[Nocte, inter 16 et 17 Junii, 1783.*] SUMME Pater, quodcunque tuum † de corpore Numen [Cal. Jan. in lecto, ante lucem. 1784.] SUMME dator vitæ, naturæ æterne magister, Respice inutiliter lapsi quem pœnitet, ævi; PATER benigne, summa semper lenitas, * The night above referred to by Dr. Johnson was that in which a paralytic stroke had deprived him of his voice; and, in the anxiety he felt lest it should likewise have impaired his understanding, he composed the above lines, and said, concerning them, that he knew at the time that they were not good, but then that he deemed his discerning this to be sufficient for the quieting the anxiety before mentioned, as it shewed him that his power of judg ing was not diminished. † Al. tuæ. + Al. leges. Al. statuant. ¶ Al. precari. ** Al. litare. Concede agendam legibus vitam tuis. [Jan. 18, 1784.] SUMME Pater, puro collustra lumine pectus, In me sparsa manu virtutum semina larga Velle vetet cuiquam non bene sanctus amor. Hæc mihi, quo gentes, quo secula, Christe, piâsti, Sanguine, precanti promereare tuo! [Feb. 27, 1784.] MENS mea quid quereris? veniet tibi mollior hora, In summo ut videas numine læta patrem ; Divinam insontes iram placavit Jesus ; Nunc est pro pœna pœnituisse reis. CHRISTIANUS PERFECTUS. Qui cupit in sanctos Christo cogente referri, Cura placere Deo sit prima, sit ultima, sanctæ Sed timeat semper, caveatque ante omnia, turbæ Ne stolida similis, leges sibi segreget audax Quas servare velit, leges quas lentus omittat, Plenum opus effugiens, aptans juga mollia collo Sponte sua demens; nihilum decedere summæ Vult Deus, at qui cuncta debit tibi, cuncta reposcit. Denique perpetuo contendit in ardua nisu, Auxilioque Dei fretus, jam mente serena Pergit, et imperiis sentit se dulcibus actum. Paulatim mores, animum, vitamque refingit. Effigiemque Dei, quantum servare licebit, Induit, et, terris major, cœlestia spirat, ETERNE rerum conditor, Salutis æternæ dator; Qui nec scelestos exigis, Multo gravatam crimine LUCE collustret mihi pectus alma, Gratia Christi; Me pater tandem reducem benigno Spiritus addat. JEJUNIUM ET CIBUS. SERVIAT ut menti corpus jejunia serva, AD URBANUM.* 1738. URBANE, nullis fesse laboribus, Juxta animo studiisque fœlix. Linguæ procacis plumbea spicula, Intende nervos fortis, inanibus Non ulla Musis pagina gratior, Utilibus recreare mentem. Texente nymphis serta Lycoride, Æthereis variata fucis. *See Gent. Mag. Vol. VIII. p. 156; and see also the Intreduction to Vol LIV. |