CLAUDIAN'S OLD MAN OF VERONA. Happy the man who his whole time doth bound within th' enclosure of his little ground: happy the man whom the same humble place (th' hereditary cottage of his race) from his first rising infancy has known, and by degrees sees gently bending down, with natural propension to that earth which both preserv'd his life and gave him birth, Him no false distant lights, by Fortune set, could ever into foolish wand'rings get; he never dangers either saw or fear'd; the dreadful storms at sea he never heard: he never heard the shrill alarms of war, or the worse noises of the lawyer's bar; no change of Consuls marks to him the year; the change of seasons is his calendar: the cold and heat winter and summer shews, a neighb'ring wood, born with himself, he sees, thus health and strength he to' a third age enjoys, and sees a long posterity of boys. About the spacious world let others roam, the voyage, life, is longest made at home. THE AUTHOR'S EPITAPH, UPON HIMSELF, YET ALIVE, BUT WITHDRAWN FROM THE BU- Here, Passenger! beneath this shade, Can you not say he has resign'd Strew roses here, as on his herse, Latin Epitaph on the Author's Tomb in Westminster Abbey. ABRAHAMUS COULEIUS, Anglorum, Pindarus, Flaccus, Maro, Aurea dum volitant latè tua scripta per orbem, sit facer iste locus, Nec quis temerarius ausit sacrilega turbare manu Venerabile Bustum. Intacti maneant, maneant per secula dulcis Couleij cineres, ferveatq; immobile saxum. Sic Vovet; Votumq; suum apud Posteros sacratum esse voluit. Qui Viro Incomparabili posuit sepulchrale marmor. GEORGIUS DUX BUCKINGHAMIE. Excessit è vita Anne Ets 49, et honorifica pompa elatus ex Ædibus Buckingamianis, viris illustribus omnium ordinum exsequias celebrantibus. Sepultus ést Die 3o M. Augusti A. D. 1667. THE EPITAPH, TRANSCRIBED FROM THE AUTHOR'S TOMB IN WESTMINSTER ABBEY, ATTEMPTED IN ENGLISH. HERE UNDER LIES ABRAHAM COWLEY. THE PINDAR, HORACE, AND VIRGIL, OF THE ENGLISH NATION. While through the world thy labours shine, thou in thy fame wilt live, and be Here in soft peace for ever rest, For ever sacred be this room; Sweet Cowley's dust let none profane, and make this stone for ever live. EDMUND WALLER was fortunately blest much beyond the poet's wonted lot, for he was exempted from obscurity in the commencement of life, and from poverty during it's continuance. His father was Robert Waller, esq. of Buckinghamshire, his mother was sister to the celebrated Hampden. Our poet was born at Coleshill near Amersham, in Hertfordshire, March 3, 1605. He was educated at Eton, and King's college, Cambridge, and was chosen when scarcely seventeen, member for Amersham, in the last parliament of James I. He became known at an early period of his life by the exploits of carrying off a rich heiress, in 'opposition to 'a rival, whose cause was espoused by -the court, but his matrimonial happiness was of short duration; he was left a widower at the age of 25. Still young, rich, and ambitious, he became the suitor of lady Dorothea Sydney, eldest daughter of the earl of Leicester, on whom, under the title of Sacharissa, he has bestowed some of the choicest of his poetic effusions. This appellation of sweetness happened however to be ill applied, for she treated his affection with haughty disdain, and quashed every fond desire of the poet by giving her hand to the Earl of Sunderland. Waller, tho' unsuccessful did not consign -himself to despair, but began to foster another tender partiality. Lady Sophia Murray, is supposed to be the Amoret of some of his most pleasing pieces. Unfortunately, he was again unsuccessful, and he lowered his ideas to common life, uniting himself to a lady named Bresse, in whom, tho' he found nothing to celebrate in poetry, he found much domestic comfort. This second marriage produced 13 children. |