Et vacuum curis otia grata sequi, Non ego vel profugi nomen sortemve recuso, Lætus et exilii conditione fruor. O utinam vates nunquam graviora tulisset Ille Tomitano flebilis exul agro; Non tunc Ionio quicquam cessisset Homero, 20 Tempora nam licet hic placidis dare libera Musis, 25 Et vocat ad plausus garrula scena suos. Detonat inculto barbara verba foro; Sæpe vafer gnato succurrit servus amanti, Et nasum rigidi fallit ubique patris ; Sæpe novos illic virgo mirata calores Quid sit amor nescit, dum quoque nescit, amat. Et dolet, et specto, juvat et spectasse dolendo, Seu puer infelix indelibata reliquit Gaudia, et abrupto flendus amore cadit ; 24 Neve] Tickell and Fenton read 'Victorive foret.' Todd. 28 garrula] The vowel made short before sc. 30 35 40 32 barbara] He probably means the play of 'Ignoramus.' Warton. 41 puer] 'Puer infelix' is perhaps Shakespeare's 'Romeo.' The 'ferus ultor,' either 'Hamlet,' or 'Richard the Third.' Warton. Seu ferus e tenebris iterat Styga criminis ultor, Conscia funereo pectora torre movens : Seu moret Pelopeia domus, seu nobilis Ili, Aut luit incestos aula Creontis avos. Sed neque sub tecto semper nec in urbe latemus, Nos quoque lucus habet vicina consitus ulmo, Atque faces, quotquot volvit uterque polus ; Et quæcunque vagum cepit amica Jovem : 44 torre] The allusion is to Ate in the old play of 'Locrine.' Steevens. 49 ulmo] The gods had their favourite trees. So had the poets. Milton's is the elm. See L'Allegro, 57. Arcades, 89. Comus, 354. Ep. Dam. 15, 49. P. L. v. 216. and Prolus. (Prose Works, ii. 569.) 'Testor ipse lucos, et flumina, et dilectas villarum ulmos.' Warton. 53 stupui] This change from the plural (nos quoque) to the singular, and contrarywise, is authorized by the usage of the Latin poets. 58 Quæque] Consult Warton's note on this passage, the structure of which he illustrates by Virg. Æn. i. 573. Ter. Eun. iv. 3. 11. Cedite Achæmeniæ turrita fronte puellæ, Et quot Susa colunt, Memnoniamque Ninon ; Vos etiam Danaæ fasces submittite Nymphæ, Et vos Iliacæ, Romuleæque nurus : Nec Pompeianas Tarpeïa Musa columnas Jactet, et Ausoniis plena theatra stolis. Gloria Virginibus debetur prima Britannis, Extera sat tibi sit fœmina posse sequi. Tuque urbs Dardaniis, Londinum, structa colonis, Turrigerum late conspicienda caput, Tu nimium felix intra tua moenia claudis Quicquid formosi pendulus orbis habet. Non tibi tot cœlo scintillant astra sereno, Endymioneæ turba ministra deæ, Quot tibi, conspicua formaque auroque, puellæ Per medias radiant turba videnda vias. Creditur huc geminis venisse invecta columbis Alma pharetrigero milite cincta Venus, Huic Cnidon, et riguas Simoentis flumine valles, Huic Paphon, et roseam posthabitura Cypron. Ast ego, dum pueri sinit indulgentia cæci, Moenia quam subito linquere fausta paro; Et vitare procul malefidæ infamia Circes Atria, divini Molyos usus ope. Stat quoque juncosas Cami remeare paludes, 69 Pompeianas] Propert. ii. 32. 11. 'Scilicet umbrosis sordet Pompeia columnis.' Warton. 78 Endymionea] Grotii Silv. iii. Ep. 3. 'Endymioneas invadit Cynthia noctes.' Todd. Atque iterum raucæ murmur adire Scholæ. Interea fidi parvum cape munus amici, Paucaque in alternos verba coacta modos. ELEG. II. ANNO ETATIS 17. IN OBITUM PRÆCONIS ACADEMICI CANTABRIGIENSIS. 90 TE, qui conspicuus baculo fulgente solebas Talis in Iliaca stabat Cyllenius aula Alipes, ætherea missus ab arce Patris : 90 adire] The vowel made short before sc. 6 delituisse] Ov. Ep. Her. viii. 68. 'Nec querar in plumis delituisse Jovem!' Warton. 5 10 15 10 Coronides] Coronides is Esculapius, the son of Apollo by Coronis. See Ov. Met. xv. 624. Warton. 17 regina] See Eleg. iii. 16. Sæva nimis Musis, Palladi sæva nimis, Quin illos rapias qui pondus inutile terræ, Turba quidem est telis ista petenda tuis. Vestibus hunc igitur pullis, Academia, luge, Et madeant lachrymis nigra feretra tuis. Fundat et ipsa modos querebunda Elegeïa tristes, Personet et totis nænia mosta scholis. 20 ELEG. III. ANNO ETATIS 17. IN OBITUM PRÆSULIS WINTONIENSIS. MESTUS eram, et tacitus nullo comitante sedebam, Hærebantque animo tristia plura meo, Protinus en subiit funestæ cladis imago, Fecit in Angliaco quam Libitina solo; Dum procerum ingressa est splendentes marmore turres, Dira sepulchrali mors metuenda face Pulsavitque auro gravidos et jaspide muros, Nec metuit satrapum sternere falce greges. Tunc memini clarique ducis, fratrisque verendi 5 21 Academia] The penultimate syllable shortened against the best authorities, and so at the conclusion of his Eleg. Liber (see p. 428), 'umbrosa Academia rivos.' 4 Libitina] The plague that now raged in London, and carried off 35,417 persons. Whitelock's Mem. p. 2. Warton. 9 clarique] 'Clarique ducis, fratrisque verendi.' See A. Gill's Tillii Epitaphium (p. 91), for an explanation of the persons meant. 'Quem nec Mansfeltus, quem nec Brunonius heros, Arma nec annorum quem domuere decem.' The Count Mansfelt, and the Duke of Brunswick. |