Medulla Poetarum Romanorum Or, the Most Beautiful and Instructive Passages of the Roman Poets. Being a Collection, (Disposed under proper Heads,) Of such Descriptions, Allusions, Comparisons, Characters, and Sentiments, as may best serve to shew the Religion, Learning, Politicks, Arts, Customs, Opinions, Manners, and Circumstances of the Antients. With Translations of the same in English Verse. By Mr. Henry Baker |
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 | Medulla Poetarum Romanorum |  |
Change.
Earth rarifies to Dew: expanded more,
The subtile Dew in Air begins to soar:
Spreads as She flies, and weary of her Name,
Extenuates still, and changes into Flame.
Thus having, by Degrees, Perfection won,
Restless, they soon untwist the Web they spun:
And Fire begins to lose her radiant Hue,
Mixt with gross Air; and Air descends to Dew:
And Dew condensing does her Form foregoe,
And sink a heavy Lump of Earth below.—
The subtile Dew in Air begins to soar:
Spreads as She flies, and weary of her Name,
Extenuates still, and changes into Flame.
Thus having, by Degrees, Perfection won,
Restless, they soon untwist the Web they spun:
And Fire begins to lose her radiant Hue,
Mixt with gross Air; and Air descends to Dew:
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And sink a heavy Lump of Earth below.—
Thus ev'n our Bodies daily Change receive:
Some Part of what was Their's before, they leave:
Nor are to Day what Yesterday they were:
Nor the whole Same to Morrow will appear.—
Some Part of what was Their's before, they leave:
Nor are to Day what Yesterday they were:
Nor the whole Same to Morrow will appear.—
Thus are their Figures never at a stand;
But chang'd by Nature's innovating Hand;
All Things are alter'd, nothing is destroy'd:
For some new Show the shifted Scene's employ'd.
Then to be born, is to begin to be
Some other Thing we were not formerly:
And what we call to Die, is not t'appear,
Or be the Thing, which formerly we were.
Those very Elements, that we partake
Alive, when Dead, some other Bodies make:
Translated, shift their Form, and change their Course:
But Death on deathless Substance has no Force.—
But chang'd by Nature's innovating Hand;
All Things are alter'd, nothing is destroy'd:
For some new Show the shifted Scene's employ'd.
Then to be born, is to begin to be
Some other Thing we were not formerly:
And what we call to Die, is not t'appear,
Or be the Thing, which formerly we were.
Those very Elements, that we partake
Alive, when Dead, some other Bodies make:
Translated, shift their Form, and change their Course:
But Death on deathless Substance has no Force.—
The Face of Places, and their Forms, decay:
And that is solid Earth, that once was Sea:
Seas, in their Turn, retreating from the Shore,
Make solid Land, what Ocean was before:
And far from Strands are Shells of Fishes found,
And rusty Anchors fix'd on Mountain-Ground:
And what were Fields before, now wash'd and worn
By falling Floods from high, to Vallies turn,
And crumbling still descend to level Lands:
And Lakes, and trembling Bogs, are barren Sands:
And the parch'd Desart floats in Streams unknown,
Wondring to drink of Waters not her own.
Here Nature living Fountains opes; and there
Seals up the Wombs where living Fountains were.
Or Earthquakes stop their ancient Course, and bring
Diverted Streams to feed a distant Spring.—
And that is solid Earth, that once was Sea:
Seas, in their Turn, retreating from the Shore,
Make solid Land, what Ocean was before:
And far from Strands are Shells of Fishes found,
And rusty Anchors fix'd on Mountain-Ground:
And what were Fields before, now wash'd and worn
By falling Floods from high, to Vallies turn,
And crumbling still descend to level Lands:
And Lakes, and trembling Bogs, are barren Sands:
And the parch'd Desart floats in Streams unknown,
Wondring to drink of Waters not her own.
Here Nature living Fountains opes; and there
Seals up the Wombs where living Fountains were.
Or Earthquakes stop their ancient Course, and bring
Diverted Streams to feed a distant Spring.—
—Whatever lies
In Earth, or flits in Air, or fills the Skies,
All suffer Change.—
Ev'n mighty Empires flourish, and decay;
By Turns command, and in their Turns obey.—
In Earth, or flits in Air, or fills the Skies,
All suffer Change.—
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By Turns command, and in their Turns obey.—
—Thro' the mighty Frame
There's nothing that continues still the same:
As Years wheel round, a Change must needs ensue,
Things lose their former State, and take a new;
Now tir'd with Births, the Fields refuse to bear,
Now, unmanur'd, prevent the Tiller's Care.
Vapours dilated tare the solid Earth:
Strong the Convulsions at the fatal Birth:
Vast Mountains sink: And now his large Command
Neptune extends, and Seas o'erspread the Land,
Contemning Shores: Thus Cities were o'erflow'd,
When, Mankind's single Heir, Deucalion stood
On steep Parnassus, to repair the Stock:
The spacious World possessing in one Rock.
And when bold Phaëton, with unequal Force,
The Chariot fill'd, and drove the flaming Horse:
The Earth took Fire, Heav'n saw the Stars recoil,
And frighted Nature fear'd one common Pile.
There's nothing that continues still the same:
As Years wheel round, a Change must needs ensue,
Things lose their former State, and take a new;
Now tir'd with Births, the Fields refuse to bear,
Now, unmanur'd, prevent the Tiller's Care.
Vapours dilated tare the solid Earth:
Strong the Convulsions at the fatal Birth:
Vast Mountains sink: And now his large Command
Neptune extends, and Seas o'erspread the Land,
Contemning Shores: Thus Cities were o'erflow'd,
When, Mankind's single Heir, Deucalion stood
On steep Parnassus, to repair the Stock:
The spacious World possessing in one Rock.
And when bold Phaëton, with unequal Force,
The Chariot fill'd, and drove the flaming Horse:
The Earth took Fire, Heav'n saw the Stars recoil,
And frighted Nature fear'd one common Pile.
| Medulla Poetarum Romanorum | |