The Complaint of NatureThe complaint of nature, Yale studies in English, v. 36 (1908), Translation of De planctu natura. by Douglas M. Moffat. Pagination preserved in etext form. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 17
Page 5
... virgin . Twin tresses , flowing loosely , neither forsook the parts above nor yet disdained to smile upon the ground with a kiss . The line of a slender necklace , crossing itself obliquely , divided the strife of her hair ; nor was ...
... virgin . Twin tresses , flowing loosely , neither forsook the parts above nor yet disdained to smile upon the ground with a kiss . The line of a slender necklace , crossing itself obliquely , divided the strife of her hair ; nor was ...
Page 6
... eyes , proclaimed the flow of inward 55 grief , and her very face , cast to earth with chaste 50 modesty , told of some injury done to the virgin her- self . The sparkling crown of a regal diadem , 6 [ PROSE I The Complaint of Nature.
... eyes , proclaimed the flow of inward 55 grief , and her very face , cast to earth with chaste 50 modesty , told of some injury done to the virgin her- self . The sparkling crown of a regal diadem , 6 [ PROSE I The Complaint of Nature.
Page 9
... virgin , by her excelling fair- 130 ness , like an Astræa rivaled the stars . The second neither wantoned in excessive splendor nor begged the sparks of a meagre glory , but rejoiced in a mod- erate flame . And on this , below the ...
... virgin , by her excelling fair- 130 ness , like an Astræa rivaled the stars . The second neither wantoned in excessive splendor nor begged the sparks of a meagre glory , but rejoiced in a mod- erate flame . And on this , below the ...
Page 11
... virgin's robe of state . 205 Its appearance perpetually changed with many a different color and manifold hue . At first it start- led the sight with the white radiance of the lily Next , as if its simplicity had been thrown aside and it ...
... virgin's robe of state . 205 Its appearance perpetually changed with many a different color and manifold hue . At first it start- led the sight with the white radiance of the lily Next , as if its simplicity had been thrown aside and it ...
Page 15
... virgin's bosom , met in sleep the dream of death by enemies . The lion murmured songs of its roar- 1 Migne has ab hostibus somnum mortis incurrebat , ' met through enemies the sleep of death . ' A. is to the same effect . ing in the ...
... virgin's bosom , met in sleep the dream of death by enemies . The lion murmured songs of its roar- 1 Migne has ab hostibus somnum mortis incurrebat , ' met through enemies the sleep of death . ' A. is to the same effect . ing in the ...
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
¹ Reading Alain Alain de Lille another's anvils appearance avarice Bacchus banished beauty Ben Jonson birth body Charybdis chastity cithara clothed cloud coin color command concubinage countenance Cupid Cypris delight diadem divine dost earth edited with Introduction Emending Ennius evil face faith false falsehood Favonius favor flattery flatulence flood flowers garments gave gender Generosity Genius gifts glory Glossary grief guile hair hand harmonious head heaven Hippolytus honey honor human Hymen Jonson kiss labor light lust lyre madness majesty marriage marvelous matter METRE Migne mind mother mystery Nature ness night numbers Old English passion peace Ph.D picture Planctu plebeian poverty praise predicate pride PROSE reason rejoiced riches scorned Scylla seemed shine shipwreck silence sleep solemn song sorrow speech splendor stars stones stray suffer sweet tears thee thine things thou tunic Tyndaris Venus vices virgin virtue wandering wanton wealth wisdom Zephyrus
Popular passages
Page 49 - ... if it does not transgress the determined boundaries of the dual activity, or its heat boil to too great a degree. But if its spark shoots into a flame, or its little spring rises to a torrent, the rankness of the growth demands the pruning-knife, and the swelling «• and excess requires...
Page 3 - Natwa, in order to call attention to the prevalence of homosexual feeling; he also associated the neglect of women with sodomy. "Man is made woman," he writes; "he blackens the honor of his sex, the craft of magic Venus makes him of double gender"; nobly beautiful youths have "turned their hammers of love to the office of anvils," and "many kisses lie untouched on maiden lips.
Page 3 - ... orphan. The sex of active nature trembles shamefully at the way in which it declines into passive nature. Man is made woman, he blackens the honor of his sex, the craft of magic Venus makes him of double gender. He is both predicate and subject, he »• becomes likewise of two declensions, he pushes the laws of grammar too far.
Page 45 - ... in the outskirt world I stationed Venus, who is skilled in — the knowledge of making, as under-deputy of my work, in order that she, un^der my judgment and guidance, and with the assisting activity of her husband Hymen and her son Cupid, by laboring at the various...