TRANSLATION OF DRYDEN'S POEM ON MILTON [Written in letter to Unwin (MS. in British Museum), July, 1780. Published by Hayley, 1804.] TRES tria, sed longe distantia sæcula, vates TRANSLATION OF A SIMILE IN PARADISE LOST [Written in letter to Unwin (MS. in British Museum), June 8, 1780. Published by Hayley, 1804.] As when, from mountain tops, the dusky clouds QUALES aërii montis de vertice nubes Cum surgunt, et jam Boreæ tumida ora quierunt, A SIMILE LATINISED [Written April 27, 1782 (MS. in British Museum.) Published by Hayley, 1803.] SORS adversa gerit stimulum, sed tendit et alas, TRANSLATIONS FROM THE [Written Jan., 1800. Published by Hayley, 1803.] Lusus amicitia est, uni nisi dedita, ceu fit, A Simile in Paradise Lost-4 om. Hayley and other edd. 8 Comis erat mitisque, et nolle et velle paratus 10 Et quisque innocuo invitoque lacessere quenquam 20 30 Me meus, ut nosti, pes prodit-fidus amicus Quando quadrupedum, quot vivunt, nullus amicum Hinc me mandat amor. Juxta istum messis acer vum 40 Me mea, præ cunctis chara, juvenca manet; Et quis non ultro quæcumque negotia linquit, Pareat ut dominæ, cum vocat ipsa, suæ ? Neu me crudelem dicas--discedo-sed hircus (Cujus ope effugias integer) hircus adest. Febrem (ait hircus) habes. Heu sicca ut lumina languent! Utque caput collo deficiente jacet! Hirsutum mihi tergum; et forsan læserit ægrum; Vellere eris melius fultus, ovisque venit. Me mihi fecit onus natura, ovis inquit; anhelans Me nec velocem nec fortem jacto, solentque 50 Ultimus accedit vitulus, vitulumque precatur Remne ego, respondet vitulus, suscepero tantam, Ignoscas oro. Fidissima dissociantur Corda, et tale tibi sat liquet esse meum. 60 Ecce autem ad calces canis est! te quanta perempto Tristitia est nobis ingruitura !--- Vale! AVARUS ET PLUTUS ICTA fenestra Euri flatu stridebat, avarus O mihi, ait, misero mens quam tranquilla fuisset, O inimicum aurum ! O homini infestissima pestis, Cui datur illecebras vincere posse tuas ? 10 Aurum homines suasit contemnere quicquid hone stum est, Et præter nomen nil retinere boni. Aurum cuncta mali per terras semina sparsit; Bella docet fortes, timidosque ad pessima ducit, Nec vitii quicquam est quod non inveneris ortum 20 30 Arcam clausit avarus, et ora horrentia rugis Ostendens, tremulum sic Deus increpuit. Questibus his raucis mihi cur, stulte, obstrepis aures? Ista tui similis tristia quisque canit. Commaculavi egone humanum genus, improbe? Culpa, Dum rapis et captas omnia, culpa tua est. Virtutis specie, pulchro ceu pallio amictus 40 Hinc, nimium dum latro aurum detrudit in arcam, Nutrit avaritiam et fastum, suspendere adunco Tum, quasi numen inesset, alit, fovet, educat orbos, Aurum animae pretium qui cupit atque capit? 50 Lege pari gladium incuset sicarius atrox PAPILIO ET LIMAX QUI subito ex imis rerum in fastigia surgit, TRANSLATIONS OF THE LATIN AND ITALIAN POEMS OF MILTON [Written Sept., 1791-Feb., 1792. Published by Hayley, 1808, in a handsome 4to volume illustrated by Flaxman, with Cowper's fragmentary commentary on Paradise Lost, for the benefit of Cowper's godson, W. C. Rose.] COMPLIMENTARY PIECES TO MILTON Well as the Author knows that the following testimonies are not so much about as above him, and that men of great ingenuity, as well as our friends, are apt, through abundant zeal, so to praise us as rather to draw their own likeness than ours, he was yet unwilling that the world should remain always ignorant of compositions, that do him so much honour; and especially because he has other friends, who have, with much importunity, solicited their publication. Aware that excessive commendation awakens envy, he would with both hands thrust it from him, preferring just so much of that dangerous tribute as may of right belong to him; but at the same time he cannot deny that he sets the highest value on the suffrages of judicious and distinguished persons. THE NEAPOLITAN JOHN BAPTIST MANSO, MARQUIS OF VILLA, TO THE ENGLISHMAN JOHN MILTON WHAT features, form, mien, manners, with a mind Oh how intelligent! and how refined! Were but thy piety from fault as free, AN EPIGRAM ADDRESSED TO THE ENGLISHMAN JOHN MILTON, A POET WORTHY OF THREE LAURELS, THE GRECIAN, LATIN, AND ETRUSCAN, BY JOHN SALSILLO OF ROME 3 MELES2 and Mincio 3, both your urns depress, But let the Thames o'er-peer all floods, since he TO JOHN MILTON GREECE, Sound thy Homer's, Rome, thy Virgil's name, But England's Milton equals both in fame. SELVAGGI. 1 The reader perceives that the word Angle is essential, because the epigram turns upon it [C.]. 2 Meles is a river of Ionia, in the neighbourhood of Smyrna, whence Homer is called Melesigenes [C.]. The Mincio watered the city of Mantua famous as the birth place of Virgil [C.]. 4 Sebetus is now called the Fiume della Maddalena-it runs through Naples [C.]. |