The rites that taught us to combine
The joys of musick and of wine, ,
And bade the feast, and song, and bowl
O'erfill the saturated soul :
But ne'er the flute or lyre applied
To cheer despair, or soften pride ;
Nor callid them to the gloomy cells
Where want repines and vengeance swells;
Where hate sits musing to betray,
And murder meditates his prey.
To dens of guilt and shades of care,
Ye sons of melody repair,
Nor deign the festive dome to cloy
With superfluities of joy.
Ah! little needs the minstrel's power
To speed the light convivial hour.

σκάιούς δε λέγων, κουδέν τι σοφούς
τους πρόσθε βρoτους, ουκ άν αμάρτοις,
οίτινες ύμνους επί μέν θαλίαις,
επί δ' είλαπίναις, και παρά δείπνοις
εύροντο, βίου τερπνάς ακοάς:
στυγίους δε βροτών ουδείς λύπας
εύρετο μούση και πολυχόρδους
ωδαίς παύειν, εξ ών θάνατοι,
δειναι τε τύχαι σφάλλουσι δόμους.
καίτοι τάδε μεν κέρδος ακείσθαι
μολπαισι βρoτούς· ίνα δ' εύδειπνοι
δαϊτες, τί μάτην τείνουσι βοάν;
το παρόν γαρ έχει τέρψιν αφ' αυτού
δαιτός πλήρωμα βροτοίσιν.

MEDEA, 193-206. ED. PORS.
Queen of every moving measure,
Sweetest source of purest pleasure,
Music! why thy pow’rs employ
Only for the sons of joy;
Only for the smiling guests,
At natal or at nuptial feasts ?
Rather thy lenient numbers pour
On those, whom secret griefs devour.
Bid be still the throbbing hearts
Of those whom death or absence parts,
And, with some softly whisper'd air,
Sooth the brow of dumb despair.

The board, with varied plenty crown'd,
May spare the luxuries of sound'.

TRANSLATION

OF THE FIRST TWO STANZAS OF THE SONG RIO

VERDE, RIO VERDE," PRINTED IN BISHOP PERCY'S RELIQUES OF ANCIENT ENGLISH POETRY.

AN IMPROMPTU.

GLASSY water, glassy water,

Down whose current, clear and strong,
Chiefs confused in mutual slaughter,

Moor and christian roll along.

IMITATION OF THE STYLE OF ****.

HERMIT hoar, in solemn cell

Wearing out life's ev'ning grey,
Strike thy bosom, sage, and tell

What is bliss, and which the way.

Thus I spoke, and speaking sigh’d,

Scarce repress'd the starting tear,
When the hoary sage reply'd,

Come, my lad, and drink some beer.

* This translation was written by Johnson for his friend Dr. Burney, and was inserted, as the work of “a learned friend,” in that gentleman's History of Musick, vol. ii. p. 340. It has always been ascribed to Johnson; but, to put the matter beyond a doub Mr. Malone ascertained the fact by applying to Dr. Burney himself. J. B.

IMPROVISO TRANSLATION

OF THE FOLLOWING DISTICH ON THE DUKE OF MO

DENA'S RUNNING AWAY FROM THE COMET IN 1749 OR 1743.

Se al venir vostro i principi sen' vanno
Deh venga ogni di—durate un'anno.
If at your coming princes disappear,
Comets ! come every day—and stay a year.

IMPROVISO TRANSLATION

OF THE FOLLOWING LINES OF M. BENSERADE

A SON LIT.

THEATRE des ris, et des pleurs,
Lit! où je nais, et où je meurs,
Tu nous fais voir comment voisins
Sont nos plaisirs, et nos chagrins.

In bed we laugh, in bed we cry,
And, born in bed, in bed we die;
The near approach a bed may show
Of human bliss to human woe.

EPITAPH FOR MR. HOGARTH.

The hand of him here torpid lies,

That drew th' essential form of grace;
Here clos'd in death th' attentive' eyes,

That saw the manners in the face.

TRANSLATION

OF THE FOLLOWING LINES, WRITTEN UNDER A PRINT

REPRESENTING PERSONS SKATING.

Sur un mince cristal l'hiver conduit leurs pas,

Le précipice est sous la glace:
Telle est de nos plaisirs la légère surface :
Glissez, mortels ; n'appuyez pas.

O'er ice the rapid skater flies,

With sport above, and death below;
Where mischief lurks in gay disguise,

Thus lightly touch and quickly go.

IMPROMPTU TRANSLATION OF THE SAME.

O’ER crackling ice, o'er gulfs profound,

With nimble glide the skaters play ;
O’er treach'rous pleasure's flow'ry ground

Thus lightly skim, and haste away.