A trusty gossip, one dame Alison. It so befel, in holy time of Lent, At Sermons too I shone in scarlet gay, 270 275 280 285 The wasting moth ne'er spoil'd my best array; 'Twas when fresh May her early blossoms yields, 290 That he, and only he, should serve my turn. 295 We straight struck hands, the bargain was agreed; I still have shifts against a time of need: The mouse that always trusts to one poor hole, I vow'd, I scarce could sleep since first I knew him 300 And durst be sworn he had bewitch'd me to him; If e'er I slept, I dream'd of him alone, And dreams foretell, as learned men have shown: All this I said; but dream, sirs, I had none: I follow'd but my crafty Crony's lore, 305 Thus day by day, and month by month we past; It pleas'd the Lord to take my spouse at last. I tore my gown, I soil'd my locks with dust, 310 315 I (to say truth) was twenty more than he; 320 325 But to my tale: A month scarce pass'd away, With dance and song we kept the nuptial day. All I possess'd I gave to his command, 330 My goods and chattels, money, house, and land: 335 Hear but the fact, and judge yourselves the case. And knew full well to raise my voice on high; And would be so in spite of all he swore. 340 He against this right sagely would advise, 345 Oft would he say, who builds his house on sands, 350 Men, women, clergy, regular, and lay. My spouse, (who was, you know, to learning bred) 355 A certain treatise oft at ev'ning read, Where divers Authors (whom the dev'l confound For all their lies) were in one volume bound. 360 And many more than sure the Church approves. More legends were there here of wicked wives, Than good in all the Bible and Saints-lives. 365 Love seldom haunts the breast where Learning lies, And Venus sets ere Mercury can rise. It chanc'd my husband, on a winter's night, But what most pleas'd him was the Cretan dame, 370 375 380 385 390 395 "Where grows this plant" (reply'd the friend) "oh where? The nimble juice soon seiz'd his giddy head, 405 How some with swords their sleeping lords have slain, And some have hammer'd nails into their brain, And some have drench'd them with a deadly potion; All this he read, and read with great devotion. 410 Long time I heard, and swell'd and blush'd, and frown'd' But when no end of these vile tales I found, 415 "Oh! thou hast slain me for my wealth" (I cry'd) "Yet I forgive thee-take my last embrace-" 420 He wept, kind soul! and stoop'd to kiss my face; } I condescended to be pleas'd at last. 425 430 435 THE FIRST BOOK OF STATIUS HIS THEBAIS. Translated in the Year 1703. [The First Book of the Thebais of Statius was published in 1712, in Lintot's Miscellany. Pope had tried his hand at translating part of Statius before he was twelve years of age; and his efforts were revised by his early friend Henry Cromwell, so mysteriously described by Gay in Alexander Pope his safe return from Troy as 'honest hatless Cromwell, with red breeches.'-P. Papinius Statius, born at Naples about 50 A.D. was the most popular poet of the Flavian epoch, and besides his epics, the Thebais (in 12 books) and the Achilleis (in 2), wrote the Sylva (5 books of occasional pieces). Of his Thebais, said to have been founded on the Greek poem by Antimachus, a criticism will be found in Merivale's Romans under the Empire, chap. LXIV., where it is designated as perhaps the most perfect in form and arrangement of ancient epics, but confused in its general effect from want of breadth and largeness of treatment.] ARGUMENT. EDIPUS King of Thebes having by mistake slain his father Laius, and marry'd his mother Jocasta, put out his own eyes, and resign'd the realm to his sons Eteocles and Polynices. Being neglected by them, he makes his prayer to the fury Tisiphone, to sow debate betwixt the brothers. They agree at last to reign singly, each a year by turns, and the first lot is obtain❜d by Eteocles. Jupiter, in a council of the Gods, declares his resolution of punishing the Thebans, and Argives also by means of a marriage betwixt Polynices and one of the daughters of Adrastus King of Argos. Juno opposes, but to no effect; and Mercury is sent on a message to the shades, to the ghost of Laius, who is to appear to Eteocles, and provoke him to break the agreement. Polynices in the mean time departs from Thebes by night, is overtaken by a storm, and arrives at Argos; where he meets with Tydeus, who had fled from Calydon, having kill'd his brother. Adrastus entertains them, having receiv'd an oracle from Apollo that his daughter should be marry'd to a Boar and a Lion, which he understands to be meant of these strangers by whom the hides of those beasts were worn, and who arriv'd at the time when he kept an annual feast in honour of that God. The rise of this solemnity he relates to his guests, the loves of Phoebus and Psamathe, and the story of Choroebus. He enquires, and is made acquainted with that descent and quality: The sacrifice is renew'd, and the book concludes with a Hymn to Apollo. The Translator hopes he needs not apologize for his Choice of this piece, which Iwas made almost in his Childhood. But finding the Version better than he ex pected, he gave it some Correction a few years afterwards. P. RATERNAL Rage the guilty Thebes alarms, Demand our song; a sacred fury fires My ravish'd breast, and all the Muse inspires. And Cadmus searching round the spacious sea? 5 10 15 And fix, O Muse! the barrier of thy song 20 At Edipus-from his disasters trace The long confusions of his guilty race: Nor yet attempt to stretch thy bolder wing, [The Emperor Domitian seems to have assumed the title of Dacicus in virtue of victories in which he had no personal share.] |