Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

XI.-IN MORUM '.

GALLI ex concubitu gravidam te, Pontia, Mori,
Quis bene moratam, morigeramque, neget?

XII.-APOLOGUS DE RUSTICO ET HERO m.

RUSTICUS ex malo sapidissima poma quotannis
Legit, et urbano lecta dedit domino:
Hinc, incredibili fructus dulcedine captus,
Malum ipsam in proprias transtulit areolas.
Hactenus illa ferax, sed longo debilis ævo,

Mota solo assueto, protinus aret iners.
Quod tandem ut patuit domino, spe lusus inani,
Damnavit celeres in sua damna manus;
Atque ait, "Heu quanto satius fuit illa coloni,
Parva licet, grato dona tulisse animo!

Possem ego avaritiam frænare, gulamque voracem :
Nunc periere mihi et fœtus, et ipse parens."

XIII.-AD CHRISTINAM SUECORUM REGINAM, NOMINE CROMWELLI".

BELLIPOTENS virgo, septem regina trionum,

Christina, Arctoi lucida stella poli!

Cernis, quas merui dura sub casside rugas,
Utque senex, armis impiger, ora tero:
Invia fatorum dum per vestigia nitor,
Exequor et populi fortia jussa manu.

Ast tibi submittit frontem reverentior umbra;

Nec sunt hi vultus regibus usque truces.

5

16

5

cern for his loss, and respect for his memory. Such, however, was Christina's levity, or hypocrisy, or caprice, that it is possible she might have acted inconsistently in some parts of this business.-T. WARTON.

1 From Milton's "Defensio Secunda," and his "Responsio" to Morus' Supplement. This distich was occasioned by a report, that Morus had debauched a favourite waitingmaid of the wife of Salmasius, Milton's antagonist.-T. WARTON.

m This piece first appeared in the edition 1673.-TODD.

These lines are simple and sinewy. They present Cromwell in a new and pleasing light, and throw an air of amiable dignity on his rough and obstinate character. They are too great a compliment to Christina, who was contemptible both as a queen and a woman. The uncrowned Cromwell had no reason to approach a princess with so much reverence, who had renounced her crown. The frolics of other whimsical modern queens have been often only romantic; the pranks of Christina had neither elegance nor even decency to deserve so candid an appellation. An ample and lively picture of her court, politics, religion, intrigues, rambles, and masquerades, is to be gathered from Thurloe's "State Papers."-T. WARTON.

I have quoted the English version of Milton's epigram to Christina: it appeared as follows, in Toland's life of the poet, fol. 1698, p. 39 :-

Bright martial maid, queen of the frozen zone !
The northern pole supports thy shining throne:
Behold what furrows age and steel can plow;
The helmet's weight oppress'd this wrinkled brow.
Through fate's untrodden paths I move; my hands
Still act my free-born people's bold commands:
Yet this stern shade to you submits his frowns,
Nor are these looks always severe to crowns.-TODD.

SILVARUM LIBER.

PSALM CXIV.

ΙΣΡΑΗΛ ὅτε παῖδες, ὅτ' ἀγλαὸ φῦλ ̓ Ἰακώβου
Αἰγύπτιον λίπε δῆμον, ἀπεχθέα, βαρβαρόφωνον,
Δὴ τότε μοῦνον ἔην ὅσιον γένος υἱες Ιούδα.
Ἐν δὲ Θεὸς λαοῖσι μέγα κρείων βασίλευεν.
Εἶδε, καὶ ἐντροπάδην φυγάδ ̓ ἐῤῥώησε θάλασσα
Κύματι εἰλυμένη ῥοθίῳ, ὁδ ̓ ἄρ ̓ ἐστυφελίχθη
Ιρὸς Ἰορδάνης ποτὶ ἀργυροειδέα πηγήν.
Ἐκ δ ̓ ὄρεα σκαρθμοῖσιν ἀπειρέσια κλονέοντο,
Ως κριοὶ σφριγόωντες ἐϋτραφερῳ ἐν ἁλωῇ.
Βαιοτέραι δ ̓ ἅμα πάσαι ἀνασκίρτησαν ἐρίπναι,
Οἷα παραὶ σύριγγι φίλῃ ὑπὸ μητέρι ἄρνες.
Τίπτε σύγ', αἰνὰ θάλασσα, πέλωρ φυγάδ ̓ ἐῤῥώησας
Κύματι εἰλυμένη ῥοθίῳ ; τί δ' ἄρ ἐστυφελίχθης
Ιρὸς Ἰορδάνη ποτὶ ἀργυροειδέα πηγήν ;
Τίπτ', ὄρεα, σκαρθμοῖσιν ἀπειρέσια κλονέεσθε,
Ως κριοὶ σφριγόωντες ἐυτραφερῷ ἐν ἁλωῇ ;
Βαιοτέραι τί δ ̓ ἀῤ ὕμμες ἀνασκιρτήσατ', ἐρίπναι,
Οἷα παραὶ σύριγγι φιλῃ ὑπὸ μητέρι ἄρνες ;
Σείεο, γαῖα, τρέουσα Θεὸν μεγάλ ̓ ἐκτυπέοντα,
Γαῖα, Θεὸν τρείουσ ̓ ὕπατον σέβας Ἰσσακίδαο,

Ος τε καὶ ἐκ σπιλάδων ποταμοὺς χέε μορμύροντας,

Κρήνην τ' ἀέναον πέτρης ἀπὸ δακρυοέσσης.

5

10

15

20

Philosophus ad regem quendam, qui eum ignotum et insontem inter reos forte captum inscius damnaverat, τὴν ἐπὶ θανάτῳ πορευόμενος, hæc subito misit :—

Ω ΑΝΑ, εἰ ὀλέσης με τὸν ἔννομον, οὐδέ τιν' ἀνδρῶν
Δεινὸν ὅλως δράσαντα, σοφώτατον ἴσθι κάρηνον
Ρηϊδίως ἀφέλοιο, τὸ δ ̓ ὕστερον αὖθι νοήσεις,
Μαψιδίως δ' αὖ ἔπειτα τεὸν πρὸς θυμὸν ὀδυρῆ,
Τοιόν δ ̓ ἐκ πόλιος περιώνυμον ἄλκαρ ὀλέσσας.

IN EFFIGIEI EJUS SCULPTOREM.

̓ΑΜΑΘΕΙ γεγράφθαι χειρὶ τήνδε μὲν εἰκόνα
Φαίῃς τάχ ̓ ἄν, πρὸς εἶδος αὐτοφυὲς βλέπων.
Τὸν δ ̓ ἐκτυπωτὸν οὐκ ἐπιγνόντες, φίλοι,
Γελᾶτε φαύλου δυσμίμημα ζωγράφου.

a Milton sent this translation to his friend Alexander Gill, in return for an elegant copy of hendecasyllables.-T. WARTON.

[blocks in formation]

b This Ode is on the death of Dr. John Goslyn, master of Caius college, and king's professor of medicine at Cambridge; who died while a second time vice-chancellor of that university, in October, 1626. Milton was now seventeen.-T. WARTON. Quem larva Pelidis, &c.

Sarpedon, who was slain by Patroclus, disguised in the armour of Achilles. At his death his father wept a shower of blood. See Iliad. xvi.-T. WARTON.

d Si triste fatum, &c.

"If enchantments could have stopped death, Circe, the mother of Telegonus by Ulysses, would have still lived; and Medea, the sister of Ægialus or Absyrtus, with her magical rod." Telegonus killed his father Ulysses, and is the same who is called "parricida" by Horace.-T. WARTON.

e

Absyrtus is called "Egialius" by Justin, Hist. lib. xliii. cap. 3, speaking of Jason and Eetes :-"Filiam ejus Medeam abduxerat, et filium Ægialium interfecerat.”—TODD. f Machaon.

Machaon, the son of Esculapius, one of the Grecian leaders at the siege of Troy, and a physician, was killed by Eurypylus.-T. WARTON.

Philyreie, &c.

Chiron, the son of Philyra, a preceptor in medicine, was incurably wounded by Hercules, with a dart dipped in the poisonous blood of the serpent of Lerna.-T. WARTON.

h Nec tela te, &c.

Esculapius, who was cut out of his mother's womb by his father Apollo. Jupiter struck him dead with lightning, for restoring Hippolytus to life.-T. WARTON.

[blocks in formation]

JAM pius extrema veniens läcobus ab arcto,
Teucrigenas populos, lateque patentia regna
Albionum tenuit; jamque inviolabile fœdus
Sceptra Caledoniis conjunxerat Anglica Scotis:
Pacificusque novo, felix divesque, sedebat
In solio, occultique doli securus et hostis:
Cum ferus ignifluo regnans Acheronte tyrannus,
Eumenidum pater, æthereo vagus exul Olympo,
Forte per immensum terrarum erraverat orbem,
Dinumerans sceleris socios, vernasque fideles,
Participes regni post funera mæsta futuros:
Hic tempestates medio ciet aëre diras,
Illic unanimes odium struit inter amicos,
Armat et invictas in mutua viscera gentes;
Regnaque olivifera vertit florentia pace:
Et quoscunque videt puræ virtutis amantes,
Hos cupit adjicere imperio, fraudumque magister
Tentat inaccessum sceleri corrumpere pectus ;
Insidiasque locat tacitas, cassesque latentes
Tendit, ut incautos rapiat; ceu Caspia tigris
Insequitur trepidam deserta per avia prædam
Nocte sub illuni, et somno nictantibus astris :

[blocks in formation]

i I have formerly remarked, that this little poem, as containing a council, conspiracy, and expedition of Satan, may be considered as an early and promising prolusion of Milton's genius to the "Paradise Lost."-T. WARTON.

Talibus infestat populos Summanus et urbes,
Cinctus cæruleæ fumanti turbine flammæ.
Jamque fluentisonis albentia rupibus arva
Apparent, et terra deo dilecta marino,

Cui nomen dederat quondam Neptunia proles;
Amphitryoniaden qui non dubitavit atrocem,
Æquore tranato, furiali poscere bello,
Ante expugnatæ crudelia sæcula Troja.

At simul hanc, opibusque et festa pace beatam,
Aspicit, et pingues donis Cerealibus agros,
Quodque magis doluit, venerantem numina veri
Sancta Dei populum, tandem suspiria rupit
Tartareos ignes et luridum olentia sulphur;
Qualia Trinacria trux ab Jove clausus in Etna
Efflat tabifico monstrosus ab ore Tiphæus.
Ignescunt oculi, stridetque adamantinus ordo
Dentis, ut armorum fragor, ictaque cuspide cuspis.
Atque," Pererrato solum hoc lacrymabile mundo
Inveni," dixit; "gens hæc mihi sola rebellis,
Contemtrixque jugi, nostraque potentior arte.
Illa tamen, mea si quicquam tentamina possunt,
Non feret hoc impune diu, non ibit inulta."
Hactenus; et piceis liquido natat aëre pennis :
Qua volat, adversi præcursant agmine venti,
Densantur nubes, et crebra tonitrua fulgent.

Jamque pruinosas velox superaverat Alpes,
Et tenet Ausoniæ fines; a parte sinistra
Nimbifer Apenninus erat, priscique Sabini,
Dextra veneficiis infamis Hetruria, necnon
Te furtiva, Tibris, Thetidi videt oscula dantem ;
Hinc Mavortigenæ consistit in arce Quirini.
Reddiderant dubiam jam sera crepuscula lucem,
Cum circumgrediturk totam Tricoronifer urbem,
Panificosque deos portat, scapulisque virorum
Evehitur præeunt submisso poplite reges,
Et mendicantum series longissima fratrum 1;
Cereaque in manibus gestant funalia cæci,
Cimmeriis nati in tenebris, vitamque trahentes :
Templa dein multis subeunt lucentia tædis,

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

(Vesper erat sacer iste Petro) fremitusque canentum
Sæpe tholos implet vacuos, et inane locorum.

J Summanus.

"Summanus" is an obsolete and uncommon name for Pluto, or the god of ghosts and night, "summus Manium," which Milton most probably had from Ovid,

vi. 731.-T. WARTON.

Cum circumgreditur, &c.

"Fast."

He describes the procession of the Pope to St. Peter's church at Rome, on the eve of St. Peter's day.-T. WARTON.

1 The orders of mendicant friars.-T. WARTON.

« AnteriorContinua »