Poemata (William Cowper, trans.)

of the Vice

ysic

nations o

tion of y

ght your f

all must yi

urnful Ro

ce-resign

escape y

ss the Styg

stoutest

ult, and baf

had both

d by Ness

ector press

k of Pall

hief to J

les' pha

antments l

ved by ma

liv'd, and

v'd Medea

erbs and d

Man's des

haon5 shoul

to avert

d survive

dra-taint

bolt had be

by Ascl

Sage! of w

nd Cirrha

filled thy pr

f the go

anc'd to h

much-enno

ron's skif

rean gulp

ntful Pr

f thy ski

hort thy v

mber'd with

good! unt

turf that

gay prof

etest flow'

nsort bid

onounce t

e thy shad

sium eve

sor of Medicine at Cambridge. He

ow. Hercules was later poisoned by the centaur's b

ee Homer (Il.

Medea were e

ler to the Greeks during the sieg

was killed by Hercu

by Jove's lightning for havi

ifth of

Aetat

ma veniens Ja

pulos, lateque

t, jamque invi

iis conjunxerat

novo felix di

ltique doli se

luo regnans Ach

r, aethereo va

nsum terrarum

ris socios, vern

ni post funera

tes medio ci

s odium strui

tas in mutua

ifera vertit

videt purae vi

ere imperio, fr

sum sceleri co

at tacitas, cas

tos rapiat, seu

pidam deserta

i, & somno nict

tat populos S

eae fumanti tu

isonis albent

terra Deo di

erat quondam

en qui non du

ato furiali

e crudelia sae

opibusque & fe

gues donis Cer

doluit, venera

pulum, tandem

s & luridum ol

a trux ab Jove

o monstrosus a

i, stridetque

um fragor, ictaq

solum hoc lacr

gens haec mih

ugi, nostraque

si quicquam te

impune diu, no

eis liquido nat

ersi praecursa

s, & crebra to

sas velox sup

niae fines, a

inus erat, pris

iis infamis He

is Thetidi vide

nae consistit

iam jam sera cr

itur totam Tri

os portat, scap

eunt summisso

m series long

nibus gestant

n tenebris, vita

ltis subeunt l

r iste Petro) fre

mplet vacuos,

at Bromius, Bro

tes in Echio

nitus vitreis A

cava responsat

ndem solenni

exus Erebi tac

pellit equos stim

phlonta, Melanch

taeo prognata

sutis horrentem

domitor, Phleg

mos (neque enim

les molli sine

tos somnus cla

rum dominus, re

minum falsa sub

tis micuerunt t

omissa tegit,

humum vestis, p

, & ne quicquam

os constrinxi

tis figens ves

est, vasta Fr

ur solus per

ulit genti pia

upos domuit, Ly

li Serpens vel

fallax ora exe

iamne tuos sopo

i, pecorumque

enerande tuam,

eo gens barbar

ti spernunt tua

piger, Latius qu

patet convexi

os, & fastus f

nt, tua quid male

licae possit c

iae disjectam u

orum lato vex

uci tot corpora

a nuper regn

ero mavis to

negas hosti co

ebit numeroso

tino ponet fu

m franget, flammi

it pedibus tua

nt soleis dar

bellis & aperto

bor, tu callidu

ticis disponere

lium extremis r

, & procerum de

atres trabea, c

m poteris consp

neres, nitrati p

to, qua conve

itur quoscumque

tique mone, qu

non jussa fa

etu subito, ca

llus atrox, ve

lic tandem Mar

eros iterum dom

eas, divos di

uis celebrantur n

tos ponens ma

am, regnum illa

as pandens T

tas redeunti

c nigri deplor

iis montana ca

ulit stellatae

s, & somnia gr

erna septus c

quondam fundam

nca Phoni, Prodo

no peperit Di

enta jacent pr

irum, & traject

tis semper sede

imulis armata C

e viae moriend

uisque locum ci

eves per muta

s & sanguine con

di latitant pen

otes, nulloque se

scopulosum, atru

tes, & retro l

mae per saecul

s Babylonius,

is circumfusum

hi, prudens n

tus nostro co

o, celeri conte

es difflentur p

er satrapae, s

idei caluere

adhibete, oper

idi cupide pa

flectens cur

rea dominus qu

rsae ridet co

sam populi vo

ium, qua distat

e, & spectat M

ita est Titani

onans, rutilis

itum vel Athos

sque patent, toti

enues transluc

ios plebs agglo

pitant circum m

m, aut texto p

vum coeli petit

ma sedet ultrix

ris cinctum ca

guum trahit, atqu

remis patuli co

ride servator

ti volvebas

quam tacito n

tas late spec

let loca luce

iam radianti im

quax auditaque

dit temeraria,

do confictis se

stro meruisti

uo non aliud

ni, nec te mem

ongo, servati

iva tuis, tibi

nos motu qui

alloquitur, terr

n te latet im

rs in meque me

igero caedes m

statim sensit

fugax strident

iis exilia c

stat Temesaeo e

ennis cedentes

cursu celeres pr

olis equos post t

acas solito de

, incertaque m

olos, & dete

s, nec non fact

it sceleris, ne

tructa silet; s

nes, pariter tr

es pariter, ta

tem subito pen

populi miseres

r, & crudelibu

ti poenas rapt

eo, & grati so

focis genialib

enilis agit: Qui

o occurrit ce

h of the Bi

Aetat

h grief wer

y sullied c

dews prof

able Wint

ose tales of

ever tru

ough all our

nother m

Fate to Deat

onour of h

storm of pa

bosom, mu

raged, at e

eath himse

revenge di

Ibis was

Archiloch

reek, his pr

ile thus I

he Minister

cents, soft

n the ga

deluded!

and anger

id with soun

m thou canst

wherefore drea

f Night a

f fel1 Er

ere Chaos rul

God, his pre

ome his rip

ncumber'd

bonds to bo

e winged Ho

forth the M

o convoy t

Eternal Fa

e wicked-T

all their ple

to the re

realms of

sooner hea

g through my

eu to bolt

ith angels t

old, to whom

fiery wheel

gon,6 slow

not, nor t

that vast

Scorpion's h

Sun's brigh

neath my f

d goddess, s

winged dr

wond'ring

still as

e Planeta

Way-and no

tal battleme

arl, and em

cease. Fo

of once a

le descri

es of that

that those

nd all for

olas F

fter Andrewes, Bishop of Winch

Ov

or to his daughters, and in revenge lampooned the en

nd Erynnis

h Elegy, line 6, an

stellatio

is Not Subje

Human Mind w

nd'rings, and,

le, specul

n her folly,

aws inscrib

's device, and

he hours, that

face of Natur

kles, and shal

arent fix a st

e confess old

tten, shake he

iquity with ru

x the radiant

unsated maw c

ns that regula

Sire of all

to uphold the c

provident and

asion?-So then-

future evil

d come thund'rin

ision, the

hrone, and Pall

her Gorgon sh

the abyss, lik

os through the

with precip

wn son's fall

uin shalt impr

the flood shal

ction of the

ll Haemus clo

and the huge C

of Tartarean

all fill Hims

ighty Fathe

dations, and

of all, the

just equipoi

al works fr

ld, perpetual

me Mover whee

y by day, and

ure swift the

now is Satur

ss the burning

igour unimpair

f his youth, no

e that he may wa

in influence,

, through all t

at first asce

rous Ind, wh

e betimes th'

o'er the skie

iminate the

changeful horn

d with arms e

her breast her b

e elements

, thunder with

hrough the rocks

owls, still the

d'ring Scythian,

still rolls th

cean with his

rus,4 o'er th

rm of Triton's

monsters of t

or beneath di

y antient ve

rth! Narcissus

still thy Favo

, Cytherea!5

or the mountain

nt of Man, w

r with brighte

roken series

, wide involvin

ensity of y

lames of de

nsum'd in one

of the Gorgon Medusa in her shield; it

rom the chariot of th

Ve

east promont

te of Apollo. The Anem

eal' as it was Unde

rs who o'er th

Thou, fair mot

and thou, wh

ed at leisure,

and the ord'n

rd the festiv

Inform us

riginal by N

rchetype of

Immortal, wi

aeval, One, y

he god, who g

f the Goddess

n his Father's

ure with ours

occupies a

anion of the

s, roaming

here the tenfold

de that nearest

the banks of

ltitude of s

ood, or whether

d giant mode

istant region

alk, with lift

tlas, on whose

errific even

n Seer,4 whose

umination, H

ision; neve

amid the no

the prophet-c

th'Assyrian p

y of Ninus7

and Osiris

-great Hermes,7

yst'ry, to t

w'd a prodi

hast immortaliz

, if the sc

f the Fancy fi

at once the

lic, or, thy

bulist, go

emory and moth

las A

blivion and f

Milton's Sixth

es (Me

ndary Phoenician s

ian king. Belus is

author of Neo-Platoni

Pl

y Fa

s spring1 would

piring influ

rather an o'e

venerable F

es renounced, m

might reach a

Father! howso

slender work,

gifts more su

ite them suita

nobler, and s

tores of ver

I possess, I

ents thee in t

reasures, and th

e riches that f

ttos and in l

lden Clio's2

rk divine; de

which evinces (

ource, and which

ations of Pro

m animated

se; the infernal

fluence of ver

p, and binds i

oth Pluto an

elphic prieste

bil make the

crifices, on

when he smites the

eads his reekin

the Fates en

ves, what time

kies, and on

only measure

h gold, and cha

e, shall range

starry firm

, the fiery S

circling orbs, d

ance with me

immortal, h

3 holds his hi

'd, drops his

nds unconscio

old the feasts o

nties destin'

uttony were k

d yet the temp

e bard a cu

nquet, and, his

nours bound, pr

s of Heroes a

on, sang o

th, of Gods tha

l'n, and of t

c'd from Aetn

, at last, tune

er? Such may s

e, but such wa

the streams sto

ollow'd. Not b

but by resistl

tears the Gho

praises to his

t, I pray thee,

ine, and to

w'rs by whom in

o associate ver

nd to give th

odulations,

le of Ario

t wonder is

ht in verse, i

ffinity, w

s and kindred

bution of h

oice; thou hast

d between us

n, the whole

the semblanc

hatest not t

r thou never

and broad that

nor did'st co

pid clamour

minous and i

to enrich me

reasure, led's

to deep retr

nian,6 and, wi

me happy at

ow, on more i

ommon benefi

s, but of thy

ho, when I h

Roman rhetor

anguage, of the

ic grac'd the l

counsel me to

ts, those too wit

degentrate s

s his mixture

's prophetic

e, whate'er the

ath it, and th

d the restles

ectual gain

thy will; Scie

ed, inclines he

the lip, if,

nd decline her

ather dross,

; what could

d Jove himself

the heav'n in w

gifts than t

is son, had t

nsecure, who m

ice-luminary,

hariot of the

ows his own all

though last and

arned in the

here the conqu'r

mpt from th'un

even to be

epless Care, C

thy "jealous

onster Calumn

ongue at me.

mpotent agai

ileged, and b

high, for your

ther! since to

and to req

ity, exceed

hat I thus rec

reasur'd in a g

vourite pastim

ry numbers

gevity, and

uneral pile, no

ivious Let

uturity pe

d by these pra

Fathers of a

to the Muses. 2 T

ent, a con

hus, o

yric poet of Methymna, in Lesbos, who was saved from

plain in Boeo

Testament

m CX

el by Jeh

t's hosti

h in number

t the adj

escended f

the favo

er Jacob,

's Tribe

their appro

amazemen

s flood was

t's foun

s from their

d the Pa

hrows like Ra

en, fell

Hills by th

their Ce

resistless

t wild,

t strange am

you that

too! On Is

ven to

whence this

you from

e little Hill

ael's ch

u Earth! Je

s the mig

who by his

the Strea

Rocks; & pou

the La

k poem. Milton's own English version, presented be

odus, ch

lm

seed of Terah's

oil their li

harian2 fields

ength of the A

ders were in

d glory was i

oubl'd Sea, and

hide his froth

, Jordan's clear

that hath rece

bellied Mountai

es, the little H

an? And why skip

an toward his C

nd at the pres

ver was, and

ods from rugged

ls from the fiery

am. 2 E

sopher an

s among whom he had been apprehended, sent the following lines, composed suddenly in th

ng! that if tho

enemy and w

e Laws, thou m

man's head, but,

alt with vain

s of One, her

aver of his

tures-you wil

kill has been

know me not he

model and th

in the I645 edition of his poems. The handsome Milton disliked Marshall's picture and took

nslation of

elf-you wil

f me, taken

gaze and guess

ye think it?

lli, a Roman Poet

zon

, that dragg'st

w step, in me

t pace express

Diopeia's2 s

ce she beats wi

in front of Jun

llus, who to

artial love, su

t Milton then,

st on Albion's

fiercest of t

overn'd rage th

more serene

ities of illu

self a witnes

ders, and how l

alsillus! an

se, that Milto

st the languor

s diffus'd throug

alady! not m

oman voice, an

sister, sent us

lo, whom all s

Paean, or wh

e, haste, heal a

aunus, and ye

ws, where meek

rious in your

l soonest heal yo

to the Muse h

the meadows w

n'd in ever

e of dark emb

h eyes of u

ria, shall tha

he tumid Tibe

ings, nor deso

waters with a

rmless till they

d, because, though in other respects Iambic, it terminates with a Spondee, and has consequently a more tardy mo

as one of J

n of Pallas, King of Arcadia, migrated to I

ni Battis

is of

terature,and military accomplishments. To Him Torquato Tasso addressed his "Dialogue on Friendship," for he was much the friend o

rs magnanimou

is resp

a thousand kind offices and civilities, and, desirous not to appear ungra

also to thy p

ppy in that

nd Maecenas3

es, or whom the

se may give th

l prove an eve

it shines in

Tasso's friend)

Muse consign'

harge, Marini4

to the nymphs,

e patron of hi

e the Poet w

ws, to thee a

h punctual p

ass thy tribut

nted thee-but

of their's, which

es thou has d

genius, chara

he Carian sag

heme, the Life

hough a strange

lasts that freeze

Clio confid

Phoebus' sake,

nd, wilt view w

rear'd beneath

indiscrete as

tium hearers

hames with his

the blue-hair

ht, or, slumb'r

am, the swan's voi

boast a Tit

lcome guest, y

s we own our

ebus raise the

hoebus; Phoebu

d may claim to

ts from us, t

apple, ruddies

rocus, and, to

chosen from t

ative bards i

roes prais'd in

s the maids of

e with hymns o

virgins who

f'rings on the

Giant Corin

blest lips th

e7 with the

c'ish hues, and al

, happy Sage,

Tasso's praise

s, shalt be kno

qual flight t

hear how Phoeb

e, and willing gu

hen of old con

exile from his

lling guest, A

es had enter'

ron's9 cave wa

clothed with p

oft as respit

amours loud, t

time, on Peneu

oot, with ivy t

ospitable fr

pains of exil

ills, then tremb

lt his load o

ms descended

ynxes wonder'd

hink, O dear

nguish'd by the

lo shed his k

12 on that prop

nds so born c

or yield that

yet unfaded

reshness of thy

front, and fea

her'd, and a

rue a friend

grace the vo

all hereafte

heroes of my

ief, who even

eous being,

artial Knights

at around the

irit fail me

nd'rers in tr

, when, with th

ish, not in

mourner, o'er

d to say-"Be ye

o my dust, wit

it gently in

, shall bid the

and with the g

ssus or the

rows-but I shal

the fruits o

promis'd reco

seats, to which

soul, and v

s Fate permits

umin'd by cel

ud from my pur

right beatit

count of Mans

e Mu

n eleist. See Virgil (Ec

ron of letters. See

, a poem on the story

hom The Life of H

d Tityrus in Spe

Loxo, descended from the ancient British her

Thessaly. Apollo was f

i, 830-831) and Ov

etween Thessal

I06), where the trees cr

Her

ew on Mt. Parnassus, sacred to the Muses, and the myrtle,

ath of

Argu

or improve- ment, received intelligence of the death of Damon, and, after a time, returning and finding it true, deplores himself and his solitary condition, in this poem. By Damon i

Himera1 (fo

Daphnis2 and

on's long-l

meed of many

villas laved by

Thyrsis in S

av'd, and how wi

ods and hollow

ead; nor even

rows at the mi

t twice had no

vest twice enr

lips had gasp'

time, nor Thyrs

ur'd of the M

iorenza lon

ength with all h

s sake now has

hepherd had re

oot within his

lot, then, all

hen'd heart, he ve

me, my lambs; my

s than those

Deities sha

arth concern'd

Damon! their

emns me to r

u thus, thy v

onour, like a v

it, whose brigh

sordid from il

rabble, and

with spirits

me, my lambs; my

s than those

ll, unless by

give me a for

moulder undep

dwell on ev'ry sh

st they shall

m, to thee th

ll the flocks an

frequent the

antient pi

learned labou

aught, or to

iend, and of t

me, my lambs, my

than those of

ch thy sure re

doom awaits

ains and peril

wont, for eve

rugged frost a

rbage all was p

rim wolf's ra

n's, arm'd with

now, shall cal

ong who, now, b

me, my lambs; my

s than those

I confide? Who

cine for my

ourse with in

ow, and cheat t

on my hearth

hesnuts start an

road the dreary

ders thro' the ne

me, my lambs; my

s than those

ummer suns the

hidden by the s

isappear, Nymphs

d rustic snores

render me thy

thy jests, thy

me, my lambs; my

than those of

d vales are th

boughs, I wan

d, while blust'ri

les through the

me, my lambs; my

s than those

ant weeds now s

dew'd crop the

ines unwedded

apes, my myrtles

re my flocks; th

ing looks on

me, my lambs; my

s than those

s me to the

the river's

Alphesiboe

elms exclude t

spring-here moss

spers and the st

uades, but dea

ickets, and e

me, my lambs; my

s than those

id (the same w

ds, and what the

nce had notic

sullen mood, th

u art either cr

er influence f

nfluence oft th

oblique has pie

mbs, unpastur

e all now due

mazed my mel

cry-what will

u, Thyrsis? such

th, stern, gloo

ld laugh and lov

etched mopes who

mbs, unpastur

e all now due

as came, to s

aughter, Dryo

for voice a

ear, and for he

oo, whose cott

e Idumanian c

in they came,

comfortable l

mbs, unpastur

e all now due

f'rence of the

ellow chosen

amity the fl

iates and is p

ppled deer in n

ind alike the

overns where t

ls o'erspread the

eanest of the

nion finds in

ks the grain tha

there, and late

ance the falco

h his well-ai

ss the gay sur

eks, and new d

obdurate k

thers, in a si

ousands meet on

g-sought good

ar it, Death our

eart a wound th

mbs, unpastur

e all now due

ion lured me f

pine snows, an

great had I

ins, and herse

ourish'd still

Tityrus for

great had I t

ntercourse for

se to place th

, woods, between

sp'd thy feeble

s, thy drooping

st, had said-F

e skies forget

mbs, untended

e all now due

eas'd, ye tunefu

em'ry of your

rth can teach m

t-He too was

r Lucca, ci

s'd and Genius

as I, when, st

ourse of Arno's

plar-grove I p

rtles, and now

as I lay at

tending for the

attempt (an

as'd attempting

n presents bo

s pipe and os

Francini bo

ar to the beec

arn'd, and each

ong, and both

mbs, untended

e all now due

dewy grass with

hurdling in

I said (but t

rk cold lodgmen

s, or springes

for various u

lging Fancy,

leasure, that I

road as I was

iend-come, lay

forth togeth

h yon whisp'rin

n stray of Coln

ivelan's grey

cull me simples

me and healing po

lue-bell to the

nd and what the

kinds alike to

art of Galen

len's art, an

bs that gave no

gs since, as

sat some st

oner touch'd my

efore, than wid

waxen bands, no

music of the

n perhaps, b

me I choose-ye

mbs, untended

e all now due

dan Chief, my

rks he plough'd

upia's tow'rin

sort's reign,

d Belinus, br

iragus, an

es th'Armoric

of Gorlois, w

er husband's

force of Merli

h Arthur of

I now revolve

hese themes my

d's-reed-yon pin

uture home, th

d disus'd, u

hy Latin for

ven so-the p

little is the

ell suffice me

d recompense

n-hair'd my ve

ding o'er his

ra, Trent's o'ers

er far than al

ctur'd flood, a

n shores of

mbs, untended

e all now due

pt in leaves

, and for thy

ft from Manso

ast his native

adiant as their

ulpture with

graven there; h

res with groves

various hues a

solitary P

of the dawn, r

a11 leave he

, th'expansiv

even there, t

he mounts, his t

his gem-tip'd

ight and fiery

ulgar minds o

look below, b

arrow to t

vine, and minds

Cupid, and en

mon (neither

usive) thou a

ould simplicit

lse such spotle

(thought profane

hee-cease then m

ief on Damon

elf, has found

show'ry arch, h

heroes, and fr

ous immorta

lips. Oh! bles

with all that fai

treated by w

e thee most (t

ecchoes fill th

atus, by w

eal mansions t

aiden, and thy

s knew never,

therefore, by

gin worth are

rcled with a r

palm-branch wa

l Nuptials s

seraphs thy ac

reigns, and th

t orgies of the

ver in

is the mourning shepherd. Hylas was taken away by nymphs who admired hi

the flocks. Faunus is god of th

in Ovid's M

aunus was a British chieftan who opp

i took medical tra

the Dardanian (i.e. Trojan) fleet,

to Spencer's Fairie Queen, "rasackt Greece" and conquered Fr

ry's Morte

ver in

ess of

John

the Univers

st Volume of my

Replace that

Works Deposited

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oph

t God o

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er t

the fork'd Pa

ting

lendid lot is

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thou sha

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p

works, no

less deem

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with candour

have divided them in this fashion with a view to convenience or the reader, rather than conformity with the ancient rules of versification. In other respects a poem of this kind should, perhaps, more correctly be called monostrop

ton himself informs us, is of no certain measure. It may possibly for this reason disappoint the reader,

tal

dwelt on Mount

uripide

Amissam,

montis de v

jam Boreae tum

abdit spissa

ves aut imbres

o tandem sol

tes et pascua

aves mulcent co

m colles valle

of a simile in

mountaintops, t

&c.-"(ii.