K N T.

349

sir CHRISTOPHER WREN,

" sofitus ; turn secundum quid em visus ei dicitur draco is, quem mater Olym-“ pias albeit, radicuhim ore jer re, ct simul dicere quo ilia nafceretur, ejmautemw este vim t ant dm, ut Ptolomæum facile sonar et. Cum Alexander ' experredlus" narrajset amicis somnium, emijit qui illam radicidam quœrcrent. Spud in-“ vent a, et Ptolomæus sanatus dicitur, et multi milites, qui er ant c'o'dem vencre

“ teli vulnerati. [ Cicero de Divinatione, Lib. II. ] -["ONAP ’£K AIO^ 1

“ EXTI. Homer. Iliad. A.] ~

Neflor of Athens was not only in his Profession the greatest Man of that Age, ^ a de>-, annobut had given more Proofs of it, than any other Man ever did ; yet for want ‘- 7 ° 9 ’ N ° sz *of that natural Freedom, and Audacity, .which is necessary in Commerce with !

Men, his personal Modesty overthrew all his publick Actions. Nestor was inthose Days a skilful Ar chit e£t, and in a manner the Inventor of the Use ofmecbanick Powers, which he brought to so great Perfection, that he knew toan Atom what Foundation could bear such a Superstructure : And they recordof him, that he was so prodigiously exact, that for the Experiment-iake, hebuilt an Edifice of great Beauty, and seeming Strength, but lo contrived as tobear only its own Wright, and not to admit the Addition of the least Particle.

This Building was beheld with much Admiration by all the Virtuosi of thatTime, but fell down with no other Pressure but the settling of a Wren, uponthe Top of it. Yet Neflor s Modesty was such, that his Art and Skill weresoon disregarded for want of that Manner with which Men of the World sup-port and aslert the Merits of their own Performances. Soon after this Instanceof his Art, Athens was, by the Treachery of its Enemies, burnt to the Ground.

This gave Nestor the greatest Occasion that ever Builder had to render hisName immortal, and his Person venerable: For, all the new City rose accord-ing to his Disposition, and all the Monuments of the Glories and Distresses of thatPeople were erected by that file Artist ; nay, all their Temples, as well asHouses, were the Effects of his Study, and Labour; insomuch that it was said

by an old Sage, sure Neflor will now be famous, for the Habitations of the Gods

as well as Men , are built by his Contrivance. But this bastful Quality stillput a Damp upon his great Knowledge, which has as fatal an Effect uponMen’s Reputations, as Poverty; for, as it was said *, The poor Man by his Wisdom * Eccldiastes,delivered the City ; yet no Man remembered that same poor Man: So here we find ix -The modest Man built the City, and the modest Mans Skill was unknown. But surelyPosterity are obliged to allow him that Praise after his Death, which he so in-dustriously declined while he was living.

Aliter,

In Eundcm.

[ Stylo Martialis. ]

Quanta quies placidi est, et quanta scientia Wrenni!

Sed cohibet vii es, ingemumque pudor.

Ante stores dubitat jortunam admits ere stantem ;

Seque piget cur a prœmia firre Juœ.

Laudcs ex mentis , magnisque laboribus ortas,

Ore verecundo noluit este suas.

Palladiam tenui front em redimire coronaContentus, stamœ nec dare vela fuœ.

Sed tamen hunc nostri fcit temporis este * RabirumAr us mira fuœ qui monumenta videt.

* RabiriusArchitectuseximius, tem-porc Imp. De-mitiani.

In

u u