τε συνέςηκεν ὁ κόσμος, λεγω δη ξηρων τε και ύγρων, ψυχρών και θερμών, εκ παλαι διεφθαρίαι και απολωλεν ὡς καν ει πολιν τινες θαυμαζοιεν, όπως διαμένη, συνεσηκυίαν εκ των εναντιων εθνων Πενητων λεγω, και πλεσίων νεων, και γερόντων, ασθενών, ισχυρων πονηρών, χρησων. Αγνουσι δε, ότι τετ ̓ ην πολίτικης ομονοιας το θαυμασιώλαζον· λεγω δε, ότι εκ πολλών μιαν, και όμοιαν εξ ανομοίων, αποτελει διαθεσιν, ὑποδεχομενη και πασαν φυσιν, και τυχην ισως δε και των εναντίων η φύσις γλιχεται, και εκ τελων αποτελειν το σύμφωνον, εκ εκ των ὁμοιων· ώσπερ αμέλει το αρρεν συνηγαγε προς το θηλυ, και εχ ἑκατερον προς το ὁμοφυλον, και την πρωτην ὁμονοιαν δια των εναντιων συνήψεν, & δια των όμοιων ἔοικε δε και ἡ τεχνη την φυσιν μιμεμένη, τετο ποιειν ζωγραφια μεν γαρ, λευκων τε και μελανων, ωχρων τε και ερυθρων χρωματων εγκερασαμενη φύσεις, τας εικονας τοις προηγεμένοις απετελεσε συμφωνες μεσικη δε, οξεις άμα και βαρεις φθοίγες μίξασα, εν διαφόροις φωναις μιαν απέτελεσεν άρμονιαν γραμματικη δε, εκ φωνηενίων και αφωνων γραμματων κρασιν ποιησαμένη, την όλην τέχνην απ' αυτων σχολείνω παρα συνεζησαίο ταυτο δε τετο ην και το τω λεγόμενον Ηρακλείτω συναψειας ελα, και εχι ὅλα συμφερομενον, και διαφερομενον συνάδον, και διαδον· και εκ παντων ἐν και εξ ένας παλα.” It is to be lamented that the present state of literature in this kingdom, has rendered it necessary to subjoin a Latin translation of this beautiful and exalted passage, which, to be able to to read in its original, is no vulgar happiness. Take it, therefore, in the words of Budæus: "Tametsi extiterunt, qui sese admirari addubitabundi, dicerent, qui fieri tandem posset, si e principiis contrariis mundus constitit, siccis dico et humidis, frigidis et calidis, ut jam dici non dissolutus fuerit atque interierit. Perinde quasi mirari quisquam debeat, quonam pacto civitas incolumis perduret, quæ e gentibus contrariis composita sit, egenis inquam et divitibus, juvenibus et senio confectis, infirmis et valentibus, pravis atque innocentibus. Ignorantia est ista utique hominum, hoc esse in concordia civili non videntium, longe admirabilissimum, quod ex multis ipsa unum efficit affectum, et e dissimilibus similem, omnis illa quidem naturæ susceptrix et fortunæ. Atque haud scio an etiam contrariorum appetens sit natura: ex eisque consona, non item e similibus conficiat. Sic certe ipsa marem cum fœmina conjunxit, non etiam cum suo horum utrumque sexu. Quin primam etiam concordiam per contraria, non per similia devinxit. Adde quod ars naturæ æmulatrix hoc idem facit. Siquidem pictura, alborum nigrorumque colorum, luteorumque et rubrorum naturas inter se attemperans, effigies rerum efficit con 2 sonas sonas exemplaribus. Musica acutis et gravibus sonis, longisque et brevibus una permixtis in diversis vocibus unum ex illis concentum absolutum reddidit. Grammatica, ex elementis vocalibus et mutis inventa temperatura artem omnem literaturæ ex illis compositam reliquit. Hocque nimirum illud est, quod apud Heraclitum legitur (Scotinum ab obscuritate dictum) crispa, inquit, et minime crispa unà vinxeris, consentiens et dissentiens, consonans et dissonans, unum etiam ex omnibus, omniaque ex uno." 46. O Happiness! our being's end and aim! Good, Pleasure, Ease, Content, whate'er thy name.* He begins his address to Happiness after the manner of the ancient hymns,† by enumerating the titles and various places of abode of this goddess. He has undoubtedly personified her at the beginning; but he seems to have dropped that idea * Ep. iv. ver. 1. Την † Παρα μεν τη Σαπφῳ και τω Αλκμανι πολλαχε ευρισκομεν. μεν γαρ Αρτεμιν εκ μυρίων ορέων, μυρίων δε πόλεων, ετι δε ποταμων ανακαλεί. Τηνδε Αφροδίτην εκ Κύπρο, Κνιδε, Συρίας, και πολλαχόθεν αλλαχοθεν ανακαλεί. Menander Rhetor. de Hymnis, idea in the seventh line, where the deity is suddenly transformed into a plant; from thence this metaphor of a vegetable is carried on distinctly through the eleven succeeding lines, till he suddenly returns to consider Happiness again as a person, in the eighteenth line; And fled from monarchs, St. John, dwells with thee. For, to fly, and, to dwell, cannot justly be predicated of the same subject, that immediately before was described as twining with laurels, and being reaped in harvests. Of the numberless treatises that have been written on happiness, one of the most sensible is that of Fontenelle, in the third volume of his works. Our author's leading principle is, that happiness is attainable by all men : For, mourn our various portions as we please, So Horace also in Epist. 18. B. 1. Equum mî animum ipse parabo. "But "But Horace (says a penetrating observer on human life) was grossly mistaken: the thing for which he thought he stood in no need of Jupiter's assistance, was what he could least expect from his own ability. It is much more easy to get even riches and honours by one's industry, than a quiet and contented mind. If it be said, that riches and honours depend on a thousand things which we cannot dispose of at pleasure, and that therefore it is necessary to pray to God that he would turn them to our advantage, I answer, that the silence of the passions, and the tranquillity and ease of the mind, depend upon a thousand things that are not under our jurisdiction. The stomach, the spleen, the lymphatic vessels, the fibres of the brain, and a hundred other organs, whose seat and figure are yet unknown to the anatomists, produce in us many uneasinesses, jealousies, and vexations. Can we alter those organs ? are they in our own power?" 47. When nature sicken'd, and each gale was death.* This * Ver. 108. |