EPITAPH ON CLAUDE PHILLIPS, AN ITINERANT MUSICIAN*. PHILLIPS! whose touch harmonious could remove EPITAPHIUM+ IN THOMAM HANMER, BARONETTUM. Honorabilis admodum THOMAS HANMER, Wilhelmi Hanmer armigeri, è Pereginâ Henrici De Mildenhall in Com. Suffolciæ Baronetti sorore et hærede, Johannis Hanmer de Hanmer Baronetti Antiquo gentis suæ et titulo et patrimonio successit. These lines are among Mrs. Williams's Miscellanies: they are nevertheless recognised as Johnson's in a memorandum of his hand-writing, and were probably written at her request. Phillips was a travelling fiddler up and down Wales, and was greatly celebrated for his performance. + At Hanmer church, in Flintshire. Duas uxores sortitus est; Alteram Isabellam, honore à patre derivato, de Arlington comitissam, Deindè celsissimi principis ducis de Grafton viduam dotariam: Alteram Elizabetham Thomæ Foulkes de Barton in Com. Suff. armigeri Filiam et hæredem. Inter humanitatis studia felicitèr enutritus, Omnes liberalium artium disciplinas avidè arripuit, Quas morum suavitate haud leviter ornavit. Postquam excessit ex ephebis, Continuò inter populares suos famâ eminens, Et comitatûs sui legatus ad Parliamentum missus, Ad ardua regni negotia per annos prope triginta se accinxit: Cumque apud illos amplissimorum virorum ordines Sed probè perpensa dissertè expromere, Non minus integritatis quàm eloquentiæ laude Equè omnium, utcunque inter se alioqui dissidentium, Annoque demum M.DCC.XIII, regnante Annâ, Communi Senatûs universi voce designatus est: Cum nullo tempore non difficile, Et variis et lubricis et implicatis difficillimum, Honores alios, et omnia quæ sibi in lucrum cederent munera, Sedulò detrectavit, Ut rei totus inserviret publicæ; Et fide in patriam incorruptâ notus. Ubi omnibus, quæ virum civemque bonum decent, officiis satisfecisset, Paulatim se à publicis consiliis in otium recipiens, Inter literarum amoenitates, Inter ante-actæ vitæ haud insuaves recordationes, Et bonis omnibus, quibus charissimus vixit, Hic juxta cineres avi, suos condi voluit, et curavit PARAPHRASE OF THE ABOVE EPITAPH. THOU who survey'st these walls with curious eye, This Paraphrase is inserted in Mrs. Williams's Miscellanies. The Latin is there said to be written by Dr. Freind. Of the person whose memory it celebrates, a copious account may be seen in the Appendix to the Supplement to the Biographia Britannica. Thus early wise, th' endanger'd realm to aid, In business dext'rous, weighty in debate, Thrice ten long years he labour'd for the State; In ev'ry speech persuasive wisdom flow'd, In ev'ry act refulgent virtue glow'd: Suspended faction ceas'd from rage and strife, To hear his eloquence, and praise his life. Resistless merit fix'd the Senate's choice, Who hail'd him Speaker with united voice. Illustrious age! how bright thy glories shone, When HANMER fill'd the chair-and ANNE the throne ! Then when dark arts obscur'd each fierce debate, When mutual frauds perplex'd the maze of state, The moderator firmly mild appear'd Beheld with love-with veneration heard. This task perform'd--he sought no gainful post, Age call'd, at length, his active mind to rest, Calm Conscience, then, his former life survey'd, Till Nature call'd him to the gen'ral doom, TO MISS HICKMAN*, PLAYING ON THE SPINNET. BRIGHT Stella, form'd for universal reign, When old Timotheus struck the vocal string, *These lines, which have been communicated by Dr. Turton, son to Mrs. Turton, the lady to whom they are addressed by her maiden name of Hickman, must have been written at least as early as 1734, as that was the year of her marriage: at how much earlier a period of Dr. Johnson's life they may have been written, is not known. |