THE

TEARS OF A PAINTER.

APELLES, hearing that his boy Had just expir'd-his only joy! Although the sight with anguish tore him, Bade place his dear remains before him, He seiz'd his brush, his colours spread; And "Oh! my child, accept," he said,

('Tis all that I can now bestow,)

"This tribute of a father's wo!"

Then, faithful to the two-fold part,
Both of his feelings and his art,
He clos'd his eyes, with tender care,
And form'd at once a fellow pair.
His brow, with amber locks beset,
And lips he drew, not livid yet;
And shaded all, that he had done,
To a just image of his son.

Thus far is well. But view again,
The cause of thy paternal pain!
Thy melancholy task fulfil!

It needs the last, last touches still.
Again his pencil's powers he tries,
For on his lips a smile he spies :
And still his cheek, unfaded, shows
The deepest damask of the rose.

Then, heedless to the finish'd whole,
With fondest eagerness he stole,
Till scarce himself distinctly knew
The cherub copied from the true.

Now, painter cease! Thy task is done.
Long lives this image of thy son;
Nor short-liv'd shall the glory prove,
Or of thy labour, or thy love.

SPE FINIS.

AD dextram, ad lævam, porro, retro, itque reditque,
Deprensum in laqueo quem labyrinthus habet,
Et legit et relegit gressus, sese explicet unde,
Perplexum quærens unde revolvat iter.
Sta modò, respira paulum, simul accipe filum;
Certius et melius non Ariadne dabit.

Sic te, sic solum expedies errore; viarum
Principium invenias, id tibi finis erit.

THE MAZE.

FROM right to left, and to and fro,
Caught in a labyrinth you go,
And turn, and turn, and turn again,
To solve the myst'ry, but in vain;
Stand still, and breathe, and take from me
A clew, that soon shall set you free!

Herself could serve you with a better.
You enter'd easily find where

And make, with ease, your exit there!

NEMO MISER NISI COMPARATUS.

"QUIS fuit infelix adeò ! quis perditus æque!"
Conqueritur mæsto carmine tristis amans.
Non novus hic questus, rarove auditus; amantes
Deserti et spreti mille queruntur idem.
Fatum decantas quod tu miserabile, multus

Deplorat, multo cum Corydone, Strephon.
Si tua cum reliquis confertur amica puellis,
Non ea vel sola est ferrea, tuve miser.

NO SORROW PECULIAR TO THE SUFFERER,

THE lover, in melodious verses,

His singular distress rehearses.
Still closing with a rueful cry,
"Was ever such a wretch as I!"
Yes! Thousands have endur'd before
All thy distress; some, haply more.
Unnumber'd Corydons complain,
And Strephons, of the like disdain ;
And if thy Chloe be of steel,
Too deaf to hear, too hard to feel;
Not her alone that censure fits,
Nor thou alone hast lost thy wits.

LIMAX.

FRONDIBUS, et pomis, herbisque tenaciter hæret
Limax, et secum portat ubique domum.
Tutus in hac sese occultat, si quando periclum
Imminet, aut subitæ decidit imber aquæ.
Cornua vel leviter tangas, se protinus in se

Colligit, in proprios contrahiturque lares.
Secum habitat quacunque habitat; sibi tota supellex;
Solæ quas adamat, quasque requirit opes.
Secum potat, edit, dormit; sibi in ædibus iisdem
Conviva et comes est, hospes et hospitium.
Limacem, quacumque siet, quacumque moretur,
Siquis eum quærat, dixeris esse domi.

THE SNAIL.

To grass, or leaf, or fruit, or wall,
The Snail sticks close, nor fears to fall,
As if he grew there, house and all

Together.

Within that house secure he hides,
When danger imminent betides
Of storm, or other harm besides

Of weather,

Give but his horns the slightest touch,
His self-collecting power is such,
He shrinks into his house, with much

Displeasure.

Where'er he dwells, he dwells alone,
Except himself has chattels none,

Well satisfied to be his own

Whole treasure.

Thus, hermit-like, his life he leads,
Nor partner of his banquet needs,

And if he meets one, only feeds

The faster.

Who seeks hím must be worse than blind, (He and his house are so combin'd)

If, finding it, he fails to find

It's master.

EQUES ACADEMICUS.

CALCARI instruitur juvenis; geminove vel uno,
Haud multum, aut ocreis cujus, et unde, refert;
Fors fortasse suo, fortasse aliunde, flagello;
Quantulacunque sui, pars tamen ipse sui.
Sic rite armatus, quinis (et forte minoris)

Conductum solidis scandere gestit equum.
Lætus et impavidus qua fert fortuna (volantem
Cernite) quadrupedem pungit et urget iter:
Admisso cursu, per rura, per oppida fertur:
Adlatrant catuli, multaque ridet anus.

Jamque ferox plagis, erectâ ad verbera dextrâ
Calce cruentatâ lassat utrumque latus.

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