Musaeus Grammaticus

“ Unmindful of Leander; pray'rs are vain,
Deaf ev'ry Pow'r, for Love can never boast
A conquest o'er the Fates; unhappy Youth,
Sport of contending elements, whose force
Compelling veers thee diverse, scarce thy feet
Faint, and more faint move heavily, thy arm
Drops in lethargic languor, ev'ry surge
Swells thy embitter'd draught; the faithful Torch
Expires amid the tempest, thy fond eye
Just views the falling light, and sinks in death.
⁠Full o'er the Deep impatient Hero por'd,
Pond'ring the long delay ”

“ Critical doubts have likewise arisen, with respect to the probability of Leander's 'watry excursion'—The latter must be determined by the distance. However practicable the Knight, or rather Night Errantry, I am contented to admire the Fable, as a sacrifice to the prevalence of Love, which is well known to remove (at least to attempt it) obstacles of the most forbiding aspect. Those, who wish to give the same air of ease to the present, which has been more recently experienced to attend Love-expeditions, may reduce at will the limits of the Hellespont to those of the Tweed ”

“ Henry Stephens has exhibited the word ἀκόυω in all its meanings, and particularly introduces the above line.—See his Thesaur. Ling. Græc. He observes, that the construction would be harsh (dura conftructio) if turn'd otherwise than 'I hear the Sound of Leander swimming,' which would be a wretched version, particularly when we reflect that Sound cannot be applied to λύχνον the Torch; for that must necessarily be an object to the Eye. To obviate this great impropriety, I would construe ἀκόυω 'fando accipio'—I hear by report—I relate the received tale of Leander and the Torch. ”

“ A Friend is displeas'd with the occasional alteration in the foregoing words, which he esteems not classical. I think, that the liberty may be justify'd from the practice of Grecian writers, who exercis'd the 'poetica licentia' to a degree that banish'd nicety. It must indeed be acknowledg'd, that Ovid uses the word, Leander, in one uniform quantity ”

“ And Cyprus' flow'ry vales their youths resign;
Ev'n thou, Cythera, view'st thy widow'd groves,
No more the seats of Beauty; on the brow
Of spicy Libanus no tunes of mirth
Rouse to the genial dance; the Phrygian swain
Feels the warm impulse, and Abydos' shore
Exhausts her social numbers; not a youth,
Lesson'd in Cupid's school, brooks absence ”

“ Virgil pays [2] a superior tribute to Musæus, whose name he celebrates in his Sixth Book of the Æneid without any intimation of Homer. In a writer of Virgil's candor this omission must be concluded to have arisen from the Antiquity of Musæus's Compositions; many whereof may be suppos'd to have existed in Virgil's days. [3] Their Excellence may be collected from the frequent mention of the Author's name with that of the ancient Orpheus, whose Muse has been recorded to have perform'd even magical operations. ”

“ Leander hangs
Gazing her charms intranc'd, he cannot quit
The fascinating object; the warm blush
Melts on her cheek, as dew-drops on the rose,
While bursts the silver note from Hero's tongue.
'Say, lovely Youth, what means the magic voice,
'Whose sound would soften adamant? What Pow'r
'Taught the commanding accent? Stranger, speak,
'Whence first thy course to Sestos? but in vain
'Thy eloquence of love; seducing Youth,
'Would'st thou unknown aspire to Hero's arms,
'To wishes, thou can'st never taste? The torch
'Of Hymen, if thy Hero yield her hand,
'Beams with no parent's favor ”

“ I speak as to the female sex; for Priests were frequently appointed, who were fathers of children, and indeed the name of Father was particularly honorable both in Greece and Rome. Minutius Felix, in his account of the profligate character, which recommended Priests and Priestesses, certainly alludes either to local degeneracy in Ancient Greece, or to later ages of Paganism ”

“ This last interpretation is illustrated by Henry Stephens from a verse in Homer Il. ω.
Καί σε γέρων τὸ πρὶν μὲν ἀκόυομεν ὂλζιον ἕιναι.
If any severer Critic is dissatisfy'd with the above, let him substitute ὀράω; and the passage will be clear, and unforc'd—Indeed the spirit of the phrase will be augmented by this Prosopopeïa, which consequently enforces the history related, by bringing it immediately to the Sight.
Orig.—Ἠροῡς νυκτιγάμοιο γαμόστολου άγγελιώτην V. 7. ”

“ The conduct of both the Poets merits attention. The conciseness of Musæus is well adapted to the situation of Leander, who was swimming—The more diffus'd stile of Ovid is equally fitted to Leander, while he continued on the Shore. ”

“ Pity and Love are confederate passions. Had the first version stood, it would have been necessary to substitute κάλλεγε for κάλλιπε ——— κάλλεγε Βορέην (illegible text) ἀμνήμοις.
Orig.—Πολλὴ δἁυτόματος χύσις ὕδατος ἔῤῤεε λἀιμῶ, V. 327. ”

“ Assirmavit enim mihi olim Michaël Sophianus coràm aliis plurimis, se vidisse Genuae librum veterem, qui inter alia poemata haberet istud ità inscriptum, Μουσαίου γραμματίκου τα καθ Ήρω, καὶ Αεανδραν, eumq; in cujus manibus liber erat, nominavit. Id autem mihi affirmans judicium meum confirmabat. Quùm enim antiquum Poema mihi non videri, nihilq; me τοῦ ἀρχαιoυ χνου ποιητίκου (ut ità loquar) in eo reperire dicerem (tantum abest, ut vetustissimo illi poetæ ascribendum putarem!) ”