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[Page 299]
An IMITATION Of the Sixteenth Ode Of the Second Book of HORACE.
Otium Divos rogat in patenti
Prensus Aegeo, &c.
I.
[Page 300]1 THE trembling Merchant begs for Ease,
2 When toss'd upon the foaming Seas;
3 When frowning Clouds obscure the Skies,
4 And dreadful Thunder roars, and Lightning flies.
II.
5 FOR Ease the proud Iberians pray,
6 When Martial Engines round 'em play;
7 The mighty Turk, and Persians too,
8 Beg Heav'n for Ease, which Riches can't bestow.
III.
9 NOT silver Mines, nor shining Gold,
10 Nor all the Gems the Indies hold,
11 Nor purple Robes, nor pompous State,
12 Can cure the flutt'ring Cares, which vex the Great.
IV.
[Page 301]13 HAPPY the Man, whose frugal Board
14 Supplies the Wishes of its Lord;
15 No Fears torment his quiet Breast,
16 No sordid Av'rice breaks his grateful Rest.
V.
17 WHY should we so much Wealth desire,
18 When Life so little will require?
19 Why should we rove from Zone to Zone,
20 And for another Climate change our own?
VI.
21 NOT those, who fly from Pole to Pole,
22 Can fly the Cares, which rack the Soul;
23 But, in remotest Regions, find,
24 They leave their Country, not themselves, behind.
VII.
[Page 302]25 FOR, tho' we cross the briny Deep,
26 Corroding Care pursues the Ship;
27 It hunts the Horseman close behind,
28 More swift than Mountain Roes, or rapid Wind.
VIII.
29 THE Man, contented with his State,
30 Anticipates no evil Fate;
31 Tho' Fortune is inconstant still,
32 With what is good, he sweetens what is ill.
IX.
33 THE Draught of Life is mixt, at best;
34 There's none can be completely blest:
35 Some overlive their Pleasures here;
36 Some die, before they taste what Pleasures are.
X.
37 AGE, Wars, and Tumults, factious Hate,
38 Made*
[Page 303]* See CLARENDON's History, Lib. 13.
COTTINGTON desire his Fate;39 While tender*
* Late Duke of Buckingham.
SHEFFIELD meets his Doom40 Just in the Flow'r of Life, and youthful Bloom.
XI.
41 ALL make their Exit soon or late;
42 And, if the Gods contract thy Date,
43 The vital Hour, deny'd to thee,
44 Their more indulgent Hand may give to me.
XII.
45 WHAT tho' thy fruitful Pastures keep
46 A hundred Flocks of bleating Sheep?
47 What tho' thy proud, exulting Mares
48 Neigh, foam, and fly before thy gilded Cars?
XIII.
49 THY Board tho' twenty Dishes grace?
50 Thy Coat as many Yards of Lace?
[Page 304]51 I envy not the purple Dye,
52 Nor all thy gaudy Pomp of Luxury.
XIV.
53 I share some Sparks of PHOEBUS' Fire,
54 To warm my Breast, if not inspire;
55 Too little Wealth to make me proud,
56 And Sense enough to scorn the envious Crowd.
Source edition
Duck, Stephen, 1705-1756. Poems on several occasions: By Stephen Duck. London: printed for the author, 1736, pp. 299-304. xl,334,[2]p. ; 4⁰. (ESTC T90234; OTA K073280.000)
Editorial principles
The text has been typographically modernized, but without any silent modernization of spelling, capitalization, or punctuation. The source of the text is given and all editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. Based on the electronic text originally produced by the TCP project, this ECPA text has been edited to conform to the recommendations found in Level 5 of the Best Practices for TEI in Libraries version 4.0.0.
Other works by Stephen Duck
- The ABSENT LOVER. ()
- [Ad JOANNEM MILTONUM.] ()
- The ANSWER. ()
- AVARO and AMANDA. A POEM, in FOUR CANTO's, Taken from the Spectator, Vol. I. No. xi. ()
- CHLOE's CONQUEST. ()
- CONTENTMENT. ()
- A Description of a Journey To Marlborough, Bath, Portsmouth, &c. To the Right Honourable the Lord Viscount PALMERSTON. ()
- An EPIGRAM. ()
- FELIX and CONSTANCE. A POEM, taken from BOCCACE. ()
- GRATITUDE. A PASTORAL. ()
- Imitated from CLAUDIAN. ()
- An Imitation of the Sixteenth Ode of the Third Book of HORACE. ()
- An Imitation of the Tenth Ode of the Second Book of HORACE. To the Right Hon. the Lord Viscount PALMERSTON. ()
- Occasion'd by a Dispute with a LADY. ()
- An ODE, presented to their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of WALES, in Richmond Gardens, on Thursday, May 6. 1736. ()
- Of FRIENDSHIP. To CELIA. ()
- On a GOOD CONSCIENCE. ()
- On a Screen, work'd in Flowers by Her Royal Highness ANNE, Princess of ORANGE. ()
- On Celia's Picture, drawn by Sir Godfrey Kneller. ()
- On Delia singing, and playing on Music. ()
- On FLORELLA's Birth-Day. ()
- On MITES. To a LADY. ()
- On Mrs. L—s. ()
- On MUSIC. ()
- On POVERTY. ()
- On RICHMOND PARK, and ROYAL GARDENS. ()
- On the Hon. Mrs. HORNER's Travelling for the Recovery of her Health. ()
- On the Marriage of his Serene Highness the Prince of Orange. ()
- On the QUEEN's Grotto, in RICHMOND Gardens. ()
- On Two Young Ladies leaving the Country. ()
- A PASTORAL ELEGY. ()
- PENELOPE to ULYSSES. Paraphras'd from OVID. ()
- A Poem on Her MAJESTY's Birth-Day. ()
- Proper Ingredients to make a Sceptic. ()
- The SHUNAMMITE. To Mrs. STANLEY. ()
- The THRESHER's LABOUR. To the Revd. Mr. STANLEY. ()
- To a Gentleman, who requested a Copy of Verses from the Author. ()
- To a Young LADY, who had a CUPID given Her. ()
- To DEATH. An IRREGULAR ODE. ()
- To His ROYAL HIGHNESS The DUKE of CUMBERLAND, On His BIRTH-DAY. ()
- To Mr. Winder, (now Fellow) of Corpus-Christi, Oxford; in Answer to a Latin Epistle, which he sent me. ()
- To Mr. WORSDALE: Occasion'd by seeing CELIA's Picture unfinish'd. Writ extempore at Kensington. ()
- To the Author of a Poem on the Duke of Lorrain's Arrival at the British Court. ()
- To the Rev. Dr. Freind, on his quitting Westminster School. ()
- To the Right Honourable William Clayton, Esq (now Lord Sundon) on his being Elected Representative in Parliament for Westminster without Opposition. ()
- TRUTH and FALSHOOD. A FABLE. ()
- The Two Beavers. A FABLE. ()
- VERSES to the Author, In IMITATION of HORACE's ODE on PINDAR. Apply'd to the Marriage of his Highness the Prince of Orange with ANNE, Princess Royal of Great Britain. ()