John Milton - Poemata - Latin, Greek and Italian Poems

Enamour'd, artless, young, on foreign ground,
Uncertain whither from myself to fly,
To thee, dear Lady, with an humble sigh
Let me devote my heart, which I have found
By certain proofs not few, intrepid, sound,
Good, and addicted to conceptions high:

When tempests shake the world, and fire the sky,
It rests in adamant self–wrapt around,
As safe from envy, and from outrage rude,
From hopes and fears, that vulgar minds abuse,
As fond of genius, and fix'd fortitude,
Of the resounding lyre, and every Muse.
Weak you will find it in one only part,
Now pierc'd by Love's immedicable dart. [168] It has ever been thought difficult for an author to speak gracefully of himself, especially in commendation; but Milton, who was gifted with powers to overcome difficulties, of every kind, is eminently happy in this particular. He has spoken frequently of himself both in verse and prose, and he continually shows that he thought highly of his own endowments; but if he praises himself, he does it with that dignified frankness and simplicity of conscious truth, which renders even egotism respectable and delightful: whether he describes the fervent and tender emotions of his juvenile fancy, or delineates his situation in the decline of life, when he had to struggle with calamity and peril, the more insight he affords us into his own sentiments and feelings, the more reason we find both to love, and revere him.—W.C.

Christina, maiden of heroic mien!
Star of the North! of northern stars the queen!
Behold, what wrinkles I have earn'd, and how
The iron cask still chafes my vet'ran brow,
While following fate's dark footsteps, I fulfill
The dictates of a hardy people's will.
But soften'd, in thy sight, my looks appear,
Not to all Queens or Kings alike severe.

Who taught Salmasius, the French chatt'ring Pye, [170] i.e. The Magpie.
To try at English, and "Hundreda" [171] Salmasius attempted to do certain English words in his Latin. A "Hundred" was a division of an English shire. cry?
The starving Rascal, flush'd with just a Hundred
English Jacobusses, [172] The Jacobus was a gold coin named for James I. "Hundreda" blunder'd.

An outlaw'd King's last stock.—a hundred more,
Would make him pimp for th'Antichristian Whore; [173] Salmasius attacked the Pope in "De Primatu Papae" in 1645.
And in Rome's praise employ his poison'd Breath,
Who once threatn'd to stink the Pope to death.

Rejoice, ye herrings, and ye ocean fry,
Who, in cold winter, shiver in the sea;
The knight, Salmasius, [174] A play on "Salmon." pitying your hard lot,
Bounteous intends your nakedness to clothe,
And, lavish of his paper, is preparing
Chartaceous jackets to invest you all,
Jackets resplendent with his arms and fame,
Exultingly parade the fishy mart,
And sing his praise with checquered, livery,
That well might serve to grace the letter'd store
Of those who pick their noses and ne'er read.

[Lines Concerning Alexander More.] [175] Wrongly attr. to Milton, who prefaced these lines with, "Ingenii, hoc distochon" [Some ingenious person wrote this distich]. Milton wrongly believed More to be the author of a libel against him.
O Pontia, teeming with More's Gallic seed,
You have been Mor'd [176] It is impossible to give a literally exact rendering of this. I have played upon the name as well as I could in English.—R.F. enough, and no More need.

O lady fair, whose honoured name doth grace
Green vale and noble ford of Rheno's stream—
Of all worth void the man I surely deem
Whom thy fair soul enamoureth not apace,
When softly self–revealed in outer space
By actions sweet with which thy will doth teem,
And gifts—Love's bow and shafts in their esteem
Who tend the flowers one day shall crown thy race.

When thou dost lightsome talk or gladsome sing,—
A power to draw the hill–trees, rooted hard—
The doors of eyes and ears let that man keep,
Who knows himself unworthy thy regard.
Grace from above alone him help can bring,
That passion in his heart strike not too deep.