Poema Cl. V. JOANNIS PASSERATII,
Regii in Academia Parifienfi Profefforis.
Ad ornatiffimum virum ERRICUM MEMMIUM.
Janus adeft, feftæ pofcunt fua dona Kalendæ, Munus abeft feftis quod poffim offerre Kalendis. Siccine Caftalius nobis exaruit humor?
Ufque adeò ingenii noftri eft exhaufta facultas,
Immunem ut videat redeuntis janitor anni?
Quod nufquam eft, potius nova per veftigia quæram.
Ecce autem partes dum fefe verfat in omnes
Invenit mea Mufa NIHIL, ne defpice munus.
Nain NIHIL eft gemmis, NIHIL eft pretiofius auro.
Huc animum, huc igitur vultus adverte benignos:
Res nova narratur quæ nulli audita priorum,
Aufonii & Graii dixerunt cætera vates,
Aufoniæ indictum NIHIL eft Græcæque Camœnæ,
E cœlo quacunque Ceres fua profpicit arva, Aut genitor liquidis orbem complectitur ulnis Oceanus, NIHIL interitus & originis expers. Immortale NIHIL, NIHIL omni parte beatum.
Quòd fi hinc majeftas & vis divina probatur,
Num quid honore deûm, num quid dignabimur
Confpectu lucis NIHIL eft jucundius almæ,
Vere NIHIL, NIHIL irriguo formofius horto,
Floridius pratis, Zephyri clementius aura ;
In bello fanctum NIHIL eft, Martifque tumultu; ;
Juftum in pace NIHIL, NIHIL eft in fœdere tutum.
Felix cui NIHIL eft, (fuerant hæc vota Tibullo)
Non timet infidias: fures, incendia temnit :
Sollicitas fequitur nullo fub judice lites.
Пle ipfe invictis qui fubjicit omnia fatis
Zenonis fapiens, NIHIL admiratur & optat.
Socraticique gregis fuit ifta fcientia quondam,
Scire NIHIL, ftudio cui nunc incumbitur uni.
Nec quicquam in ludo mavult didiciffe juventus,
Ad magnus quia ducit opes, & culmen honorum.
Nofce NIHIL, nofces fertur quad Pythagorea
Grano hærere fabæ, cui vox adjuncta negantis...
Multi Mercurio freti duce vifcera terræ
Pura liquefaciunt fimul, & patrimonia mifcent,
Arcano inftantes operi, & carbonibus atris,
Qui tandem exhaufti damnis, fractique labore,
Inveniunt atque inventum NIHIL ufque requirunt.
Hoc dimetiri non ulla decempeda poffit:
Nec numeret Libycæ numerum qui callet arena:
Et Phœbo ignotum NIHIL eft, NIHIL altius aftris."
Tùque, tibi licet eximium fit mentis acumen,
Omnem in naturam penetrans, & in abdita rerum,
Pace tua, Memmi, NIHIL ignorare vidêris.
Sole tamen NIHIL eft, & puro clarius igne.
Tange NIHIL, dicefque NIHIL fine corpore tangi.
Cerne NIHIL, cerni dices NIHIL abfque colore.
Surdum audit loquiturque NIHIL fine voce, volát-
que
Abfque ope pennarum, & graditur fine cruribus
Abfque loco motuque NIHIL per inane vagatur.
Humano generi utilius NIHIL arte medendi.
Ne rhombos igitur, neu Theffala murmura tentet
Idalia vacuum trajectus arundine pectus,
Neu legat Idæo Dictæum in vertice 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,
Parcarúmque colos, & inexorabile penfum.
Obruta Phlegræis campis Titania pubes
Fulmineo fenfit NIHIL effe potentius ictu :
Porrigitur magni NIHIL extra monia mundi:
Diíque 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 verfus.
WENTWORTH 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 Roscommon, 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, fent 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.
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