DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9260#0029
PREFACE.
, * fliall tranfcribe one of his Similes which is not cull'd out, but exactly of the fame Texture with all the reft
w the four laft Books of the tyEneids.
Turnus leaps in Fury from his Chariot.
Ac veluti montis faxum de vertice fraceps
Cum ruit avulfum ventoy feu turbiaus imber
Troluit, aut annis folvit fublapfa vetuftas,
Fertur in abruptum magno mons improbus actu,
Exult at que fob, fylvas, armenta, virofqus
Involvens fecum..... JEn. B. 12. 1. 684.
It does not feem to be at all Material, whether the Rock was blown, or wafh'd down, by Wind, or Rain >
or undermin'd by Time.
But to return to Ovids the Reader may take Notice how unforc'd his Compliments, and how natural his
■Tranfitions generally are. With how much Eafe does he Aide into lbme new Circumftance, without any
Violation of the Unity of the Story. The Texture is fo artful, that it may be compar'd to the Work of his
own Arachne, where the Shade dyes fo gradually, and the Light revives fo imperceptibly, that it is hard to
tell where the one ceafes, and the other begins.
When he is going off from the Story of Apollo, and 'Daphne j how happily does he introduce a Compli-
ment to the Roman Conquerors.
■ Et conjux quoniam me a non potes ejfey
Arbor eris certe ■-> ——— ——
Tu T>ucibus Icctis aderis, cum lata triumphant
Vox canet, & longa vifent Capitolia pomp a.
" 'Poftibus Auguftis eadem fidijjima cujlos
Ante fores jlabis $ mediamque tuebere quercum. Met. B. 1.
He compliments Auguftus upon the AfTaflination of Julius and, by way of Simile, takes the Opportu-
nity from the Horror that the Barbarity of Lycaon gave.
1 Sic cum mantis impia fevit
Sanguine Cafar eo Romanum extinguere nomen, &c.
Julius is deify'd, and looks down on his adopted Son.
■ ■ Natique videns bene fact a, fatetur
Effe fuis major-a, & vinci gaudet ab illo. Met. B. 15".
And immediately follows,
Hie fua praferri quamquam vet at acta pater nis $
Libera fama tamen-, nullifque obnoxia jujfis
Invitum prafert. ——— ■
The Author in the two firft Lines fliows the Affectionate Condefcenfion of the Father in the three laft,
the pious Gratitude of the Son.
The Compliments to Auguftus are very frequent in the laft Book of the Metamorphofes; as thofe to the fame
Emperor are in the Georgicks of Virgil, which alfo ftrike the Imagination by their agreeable Flattery.
Htec fuper arvorum cultu, pecorumque canebam,
Et fuper arboribus Cafar dum magnus ad altum
Fulmmat Euphratem bello, victor que volentes
Ter populos dat jura, viamque affectat Olympo.
G. 1
Again on Julius,
Imperium Oceano,famam qui terminet aftris ^ ^ ^
The Compliments ^Ts^Ly. and are worthy of the Grandeur of the Heroes, and the Wit of
^as much deferves Praife for faying a great ^^Jg«£
deal. None of the Cladick Poets had the Talent of ™V^£f^™ ^ trufted with his Chariot. He
Thaeton defires fome Pledge of his Father's Tendernefs, and asks to
anfwers, R
Tignora cert a petis, do pignora certa timendo. Met. B. ».
6 , -i r^nOmience is fatal, the World is let on ?ire,
However, the latter complies with his= Importunitv•^f^™
even the Rivers feel the force of the Conflagration. The Tagus ooy ,
_,_- Fluit ignibus Aurum.
The Nile retreats,
Occuluitque caput, quod adhuc latet >
Zanthus is parch'd up,
ArCurufaue iter urn Zanthus ' m T j «~
*he Poet, Fancy JS Z afof Encrgy, * <* as * - Line, 4* «- **** > *~
miles himfelf Succefs, but is difappointed. *****
, * fliall tranfcribe one of his Similes which is not cull'd out, but exactly of the fame Texture with all the reft
w the four laft Books of the tyEneids.
Turnus leaps in Fury from his Chariot.
Ac veluti montis faxum de vertice fraceps
Cum ruit avulfum ventoy feu turbiaus imber
Troluit, aut annis folvit fublapfa vetuftas,
Fertur in abruptum magno mons improbus actu,
Exult at que fob, fylvas, armenta, virofqus
Involvens fecum..... JEn. B. 12. 1. 684.
It does not feem to be at all Material, whether the Rock was blown, or wafh'd down, by Wind, or Rain >
or undermin'd by Time.
But to return to Ovids the Reader may take Notice how unforc'd his Compliments, and how natural his
■Tranfitions generally are. With how much Eafe does he Aide into lbme new Circumftance, without any
Violation of the Unity of the Story. The Texture is fo artful, that it may be compar'd to the Work of his
own Arachne, where the Shade dyes fo gradually, and the Light revives fo imperceptibly, that it is hard to
tell where the one ceafes, and the other begins.
When he is going off from the Story of Apollo, and 'Daphne j how happily does he introduce a Compli-
ment to the Roman Conquerors.
■ Et conjux quoniam me a non potes ejfey
Arbor eris certe ■-> ——— ——
Tu T>ucibus Icctis aderis, cum lata triumphant
Vox canet, & longa vifent Capitolia pomp a.
" 'Poftibus Auguftis eadem fidijjima cujlos
Ante fores jlabis $ mediamque tuebere quercum. Met. B. 1.
He compliments Auguftus upon the AfTaflination of Julius and, by way of Simile, takes the Opportu-
nity from the Horror that the Barbarity of Lycaon gave.
1 Sic cum mantis impia fevit
Sanguine Cafar eo Romanum extinguere nomen, &c.
Julius is deify'd, and looks down on his adopted Son.
■ ■ Natique videns bene fact a, fatetur
Effe fuis major-a, & vinci gaudet ab illo. Met. B. 15".
And immediately follows,
Hie fua praferri quamquam vet at acta pater nis $
Libera fama tamen-, nullifque obnoxia jujfis
Invitum prafert. ——— ■
The Author in the two firft Lines fliows the Affectionate Condefcenfion of the Father in the three laft,
the pious Gratitude of the Son.
The Compliments to Auguftus are very frequent in the laft Book of the Metamorphofes; as thofe to the fame
Emperor are in the Georgicks of Virgil, which alfo ftrike the Imagination by their agreeable Flattery.
Htec fuper arvorum cultu, pecorumque canebam,
Et fuper arboribus Cafar dum magnus ad altum
Fulmmat Euphratem bello, victor que volentes
Ter populos dat jura, viamque affectat Olympo.
G. 1
Again on Julius,
Imperium Oceano,famam qui terminet aftris ^ ^ ^
The Compliments ^Ts^Ly. and are worthy of the Grandeur of the Heroes, and the Wit of
^as much deferves Praife for faying a great ^^Jg«£
deal. None of the Cladick Poets had the Talent of ™V^£f^™ ^ trufted with his Chariot. He
Thaeton defires fome Pledge of his Father's Tendernefs, and asks to
anfwers, R
Tignora cert a petis, do pignora certa timendo. Met. B. ».
6 , -i r^nOmience is fatal, the World is let on ?ire,
However, the latter complies with his= Importunitv•^f^™
even the Rivers feel the force of the Conflagration. The Tagus ooy ,
_,_- Fluit ignibus Aurum.
The Nile retreats,
Occuluitque caput, quod adhuc latet >
Zanthus is parch'd up,
ArCurufaue iter urn Zanthus ' m T j «~
*he Poet, Fancy JS Z afof Encrgy, * <* as * - Line, 4* «- **** > *~
miles himfelf Succefs, but is difappointed. *****