The high huge-bellied mountains skip, like rams Amongst their ewes; the little hills, like lambs.
Why fled the ocean? And why skipp'd the mountains? Why turn'd Jordan toward his crystal fountains? Shake, earth and at the presence be aghast Of him that ever was, and aye shall last; That glassy floods from rugged rocks can crush, And make soft rills from fiery flint-stones gush.
PSALM CXXXVI.
LET us, with a gladsome mind, Praise the Lord, for he is kind, For his mercies aye endure, Ever faithful, over sure. Let us blaze his name abroad, For of gods he is the God; For his, &c.
Oh, let us his praises tell,
Who doth the wrathful tyrants quell;
Who, with his miracles, doth make Amazed heaven and earth to shake; For his, &c.
Who, by his wisdom, did create The painted heavens so full of state; For his, &c.
Who did the solid earth ordain
To rise above the watery plain;
Who, by his all-commanding might, Did fill the new-made world with light; For his, &c.
And caused the golden-tressed sun All the day long his course to run
The horned moon to shine by night, Amongst her spangled sisters bright: For his, &c.
He, with his thunder-clasping hand, Smote the first-born of Egypt land ;
The floods stood still, like walls of glass,
While the Hebrew bands did pass ;
All living creatures he doth feed,
And with full hand supplies their need;
THE FIFTH ODE OF HORACE, LIB. I. WHAT slender youth, bedew'd with liquid odours, Courts thee on roses in some pleasant cave, Pyrrha? For whom bind'st thou
In wreaths thy golden hair,
Plain in thy neatness? Oh, how oft shall he On faith, and changed gods, complain, and seas Rough with black winds, and storms Unwonted shall admire!
Who now enjoys thee credulous, all gold, Who, always vacant, always amiable,
Hopes thee, of flattering gales
Unmindful. Hapless they,
To whom thou untried seem'st fair! Me, in my vow'd Picture, the sacred wall declares to have hung
My dank and dropping weeds
To the stern god of sea.
GEOFFREY OF MONMOUTH.
BRUTUS thus addresses DIANA in the country of LEOGECIA. GODDESS of shades, and huntress, who at will
Walk'st on the rolling spheres, and through the deep; On thy third reign, the earth, look now, and tell What land, what seat of rest, thou bidd'st me seek, What certain seat, where I may worship thee For aye, with temples vow'd, and virgin choirs.
To whom, sleeping before the altar, DIANA answers in a vision the same night.
BRUTUS, far to the west, in the ocean wide, Beyond the realm of Gaul, a land there lies, Sea-girt it lies, where giants dwelt of old; Now void, it fits thy people: thither bend
FRAGMENTS OF TRANSLATIONS.
Thy course, there shalt thou find a lasting seat; There to thy sons another Troy shall rise, And kings be born of thee, whose dreadful might Shall awe the world, and conquer nations bold.
AH, Constantine, of how much ill was cause, Not thy conversion, but those rich domains That the first wealthy pope received of thee.
FOUNDED in chaste and humble poverty,
'Gainst them that raised thee dost thou lift thy horn, Impudent whore! where hast thou placed thy hope? In thy adulterers, or thy ill-got wealth? Another Constantine comes not in haste.
THEN pass'd he to a flowery mountain green, Which once smelt sweet, now stinks as odiously This was the gift, if you the truth will have, That Constantine to good Sylvester gave.
WHOM do we count a good man? Whom but he Who keeps the laws and statutes of the senate, Who judges in great suits and controversies, Whose witness and opinion wins the cause? But his own house, and the whole neighbourhood, Sees his foul inside through his whited skin.
THE power that did create can change the scene Of things, make mean of great, and great of mean: The brightest glory can eclipse with might, And place the most obscure in dazzling light.
ALL barbarous people and their princes too, All purple tyrants honour you,
The very wandering Scythians do. Support the pillar of the Roman state, Lest all men be involved in one man's fate, Continue us in wealth and state, Let wars and tumults ever cease.
THE worst of poets I myself declare, By how much you the best of poets are
FRAGMENTS OF TRANSLATIONS.
ABSTAIN, as manhood you esteem, From Salmacis' pernicious stream; If but one moment there you stay, Too dear you'll for your bathing pay.- Depart nor man, nor woman, but a sight Disgracing both, a loath'd Hermaphrodite.
THIS is true liberty, when freeborn men, Having to advise the public, may speak free; Which he who can, and will, deserves high praise; Who neither can nor will, may hold his peace, What can be a juster in a state than this?
No eastern nation ever did adore
The majesty of sovereign princes more.
AND Britons interwove held the purple hangings.
LAUGHING, to teach the truth,
What hinders? As some teachers give to boys Junkets and knacks, that they may learn apace.
JOKING decides great things,
Stronger and better oft than earnest can
'TIS you that say it, not I. You do the deeds, And your ungodly deeds find me the words.
THERE can be slain
No sacrifice to God more acceptable, Than an unjust and wicked king.
IN silence now and with attention wait,
That ye may know what the Eunuch has to prate.
GLAUCUS, in Lycia we're adored as gods,
What makes 'twixt us and others so great odds?
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