Part 20 (1/2)

Another of his most vigorous pieces is his lampoon on sir Car Scroop, who, in a poem called the Praise of Satire, had some lines like these[68]:

He who can push into a midnight fray His brave companion, and then run away, Leaving him to be murder'd in the street, Then put it off with some buffoon conceit; Him, thus dishonour'd, for a wit you own, And court him as top fiddler of the town.

This was meant of Rochester, whose ”buffoon conceit” was, I suppose, a saying often mentioned, that ”every man would be a coward, if he durst;”

and drew from him those furious verses; to which Scroop made, in reply, an epigram, ending with these lines:

Thou canst hurt no man's fame with thy ill word; Thy pen is full as harmless as thy sword.

Of the Satire against Man, Rochester can only claim what remains, when all Boileau's part is taken away.

In all his works there is sprightliness and vigour, and every where may be found tokens of a mind, which study might have carried to excellence.

What more can be expected from a life spent in ostentatious contempt of regularity, and ended, before the abilities of many other men began to be displayed[69]?

Poema Cl. V. JOANNIS Pa.s.sERATII,

Regii in Academia Parisiensi Professoris.

Ad ornatissimum virum ERRIc.u.m MEMMIUM.

Ja.n.u.s adest, festae posc.u.n.t sua dona kalendae, Munus abest festis quod possim offerre kalendis: Siccine Castalius n.o.bis exaruit humor?

Usque adeo ingenii nostri est exhausta facultas, Immunem ut videat redeuntis janitor anni?

Quod nusquam est, potius nova per vestigia quaeram.

Ecce autem, partes dum sese versat in omnes, Invenit mea musa NIHIL; ne despice munus: Nam NIHIL est gemmis, NIHIL est pretiosius auro.

Hue animum, hue, igitur, vultus adverte benignos: Res nova narratur quae nulli audita priorum; Ausonii et Graii dixerunt caetera vates, Ausoniae indictum NIHIL est, graecaeque, Camoenae, E coelo quacunque Ceres sua prospicit arva, Aut genitor liquidis...o...b..m complect.i.tur ulnis Ocea.n.u.s, NIHIL interitus et originis expers.

Immortale NIHIL, NIHIL omni parte beatum.

Quod si hinc majestas et vis divina probatur, Num quid honore deum, num quid dignabimur aris?

Conspectu lucis NIHIL est jucundius almae, Vere NIHIL, NIHIL irriguo formosius horto, Floridius pratis, Zephyri clementius aura; In bello sanctum NIHIL est, Martisque tumultu: Justum in pace NIHIL, NIHIL est in foedere tutum.

Felix cui NIHIL est, (fuerant haec vota Tibullo) Non timet insidias; fures, incendia temnit; Sollicitas sequitur nullo sub judice lites.

Ille ipse invictis qui subjicit omnia fatis, Zenonis sapiens, NIHIL admiratur et optat.

Socraticique gregis fuit ista scientia quondam,

Scire NIHIL, studio cui nunc inc.u.mbitur uni.

Nec quicquam in ludo mavult didicisse juventus, Ad magnas quia ducit opes, et culmen honorum.

Nosce NIHIL, nosces fertur quod Pythagoreae Grano haerere fabae, cui vox adjuncta negantis.

Multi, Mercurio freti duce, viscera terrae Pura liquefaciunt simul, et patrimonia miscent, Arcano instantes operi, et carbonibus atris, Qui tandem exhausti d.a.m.nis, fractique labore, Inveniunt, atque inventum NIHIL usque requirunt.

Hoc dimetiri non ulla decempeda possit: Nec numeret Libycae numerum qui callet arenae.

Et Phoebo ignotum NIHIL est, NIHIL altius astris: Tuque, tibi licet eximium sit mentis ac.u.men, Omnem in naturam penetrans, et in abdita rerum, Pace tua, Memmi, NIHIL ignorare videris.

Sole tamen NIHIL est, et puro clarius igne.

Tange NIHIL, dicesque NIHIL sine corpore tangi.

Cerne NIHIL, cerni dices NIHIL absque colore.

Surdum audit loquiturque NIHIL sine voce, volatque Absque ope pennarum, et graditur sine cruribus ullis.

Absque loco motuque NIHIL per inane vagatur.