[Page 251]
A TRANSLATION OF THE LATIN EPITAPH ON SIR THOMAS HANMER.
1 THOU, who survey'st these walls with curious eye,
2 Pause at this tomb where HANMER's ashes lie;
3 His various worth through varied life attend,
4 And learn his virtues, while thou mourn'st his end.
5 His force of genius burn'd in early youth,
6 With thirst of knowledge, and with love of truth;
7 His learning, join'd with each endearing art,
8 Charm'd every ear, and gain'd on every heart.
9 Thus early wise, the endanger'd realm to aid,
10 His country call'd him from the studious shade;
11 In life's first bloom his publick toils began,
12 At once commenc'd the Senator and Man.
13 In business dextrous, weighty in debate,
14 Thrice ten long years he labour'd for the state;
15 In every speech persuasive Wisdom flow'd,
16 In every act refulgent Virtue glow'd.
[Page 252]17 Suspended Faction ceas'd from rage and strife,
18 To hear his eloquence, and praise his life.
19 Resistless merit fix'd the Senate's choice,
20 Who hail'd him Speaker, with united voice.
21 Illustrious Age! how bright thy glories shone,
22 When HANMER fill'd the chair, and ANNE the throne.
23 Then, when dark arts obscur'd each fierce debate,
24 When mutual frauds perplex'd the maze of state,
25 The moderator firmly mild appear'd,
26 Beheld with love, with veneration heard.
27 This task perform'd, he sought no gainful post,
28 Nor wish'd to glitter at his country's cost;
29 Strict, on the right he fix'd his stedfast eye,
30 With temperate zeal, and wise anxiety;
31 Nor e'er from Virtue's path was lur'd aside,
32 To pluck the flowers of Pleasure or of Pride.
33 Her gifts despis'd, Corruption blush'd and fled,
34 And Fame pursu'd him where Conviction led.
35 Age call'd at length his active mind to rest,
36 With honour sated, and with cares opprest;
37 To letter'd ease retir'd, and honest mirth,
38 To rural grandeur, and domestic worth;
39 Delighted still to please mankind, or mend,
40 The Patriot's fire yet sparkled in the Friend.
41 Calm Conscience then his former life survey'd,
42 And recollected toils endear'd the shade;
43 Till Nature call'd him to the general doom,
44 And Virtue's sorrow dignify'd his tomb.
About this text
Author: Samuel Johnson
Themes:
death
Genres:
epitaph
References:
DMI 24947
Text view / Document view
Source edition
Pearch, G. A collection of poems in four volumes. By several hands. Vol. III. [The second edition]. London: printed for G. Pearch, 1770, pp. 251-252. 4v. ; 8⁰. (ESTC T116245; DMI 1136; OTA K093079.003) (Page images digitized from a copy in the Bodleian Library [(OC) 280 o.790].)
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 Samuel Johnson
- EPITAPH ON CLAUDIUS PHILLIPS. ()
- AN EVENING ODE. TO STELLA. ()
- LONDON: A POEM, In Imitation of the Third SATIRE of JUVENAL. ()
- THE NATURAL BEAUTY. TO STELLA. ()
- AN ODE. ()
- PROLOGUE SPOKEN BY MR. GARRICK, APRIL V. MDCCL. BEFORE THE MASQUE OF COMUS, ACTED AT DRURY-LANE, FOR THE BENEFIT OF MILTON'S GRAND-DAUGHTER. ()
- PROLOGUE SPOKEN BY Mr. GARRICK, At the Opening of the Theatre in Drury-lane 1747. ()
- A SONG. ()
- TO MISS —, ON HER GIVING THE AUTHOR A GOLD AND SILK NETWORK PURSE OF HER OWN WEAVING. ()
- TO MISS —, ON HER PLAYING UPON THE HARPSICORD IN A ROOM HUNG WITH SOME FLOWER-PIECES OF HER OWN PAINTING. ()
- The VANITY of HUMAN WISHES. THE Tenth Satire of JUVENAL. IMITATED ()
- THE VANITY OF WEALTH: AN ODE. ()
- THE WINTER's WALK. (); THE WINTER's WALK. ()