urget undas.
Impulſus erumpit medius liquor,
Terras aquarum effuſa licentia
Claudit viciſſim; has inter orbis
Reliquiae fluitant prioris.
Nunc & recluſo carcere lucidam
Balaena ſpectat ſolis imaginem,
Stelláſque miratur natantes,
Et tremulae ſimulacra lunae▪
[] Quae pompa vocum non imitabilis!
Qualis caleſcit ſpiritus ingenî!
Ut tollis undas! ut frementem
Diluvii reprimis tumultum!
Quis tam valenti pectore ferreus
Ut non tremiſcens & timido pede
Incedat, orbis dum doloſi
Detegis inſtabiles ruinas?
Quin haec cadentûm fragmina montium
Natura vultum ſumere ſimplicem
Coget refingens, in priorem
Mox iterum reditura formam.
Nimbis rubentem ſulphureis Jovem
Cernas; ut udis ſaevit 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 coeli moenia corruunt,
Et veſtra tandem pagina (proh nefas!)
BURNETTE, veſtra augebit ignes,
Heu ſocio peritura mundo.
Mox aequa tellus, mox ſubitus viror
Ubique rident: En teretem Globum!
En laeta vernantis Favonî
Flamina, perpetuóſque flores!
O pectus ingens! O animum gravem,
Mundi capacem! ſi bonus auguror,
Te, noſtra quo tellus ſuperbit,
Accipiet renovata civem.
Jo. Addiſon,
è Coll. Magd. Oxon. 1699
AN ODE To the Learned Dr. Thomas Burnett, AUTHOR of The Theory of the EARTH.
[]I.
NO common Height the Muſe muſt ſoar,
That wou'd thy Fame in Numberstry;
Nor dare in humble Verſe adore,
But riſe with Thee above the Sky:
You ask a bold and lofty ſtrain,
And what we meanly ſing, diſdain.
[01]II.
You Nature's early Birth explore,
Her diſunited Frame diſcloſe,
From what mix'd Cauſe, and jarring Power,
The Infant Earth to Being roſe:
How, in her Circling Boſom ſleep
Th' impriſon'd Seas, and Bounded Deep.
III.
Reſolv'd great hidden Truths to trace,
Each Learned Fable you deſpiſe;
And, pleas'd, enjoy the fam'd diſgrace,
To think, and reaſon, ſingly wiſe:
Each Tale reject by Time allow'd,
And nobly leave the erring Crowd.
[11]IV.
Hark▪ from her weak Foundations tore,
The burſting Earth aſunder flies,
And, prop'd by yielding Seas no more,
The dreadful Crack alarms the Skies:
Whoſe Arches rent, their Weight forego,
And plunge in opening Gulphs below.
V.
Now ruſhing from their watry Bed,
The driving Waves diſdain a ſhore;
And with reſiſtleſs Force o'erſpread
That Orb, which check'd their Rage before:
While ſcattered o'er the foamy Tide,
All Nature's floating Ruins ride.
[12]VI.
New Heavens diſclos'd, the Silver Train
The SUN beneath their Waves admire;
And gliding thro' th' enlight'ned Main,
Gaze at each STAR'S diminiſh'd Fire.
Well pleas'd, the MOON'S bright Orb ſurvey,
Trembling along their Azure Way.
VII.
How ſtrong each Line, each Thought how great
With what an Energy you riſe!
How ſhines each Fancy? with what Heat
Does every glowing Page ſurprize?
While ſpouting Oceans upward flow,
Or ſink again to Caves below.
[13]VIII.
As Nature's Doom you thus impart,
The moving Scene we ſcarce endure;
But, ſhrinking, ask our anxious Heart,
If on our Earth we tread ſecure?
Whoſe Fate unmov'd, as you perſue,
We ſtart and tremble but to view.
IX.
Yet theſe Remains, we now behold,
Which Tow'ring once in Hills aroſe;
Shall from a New and fairer Mould
A New and fairer Earth compoſe:
Which to her Fate ſhall Owe her Bloom,
And riſe more lovely from her Tomb.
[14]X.
Yet ſee This beauteous Fabrick end,
This Second Pride of Fate expire;
While guſhing from the Clouds deſcend
The Burning Storm, the Liquid Fire;
Where Worlds and Men conſuming lie,
And in One bright Confuſion Die.
XI.
Their naked Tops the Hills admire,
No longer white with fleecy Dew;
And as they moan the ſpreading Fire,
Add to the Flames diſſolving too:
While Rocks from melting Mountains flow,
And roll in Streams thro' Vales below.
[15]XII.
And now the Kindling Orbs on high
All Nature's mournful End proclaim;
When thy great WORK, (Alas!) muſt die,
And feed the rich victorious Flame:
Give Vigour to the waſting Fire,
And with the World TOO SOON expire.
XIII.
Once more her Bloom the Earth renews,
Smooth'd into Green, eternal Vales;
Her Glebe ſtill moiſt with fragrant Dews,
Her Air ſtill rich with balmy Gales:
No Change her Flowry Seaſons breed,
But Springs retire, and Springs ſucceed.
[16]XIV.
Oh ſay, Thou Great, Thou Sacred Name,
What Scenes Thy thoughtful Breaſt employ,
Capacious as that mighty Frame
You raiſe with Eaſe, with Eaſe deſtroy?
Each World ſhall boaſt thy Fame; and YOU,
Who charm'd the OLD, ſhall grace the NEW.
AD D. D. HANNES, INSIGNISSIMUM MEDICUM & POETAM.
[]O QUI canoro blandiùs Orpheo
Vocale ducis carmen, & exitu
Feliciore luctuoſis
Saepe animam revocas ab umbris,
Jam ſeu ſolutos in numerum pedes
Cogis, vel aegrum & vix animae tenax
Corpus tueris, ſeu cadaver
Luminibus penetras acutis;
Opus relinquens eripe te morae,
Frontémque curis ſolicitam explica,
Scyphúmque jucundus require
Purpureo gravidum Lyaeo.
Nunc plena magni pocula poſtules
Memor WILHELMI, nunc moveat ſitim
Miniſter ingens, Imperîque
Praeſidium haud leve, MONTACUTUS.
[18] Omitte tandem triſte negotium
Gravéſque curas, heu nimium pius!
Nec caeteros cautus mederi
Ipſe tuam minuas ſalutem.
Fruſtra cruorem pulſibus incitis
Ebullientem pollice comprimis,
Attentus explorare venam
Quae febris exagitet tumentem:
Fruſtra liquores quot Chymica expedit
Fornax, & error ſanguinis, & vigor
Innatus herbis te fatigant:
Seriùs aut citiùs ſepulchro
Debemur omnes, vitáque deſeret
Expulſa morbis corpus inhoſpitum,
Lentúmque deflebunt nepotes
(Relliquias Animae) cadaver.
Manes videbis Tu quoque fabulas,
Quos pauciores fecerit Ars tua;
Suúmque victorem viciſſim
Subjiciet Libitina victrix.
Decurrit illi vita beatior
Quicunque Lucem non nimis anxius
Reddit moleſtam, urgétve curas
Sponte ſuâ ſatis ingruentes;
Et quem dierum lene fluentium
Delectat ordo, vitáque mutuis
Felix amicis, gaudiíſque
Innocuis benè temperata.
Jo. Addiſon,
è Coll. Magd. Oxon. 1699.
AN ODE TO Dr. HANNES, An Eminent PHYSICIAN and POET.
[19]I.
WHILE flying o'er the Golden Strings,
You gently wake the tuneful Lyre;
Or tender, as when ORPHEUS ſings,
With ſofter Sounds the Harp inſpire:
Sad fleeting Ghoſts with Art conſtrain
Back to a kinder Life again.
[20]II.
Whether, in graceful Lays you ſhine,
And Verſe your eaſy Hours employ;
Or give the Soul, her mouldring Shrine
Decay'd, a Fairer to enjoy:
The Body, cold in Death, explore
Thy Skill could only, not reſtore.
III.
Awhile thy learned Toil decline,
Nor anxious more, in ſmiles allow
The Circling Glaſs, the Generous Wine,
T'unbend, and ſmooth thy chearful Brow:
Nor longer to thy ſelf ſevere,
In the rich Draught forget thy care.
[21]IV.
Now with thy Monarch's Glory fir'd,
Let Great NASSAU thy Thirſt inflame;
Or by his MOUNTAGUE *inſpir'd,
Record the Patriot's faithful Name:
By whoſe wiſe Arts, and watchful Pains,
HE Rules in Peace, in Safety Reigns!
V.
At length thy mournful Task forbear,
From ſad'ning Thoughts ſome reſpite find;
And while we bleſs thy pious Care,
Be to thy ſelf, in pity, kind:
Inſpir'd with your own Bleſſings, live;
Nor want Your ſelf that Bloom you give.
[22]VI.
In vain the Blood's tumultuous Tide,
And circling Stream your Hand reſtrains;
Taught o'er the Pulſes to preſide,
And well explore the bubbling Veins:
That with the Fever's ſwelling Heat
Glow more inflam'd, more fiercely beat.
VII.
In vain you try each Chymic Power,
Trace to its Spring the Sanguine Wave;
And kindly ſearch each healing Flower
For Helps to guard us from the Grave:
In endleſs Bloom to bid us live,
Which THOU, nor THEY (Alas) can give.
[23]VIII.
One certain Fate by Heaven decreed,
In ſpite of Thee we all muſt try;
When from her burſting Priſon freed,
The mounting Soul ſhall claim the Sky:
Our Sons muſt once lament our Doom,
And ſhed their Sorrows round our Tomb.
IX.
Thou too ſhalt with pale Horror ſee
The Fabled Ghoſts which glare below,
Which to the Shades, reſtrain'd by Thee,
In thinner Shoals, deſcending, flow:
And Death, whoſe Power you now defy,
Shall boaſt, her Conqueror can Die.
[24]X.
His Life alone is greatly bleſt,
Whom no intruding Griefs annoy;
Who ſmiles each happy Day, poſſeſt
Of chearful Eaſe, and harmleſs Joy:
Nor ſadly ſoothing his own Cares,
Augments himſelf the Weight he bears.
XI.
Pleas'd, with a few ſelected Friends,
He views each ſmiling Evening cloſe;
While each ſucceeding Morn aſcends,
Charg'd with Delights, unmark'd with Woes:
In Pleaſures innocently gay,
Wears the Remains of Life away.
Notes
*
The late Earl of Halifax.
- Citation Suggestion for this Object
- TextGrid Repository (2020). TEI. 4602 Two poems viz I On the deluge paradise the burning of the world and of the new heavens and new earth An ode to Dr Burnett II In praise of physic and poetry An ode to Dr Hannes Written by. University of Oxford Text Archive. . https://hdl.handle.net/21.T11991/0000-001A-596B-9