Credulitafque fovet; mendaci Luce corufcans
Ducis, & incertos præfers palantibus Ignes.
O Fons Curarum, captæque Infania Mentis!
Quòd fi forte Deus Te defignaffet ADAMO,
Aut unquam Munus tantum indulfiffet habendum
Humano Generi, SOLOMONIS tota fuiffes:
In noftros flueret Sors aurea, largior æquo,
Toto Fonte finus, plenamque inverteret Urnam.
[creaffet,
At Dolor! ante Hominem quam Dextra fuprema
Cum nondum fteterat jacto fundamine Terra,
Decretum eft, vanos tentante Cupidine Nifus,
Ut fine fine petita recederet ufque Voluptas.
Hoc lugubre loquor, Vita fuadente Magiftra;
Flebile Lingua refert, Animus quod flebile fentit.
DAVIDE natus Ego, Patri cariffima Proles,
Delicia Populi, Solio fublimis Ebræo,
Auguftas Ædes tota cum dives Ophiro
Ornâram, famaque extremo Oriente ferebar;
Cum mille affluerent Veneres ad amabile Corpus,
Robore nobilitante artus, Dulcedine vultum;
Cum mihi lucida Mens fætis Conceptibus aucta,
Ingenium velox, folidumque vigeret acumen;
And by Tradition nurs'd, fallacious Fire,
Whofe dancing Beams mif-lead our fond Defire,
Cause of our Care, and Error of our Mind:
O! had'ft Thou ever been by Heav'n defign'd
To ADAM, and his Mortal Race; the Boon
Entire, had been referv'd for SOLOMON:
On Me the partial Lot had been bestow'd;
And in my Cup the golden Draught had flow'd.
But O! e'er yet Original Man was made;
E'er the Foundations of this Earth were laid;
It was, opponent to our Search, ordain'd,
That Joy, ftill fought, should never be attain’d.
This, fad Experience cites me to reveal;
And what I dictate, is from what I feel.
Born as I was, great DAVID's fav'rite Son, Dear to my People, on the Hebrew Throne Sublime, my Court with OPHIR's Treasures bleft, My Name extended to the farthest East, My Body cloth'd with ev'ry outward Grace, Strength in my Limbs, and Beauty in my Face, My shining Thought with fruitful Notions crown'd, Quick my Invention, and my Judgment found;
Heus furgas, (habita eft mecum Sententia) furgas,
Ut Felix, Meditare; ut fis Magnus, Sapere aude:
Pectoris exoritur Pax inconcuffa Sciendo;
Nam Scire eft ipfi Virtus cognata JEHOVA.
Hæc fatus, veneranda dedi mandata per Urbes: Mox Solium cingunt Doctorum immenfa Corona; Hiftoricos Libros, antiqua Volumina pandunt; Verba graves habuere Senes, legere Minores: Audieram attentus; tandem dubitata loquebar:
Per Terras quodcunque Viret, feu Planta, vel Arbor, Quod Genus & Nomen, quæ fit Natura, quis Ordo, Me bene nôffe ferunt, ea noftri Fama vagatur, A Cedro excelfa, Lebani quæ in vertice duro Sublime undantes movet inter nubila ramos, Serpentem ad Mufcum, & diffufam Mænia circum Hyffopum tamen ah! mihi confcius Ipfe fatebor Mille animum implicitos fcrutantem eludere Nodos.
Me latet, emiffis cur Fagus plurima ramis Undique luxurians teretem exfpatiatur in umbram; Dum celfis decrefcit Apex sub imagine Coni Abjetibus, nubes & cufpide fcindit acuta:
Arife, (I commun'd with my felf) arise;
Think, to be Happy; to be Great, be Wife:
Content of Spirit muft from Science flow;
For 'tis a Godlike Attribute, to Know.
I faid; and fent my Edict thro' the Land: Around my Throne the Letter'd Rabbins stand, Historic Leaves revolve, long Volumes spread, The Old difcourfing, as the Younger read: Attent I heard, propos'd my Doubts, and faid:
The Vegetable World, each Plant, and Tree,
It's Seed, it's Name, it's Nature, it's Degree,
I am allow'd, as FAME reports, to know,
From the fair Cedar, on the craggy Brow
Of LEBANON nodding fupremely tall,
To creeping Mofs, and Hyffop on the Wall:
Yet juft and confcious to my felf, I find
A thousand Doubts oppose the searching Mind.
I know not why the Beach delights the Glade
With Boughs extended, and a rounder Shade;
Whilft tow'ring Firrs in Conic form arise,
And with a pointed Spear divide the Skies:
Cur Quercus renovata Comas redeuntibus Annis
Augufti capitis varium tranfmutat honorem;
Dum gerit æternam Taxus fibi fida Juventam,
Ramo femper eodem, immutatoque colore.
Cur orbata perit geniali lumine Caltha?
Cur nigrantem animat feliciùs Umbra Cupreffum ?
Exoptant mediam cur Ficus Palmaque fedem,
Et dare radices porrecta per æquora gaudent;
Dum viget inferiore Cucurbita læta Palude,
Et circum Montes umbracula nectit Oliva?
Cur Cœlum haud aliud, Locus haud diverfus, amictu
Induit ardenti rubicunda Papaveris ora,
Lilia inornatos patitur pallefcere vultus,
Cæruleaque humiles Violas ferrugine pingit?
Cur Carophyllon amat lafcivum pandere foli
Tot varios una nafcentes ftirpe colores,
Dum fibi diffimilis Tulippa affurgit in auras
Partitis radiis, duplicique infignis honore?
Brachia tortile Jafma, Rofæque rubentia labra
Mane novo fundunt redolentes prodiga flatus;
Narciffus, cum Junquela fragrante, fatetur
Fortius infufas haufiffe à Vefpere vires.
Dicite, fylveftres Fætus, Florefque tenellos
Unde agit occulti diverfa potentia Fati?
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