The Works of Soame Jenyns ... In Four Volumes. Including Several Pieces Never Before Published. To Which are Prefixed, Short Sketches of the History of the Author's Family, and also of his Life; By Charles Nalson Cole |
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A TRANSLATION OF SOME LATIN VERSES ON THE CAMERA OBSCURA. |
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 | The Works of Soame Jenyns |  |
166
A TRANSLATION OF SOME LATIN VERSES ON THE CAMERA OBSCURA.
The various pow'rs of blended shade, and light,
The skilful Zeuxis of the dusky night;
The lovely forms, that paint the snowy plain
Free from the pencil's violating stain,
In tuneful lines, harmonious Phoebus, sing,
At once of light and verse celestial king.
The skilful Zeuxis of the dusky night;
The lovely forms, that paint the snowy plain
Free from the pencil's violating stain,
In tuneful lines, harmonious Phoebus, sing,
At once of light and verse celestial king.
Divine Apollo! let thy sacred fire
Thy youthful bard's unskilful breast inspire,
Like the fair empty sheet he hangs to view,
Void, and unfurnish'd, till inspir'd by you;
O let one beam, one kind enlightning ray
At once upon his mind and paper play!
Hence shall his breast with bright ideas glow,
Hence num'rous forms the silver field shall strew.
Thy youthful bard's unskilful breast inspire,
Like the fair empty sheet he hangs to view,
Void, and unfurnish'd, till inspir'd by you;
O let one beam, one kind enlightning ray
At once upon his mind and paper play!
Hence shall his breast with bright ideas glow,
Hence num'rous forms the silver field shall strew.
But now the muse's useful precepts view,
And with just care the pleasing work pursue.
First chuse a window that convenient lies,
And to the north directs the wand'ring eyes,
Dark be the room, let not a straggling ray
Intrude, to chase the shadowy forms away,
Except one bright, refulgent blaze, convey'd
Thro' a strait passage in the shutter made,
In which th' ingenious artist first must place
A little, convex, round, transparent glass,
And just behind th' extended paper lay,
On which his art shall all its pow'r display:
There rays reflected from all parts shall meet,
And paint their objects on the silver sheet;
A thousand forms shall in a moment rise,
And magic landscapes charm our wand'ring eyes;
'Tis thus from ev'ry object that we view,
If Epicurus' doctrine teaches true,
The subtile parts upon our organs play,
And to our minds th' external forms convey.
And with just care the pleasing work pursue.
167
And to the north directs the wand'ring eyes,
Dark be the room, let not a straggling ray
Intrude, to chase the shadowy forms away,
Except one bright, refulgent blaze, convey'd
Thro' a strait passage in the shutter made,
In which th' ingenious artist first must place
A little, convex, round, transparent glass,
And just behind th' extended paper lay,
On which his art shall all its pow'r display:
There rays reflected from all parts shall meet,
And paint their objects on the silver sheet;
A thousand forms shall in a moment rise,
And magic landscapes charm our wand'ring eyes;
'Tis thus from ev'ry object that we view,
If Epicurus' doctrine teaches true,
The subtile parts upon our organs play,
And to our minds th' external forms convey.
But from what causes all these wonders flow,
'Tis not permitted idle bards to know,
How thro' the centre of the convex glass,
The piercing rays together twisted pass,
Or why revers'd the lovely scenes appear,
Or why the sun's approaching light they fear;
Let grave philosophers the cause enquire,
Enough for us to see, and to admire.
'Tis not permitted idle bards to know,
How thro' the centre of the convex glass,
The piercing rays together twisted pass,
168
Or why the sun's approaching light they fear;
Let grave philosophers the cause enquire,
Enough for us to see, and to admire.
See then what forms with various colours stain
The painted surface of the paper plain!
Now bright and gay, as shines the heav'nly bow,
So late, a wide unpeopled waste of snow:
Here verdant groves, there golden crops of corn
The new uncultivated fields adorn;
Here gardens deckt with flow'rs of various dyes,
There slender tow'rs, and little cities rise:
But all with tops inverted downward bend,
Earth mounts aloft, and skies and clouds descend:
Thus the wise vulgar on a pendent land
Imagine our antipodes to stand,
And wonder much, how they securely go,
And not fall headlong on the heav'ns below.
The painted surface of the paper plain!
Now bright and gay, as shines the heav'nly bow,
So late, a wide unpeopled waste of snow:
Here verdant groves, there golden crops of corn
The new uncultivated fields adorn;
Here gardens deckt with flow'rs of various dyes,
There slender tow'rs, and little cities rise:
But all with tops inverted downward bend,
Earth mounts aloft, and skies and clouds descend:
Thus the wise vulgar on a pendent land
Imagine our antipodes to stand,
And wonder much, how they securely go,
And not fall headlong on the heav'ns below.
The charms of motion here exalt each part
Above the reach of great Apelles' art;
Zephyrs the waving harvest gently blow,
The waters curl, and brooks incessant flow;
Men, beasts, and birds in fair confusion stray,
Some rise to sight, whilst others pass away.
Above the reach of great Apelles' art;
169
The waters curl, and brooks incessant flow;
Men, beasts, and birds in fair confusion stray,
Some rise to sight, whilst others pass away.
On all we seize that comes within our reach,
The rolling coach we stop, the horseman catch;
Compel the posting traveller to stay;
But the short visit causes no delay.
The rolling coach we stop, the horseman catch;
Compel the posting traveller to stay;
But the short visit causes no delay.
Again, behold what lovely prospects rise!
Now with the loveliest feast your longing eyes,
Nor let strict modesty be here afraid,
To view upon her head a beauteous maid:
See in small folds her waving garments flow,
And all her slender limbs still slend'rer grow;
Contracted in one little orb is found
The spacious hoop, once five vast ells around;
But think not to embrace the flying Fair,
Soon will she quit your arms unseen as air,
In this resembling too a tender maid,
Coy to the lover's touch, and of his hand afraid.
Now with the loveliest feast your longing eyes,
Nor let strict modesty be here afraid,
To view upon her head a beauteous maid:
See in small folds her waving garments flow,
And all her slender limbs still slend'rer grow;
Contracted in one little orb is found
The spacious hoop, once five vast ells around;
But think not to embrace the flying Fair,
Soon will she quit your arms unseen as air,
In this resembling too a tender maid,
Coy to the lover's touch, and of his hand afraid.
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Enough w'have seen, now let th' intruding day
Chase all the lovely magic scenes away;
Again th' unpeopled snowy waste returns,
And the lone plain its faded glories mourns,
The bright creation in a moment flies,
And all the pigmy generation dies.
Chase all the lovely magic scenes away;
Again th' unpeopled snowy waste returns,
And the lone plain its faded glories mourns,
The bright creation in a moment flies,
And all the pigmy generation dies.
Thus, when still night her gloomy mantle spreads,
The fairies dance around the flow'ry meads!
But when the day returns, they wing their flight
To distant lands, and shun th' unwelcome light.
The fairies dance around the flow'ry meads!
But when the day returns, they wing their flight
To distant lands, and shun th' unwelcome light.
| The Works of Soame Jenyns | |