Virgil

“ But murky clouds are gath'ring round the pole-, In hollow murmur distant thunders roll; 205 The hail, the rain a mingled tempest pour, Whole rivers swelling down the mountain roar, The trembling youths of Troy, the Tyrian train, Cytherea's grandson, scatter'd o'er the plain, All fly the storm, and in one dark retreat 210 The Tyrian Queen and Trojan Hero meet. Strait nuptial Juno, gives the fatal sign; Pale flames the torch, and trembling Earth the shrine: Night spread the veil;—and to the vow they swore The murmuring air, ill omen'd witness bore. ”

“ Rous'd up the league, the happy moment prest, Reviv'd her serpents drooping in her breast; And while the monarch languished in repose, 315 Blew the shrill blast, that gathered all his foes. A conscious blush on Henry's forehead glow'd As Mornay met him in the soft abode: Silent at first, the mutual look they fear'd, But in that silence all the mind appear'd: 320 And Mornay's eye to Henry's soul convey'd, How wide from virtue and from fame he stray'd. The gentlest touch of blame we scarce endure, How oft we loose the friend we mean to cure ”

“ Falsehood and truth, she spreads with equal real, To gaping crouds rejoicing to reveal What is, what was, and what has never been. 240 Æneas fled from Troy;—The Tyrian queen, Her bed, her sceptre, with an exile shares; And now forgetful of all other cares, With shameful passion blindly led astray, In love and joy they waste the hours away. 245 This, all around Fame glories to diffuse, And to Iarba next her flight pursues, To fan the flame that in his bosom glows. To Jove himself, his birth the monarch owes ”

“ But Love does more: for Love what pow'r can bound? A charm invincible he calls around, Their tender boughs enchanted myrtles spread, Rise thro' the earth and wave their taper head: 210 Deluded mortals seek the tempting shades, The secret charm their languid sense invades, Around, a stream in lulling manner flows, Of deep forgetfulness, of soft repose; Bound in the chain no more they seek to move; 215 Fame, honor, duty, what are you to Love? ”

“ O goddess born! can sleep weigh down your eyes, Clos'd to the dangers which around you vise? Senseless!—the zephyrs waste their fav'ring breath, 700 While brooding in a soul resolv'd on death Some black design, matures, some treach'rous blow, Haste then and fly, while yet you've pow'r to go. You'll see, if here you wait the morning ray, The port block'd up, the shore to flames a prey. 705 Woman's a thing so variable and light! Haste then away. He spoke and mix'd with night. Æneas trembling as the phantom flew, Started from sleep, and rous'd the slumb'ring crew. ”

“ Whatever anger she may feel, is yet so much tempered by love and hope, that she breaks out, not into the language of rage, but of the most tender expostulation, the most lively interest in his own welfare, the most pathetic painting of her feelings and situation. It is a beautiful appeal to love, to honor, and to pity. ”

“ Remorse, that never sleeps, brings up the rear, Hates his own deed, and drops a barren tear. There, Love, capricious child, had chose to reign, 60 And pains and pleasures were his motely train; Cruel and kind by turns, but ever blind, The dear delight, the torment of mankind, Thro' ev'ry camp, thro' ev'ry senate glides, Commands the warrior, o'er the judge presides; 65 Still welcome to the heart, he still deceives, Pants in each bosom, thro' all nature lives. High on a throne of endless conquest vain, Love bids the monarch drag his servile chain ”

“ A nymph his mother, by a forc'd embrace; 250 And to the God, the author of his race, Their lofty domes an hundred temples raise, An hundred shrines with flames perpetual blaze, Hung round with wreaths: through all his vast domain, The soil was rich with blood of victims skin. 255 He, by the dire report, to madness fir'd, Vents his dark soul by jealous rage inspir'd, Before the gods, while curling incense blaz'd, His suppliant hands to Jove almighty rais'd. ”

“ But when the moon with paler splendor glows, When stars descending counsel sweet repose, In the deserted hall, alone she mourns; 110 Each word, each look, upon her soul returns, She sees him absent, hears him o'er again, Presses the happy couch where he had lain; Or with the father's rising form beguil'd, Deludes her flame, and clasps the lovely child. 115 Each other care her burning thoughts refuse, In arms no more her Tyrian youth she views ”

“ False man! his friendship you alone possest; To you his heart was open, none but you, The soft access, the pliant moment knew. Go sister then, my haughty foe intreat, 525 Tell him to Troy I sent no hostile fleet; Nor yet, at Aulis, was I one that swore, United vengeance to the Dardan shore. Have I disturb'd his father's sacred shade, That to be heard—not mere—in vain I've pray'd? 530 Tho' clos'd his ears to me, can be deny This last, this least request! where would he fly? Bid him remain till wintry storms subside, Till kinder breezes, smooth the ruffled tide. ”

“ Thro' the wide desert fierce Barceans roam: 55 Why need I mention from our former home, The deadly war, a brother's threats prepare? For me, I think, that Juno's fost'ring care, Some god auspicious, rais'd the winds that bore Those Phrygian vessels to our Lybian shore. 60 Their godlike chief should happy Dido wed, How would her walls ascend, her empire spread? Join'd by the arms of Troy, with such allies, Think to what height will Punic glory rise. Win but the gods, their sacred off'rings pay; 65 Detain your guest; invent some fond delay. ”

“ No muse can paint what playful zephyr show'd, Nor tell the charm that modesty bestow'd: 200 Not the stiff airs that prudish virtue arm, The foes of love, the bane of ev'ry charm: Sweet, bashful grace, that bends the timid eye, Spreads o'er the glowing cheek a heav'nly dye, With soft respect extatic rapture blends, 205 And heavn's pure bliss to Love triumphant lends. ”

“ Her sister hears the tumult of despair, She starts—she tears her breast, she reads her hair, 825 And wildly bursting thro' the gathering crowd, Calls on her dying sister's name aloud: Dido—Dear sister—how am I betray'd! For this, these flames—this pyre, these shrines I made. Oh what complaints for me forlorn suffice! 850 Could you, resolv'd to die, your friend despise, Was I unworthy deem'd to share your end? One pang our souls should free, one fate attend. I call'd our gods—my hands these rites prepar'd ”

“ Now flames consume, now languor fills his breast; Soft drops of pleasure glisten'd in their eyes, 295 Voluptuous tear that love knows how to prize; No coy reserve the burning bliss restrain'd, Fond passion, prodigal of pleasure, reign'd; While Love's mute eloquence their lips employ, Short sighs and gentle murmurs speak their joy: 300 Their panting hearts with glowing transport swell, Which love alone inspires, alone can tell. Young pleasures sporting in luxurious ease, And infant Cupid's on his amour seize ”

“ The conscious gods her dying words attest, The start that bear our fate, and if above A pow'r remains, that pities injur'd love. 650 'Twas night when o'er the earth in soft repose, All that exist, the load of life depose; When woods are hush'd, and murmuring billows done, When stars descending half their course have run; In silence all—The beasts, the feather'd brood, 655 That swim the lake, or haunt the thicket wood, All thro' the silent night, in balmy sleep Their hearts reliev'd in sweet oblivion steep. Not wretched Dido—night descends in vain Her eyes unclos'd, and unrepriev'd her pain ”

“ The last great conquest o'er myself remains: Glory beams forth—and love no more shall sway. The blood of Spain shall wash the stain away». «There», Mornay cried,« the monarch's voice I own; 335 There spoke the guardian of the Gallic throne: Love thus subdu'd, adds lustre to your state; Blest who ne'er feels it,—but who conquers, great». As Henry's lip pronounc'd the last forewel, What advers passions in his soul rebel? 340 Full of the beauty he adores and flies, He blames the tear, yet tears still fill his eyes: Now Mornay calls, now tender love retains ”

“ Nor race divine, Nor Dardan sire, nor Goddess mother thine! Form'd in the flinty womb of rocks accurst, 455 Begot by Caucasus, by tygers nurst. What need I more? why doubt of what is plain? One sigh, one look, did all my tears obtain. How name his crimes? did loves extremest woe, Move that hard heart, or cause one tear to flow! But will Jove's Queen who guards the nuptial vow, 460 Will mighty Jove himself, such deeds allow? Whom now confide in? Cast upon my shore, Shipwreck'd, distress'd, a friendly aid I bore: Himself, his fleet, his friends, from ruin drew, Nay, foolish woman! ”

“ The measure commonly used in poetry of a higher style is of ten syllables, as that in French is of twelve. Three English verses of ten syllables generally contain nearly the same number of syllables as two Latin or Greek hexameters, but are in most instances capable of conveying more ideas, especially in translating from Greek which abounds so much in what seem to us expletive particles. The cæsura, or pause is not invariably fixed on the same syllable of the verse, as in French; in the choice and variety of its position, consists the chief art of appropriate harmony. ”

“ But soon— (what can escape a lovers view) Soon Dido saw the change, her boding mind 365 Fancied, foresaw, or felt what they desgn'd. Trembling, alive to all she sees or hears, Suspecting ev'ry thing, she doubts, she fears, While Fame that wounded feeling never spar'd, The crews on board announced, the fleet prepar'd: 379 Till mad'ning flames within her bosom rise; Distracted, furious, o'er the town she flies, Wild as the Woodnymph when the frantic rite And Bacchanalian shout, to rage excite Madder and louder as the God invades, 375 She hears him bounding thro' the midnight shades. ”

“ Jove sends down Mercury to order Æneas to leave Carthage. Dido endeavours to make him alter this terrible resolution, falls into the most violent paroxism of rage at his cold refusal, again melts into tenderness, employs her sister to prevail upon Æneas, at least, to wait till the wintry storms were past. All is in vain, and Dido resolved to die, deceives her sister with an idea of magic rites to get rid of her passion—and persuades her to raise a funeral pyle in her palace, Æneas a second time admonished by Mercury sets sail ”

“ If he has not always been able to make the french idiom bear him through the ætherial regions in which the daring wing of Milton's muse soars with so sublime a flight, he has descended not without dignity to the sphere of human understanding. And I believe it may be safely advanced, that it will be easier for ordinary capacities, even among English readers, to understand the work of Milton, in this translation than in the original. ”

“ Venus, aware of the deceit, appears in a very complimentary style to give into it, and consents to her projects. While the Tyrian princess and the Trojan are hunting in a forest Juno sends down a violent storm, and the Queen and Æneas take shelter alone in a dark cavern.—There Juno performed the nuptial rite and the passion of Dido was reconciled to her conscience.—Fame soon spreads the report of this alliance.—Iarba, one of Dido's suitors, hears of it and addresses an angry prayer to Jupiter Ammon from whom he was descended. ”

“ Soon thro' the Lybian towns, Fame blew the deed; Fame, that outstrips all other ills in speed, That feeds on motion, strengthens as she flies, 225 Weak, timid first, but soon of monstrous size, Her feet on earth, amid the clouds her head. With Heav'n incens'd, her mother Earth 'tis said, This sister added to the Giant brood, With wings, with feet, with dreadful speed endu'd. Huge horrid monster!——Ev'ry plume she wears 230 A watching eye conceal'd beneath it bears, And strange to tell—on ev'ry feather hung A gaping ear—a never ceasing tongue. Sleep never enter'd yet those glaring eyes ”

“ James's.—The varied and extended occupations of a maritime and commercial people have increased the fund from which imagery in discourse is drawn, and as all occupations in such a nation are deemed honorable, no metaphor is rejected as ignoble that is apt and expressive. ”

“ In her own heart, unknown, her fate she bears. 90 The pleasing flame upon her vitals feeds, The silent wound within her bosom bleeds. She raves, she burns, and with uncertain mind, Roams o'er the town; roams like the wounded hind, Whom in the woods, unconscious of his deed, 95 The hunter pierc'd, and left the trembling reed; O'er woods, o'er quaries, from the pain she springs, While in her flank the deadly arrow clings. } So with Æneas love-sick Dido strays, 100 } Points to her town, her Tyrian wealth displays, } While ev'ry look her longing soul betrays ”

“ Two mighty gods—one woman have undone! I'm not deceiv'd, I know what jealous hate 130 Our rising walls and Punic pow'r create; To what extreme, what purpose will it tend? Why may not peace and nuptial union end This dire debate?——You've gain'd your utmost aim; Thro' every fibre Dido feels the flame ”

“ While the energy which their language is allowed to possess is the old inheritance of their Anglo Saxon ancestors, whatever elegance it may have acquired, is derived rather from Athens and Rome than from St. ”