JOANNI MILTONI LONDINENSI. Juveni patria, virtutibus eximio, VIRO qui multa peregrinatione, studio cuncta orbis terrarum loca perspexit, ut novus Ulysses omnia ubique ab omnibus apprehenderet: Polyglotto, in cujus ore linguæ jam deperditæ sic reviviscunt, ut idiomata omnia sint in ejus laudibus infacunda; et jure ea percallet, ut admirationes et plausus populorum ab propria sapientia excitatos intelligat : Illi, cujus animi dotes corporisque sensus ad admirationem commovent, et per ipsam motum cuique auferunt; cujus opera ad plausus hortantur, sed venustate vocem laudatoribus adimunt: Cui in memoria totus orbis; in intellectu sapientia ; in voluntate ardor gloriæ; in ore eloquentia; harmonicos cœlestium sphærarum sonitus astronomia duce audienti; characteres mirabilium naturæ, per quos Dei magnitudo describitur, magistra philosophia legenti; antiquitatum latebras, vetustatis excidia, eruditionis ambages, comite assidua autorum lectione, Exquirenti, restauranti, percurrenti: At cur nitor in arduum? Illi in cujus virtutibus evulgandis ora Famæ non sufficiant, nec hominum stupor in laudandis satis est, reverentiæ et amoris ergo hoc ejus meritis debitum admirationis tributum offert CAROLUS DATUS, Patricius Florentinus, Tanto homini servus, tantæ virtutis amator. ELEGIARUM LIBER. ELEG. I. AD CAROLUM DEODATUM. TANDEM, chare, tuæ mihi pervenere tabellæ, 5 10 5 4 Vergivium] Drayton's Polyolb. s. i. p. 656, vol. ii. 'these rough Vergivian seas.' The Irish sea. Warton. 6 9 reflua] Buchanan's Ps. xcvii. 3. Quas vagus oceanus refluis complectitur undis.' Todd. Lucan. Phars. vi. 810. Quem Tibridis abluat unda.' Tibull. iii. 5. Lotichii El. i. 1. 'Me tenet hiberno sub sidere Monalis Ursæ.' Sannazar. lib. i. El. i. 17 hoc] No authority for 'hoc' being short. Et vacuum curis otia grata sequi, Non ego vel profugi O utinam vates nunquam graviora tulisset 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 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; 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 tibi, conspicuæ formaque auroque, puellæ 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. 65 70 75 80 85 |