Advenit omnium Meta petita laborum. CHORUS Musa, libros mitte, fessa, Mitte negotium, Jam datur otium, CHORUS Ridet annus, prata rident, Jam repetit domum, Daulias advena, Nosque domum repetamus. CHORUS Heus, Rogere, fer caballos, Eja! nunc eamus, Limen amabile Matris et oscula, Suaviter et repetamus. CHORUS. Concinamus ad penates, Vox et audiatur, Gaudia nostra moratur. CHORUS. THE following Ode, was written by Cowley, upon the idea of two Angels playing a game of Chess. It was said by Plautus, "We are but Tennis balls for the Gods to play withall," When which they strike away at last, and call for new ones. the fates lay hold on man, he is confounded and loses his wits. Fatality dazzles the sight of his judgment. So it happens that the designs and counsels of the man that is to perish, are corrupt. LO! of themselves the enlivened chess men move: Lo! the unbid ill organ'd pieces prove As full of art and industry, Of courage and of policy, As we ourselves, who think there's nothing wise, but we Here a proud pawn, I admire, That still advancing higher, Another thing and name. Here I am amazed at the bold actions of a knight, Who does great wonders in the fight, Here I the losing part blame, For those false moves, which break the game, These things have life, election, liberty. Tis their own wisdom moulds their state, Their faults and virtues make their fate. Thus they do, (said I,) but strait Lo! from my enlightened eyes, the mists and shadows fall, That hinder spirits from being visible, And lo! I saw two Angels played the mate. With men alas, no otherwise it proves: An unseen hand makes all their moves. And some are great, and some are small, Some climb to good, and some from good fortune fall: Some wise men, and some fools we call, Figures alas of speech, for destiny plays them all. With fate what boots it to contend? Such I began, so am, and so must end! The star that did my being frame, And some small light it did dispense, But neither heat, nor influence. No matter Cowley, let proud fortune see That thou cans't her despise, no less than she does thee Let all her gifts the portion be of folly, Fraud, extortion, vice and calumny, And I so lowly be, Tell her such different notes make all thy harmony. Hark, how the strings awake, And though the moving hand approach not near, A kind of numerous trembling make. Now all thy forces try, Now all thy charms apply, Revenge upon her ear, the conquest of her eye. Weak lyre, thy virtue sure Is useless here, since thou art only found And she to wound, but not to cure. Too weak too, wilt thou prove Physic to other ills, thou'rt nourishment to Love Sleep, sleep again, my lyre, For thou can'st never tell my humble tale Nor gentle thoughts in her inspire. All thy vain mirth lay by, Sleep, sleep again, my lyre, and let thy master die. COWLEY. *Ben Jonson. Solution of the first puzzle in the last Repository. I TRIED a sceptre to transpose, Solutions of the Latin enigmatical Epitaph in our last. O superbe, tua superbia te superabit. Terra et es in terram ibis OSMYN. Rendered thus in English. PROUD mortal, raised above your sphere By an inflated mind; This maxim of reflection hear, And your own standard find. Your form is from the dust you spurn, THOU man of pride, thy pride C. OSMYN |