ODE DE SKIA INSULA.
Permeo terras, ubi nuda rupes
Saxeas miscet nebulis ruinas,
Torva ubi rident steriles coloni
Rura
labores.
Pervagor gentes hominum ferorum,
Vita ubi nullo decorata cultu
Squallet informis, tugurique fumis
Foeda
latescit.
Inter erroris salebrosa longi,
Inter ignotae strepitus loquelae,
Quot modis, mecum, quid agat, requiro,
Thralia
dulcis?
Seu viri curas pia nupta mulcet,
Seu fovet mater sobolem benigna,
Sive cum libris novitate pascit
Sedula
mentem.
Sit memor nostri, fideique solvat
Fida mercedem, meritoque blandum
Thraliae discant resonare nomen
Littora
Skiae.
SPES.
Apr. 16, 1783.
Hora sic peragit citata cursum;
Sic diem sequitur dies fugacem!
Spes novas nova lux parit, secunda
Spondens omnia credulis homullis;
Spes ludit stolidas, metuque caeco
Lux angit, miseros ludens homullos.
VERSUS COLLARI CAPRAE DOMINI BANKS INSCRIBENDI.
Perpetui, ambita bis terra, praemia lactis
Haec habet, altrici capra secunda Jovis.
AD FOEMINAM QUANDAM GENEROSAM QUAE LIBERTATIS CAUSAE IN SERMONE PATROCINATA FUERAT.
Liber ut esse velim, suasisti, pulchra Maria:
Ut maneam liber, pulchra Maria, vale.
JACTURA TEMPORIS.
Hora perit furtim laetis, mens temporis aegra
Pigritiam incusat, nec minus hora perit.
Quas navis recipit, quantum sit pondus aquarum,
Dimidrum tanti ponderis intret onus.
Quot vox missa pedes abit, horae parte secunda?
Undecies centum denos quater adde
duosque.
[Greek: Eis BIRCHION][a]
[Greek:]
Eiden Alaetheiae proaen chairousa graphonta
Haeroon te bious Birchion, aede sophon
Kai bion, eipen, hotan rhipsaes thanatoio belessi,
Sou pote grapsomenon Birchion allon echois.
[a] The rev. Dr. Thomas Birch, author of the
History of the Royal
Society, and other works of
note.
[Greek:] Eis to taes ELISSAES peri ton oneiron ainigma.[a]
Tae kallous dunamei ti telos; Zeus panta dedoken
Kupridi, und’ autou skaeptra memaele
theo.
Aek Dios estin Onap, theios pot’ egrapsen Homaeros,
Alla tod’ eis thnaetous Kupris epempsen
onar
Zeus mounos phlogoenti poleis ekperse kerauno,
Ommasi lampra Dios Kupris oista pherei.
[a] When Johnson had composed this Greek epigram to
Mrs. Elizabeth
Carter, he said, in a letter
to Cave, “I think she ought to be
celebrated in as many different
languages as Louis le grand.” His
admiration of her learning
was so great, that when he wished to