Epodos. Vos tandem, haud vacui mei labores, Perfunctam invidia requiem, sedesque beatas Quas bonus Hermes Et tutela dabit solers Roüsî; [longe Quò neque lingua procax vulgi penetrabit, atque Turba legentum prava facesset: At ultimi nepotes, Et cordatior ætas Judicia rebus æquiora forfitan Adhibebit integro finu. Tum livore sepulto, Si quid meremur fana pofteritas sciet Ode tribus constat Strophis, totidémque Antiftrophis, unâ demum Epodo clausis; quas, tametfi omnes nec verfuum numero, nec certis ubique colis exactè respondeant, ita tamen fecuimus, commodè legendi potius, quàm ad antiquos concinendi modos rationem spectantes. Alioquin hoc genus rectius fortaffe dici monostrophicum debuerat. Metra partim funt κατὰ χέσιν, partim ἀπολελυμένα. Phaleucia quæ funt, Spondæum tertio loco bis admittunt, quod idem in fecundo loco Catullus ad libitum fecit. The End of the POEMS. OF EDUCATION. TO Mr. SAMUEL HARTLIB. Written about the Year 1650. Mr. Hartlib, AM long since perfuaded, that to say, or do ought worth Memory and Imitation, no purpose or respect should fooner move us, than simply the love of God, and of Mankind. Nevertheless to write now the reforming of Education, tho' it be one of the greatest and noblest Designs that can be thought on, and for the want whereof this Nation perishes, I had not yet at this time been induc'd, but by your earnest Intreaties and serious Conjurements; as having my mind for the present half diverted in the purfuance of fome other Assertions, the Knowledge and the Ufe of which cannot but be a great furtherance both to the enlargement of Truth, and honest Living, with much more Peace. Nor should the Laws of any private Friendship have prevail'd with me to divide thus, or transpose my former Thoughts, but that I fee those Aims, those Actions which have 1 won you with me the Esteem of a Person sent hither by some good Providence from a far Country, to be the occafion and the incitement of great good to this Island. And, as I hear, you have obtain'd the same Repute with Men of most approved Wisdom, and some of highest Authority among us. Not to mention the learned Correspondence which you hold in foreign Parts, and the extraordinary Pains and Diligence which you have us'd in this Matter both here, and beyond the Seas; either by the definite Will of God so ruling, or the peculiar fway of Nature, which also is God's working. Neither can I think that, so reputed, and so valu'd as you are, you would, to the forfeit of your own diseerning Ability, impose upon me an unfit and over-ponderous Argument, but that the Satisfaction which you profefs to have receiv'd from those incidental Difcourses which we have wander'd into, hath prest and almost constrain'd you into a Persuasion, that what you require from me in this Point, I neither ought, nor can in confcience defer beyond this Time both of so much need at once, and so much Opportunity to try what God hath determin'd. I will not refift therefore, whatever it is, either of Divine, or human Obligement, that you lay upon me; but will forthwith fet down in Writing, as you request me, that voluntary Idea, which hath long in filence presented itself to me, of a better Education, in Extent and Comprehenfion far more large, and yet of Time far shorter, and of Attainment far more certain, than hath been yet in Practice. Brief I shalt endeavour |