תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

Nempe ea, quæ fontes rerum atque elementa fatemur,
Materies primas, quibus omnia corpora conftant,
Quæque novas fumunt formas. Herbam Unda laborans
Et plantas parit, in terramque coacta rigescit;
Diffufa, affurgit Sphæræ ulterioris in orbem,
Et guttis fenfim expanfis fluit humidus aer.
Particulæ hæ tenues rursùs tolluntur in altum;
Ardefcunt motu, clarumque agitantur in ignem:
Mox iterum ifte ignis, craffo magis aere victus,
Impulfufque deorsùm, utero telluris in amplo,
Permutat partes, neque cernitur amplius ignis;
Sed pulvis rutilus jacet incoctumque metallum:
Aut penetrans venas per magnæ corpora matris
Relliquias veteres alia fub imagine ponit;
Infufa vires refolutas temperat unda
Mollior, & facili jam flumine lenior exit.

Divifa à notis rapientur flumina ripis, Immenfumque ferent cumulatæ pondus arenæ, Merfa nigro in tumulo. Pluvia corrofus edaci, Ventorumque minis, defcendet ad ufque jacentem Planitiem, mons qui caput inter nubila condit: Planities gradibus furget fublimior æquis,

Quam

Of those Materials, which have been confefs'd
The priftine Springs, and Parents of the reft,
Each becomes other. Water ftop'd gives Birth
To Grafs and Plants, and thickens into Earth:
Diffus'd it rifes in a higher Sphere;

Dilates it's Drops, and softens into Air:
Those finer Parts of Air again aspire;'

Move into Warmth, and brighten into Fire:

That Fire once more by thicker Air o'ercome,
And downward forc'd, in Earth's capacious Womb
Alters it's Particles: is Fire no more;

But lies refplendent Dust, and shining Oar;
Or running thro' the mighty Mother's Veins,
Changes it's Shape; put off it's old Remains;
With wat'ry Parts it's leffen'd Force divides;
Flows into Waves, and rifes into Tides.

Difparted Streams fhall from their Chanels fly,
And deep furcharg'd by fandy Mountains lye,
Obfcurely fepulcher'd. By eating Rain,
And furious Wind, down to the diftant Plain
The Hill, that hides his Head above the Skies,
Shall fall: The Plain by flow Degrees fhall rife

[blocks in formation]

Quàm fteterant olim fuprema cacumina montis:
Sic Natura jubet; peraget, quod jufferit, Ætas.

Omnia fic fato lapfos mutante per annos
Aut levia aut onerofa, minuta aut grandia fiunt:
In nebulas ibit Jordani lympha futuras,
Pyramidumque fluet diffufa per aera moles:
Pifonis fluctus ætas ventura requiret,
Et nulla inveniet Babeli figna Viator.

Hæ cum fæpe vices repetantur, mente tuemur
Immota, tanquam naturæ jufferit ordo;
Aft ubi plus folito fòrs una vel altera furgat,
Magnificum incipiunt portenti ducere nomen.
Implicitos flexus mens indefeffa fequatur,
Et ponat dubios operofa Scientia fines:

An nufquam mirac'la extant, an ubique locorum?
Alterutrum fumas; par forfitan error utrinque est.

Avulfum trunco ramum, effætumque flagellum
Voce ftatim miffa redivivas trudere frondes
An mirere magis, quàm fummi culmina clivi
Vi brumæ fpoliata altifque immerfa pruinis,
Millia vere novo diffundere millia florum,

Et

Higher than er'ft had ftood the Summit-Hill:
For Time muft Nature's great Behefts fulfill.

Thus by a length of Years, and Change of Fate, All Things are light or heavy, small or great: Thus JORDAN'S Waves fhall future Clouds appear; And EGYPT'S Pyramids refine to Air. Thus later Age fhall ask for PISON'S Flood; And Travellers enquire, where BABEL ftood.

Now where we see these Changes often fall,
Sedate we pass them by, as Natural:
Where to our Eye more rarely they appear,
The Pompous Name of Prodigy they bear:
Let active Thought these close Mæanders trace:
Let Human Wit their dubious Bound'ries place.
Are all Things Miracle; or nothing fuch?
And prove We not too little, or too much?

For that a Branch cut off, a wither'd Rod Should at a Word pronounc'd revive and bud: Is this more ftrange, than that the Mountain's Brow, Strip'd by December's Froft, and white with Snow, Should push, in Spring, ten thousand thousand Buds;

And

Et reduces jactare comas, aliumque virorem?
Æthere divifo, noctis redeuntibus umbris,
Ambrofios hominum gentem decerpere fructus,
An mirere magis, folito quàm pane recéntes
Ducere perpetuò languentia corpora vires;
Et femen granumque, folo commiffa fideli,
Addere opes cumulis, & multiplicata renafci;
Quæque manu parca fulcis modo fparfit arator,
Mox onerare folum, lætafque effundere meffes?

Quæ fe cunque igitur dant fenfibus obvia noftris, Seu vulgata palàm feu mira recondita rerum, Legibus à fixis naturæ five folutis

Proveniant, his perfpe&tis id vincitur, omnem
Effectum propriæ deduci ab origine Causæ.
Hinc certis gradibus fe paulatim altius effert,
Et longæ afcendens per nexum quemque catenæ,
Surgit adhuc, donec cernat quandoque neceffe eft
Principium & Fontem vitæ, Numenque fupremum,
Quod ftetit à primis, & in ultima fæcula ftabit..

Hunc magnum monftrante DEUM Ratione magiftra, Æternum,omnipotentem,atque omni ex parte beatum; Illius an vires animo metimur, & arctis

« הקודםהמשך »