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lucasta-第25节

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dwriting of the Princess Elizabeth; daughter of Charles I。; giving a list of the children of that prince by Henrietta Maria; with the dates of their birth。 There mention is made of a Princess Katherine; born Jan。 29; 1639。 1639 is; I believe; a slip of the pen for 1637; that is to say; the princess was born on the 29th of January; 1637…8。  This discrepancy between the CHARISTERIA and the memorandum in Harl。 MS。 escaped Sir H。 Ellis; who was possibly unaware of the existence of the former。  For; unless a mistake is assumed on the part of the writer of the MS。; the existence of TWO Princesses Katherine must be granted。

 This reading from CHARISTERIA; 1638; seems preferable to APTLY; as it stands in the LUCASTA。

 So the CHARISTERIA。  The reading in LUCASTA is MOURNE。

 In LUCASTA the reading is BURIED; AND CHRIST'NED。

 This word is omitted in the LUCASTA; it is here supplied from the CHARISTERIA。

 LUCASTA reads SHOWE'S。  SHEW; as printed in CHARISTERIA; is clearly the true word。

 i。e。 freed。   FREE and FREED were sometimes formerly pronounced like FRY and FRYED: for Lord North; in his FOREST OF VARIETIES; 1645; has these lines

    〃Birds that long have lived free;      Caught and cag'd; but pine and die。〃

Here evidently FREE is intended to rhyme with DIE。



   CLITOPHON AND LUCIPPE TRANSLATED。               TO THE LADIES。

  Pray; ladies; breath; awhile lay by Caelestial Sydney's ARCADY; Heere's a story that doth claime A little respite from his flame: Then with a quick dissolving looke Unfold the smoothnes of this book; To which no art (except your sight) Can reach a worthy epithite; 'Tis an abstract of all volumes; A pillaster of all columnes Fancy e're rear'd to wit; to be The smallest gods epitome; And so compactedly expresse All lovers pleasing wretchednes。

  Gallant Pamela's majesty And her sweet sisters modesty Are fixt in each of you; you are; Distinct; what these together were; Divinest; that are really What Cariclea's feign'd to be; That are ev'ry one the Nine; And brighter here Astreas shine; View our Lucippe; and remaine In her; these beauties o're againe。

  Amazement!  Noble Clitophon Ev'n now lookt somewhat colder on His cooler mistresse; and she too Smil'd not as she us'd to do。 See! the individuall payre Are at sad oddes; and parted are; They quarrell; aemulate; and stand At strife; who first shal kisse your hand。

  A new dispute there lately rose Betwixt the Greekes and Latines; whose Temples should be bound with glory; In best languaging this story;

Yee heyres of love; that with one SMILE A ten…yeeres war can reconcile; Peacefull Hellens!  Vertuous!  See: The jarring languages agree! And here; all armes layd by; they doe In English meet to wayt on you。

 Achillis Tatii Alexandrini DE LUCIPPES ET CLITOPHONTIS AMORIBUS LIBRI OCTO。  The translation of this celebrated work; to which Lovelace contributed the commendatory verses here republished; was executed by his friend Anthony Hodges; A。M。; of New College; Oxford; and was printed at Oxford in 1638; 8vo。 There had been already a translation by W。 Burton; purporting to be done from the Greek; in 1597; 4to。  The text of 1649 and that of 1638 exhibit so many variations; that the reader may be glad to have the opportunity of comparison:

               〃TO THE LADIES。        〃Fair ones; breathe: a while lay by      Blessed Sidney's ARCADY:      Here's a story that will make      You not repent HIM to forsake;      And with your dissolving looke      Vntie the contents of this booke;      To which nought (except your sight)      Can give a worthie epithite。      'Tis an abstract of all volumes;      A pillaster of all columnes      Fancie e're rear'd to wit; to be      Little LOVE'S epitome;      And compactedly expresse      All lovers happy wretchednesse。

       〃Brave PAMELA'S majestie      And her sweet sister's modestie      Are fixt in each of you; you are      Alone; what these together were      Divinest; that are really      What Cariclea's feign'd to be;      That are every one; the Nine;      And on earth Astraeas shine;      Be our LEUCIPPE; and remaine      In HER; all these o're againe。

       〃Wonder!  Noble CLITOPHON      Me thinkes lookes somewhat colder on      His beauteous mistresse; and she too      Smiles not as she us'd to doe。      See! the individuall payre      Are at oddes and parted are;      Quarrel; emulate; and stand      At strife; who first shall kisse your hand。

       〃A new warre e're while arose      'Twixt the GREEKES and LATINES; whose      Temples should be bound with glory      In best languaging this story:      You; that with one lovely smile      A ten…yeares warre can reconcile;      Peacefull Hellens awfull see      The jarring languages agree;      And here all armes laid by; they doe      Meet in English to court you。〃           Rich。 Lovelace; Ma: Ar: A: Glou: Eq: Aur: Fil: Nat: Max。

See Halliwell's DICTIONARY OF OLD PLAYS; 1860; art。 CLYTOPHON。

 There can be no doubt that Sidney's ARCADIA was formerly as popular in its way among the readers of both sexes as Sir Richard Baker's CHRONICLE appears to have been。  The former was especially recommended to those who sought occasional relaxation from severer studies。  See Higford's INSTITUTIONS; 1658; 8vo; p。 46…7。  In his poem of THE SURPRIZE; Cotton describes his nymph as reading the ARCADIA on the bank of a river

     〃The happy OBJECT of her eye      Was SIDNEY'S living ARCADY:      Whose amorous tale had so betrai'd      Desire in this all…lovely maid;      That; whilst her check a blush did warm;      I read LOVES story in her form。〃           POEMS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS。           By Charles Cotton; Esq。 Lond。 1689; 8vo; p。 392。

 The Pamela of Sydney's ARCADIA

 The allusion is to the celebrated story of THEAGENES AND CHARICLEA; which was popular in this country at an early period。 A drama on the subject was performed before Court in 1574。

 Lovelace refers; it may be presumed; to an edition of ACHILLES TATIUS; in which the Greek text was printed with a Latin translation。



  TO MY TRUELY VALIANT; LEARNED FRIEND; WHO IN HIS BOOKE       RESOLV'D THE ART GLADIATORY INTO THE MATHEMATICKS。

                    I。 Hearke; reader! wilt be learn'd ith' warres?   A gen'rall in a gowne? Strike a league with arts and scarres;   And snatch from each a crowne?

                    II。 Wouldst be a wonder?  Such a one;   As should win with a looke? A bishop in a garison;   And conquer by the booke?

                    III。 Take then this mathematick shield;   And henceforth by its rules Be able to dispute ith' field;   And combate in the schooles。

                    IV。 Whilst peaceful learning once againe   And the souldier so concord; As that he fights now with her penne;   And she writes with his sword。

 〃PALLAS ARMATA。  The Gentlemen's Armorie。  Wherein the right and genuine use of the Rapier and of the Sword; as well against the right handed as against the left handed man 'is displayed。' 'By G。 A。' London; 1639; 8vo。  With several illustrative woodcuts。〃  The lines; as originally printed in PALLAS ARMATA; vary from those subsequently admitted into LUCASTA。  They are as follow:

               TO THE READER。      Harke; reader; would'st be learn'd ith' warres;        A CAPTAINE in a gowne?      Strike a league with bookes and starres;        And weave of both the crowne?

     Would'st be a wonder?  Such a one        As would winne with a looke?      A schollar in a garrison?        And conquer by the booke?

     Take then this mathematick shield;        And henceforth by its rules;      Be able to dispute ith' field;        And combate in the schooles。

     Whil'st peacefull learning once agen        And th' souldier do concorde;      As that he fights now with her penne;        And she writes with his sword。                Rich。 Lovelace; A。 Glouces。 Oxon。




          TO FLETCHER REVIV'D。

  How have I bin religious? what strange good Has scap't me; that I never understood? Have I hel…guarded Haeresie o'rthrowne? Heald wounded states? made kings and kingdoms one? That FATE should be so merciful to me; To let me live t' have said I have read thee。

  Faire star; ascend! the joy! the life! the light Of this tempestuous age; this darke worlds sight! Oh; from thy crowne of glory dart one flame May strike a sacred reverence; whilest thy name (Like holy flamens to their god of day) We bowing; sing; and whilst we praise; we pray。

  Bright spirit! whose aeternal motion Of wit; like Time; stil in it selfe did run; Binding all others in it; and did give Commission; how far this or that shal live; Like DESTINY of poems who; as she Signes death to all; her selfe cam never dye。

  And now thy purple…robed Traegedy; In her imbroider'd buskins; cals mine eye; Where the brave Aetius we see betray'd; T' obey his death; whom thousand lives obey'd; Whilst that the mighty foole his scepter breakes; And through his gen'rals wounds his own doome speakes; Weaving thus richly VALENTINIAN; The costliest monarch with the cheapest man。

  Souldiers may here to their old glories adde; 

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