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A Panegyrical Elegy On the Death of GASSENDUS, The Celebrated Astronomer and Philosopher.
Inscrib'd to the Reverend Mr. Flamsteed, OF GREENWICH.
21
Ye Nymphs, residing by Aonian Springs,
To mournful Notes now tune your gladsom Strings.
And Thou, Urania, Fairest of the Nine,
Partner of Grief, in the sad Consort joyn.
Heav'ns vaulted Roof with endless Clamour rend,
And all Thy Helicon in Tears expend.
Knock on thy Breast, and the big Loss deplore,
Thy Lover's dead: Gassendus is no more.
Thee, Thee alone, Gassendus once carest
With faithful Love, and clasp'd Thee to his Breast.
For Thee he open'd his desiring Arms,
Rewarded amply with Thy dearest Charms.
Oh! how he courted his alluring Muse,
When watry Clouds distill'd Nocturnal Dews!
With watchful Look familiar to behold
The Skies, distinguish'd with Sydereal Gold.
Thee, Goddess, on Parnassian Hills he sought,
And with each rough, inclement Season fought.
The freezing Moons were oft amaz'd to see
Their Winter slighted by his Flames for Thee.
And when the Summer Sun began to beat,
Thy cooling Breath temper'd his glowing Heat.
And when worn Nature longer Help deny'd,
In thy Embraces the lov'd Martyr dy'd.
For, while he searches the hid Cause of things,
From whence the constant Revolution springs
Which turns the World: while, penetrating far,
His curious Mind examines every Star:
While he rowls o'er the Volumes of the Skies,
Consum'd in the Divine Excess he dies.
His Soul, disdaining this ignoble Earth,
In yon bright Heav'n renews her second Birth.
While Thee, fair Muse, he Courts with Am'rous Fires,
Thy dear Gassendus in the Flame expires.
But why, Castalian Nymph, should I accuse,
Or Thee with plaining Elegies abuse?
Since the Creating Breath demands his Own,
We must surrender, and resign the Loan:
He snatch'd Gassendus from our longing Eyes,
Who now with nigher View surveys the Skies.
He sees from what Eternal Fountain flow
The Things and Causes which he sought below.
The lucid Orbs beholds with wondring Thought,
Fill'd with the Knowledge of that Art he taught.
To mournful Notes now tune your gladsom Strings.
And Thou, Urania, Fairest of the Nine,
Partner of Grief, in the sad Consort joyn.
Heav'ns vaulted Roof with endless Clamour rend,
And all Thy Helicon in Tears expend.
Knock on thy Breast, and the big Loss deplore,
Thy Lover's dead: Gassendus is no more.
Thee, Thee alone, Gassendus once carest
With faithful Love, and clasp'd Thee to his Breast.
22
Rewarded amply with Thy dearest Charms.
Oh! how he courted his alluring Muse,
When watry Clouds distill'd Nocturnal Dews!
With watchful Look familiar to behold
The Skies, distinguish'd with Sydereal Gold.
Thee, Goddess, on Parnassian Hills he sought,
And with each rough, inclement Season fought.
The freezing Moons were oft amaz'd to see
Their Winter slighted by his Flames for Thee.
And when the Summer Sun began to beat,
Thy cooling Breath temper'd his glowing Heat.
And when worn Nature longer Help deny'd,
In thy Embraces the lov'd Martyr dy'd.
For, while he searches the hid Cause of things,
From whence the constant Revolution springs
Which turns the World: while, penetrating far,
His curious Mind examines every Star:
23
Consum'd in the Divine Excess he dies.
His Soul, disdaining this ignoble Earth,
In yon bright Heav'n renews her second Birth.
While Thee, fair Muse, he Courts with Am'rous Fires,
Thy dear Gassendus in the Flame expires.
But why, Castalian Nymph, should I accuse,
Or Thee with plaining Elegies abuse?
Since the Creating Breath demands his Own,
We must surrender, and resign the Loan:
He snatch'd Gassendus from our longing Eyes,
Who now with nigher View surveys the Skies.
He sees from what Eternal Fountain flow
The Things and Causes which he sought below.
The lucid Orbs beholds with wondring Thought,
Fill'd with the Knowledge of that Art he taught.
24
Who more deserving of that blissful Place,
To feast with Saints, and the Seraphic Race?
If poor, imperfect Man can lay pretence
To Merit, or by Piety, or Sense,
None more intitled, by a Knowledge joyn'd
With an unblemish'd Singleness of Mind.
When e'er to Heaven he made his chaste Address,
'Twas all a decent, manly Holiness.
Sober, well-temper'd, humble and sincere,
Nor stain'd by selfish Pride, nor aw'd by Fear.
To feast with Saints, and the Seraphic Race?
If poor, imperfect Man can lay pretence
To Merit, or by Piety, or Sense,
None more intitled, by a Knowledge joyn'd
With an unblemish'd Singleness of Mind.
When e'er to Heaven he made his chaste Address,
'Twas all a decent, manly Holiness.
Sober, well-temper'd, humble and sincere,
Nor stain'd by selfish Pride, nor aw'd by Fear.
Tho' to the utmost Earth his Fame was known,
Where Seas have murmur'd, or where Stars have shone;
Tho' thro' the Zones his Name diffusive run,
Both with the rising, and declining Sun;
Yet, with a Blush, he heard the praising Crowd,
When every Tongue, except his Own, was loud.
A learned Leisure with his Muse he join'd,
And True Religion center'd in his Mind.
A little, but a competent Estate
Was all he wish'd, but with that all was Great.
Where Seas have murmur'd, or where Stars have shone;
Tho' thro' the Zones his Name diffusive run,
Both with the rising, and declining Sun;
25
When every Tongue, except his Own, was loud.
A learned Leisure with his Muse he join'd,
And True Religion center'd in his Mind.
A little, but a competent Estate
Was all he wish'd, but with that all was Great.
I know, (for Envy's never heard to spare
The Good, the Wise, the Virtuous and the Fair)
How a vile Wretch against the Torrent strove,
Croak'd, like a Raven, at the Bird of Jove.
But none are Losers by that Poet's Spleen,
Harmless his Malice, and his Numbers mean.
Let him write on, and with his filthy style
Debauch the Paper, and whole Reams defile.
'Tis gilding Dirt to answer such a Tool,
No Socrates would e're indict a Fool.
Gassendus pardon'd the reviling Slave,
Who could not rail more fast, than He forgave.
The Goodness of his Nature would commend
True Merit, in a Foe, as well as Friend.
But chiefly car'd to do the Learned Right,
His darling Labour, and his best Delight.
Peireskius, Glory of Narbonian Var,
And Tycho, Denmark's most illustrious Star.
Purbach, and fam'd Copernicus, who found
The Motion of the Earths revolving Round.
And Thou, who from a Royal Mount they call,
All glorious Souls, Urania's Lovers All,
Be witness, how your Excellencies shone
More lively in His Writings, than Your Own.
Blest Souls! tho' Victims to impartial Death,
In his Immortal Leaves again you breath.
While We, who once the Living Hero knew,
Repay to him, what he has paid to you.
Each pious Muse shall to his Manes sing,
And from his Tomb shall flowry Harvests spring.
The Good, the Wise, the Virtuous and the Fair)
How a vile Wretch against the Torrent strove,
Croak'd, like a Raven, at the Bird of Jove.
But none are Losers by that Poet's Spleen,
Harmless his Malice, and his Numbers mean.
Let him write on, and with his filthy style
Debauch the Paper, and whole Reams defile.
'Tis gilding Dirt to answer such a Tool,
No Socrates would e're indict a Fool.
26
Who could not rail more fast, than He forgave.
The Goodness of his Nature would commend
True Merit, in a Foe, as well as Friend.
But chiefly car'd to do the Learned Right,
His darling Labour, and his best Delight.
Peireskius, Glory of Narbonian Var,
And Tycho, Denmark's most illustrious Star.
Purbach, and fam'd Copernicus, who found
The Motion of the Earths revolving Round.
And Thou, who from a Royal Mount they call,
All glorious Souls, Urania's Lovers All,
Be witness, how your Excellencies shone
More lively in His Writings, than Your Own.
Blest Souls! tho' Victims to impartial Death,
In his Immortal Leaves again you breath.
27
Repay to him, what he has paid to you.
Each pious Muse shall to his Manes sing,
And from his Tomb shall flowry Harvests spring.
But O Monmour! Thou, whose endearing Love
Cherish'd the Soul, which rules a Star above,
Picture of all His Virtues! for we see
A new Gassendus flourishing in Thee.
Since at Thy Roof he took his latest Rest,
Which long had welcom'd the Cælestial Guest;
Impart those Volumes to Thy Charge consign'd,
Nor lock those precious Treasures of his Mind.
The Wise for such unvalu'd Jewels wait,
Which only can repair a Loss so great.
So will the World be thankful, and expire
To Thee indebted at its Funeral Fire.
So with Gassendus shall Thy deathless Name
Be Partner of an everlasting Fame.
So shall Posterity applaud thy Care,
And pay Joynt Offerings to the Sacred Pair.
Cherish'd the Soul, which rules a Star above,
Picture of all His Virtues! for we see
A new Gassendus flourishing in Thee.
Since at Thy Roof he took his latest Rest,
Which long had welcom'd the Cælestial Guest;
Impart those Volumes to Thy Charge consign'd,
Nor lock those precious Treasures of his Mind.
The Wise for such unvalu'd Jewels wait,
Which only can repair a Loss so great.
So will the World be thankful, and expire
To Thee indebted at its Funeral Fire.
So with Gassendus shall Thy deathless Name
28
So shall Posterity applaud thy Care,
And pay Joynt Offerings to the Sacred Pair.
And Thou, O Chapelain, the surviving part
Of Thy Gassendus and his other Heart!
Thou whom Apollo and the Nine inspire,
Immortal Glory of the tuneful Quire!
Pay the last Debt of Friendship to his Herse,
In flowing Tears, and never-dying Verse.
From Me, too late an Object of his Love,
Some Angel snatch'd him to the Spheres above.
Yet on his Ashes I these Tears bestow,
And in officious Strains express my Woe.
Of Thy Gassendus and his other Heart!
Thou whom Apollo and the Nine inspire,
Immortal Glory of the tuneful Quire!
Pay the last Debt of Friendship to his Herse,
In flowing Tears, and never-dying Verse.
From Me, too late an Object of his Love,
Some Angel snatch'd him to the Spheres above.
Yet on his Ashes I these Tears bestow,
And in officious Strains express my Woe.
Beneath a Marble Stone, which seems to weep,
The mortal Relicks of Gassendus sleep.
His Soul, which once from Earth did Heav'n descry,
Now Earth despises from her Parent Sky.
The mortal Relicks of Gassendus sleep.
29
Now Earth despises from her Parent Sky.
Believe Me, Flamsteed, 'tis the Heart that speaks,
And willingly in thankful Numbers breaks,
Gassendus now the verdant Bays declines,
And all his Laurels to Thy Brows resigns.
In France Our Edwards play'd the Heroes part,
But Thine are Triumphs of a Nobler Art.
My honest Muse no selfish Ends betrays,
She scorns to Flatter, but is proud to Praise.
And were her Strength proportion'd to her Will,
No Worlds should be a Stranger to Thy Skill.
The Spangled Globe should Thy Deserts proclaim,
And Stars unknown should rise to sing Thy Name.
And willingly in thankful Numbers breaks,
Gassendus now the verdant Bays declines,
And all his Laurels to Thy Brows resigns.
In France Our Edwards play'd the Heroes part,
But Thine are Triumphs of a Nobler Art.
My honest Muse no selfish Ends betrays,
She scorns to Flatter, but is proud to Praise.
And were her Strength proportion'd to her Will,
No Worlds should be a Stranger to Thy Skill.
The Spangled Globe should Thy Deserts proclaim,
And Stars unknown should rise to sing Thy Name.
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