With Muse oppos'd, would I my lines had done, Oxen in whose mouths burning flames did breed? Poets' large power is boundless and immense, Nor have their words true history's pretence. And my wench ought to have seem'd falsely prais'd, Now your credulity harm to me hath rais'd. ELEGIA XIII.|| De Junonis festo. WHEN fruit-fill'd Tuscia should a wife give me, We touch'd the walls, Camillus, won by thee. * Victorious Perseus] "Victor Abantiades"; which has been explained to mean Bellerophon: but the probability is that Ovid alludes to Perseus; see Burm. ad 1. ↑ And men enthrall'd by mermaid's singing charms] "Ambiguæ captos virginis ore viros." Here, perhaps, Ovid alludes to the Sphinx; see Burm. ad 1. Bird-changed Progne doth her Itys tear] Very unlike the original:-"Concinit Odrysium Cecropis ales Ityn." § Heaven-star, Electra, that bewail'd her sisters] Whatever text our translator may have followed here, he has mistaken "electra" for a proper name, and made nonsense of the whole line. (The approved reading is, "Flere genis electra tuas, auriga, sorores?") Elegia XIII.] Not in ed. A. The priests to Juno did prepare chaste feasts, With famous pageants, and their home-bred beasts. To know their rites, well recompens'd my stay, Who sees it, grants some deity there is shrowded. The annual pomp goes on the cover'd ground. And little pigs, base hog-sties' sacrifice, And rams with horns their hard heads wreathed back; Only the goddess hated goat did lack; By whom disclos'd, she in the high woods took, And give[n] to him that the first wound imparts. Jewels and gold their virgin tresses crown, And stately robes to their gilt feet hang down. hollow; And she her vestal virgin priests doth follow. Such was the Greek pomp, Agamemnon dead; Which fact** and country wealth Halesus fled; And, having wander'd now through sea and land, Built walls high-towerèd with a prosperous hand. He to th' Hetrurians Juno's feast commended: Let me and them by it be aye befriended. my] So ed. B.-Ed. C "may." ↑ Here, when the pipe, &c.] Marlowe's copy of Ovid had "Hic ubi personuit ", &c. the cover'd ground] "velatas ... vias." § Now is the goat brought through the boys with darts] A very faulty translation of "Nunc quoque per pucros jaculis incessitur index." Shew] Marlowe's copy of Ovid had "Præbuerant latas", &c. Tin white] So ed. B.-Ed. C "in their white.' ELEGIA XIV. Ad amicam, si peccatura est, ut occulte peccet. SEEING thou art fair, I bar not thy false playing; But let not me, poor soul, know* of thy straying: Nor do I give thee counsel to live chaste, The strumpet with the stranger || will not do, There use all tricks,** and tread shame under feet. When you are up and dress'd, be sage and grave, * know] So eds. B, C.-Ed. A "wit." ttrod] So eds. A, C.-Ed. B "tred." ‡ night-pranks] Ed. A "night-sports." - Eds. B, C, "night's pranckes." § And] So eds. B, C.-Ed. A "Or." || stranger] So eds. B, C.-Ed. A "stanger." †† yours ever mine] So eds. B, C.-Ed. A "mine euer yours." This, &c.] So eds. A, B.-Ed. C "And this," &c.But the original has "Cur pressus prior est interiorque torus?" §§ Grant this, that what you do I may not see] Is not My soul fleets when I think what you have done, I'll not sift much, but hold thee soon excus'd, From him that yields, the palm || is quickly got: ELEGIA XV.tt Ad Venerem, quod elegis finem imponat. TENDER Loves 'mother,‡‡ a new poet get; This last end to my Elegies is set, §§ Which I, Peligny's foster-child, have fram'd, Nor am I by such wanton toys defam'd; Heir of an ancient house, if help that can, Not only by war's rage made gentleman. In Virgil Mantua joys; in Catull Verone; Of me Peligny's nation boasts alone; Whom liberty to honest arms compell'd, When careful Rome in doubt their prowess held: And some guest viewing watery Sulmo's walls, Where little ground to be enclos'd befalls, "How such a poet could you bring forth?" says; "How small soe'er, ¶¶ I'll you for greatest praise." equivalent to "Tantum non oculos crimen deducis ad ipsos." thorough] So eds. B, C.-Ed. A "through." t deed] So eds. B, C.-Ed. A "deedes." § deny] So eds. B, C.-Ed. A "yeeld not." Il palm] So eds. B, C.-Ed. A "garland." acquits] So eds. B, C.-Ed. A "acquites." ** I that] So eds. A, B.-Ed. C "that I."-At the end of this elegy ed. A has "C. Marlow." tt Blegia XV.] Not in ed. A. It Tender Loves' mother] "tenerorum mater Amorum." 88 This last end to my Elegies is set] Marlowe's copy of Ovid had" Traditur hæc Elegis ultima charta meis." How] Marlowe seems to have read here "Quí, tantum," &c. ¶¶ soe'er] So ed. B.-Ed. C "to erre." Both Loves, to whom my heart long time did yield,* Your golden ensigns pluck † out of my field. * Both Loves, to whom my heart long time did yield] Marlowe's copy of Ovid had "Culte puer, puerique parens mihi tempore longo" (instead of what we now read, "Amathusia culti"). † pluck] Old eds. "pluckt." Horn'd Bacchus graver fury doth distil; * Weak Elegies, delightful Muse] "Imbelles Elegi, genialis Musa.' Three editions of the volume, of which these Epigrams form a portion, have been already described, p. 312. J. D. are the initials of John (afterwards Sir John) Davies, author of the well known and excellent poem, Nosce Teipsum, &c. For more on this subject, see the Account of Marlowe and his Writings. |