Thine’s a summer, mine’s no more,
Though repeated to three-score:
Three-score summers, when they’re gone,
Will appear as short as one.
William Oldys (1696-1761).
This was first published in 1732 as “The Fly—An Anachreontick” and Mr. Gosse in the Encyc. Britt. gave the first six lines as an example of an Anacreontic. He attributed the poem to Oldys, but the authorship is doubtful. (See Notes and Queries, 3rd Ser., I, 21). Vincent Bourne in a copy of his Poematia, 1734, in my possession, has written out and signed the two verses, entitling them “A Song,” the last line of each verse being repeated as a refrain. From this it might appear that he claimed the authorship. In 1743 he published a Latin version of the poem. Vincent Bourne, a beautiful Latinist, was much loved by his pupils, Charles Lamb and Cowper, who each translated into English some of his fine Latin verses.
The Earth goeth on the Earth, glistening like gold,
The Earth goeth to the Earth, sooner than it wold,
The Earth builds on the Earth castles and towers—