BURLESQUE

OF THE FOLLOWING LINES OF LOPEZ DE VEGA.

AN IMPROMPTU.

SE acquien los leones vence
Vence una muger hermosa
O el de flaco averguençe

O ella di ser mas furiosa.

If the man who turnips cries,
Cry not when his father dies,
'Tis a proof that he had rather
Have a turnip than his father.

TRANSLATION

OF THE FOLLOWING LINES AT THE END OF BARETTI'S EASY

PHRASEOLOGY.

AN IMPROMPTU.

VIVA Viva la padrona!
Tutta bella, e tutta buona,
La padrona è un angiolella
Tutta buona e tutta bella;
Tutta bella e tutta buona;
Viva! viva la padrona!

LONG may live my lovely Hetty!
Always young and always pretty;
Always pretty, always young,
Live my lovely Hetty long!
Always young, and always pretty,
Long may live my lovely Hetty!

IMPROVISO TRANSLATION

OF THE FOLLOWING DISTICH ON THE DUKE OF MODENA'S RUNNING AWAY FROM THE COMET IN 1742 OR 1743.

SE al venir vostro i principi se n' vanno

Deh venga ogni dì-

durate un anno.

If at your coming princes disappear,
Comets! come ev'ry 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 SKAITING.

SUR un mince chrystal l'hyver conduit leurs
Le précipice est sous la glace:

Telle est de nos plaisirs la legere surface:
Glissez, mortels; n'appuyez pas.

O'er ice the rapid skaiter flies,

With sport above, and death below;
Where mischief lurks in gay disguise,
Thus lightly touch and quickly go.

pas,

IMPROMPTU TRANSLATION OF THE SAME.

O'ER crackling ice, o'er gulfs profound,
With nimble glide the skaiters play;
O'er treach'rous Pleasure's flow'ry ground
Thus lightly skim, and haste away.

TO MRS. THRALE,

ON HER COMPLETING HER THIRTY-FIFTH YEAR.

AN IMPROMPTU.

OFT in danger, yet alive,
We are come to thirty-five;
Long may better years arrive,
Better years than thirty-five!
Could philosophers contrive
Life to stop at thirty-five,

Time his hours should never drive
O'er the bounds of thirty-five.
High to soar, and deep to dive,
Nature gives at thirty-five.

Ladies, stock and tend your hive,
Trifle not at thirty-five;

For, howe'er we boast and strive,
Life declines from thirty-five.
He that ever hopes to thrive
Must begin by thirty-five;

And all who wisely wish to wive
Must look on Thrale at thirty-five.

IMPROMPTU TRANSLATION OF AN AIR,

IN THE CLEMENZA DE TITO OF METASTASIO, BEGINNING 66 DEH SE PIACERMI VUOI."

WOULD you hope to gain my heart,
Bid your teasing doubts depart;
He, who blindly trusts, will find
Faith from ev'ry gen'rous mind:
He, who still expects deceit,
Only teaches how to cheat.

TRANSLATION OF A SPEECH OF AQUILEIO

IN THE ADRIANO OF METASTASIO, BEGINNING

66 TU CHE IN CORTE INVECHIASTI."

GROWN old in courts, thou surely art not one Who keeps the rigid rules of ancient honour; Well skill'd to soothe a foe with looks of kindness, To sink the fatal precipice before him,

And then lament his fall with seeming friendship: Open to all, true only to thyself,

Thou know'st those arts which blast with envious praise,

Which aggravate a fault with feign'd excuses,

And drive discountenanc'd virtue from the throne;
That leave the blame of rigour to the prince,
And of his ev'ry gift usurp the merit ;
That hide in seeming zeal a wicked purpose,
And only build upon another's ruin.