Invadunt saltus: me nutu numinis error
Devius in spatium seductius, in nemus altum
Egit, venarique dedit secreta Dearum.
Idæi regina sinus, dignissima Phœbo
Laurus inoffenso frondosum vertice crinem
Explicat, et nemoris proscripta plebe minoris
Sola viret, nullique suas communicat umbras.
Cætera Cirrhæam veneratur sylva juventam
Celsum submittens apicem, longeque reducta
Majorem temere poscentes aera frondes
Castigat, metuitque sacris occurrere ramis.
Huc deus aut casus, certe gratissimus error,
Pertulit ereptum sociis; hac lætus in umbra
Mirabar laurum vivacis lege juventæ
Nil Jove mutato passam, mirabar et Eurum
Murmure adulantem foliis, et frondibus auram
Secretam spirare suam;' quum languida sensim
Fur oculi somnus invitans otia, blandum
Pectoris elusit studium, curasque fefellit.
Sic caput herboso projectum cespite fultus
Delicias hausi superum; nec frivola suetus
In plebem lusisse sopor, sed somnia regum
Dignatus subiit.
The pleadings of the rival beauties are ingenious. The deportment of Juno seems copied from that of Jupiter towards Apollo in Ovid.
Reginæ multum meminit, vultumque superbum
Vocibus ingessit, contempta fronte precantis.
In the third book the meeting of Paris and Helen is described.
Postquam Helenes Paridi patuit præsentia, classem
Deserit; ac formæ fidens, et conscius oris,
Huc illuc gressum librans, qua Tyndaris ibat,
Indefessa vagis incessibus otia texit,
Certantesque offert vultus, incendia nutrit
Mutua, captatumque brevi lucratur amorem.
Quippe nec ad cursum præceps, nec segnior æquo
Librato gestu formam juvat, actus in armos,
In caput erectus, tenero delibat arenam
Incessu, figitque oculo mirante Lacænam,
Oblitosque gradus sistit; suspectus haberi
Mox metuens, transfert celeres ad cætera visus,
Ceu stupeat quicquid spectat: moderantius illa
Obliquos vultus, et non ridentia plene
The book concludes with the death of Castor and Pollux.
Ast ubi gesta Phrygum geminos vulgata Lacones
'Alluding perhaps to an opinion, that certain trees had breezes exclusively of their own.
Concussere, fremunt ambo, dolor excitat ambos,
Ambos ira quatit: non sic orbata leones
Lustra indignati lugent, non fulminis ales
Sic gemit elinguis inopina silentia nidi.
Haud mora, conscendunt classem, Lesboque relicta,
Dum præceps animus, et nil decoctius ardet
Ira recens, nullos expectatura sequentes,
Haurit iter fluidum pietas memor: alta tenebat
Castor, et Iliacas jamjam poscebat arenas
Excidium latura ratis; nox obviat atra
Defensura Phryges, armatique aeris ira
Instrepit, et geminis expugnat vela procellis.-
Sola hæc in geminos cessit discordia fratres,
Discordes habuisse metus; hic illius, ille
Hujus fata timet: quotiesque illabitur æquor,
Invergitque latus puppis subitura profundum,
Equoris occursum certatim vertice prono
Anticipare parant; et sic proclamat uterque :
"In me dira Thetis, in me sævissime Triton
Has intende minas, tantos molire tumultus;
Hunc serves, huic parce precor." Tandem acrius acto
Incumbente noto, nil jam sperante carina,
Ledæi juvenes nexis per colla lacertis
Nata simul simili deponunt corpora fato.
The poet notices the prevalent opinion, that the two brothers had been raised to the gods; and parallels it with a similar one his own countrymen.
Sic Britonum ridenda fides et credulus error
Arturum expectat, expectabitque perenne.
In the next book, the poet, after his original, gives some curious particulars as to the person and manners of the principal characters on both sides. A specimen will not be uninteresting. Celsa duci Priamo late surgentibus armis
Effulcit roseum cervix caput, ardua scribunt
Membra virum, blandoque genas terrore minaces
Regius ornat honos: placidæ vox nuncia mentis
Nil tumidum, nil triste sonat, propiorque precanti
Mollibus imperiis famulantes instruit aures.
Hector magnanimum librato culmine pectus
Erigit; intorto candet coma crispa capillo,
Succinctum complexa caput; blandeque recisos
Furatur vox blanda sonos: pernicia membra:
Mens placida in cives: faciem lanugo serenam
Induit, ac visus acies obliqua cadentes
In geminas spargit partes, semperque supina
Occiduo stabilem contristat lumine vultum.
Priamidæ gemini studio certante Minervam
Partiti, colit hic artes, hic arma fatigat;
Deiphobum Mavors, Helenum demulcet Apollo.
Troilus in spatium surgentes explicat artus,
Mente gigas, ætate puer, nullique secundus
Audendo virtutis opus, mixtoque vigore
Gratior illustres insignit gloria vultus.—
Tyndaridis geminis geminum nihil; unicus ambos
Oris honos ambit, similis flavescit utrique
Vultus, par hilares augescit risus in orbes:
Equus membra modus, concordes pectora motus
Conciliant, spirantque unum gena, lumina, mores.
Sola pares variis præsumunt nomina formas
Distinxisse notis; at victor vindice vultu
Eludit dubios error, vocumque repugnans
Dissidio, alterno confundit nomine nomen.
Inclyta cognatos æquat Spartana Lacones
Vultu, crine, genis: sociæ cunabula stirpis
Par oris testatur honos, at plenius haurit
Sidereum Ledæa Jovem, totosque per artus
Lactea materni spirant mendacia cycni.-
Productum modice mentum candescit, et alta
Lenius ut pressis insidant basia labris,
Parcius in roseum consurgunt ora tumorem.
Fundit apex humeros, pressum tegit ubera pectus,
Ilia succingit levitas, tractusque lacertos:
Pes brevis incessu terram libante supino
Lascivum suspendit iter, crurumque decora
Mobilitas compto libramine ponderat artus.
Sola superciliis labes interflua raris
Audaci macula tenues discriminat artus.
Nothing can be more in the manner of Claudian than the words
in italics. We do not profess to comprehend our author's
meaning in all places. Some of the other heroines are depicted
as follows; it must be recollected that all these minutia were
received as authentic in the middle ages. Here, as elsewhere,
we fancy we can trace the manners and ideas of the time.
Non membris egressa modum, non cæca futuri,1
Fulta gena tereti, suspecto crine cruorem
Mentitur, flagratque acie Cassandra micanti.
Iliadum populo victore Polyxena vultu
Præradiat, solique decus speciale meretur
Lactea membrorum series, ridentis ocelli
Blanditiæ, pede fulta brevi, procera venustas
Poplitis, erecto librans vestigia gressu.
Articulos non æquat ebur, non lilia colli
Ardua, non rutilum pavonis fimbria crinem.
Ipsa humilis, simplex, facilis, nil turget herile,
Nil varium fingens, nunquam frustrata petentes.—
In medium librata statum Briseis heriles
> Promit in affectum vultus: nodatur in æquos
This heterogeneous accumulation of particulars, which is copied from the original, reminds us of a character we once read of an Irish Bard, concluding with these words: "His moral character is unstained, and his person is large and muscular:" a sentence worthy of Gibbon.
Planities crinita sinus, umbræque minoris
Delicias oculus junctos suspendit in artus:
Divitiis formæ certant insignia morum,
Sobria simplicitas, comis pudor, arida nunquam
Poscenti pietas, et fandi gratia lenis.
Teuthras, king of Mysia, is slain by Achilles: his funeral and monument are described. Warton (Hist. Poet. Vol. ii. p. 98, 4to.) traces the passage to Guido dalla Colonna's Historia Trojana, but erroneously, as Joseph florished before Colonna ; he likewise quotes it as from the Antiocheis.
The fifth book brings us to Troy.
Ardua jam medium pulsans Latonia cœlum
Noctivagos librabat equos, somnoque profundo
Exarmata quies facilem spondebat ituris
Portum, suadebatque dolos; dux ille Pelasgis
Nocturnum disponit iter. Non verbere pontus
Erigitur, non voce sonat, jussosque silere
Sulcat inoffensos tacito sub remige fluctus
Incessum furata ratis.
Proles erubuit fraudes, et furta negavit.
Ultimus hic Danaum ter dena classe secutus
Signa ducum, longaque exustus febre, moratas
Inachidis excusat opes.-
Hanc ipsa ad vocem facies facit; aspera passo
Conjurat pallor, et vultu teste merentur
Verba fidem; at sospes animus, nulloque dolore
Fractior, imbelles artus nervosque negantes
Exigit, et Martem manifestum suadet Achivis.
Ocius audentem virtus animatur in iram,
Jamque dolis vicisse negant.
This book affords but little quotation, owing to the rapidity with which the events are hurried over; there is a great deal of crowd and bustle, but it leaves no impression on the mind, except that Joseph of Exeter was an excellent Latin scholar, and a writer of misdirected vigor and ingenuity. One specimen will suffice-the death of Protesilaus :
Emicat immodicus animi, metuensque priorem
Solus in extremum jamjam proruperat agmen
Turbidus Hypsiphides: populun vaga turba secutum,
Non unam sævire manum, creditque pavetque,
Ceu Mars ipse premat. Acies prævectus utrasque
Liquerat, audebatque arces calcare, relicti
Contemptor belli. Sed anhelo fervidus Hector
Objicitur: "Quonam usque? hic terminus," inquit, et ensem
Nudat atrox; conumque nihil tutante pyropo
In pectus consedit ebur: mox intonat orsis,
"Quisquis es, i felix, reliquisque superbior umbris,
Hectorea mactate manu."
Hæmonis absentem suspirat mœsta maritum,
Et non sensuros vultus premit, oscula figens
Cerea, difficilesque Deos in vota fatigat:
Nequicquam; jacet ipse quidem, lapsusque jugales
Impedit, et curru non agnoscente fatiscit.
Tanquam instans cedit, indignatusque moranti
Arva legit gressu: cogit moderantius ipse
Eacides, flectitque gradum; et quia neuter in armis
Dissimilem sperat, hærent, audentque paventque,
Alternoque truces obliquant lumine vultus.
The following picture of a field of battle is any thing but
fluit hic in vultus pulchra genarum
Rapta dies, mento hic linguaque et nare recisa
Informes aperit rictus, his auris adempta,
His manus, his nutat humerus, pars viscera lapsa (?)
Labitur, ac manibus nitens sese eripit hosti.
Hinc capitum largus stagnat cruor: inde relicti
In cumulum surgunt trunci, currusque retardant.
The sixth and last book opens with the depression of the Trojans on the death of Hector. It is in his most favorite style of exaggeration.
Segnior explicitis mœrentia signa catervis
Troja movet; rorant clypei, cristæque gravantur
Luctibus; angustum crebris singultibus aurum
Rumpitur, arma nocent, toto nil agmine lætum,
Dulce nihil. Signa ipsa minus pugnantia vento
Mentitas laxant animas, morituraque tardis
Flatibus inclinant faciles languere dracones.
At sonipes, animi non argumenta superbi
Iratas iterat voces, non pulvere capto
Multiplicat suspensa levi vestigia gyro,
Non fremit incertum, sed tota immergitur arvis
Ungula, submittitque equitem, aurigamque perosus
Avertit collo venientia fræna reflexo.
Stridentem litui gemitum, stridentia reddunt
Jussa tubæ, nullique sonant non triste tumultus.
Talis in adversas trahitur duce Memnone turmas
Mosta Phrygum pubes; poscunt remeare, negantque,
Venturusque Hector semper post terga videtur.
Qualiter Hyblæi mellita pericula reges
Si signis iniere datis, labente tyranno
Alterutro, viduos dant agmina stridula questus,
Et subitum vix nacta ducem metuentia vibrant
Spicula, et imbelli remeant in prælia rostro.
|