That her soul was on heaven so bent ANONYMOUS. The following epitaphs must be styled anonymous, though it is conjectured that they were prepared by the poets themselves for their own monuments: EPITAPH ON NÆVIUS. Translated by Hookham Frere. If goddesses for mortal men might weep, Nævius was a native of Campania, and one of the earliest Roman poets. The epitaph is preserved by Aulus Gellius, who observes of it that it is full of Campanian arrogance; and Amos, in his "Gems of Latin Poetry," justly remarks that it is "entertaining from being one of the most impudent epitaphs on record." EPITAPH ON PLAUTUS. Translated by Hookham Frere. When comic Plautus first departed, With mirth and humour, fled for ever. Plautus was born, it is generally supposed, at Sarsina, a town in Umbria. He was the greatest of the Roman comic dramatists, and is described as a man "of such bodily deformities, that Nature would seem to have designed to make his countrymen laugh at his person as well as his wit." This epitaph also is preserved by Aulus Gellius, and is scarcely less impudent than that of Nævius. ARABIAN EPIGRAMMATISTS. A.D. 719-A.D. 988. ARABIAN EPIGRAMS. The following translations of Arabian epigrams are taken from a volume published in 1796, entitled, "Specimens of Arabian Poetry, from the earliest times to the extinction of the Khaliphat, with some account of the authors, by J. D. Carlyle, B.D., F.R.S.E., Chancellor of Carlisle, and Professor of Arabic in the University of Cambridge." The sentiments of many of the epigrams and poems are exceedingly beautiful, and the English dress in which they are clothed is very graceful. IBRAHIM BEN ADHAM. A hermit of Syria, equally celebrated for his talents and piety, born about the 97th year of the Hegira, i.e., A.D. 719. TO THE KHALIPH HAROUN ALRASHID, Upon his undertaking a Pilgrimage to Mecca. The following, by an uncertain author of James I.'s reign, is taken from Ellis' "Specimens of the Early English Poets," 1803, III. 143: Happy, oh happy he who, not affecting Deeming his life a scene, the world a stage, The danger and short-lived happiness of mere pleasure are as expressively as elegantly portrayed in Dr. Johnson's translation of some French lines written under a print of persons skating: O'er crackling ice, o'er gulphs profound, This translation, which was not the first he made, was repeated by Johnson extempore, after reading one by Mr. Pepys, a friend of Mrs. Piozzi, who tells us in her " Anecdotes," that the Doctor was exceedingly angry when he found she had asked several of her acquaintances to translate the lines, declaring "it was a piece of treachery, and done to make everyone else look little when compared to my favourite friends the Pepyses, whose translations were unquestionably the best," as the Doctor acknowledged. The following is the one upon which he founded his extempore: Swift o'er the level how the skaters slide, And skim the glitt'ring surface as they go: Thus o'er life's specious pleasures lightly glide, But pause not, press not on the gulph below. Though this surpassed Johnson's first translation, that it is not equal to his second all must acknowledge. ALY BEN AHMED BEN MANSOUR. A poet and historian, who excelled and delighted in satire. He died at Bagdad, in the year of the Hegira 302, i.e., a.d. 924. TO THE VIZIR CASSIM OBID ALLAH, ON THE DEATH OF ONE OF HIS SONS. Poor Cassim! thou art doom'd to mourn By destiny's decree; Whatever happen it must turn To misery for thee. Two sons hadst thou, the one thy pride, The other was thy pest; Ah, why did cruel death decide To snatch away the best? No wonder thou should'st droop with woe, Of such a child bereft; But now thy tears must doubly flow, For ah!--the other's left. THE KHALIPH RADHI BILLAH-SHEMS ALMAALI CABUS. 97 Cassim's son, Hosein, was Vizir to the Khaliph Moctader; and the other, Mohammed, to his successor, Kaher. Professor Carlyle says: "The sarcasm might apply to either without much impropriety; for Hosein was condemned to suffer punishment for his impiety, in the reign of Radhi; and Mohammed was the favourite minister of Kaher, who appears to have been the greatest monster that ever presided over the Khaliphat." THE KHALIPH RADHI BILLAH. The twentieth Khaliph of the house of Abbas, and the last of those princes who possessed any substantial power. He died in the 329th year of the Hegira, i.e., A.D. 951. TO A LADY UPON SEEING HER BLUSH. Leila! whene'er I gaze on thee Leila, shall I the cause impart Why such a change takes place? The crimson stream deserts my heart, To mantle on thy face. This is one of the most elegant epigrams to be found in any language, and deserves particular attention. SHEMS ALMAALI CABUS. Ascended the throne of Georgia in the year of the Hegira 366, i.e., A.D. 988, reigned for thirty-five years, and was then deposed. He possessed almost every virtue and every accomplishment, and was as unfortunate as he was amiable. ON THE CAPRICES OF FORTUNE. Probably composed during the writer's exile in Khorassan. Why should I blush that Fortune's frown To live unheeded, and unknown? To sink forgotten to the dead? Н 'Tis not the good, the wise, the brave, The lord of day, the queen of night. In the "Festoon " is a translation from the Greek of Solon, which well expresses the indifference of Fortune to worth: Some wicked men are rich, some good men poor; While wealth now flies to this man, now to that. One of the best epigrams on Fortune is by Samuel Wesley, the usher of Westminster School, which he says is "From a hint in the minor poets": No, not for those of women born, UNKNOWN AUTHORS. ON TAHER BEN HOSEIN, A pair of right hands and a single dim eye "Taher appears to have been the most celebrated general of his time. He commanded the forces of Mamun, second son to Haroun Alrashid, and it was chiefly owing to his abilities that Mamun arrived at the throne."-Carlyle. "This epigram," says Professor Carlyle, "reminds us of the wellknown lines upon a brother and sister, both extremely beautiful, but |