Page images
PDF
EPUB

Humano generi utilius NIHIL arte medendi.
Ne rhombos igitur, neu Theffala murmura tentet
Idalia vacuum trajectus arundine pectus,
Neu legat Idæo Dictæum in vetrice gramen.
Vulneribus fævi NIHIL auxiliatur amoris.
Vexerit & quemvis trans moeftas portitor undas,
Ad fuperos imo NIHIL hunc revocabit ab orco.
Inferni NIHIL inflectit præcordia regis,
Parcarumque colos, & inexorabile penfum.
Obruta Phlegræis campis Titania pubes
Fulmineo fenfit NIHIL effe potentius icu:
Porrigitur magni NIHIL extra monia mundi:
Diique NIHIL metuunt. Quid longo carmine plura
Commemorem? virtute NIHIL præftantius ipfa,
Splendidius NIHIL eft; NIHIL eft Jove denique majus.
Sed tempus finem argutis imponere nugis:
Ne tibi fi multa laudem mea carmina charta,
De NIHILO NIHILI pariant faftidia versus.

[blocks in formation]

ROSCOM MO N.

W

ENTWORTH DILLON, earl of Rofcommon, was the fon of James Dillon and Elizabeth Wentworth, fifter to the earl of Strafford. He was born in Ireland during the lieutenancy of Strafford, who, being both his uncle and his godfather, gave him his own furname. His father, the third earl of Rofcommon, had been converted by Usher to the Proteftant religion; and when the Popish rebellion broke out, Strafford thinking the family in great danger from the fury of the Irish, sent for his godfon, and placed him at his own feat in Yorkshire, where he was inftructed in Latin; which he learned fo as to write it with purity and elegance, though he was never able to retain the rules of grammar.

Such

Such is the account given by Mr. Fenton, from whofe notes on Waller most of this account must be borrowed, though I know not whether all that he relates is certain. The instructor whom he affigns to Rofcommon is one Dr. Hall, by whom he cannot mean the famous Hall, then an old man and a bishop.

When the storm broke out upon Strafford, his house was a fhelter no longer; and Dillon, by the advice of Ufher, was fent to Caen, where the Proteftants had then an univerfity, and continued his ftudies under Bochart.

Young Dillon, who was fent to study under Bochart, and who is represented as having already made great proficiency in literature, could not be more than nine years old. Strafford went to govern Ireland in 1633, and was put to death eight years afterwards. That he was fent to Caen, is certain: that he was a great fcholar, may be doubted.

At Caen he is faid to have had some preter-natural intelligence of his father's death.

"The

"The lord Rofcommon, being a boy of "ten years of age, at Caen in Normandy, "one day was, as it were, madly extrava"gant.in playing, leaping, getting over the "tables, boards, &c. He was wont to be "fober enough; they faid, God grant this "bodes no ill-luck to him! In the heat of "this extravagant fit, he cries out, My father "is dead. A fortnight after, news came from "Ireland that his father was dead. This ac"count I had from Mr. Knolles, who was "his governor, and then with him,-fince "fecretary to the earl of Strafford; and I "have heard his lordship's relations confirm "the fame." Aubrey's Mifcellany.

The prefent age is very little inclined to favour any accounts of this kind, nor will the name of Aubrey much recommend it to credit: it ought not, however, to be omitted, because better evidence of a fact cannot easily be found than is here offered, and it must be by preferving fuch relations that we may at laft judge how much they are to be regarded. If we stay to examine this account, we fhall fee difficulties on both fides: here is the re

lation of a fact given by a man who had no intereft to deceive, and who could not be deceived himself; and here is, on the other hand, a miracle which produces no effect; the order of nature is interrupted to discover not a future but only a diftant event, the knowledge of which is of no ufe to him to whom it is revealed. Between these difficulties, what way fhall be found? Is reafon or testimony to be rejected? 1 believe what Ofborne fays of an appearance of fanctity may be applied to fuch impulfes or anticipations as this: Do not wholly flight them, because they be true; but do not easily trust them, because they may be falfe.

may

The state both of England and Ireland was at this time fuch, that he who was abfent from either country had very little temptation to return and therefore Rofcommon, when he left Caen, travelled into Italy, and amufed himself with its antiquities, and particularly with medals, in which he acquired uncommon skill.

At the Restoration, with the other friends of monarchy, he came to England, was made captain

« PreviousContinue »