[]
Mr. ADDISON's FINE ODE TO Dr. Tho. Burnet, &c.
[]
Mr. ADDISON's FINE ODE TO Dr. Thomas Burnet, On His SACRED THEORY of the EARTH. Done into Engliſh by the Author of a late TALE call'd COFFEE.
Nec Verbum Verbo curabis reddere, Fidus
Interpres. —
HOR.
LONDON: Printed for T. WARNER, at the Black-Boy in Pater-Noſter-Row. M.DCC.XXVII.
TO THE KING and QUEEN's MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTIES.
[][]SIR and MADAM!
THE noble Syſtem, of which Mr. Addiſon's incomparable Poem is an exact Miniature; was gra⯑ciouſly received, when formerly addreſſed to a KING and a QUEEN, Your Royal Predeceſſors. Together with which Gentleman's moſt elegant Epitome, my faint [2] Copy of it is ſubmiſſively offered at the Feet of BOTH Your MAJESTIES; that ONE in a well-taſted Dead-language, the OTHER in an obliged and favoured Living-one, may take a ſummary View of the Place of Your SECOND Coronation; in happy Prelude to a THIRD, which Ye are farther to enjoy, in the ultimate and beatific Recep⯑tacle of the JUST and GOOD. A pre⯑ſumptuous Wiſh, that theſe grand Revolu⯑tions may, for your People's intermediate Advantage, commence Late, muſt firſt ask Pardon; and, on that Dependence, is ſincere⯑ly profeſſed to be the conſtant and fervent Prayer, of almoſt the Privateſt amongſt
Your MAJESTIES Moſt Unfeigned, moſt Humble, And moſt Obedient Subjects.
AD INSIGNISSIMUM VIRUM, D. THOMAM BURNETTUM, SACRAE THEORIAE-TELLURIS AUTOREM.
[]NON uſitatum Carminis alitem,
BURNETTE! poſcis; non humiles Modos:
Vulgare Plectrum, languidae (que)
Reſpuis officium Camoenae.
[4]Tu mixta rerûm Semina, conſcius,
Molem (que) cernis diſſociabilem;
Terram (que) concretam, & latentem
Oceanum Gremiô capaci!
Dùm, Veritatem quaerere pertinax,
Ignota pandis; Sollicitus parúm,
Utcùn (que) 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.
[5]Nunc &, recluſô Carcere, lucidam
Balaena ſpectat Solis imaginem;
Stellaſ (que) miratur natantes,
Et tremulae ſimulacra Lunae.
Quae Pompa vocûm non imitabilis!
Qualis caleſcit Spiritus ingenî!
Ut tollis Undas! Ut frementem
Diluvii reprimis Tumultum!
Quis tàm valenti Pectore ferreus,
Ut non Tremiſcens & timidô Pede
Incedat; Orbis dum doloſi
Detegis inſtabiles Ruinas?
Quin haec cadentûm Fragmina montium
Natura, Vultum ſumere ſimplicem,
Coget refingens; in priorem
Mox iterùm reditura Formam.
[6]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; dùm per imas
Saxa fluunt reſoluta Valles.
Jàm (que) alta Coeli Moenia corruunt:
Et veſtra tandèm Pagina (proh Nefas!)
BURNETTE, Veſtra augebit Ignes;
Heu! ſociô peritura Mundô.
Mox aequa Tellus, mox ſubitus Viror
Ubi (que) rident: En teretem Globum!
En laeta vernantis Favonî
Flamina, perpetuoſ (que) Flores!
[7]O Pectus ingens! O Animum gravem,
Mundi capacem! Si bonus Auguror;
Te, noſtra quô Tellus ſuperbit!
Accipiet renovata Civem.
TO That GREAT-THINKER, Dr. THOMAS BURNET, On His SACRED THEORY of the EARTH.
[]NO uſual Flight of Verſe,
BURNET! no ſoft-ſtrung Lyre,
No ſlack Neap-tide of Wit,
Thy high Demands require:
Thy Phyſiologic-Ken,
With Juſtice, may refuſe
The inſufficient Homage,
Of my Demi-Muſe.
[10]
Thy curious Eye diſcerns
Seeds juſtling Seeds for Room,
The Mud-built Shell, and Seas
Within its ſpacious Womb.
In gen'rous Search of Truth, Thou feel'ſt
No mean-ſoul'd Terror;
Scornful of Doctoral-Device,
Or Vulgar-Error.
But, Hark! the crumbling Cruſt,
Ill-propp'd, cracks loud aſunder:
Mark next! Earth's headlong Plunge,
Amidſt the Fluids under.
Impriſon'd Waves, diſturb'd,
Start from their midland Bed;
And, with impetuous Rage,
O'er their Oppreſſor ſpread.
[11]
Huge Fragments, ſhapeleſs Lumps,
Immanely float around;
Vaſt, hideous, Shatters
Of primigenial Ground!
The now free-wallowing Whale,
With all the finny Race;
Stare at the Sun, aſtoniſh'd
By his golden Face:
The ſilver Moon and Stars
Then gild the Watry-way,
And on its curling Surface
Tremulouſly play.
How ſtrong thy Words! What muſt we
Thy Large-Genius call?
No Copy can come Up,
To thy Original.
[12]
Whence was the firſt Diſcov'ry,
Of thy Noſtrum, made?
To bar again ſuch Flood-gates,
When once Open laid!
What Fears, what Jealouſies,
Diſtract the thoughtful Head?
Since taught by Thee! our Feet
On faithleſs Ruins tread.
But ſtill! this Rubbiſh, reſcu'd
From Diluvian-Fate;
Kind Providence reſtores,
To it's primeval State.
Lo! the Grand-Architect,
In ſecondary Ire;
With alter'd Scheme refines
A Globe relaps'd, by Fire.
[13]
From His conſuming Torch;
This juſt Vindictive brings,
Incluſively, one Fun'ral-Pile
To Men and Things.
The lofty'ſt Alp, at firſt,
Griev'd for it's dripping Ice;
Gutt'ring, at laſt, It-Self
A molten Quarry lies.
And Now pour ratling-down,
In furious Career!
The ſympathizing Rampiers
Of the Atmoſphere:
Thunder, and Lightning, Lambents,
Hail, Wind, Rain, and Snow;
With all th' aſpiring Train,
Of Meteors from below.
[14]
Into the common Blaze,
Then will thy TOMES be hurl'd;
Impoſſible to fail,
Till jointly with the World!
Here ſhifts the Scene; Now ceaſe
All ſublunary Toils;
On a re-level'd Orb,
A ſudden Verdure ſmiles!
A conſtant Equinox maintains
Perpetual Spring,
And virtuous Minds Ideas
Of Contentment ſing.
The Architect well-pleas'd,
While Weſt-winds balm the Air,
Deſiſts; and laſtly ſays: Behold!
The Work is Fair.
[15]
What now, Immenſe Coſmographer!
To Thee is due?
Diſtanc'd I ſtop; — But, if
My Prophecy be true:
There Paradiſe-regain'd,
Unknowing Care or Want;
Shall, like our Earth, be proud
Of Thee it's Habitant.
And may'ſt Thou there in pure Devotions join,
With glorious GEORGE, and beauteous CAROLINE!
WHO, far as the Materials will bear,
Labour to conſtitute an EDEN here;
By ſteadily beſtowing their Commands,
On beſt-computing Heads, and beſt-performing Hands.
FINIS.
- Citation Suggestion for this Object
- TextGrid Repository (2020). TEI. 5282 Mr Addison s fine ode to Dr Thomas Burnet on his sacred theory of the earth Done into English by the author of a late tale call d Coffee. University of Oxford Text Archive. . https://hdl.handle.net/21.T11991/0000-001A-5A03-C