In all his works there is fprightliness and vigour, and every where may be found token of a mind which study might have carried to excellence; and what more can be expected from a life spent in oftentatious contempt of regularity, and ended before the abilities of many other men began to be displayed? Poema CL. V. JOANNIS PASSERATII, Regij in Academia Parifienfi Profefforis. Ad ornatiffimum virum ERRICVM MEMMIVM. Janus adeft, feftæ pofcunt fua dona Kalendæ, Munus abeft feftis quod poffim offerre Kalendis. Siccine Caftalius nobis exaruit humor? Ufque adeò ingenii nostri est exhausta facultas, Immunem ut videat redeuntis janitor anni? Quod nufqua eft potius nova per veftigia quærā. Ecce autem partes dum fefe verfat in omnes Invenit mea Mufa NIHIL, ne defpice munus. Nam NIHIL eft gemmis, NIHIL eft pretiofius auro. Huc animum,huc igitur vultus adverte benignos: Res nova narratur quæ nulli audita priorum, Aufonii & Graii dixerunt cætera vates, Aufoniæ indictum NIHIL eft Græcæque Ca mænæ. E cœlo quacunque Ceres fua profpicit arva, Aut genitor liquidis orbem complectitur ulnis Oceanus, NIHIL interitus & originis expers. Immortale NIHIL, NIHIL omni parte beatum. Quòd fi hinc majeftas & vis divina probatur, Num quid honore deûm num quid dignabimur, aris? Confpectu lucis NIHIL eft jucundius almæ, In bello fanctum NIHIL eft, Martifque tu multu: Juftum in pace NIHIL, NIHIL eft in fœdere tutum. Felix cui NIHIL eft, (fuerant hæc vota Tibullo) norum. Nofce NIHIL, nofces fertur quod Pythagorea Pura liquefaciunt fimul, & patrimonia mifcent, Hoc dimetiri non ulla decempeda poffit; Nec numeret Libycæ numerum qui callet arenæ : Et Phœbo ignotum NIHIL eft, NIHIL altius aftris. Túque, tibi licet eximium fit mentis acumen, rum, Pace tua, Memmi, NIHIL ignorare vidêris. Cerne NIHIL, Cerni dices NIHIL abfque colore. Abfque ope pennarum, & graditur fine cruribus ullis. Abfque loco motuque NIHIL per inane vaga tur. Humano generi utilius NIHIL arte medendi. Ne rhombos igitur, neu Thessala murmura tentet Idalia vacuum trajectus arundine pectus, Neu legat Ideo Dictæum in vertice gramen. Vulneribus fævi NIHIL auxiliatur amoris. Vexerit & quemvis trans moestas portitor undas, Ad fuperos imo NIHIL hunc revocabit ab orco. Inferni NIHIL inflectit præcordia regis, Parcarúmque colos, & inexorable penfum. Obruta Phlegræis campis Titania pubes Fulmineo fenfit NIHIL effe potentius ictu : Porrigitur magni NIHIL extra monia mundi : Diíque NIHIL metuunt. Quid longo carmine plura Commemorem? virtute NIHIL præftantius ipfa, Splendidius NIHIL eft; NIHIL eft Jove denique majus. Sed tempus finem argutis imponere nugis ; Ne tibi fi multa laudem mea carmina charta, De NIHILO NIHILI pariant faftidia versus. YAL DE N. THOMAS YALDEN, the fixth son of Mr. John Yalden of Suffex, was born in the city of Exeter in 1671. Having been educated in the grammar school belonging to Magdalen College in Oxford, he was in 1690, at the age of nineteen, admitted commoner of Magdalen Hall, under the tuition of Jofeph Pullen, a man whose name is ftill remembered in the univerfity. He became next year one of the scholars of Magdalen College, where he was distinguished by a lucky accident. It was his turn, one day, to pronounce a declamation; and Dr. Hough, the president, happening to attend, thought the compofition too good to be the fpeaker's. Some time after, the doctor, finding him a little irregularly bufy in the library, fet him an exercise for punishment; and, that he might not be deceived by any artifice, locked the door. Yalden, as it happened, had been lately reading on the fubject given, and produced with little difficulty a compofition which fo pleafed the prefident, that he told him his former fufpicions, and promifed to favour him. Among his contemporaries in the college were Addison and Sacheverell, men who were in those times friends, and who both adopted Yalden |