Volume III Part 7 (1/2)
--_Broughton._
[95] ”Old eds. 'prayes,' 'praies,' 'preies,' and 'pryes.'”--_Dyce._
[96] Dyce reads ”enthrill'd” (a word that I do not remember to have seen).
[97] Did make to spring. Cf. Fourth Sestiad, l. 169.
[98] So the Isham copy. All other editions omit the words ”the blood.”
[99] ”Valure” is frequently found as a form of ”value;” but I suspect, with Dyce, that it is here put (_metri causa_) for ”valour.”
[100] Plot.
[101] Gr. [Greek: adolesches].
[102] Some eds. ”price.”
[103] Gr. [Greek: hagneia]
[104] Singer gives a reference to Pausan, x. 5.--Old eds. ”Phemonor” and ”Phemoner.”
[105] Comfits.
[106] ”Other some” is a not uncommon form of expression. See Halliwell's _Dict. of Archaic and Provincial Words_.
[107] Old eds. ”their.”
[108] Old eds. ”his.”
[109] A sudden pettishness or freak of fancy. Cf. _Two n.o.ble Kinsmen_:--
”The hot horse hot as fire _Took toy_ at this.”
[110] Former editors have not noticed that Chapman is here closely imitating Catullus' _Carmen Nuptiale_--
”Virginitas non tota tua est: ex parte parentum est: Tertia pars patri data, pars data tertia matri, Tertia sola tua est: noli pugnare duobus, Qui genero sua jura simul c.u.m dote dederunt.”
[111] Some eds. ”starting.” Cf. _Julius Caesar_, iv. 3, ll. 278-9--
”Art thou some G.o.d, some angel, or some devil, That makest my blood cold and my hair to _stare_?”
[112] ”Old eds. 'much-rong,' 'much rongd,' and 'much-wrong'd.'”--_Dyce_ (who reads ”much-wrung”).
THE SIXTH SESTIAD.
_The Argument of the Sixth Sestiad._
Leucote flies to all the Winds, And from the Fates their outrage blinds,[113]
That Hero and her love may meet.
Leander, with Love's complete fleet Manned in himself, puts forth to seas; When straight the ruthless Destinies, With, Ate, stir the winds to war Upon the h.e.l.lespont: their jar Drowns poor Leander. Hero's eyes, Wet witnesses of his surprise, 10 Her torch blown out, grief casts her down Upon her love, and both doth drown: In whose just ruth the G.o.d of seas Transforms them to th' Acanthides.
No longer could the Day nor Destinies Delay the Night, who now did frowning rise Into her throne; and at her humorous b.r.e.a.s.t.s Visions and Dreams lay sucking: all men's rests Fell like the mists of death upon their eyes, Day's too-long darts so kill'd their faculties.
The Winds yet, like the flowers, to cease began; For bright Leucote, Venus' whitest swan, That held sweet Hero dear, spread her fair wings, Like to a field of snow, and message brings 10 From Venus to the Fates, t'entreat them lay Their charge upon the Winds their rage to stay, That the stern battle of the seas might cease, And guard Leander to his love in peace.
The Fates consent;--ay me, dissembling Fates!
They showed their favours to conceal their hates, And draw Leander on, lest seas too high Should stay his too obsequious destiny: Who[114] like a fleering slavish parasite, In warping profit or a traitorous sleight, 20 Hoops round his rotten body with devotes, And p.r.i.c.ks his descant face full of false notes; Praising with open throat, and oaths as foul As his false heart, the beauty of an owl; Kissing his skipping hand with charmed skips, That cannot leave, but leaps upon his lips Like a c.o.c.k-sparrow, or a shameless quean Sharp at a red-lipp'd youth, and naught doth mean Of all his antic shows, but doth repair More tender fawns,[115] and takes a scatter'd hair 30 From his tame subject's shoulder; whips and calls For everything he lacks; creeps 'gainst the walls With backward humbless, to give needless way: Thus his false fate did with Leander play.
First to black Eurus flies the white Leucote (Born 'mongst the negroes in the Levant sea, On whose curl'd head[s] the glowing sun doth rise), And shows the sovereign will of Destinies, To have him cease his blasts; and down he lies.
Next, to the fenny Notus course she holds, 40 And found him leaning, with his arms in folds, Upon a rock, his white hair full of showers; And him she chargeth by the fatal powers, To hold in his wet cheeks his cloudy voice.
To Zephyr then that doth in flowers rejoice: To snake-foot Boreas next she did remove, And found him tossing of his ravished love,[116]
To heat his frosty bosom hid in snow; Who with Leucote's sight did cease to blow.
Thus all were still to Hero's heart's desire;50 Who with all speed did consecrate a fire Of flaming gums and comfortable spice, To light her torch, which in such curious price She held, being object to Leander's sight, That naught but fires perfumed must give it light.