Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	know_v	read_v	write_v	3,405	5	5.0561	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03513	Achilles shield Translated as the other seuen bookes of Homer, out of his eighteenth booke of Iliades. By George Chapman Gent.; Iliad. Book 18. English. Chapman. Selections	Homer.; Chapman, George, 1559?-1634.	1598 (1598)	STC 13635; ESTC S106158	13,144	30

ACHILLES SHIELD Translated as the other seuen Bookes of Homer out of his eighteenth booke of Iliades By George Chapman Gent. LONDON Imprinted by Iohn Windet and are to be sold at Paules Wharfe at the signe of the Crosse Keyes 1598. To the most honored Earle Earle Marshall SPondanus one of the most desertfull Commentars of Homer cals all sorts of all men learned to be iudicial beholders of this more then Artificiall and no lesse then Diuine Rapture then which nothing can be imagined more full of soule and humaine extraction for what is here prefigurde by our miraculous Artist but the vniuersall world which being so spatious and almost vnmeasurable one circlet of a Shield representes and imbraceth In it heauen turnes the starres shine the earth is enflowred the sea swelles and rageth Citties are built one in the happinesse and sweetnesse of peace the other in open warre the terrors of ambush c. And all these so liuely proposde as not without reason many in times past haue belieued that all these thinges haue in them a kind of voluntarie motion euen as those Tripods of Vulcan and that Dedalian Venus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor can I be resolu'd that their opinions be sufficiently refuted by Aristonicus for so are all things here described by our diuinest Poet as if they consisted not of hard and solid mettals but of a truely liuing and mouing soule The ground of his inuention he shews out of Eustathius intending by the Orbiguitie of the Shield the roundnesse of the world by the foure mettalles the foure elementes viz. by gold fire by brasse earth for the hardnes by Tinne water for the softnes and inclination to fluxure by siluer Aire for the grosnes obscuritie of the mettal before it be refind That which he cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he vnderstands the Zodiack which is said to be triple for the latitude it cōtains shining by reason of the perpetual course of the Sun made in that circle by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Axletree about which heauē hath his motion c. Nor do I deny saith Spondanus Eneas arms to be forged with an exceeding height of wit by Virgil but comparde with these of Homer they are nothing And this is it most honorde that maketh me thus sodainely translate this Shield of Achilles for since my publication of the other seuen bookes comparison hath beene made betweene Virgill and Homer who can be comparde in nothing with more decysall cutting of all argument then in these two Shieldes and whosoeuer shall reade Homer throughly and worthily will know the question comes from a superficiall and too vnripe a reader for Homers Poems were writ from a free furie an absolute full soule Virgils out of a courtly laborious and altogether imitatorie spirit not a Simile hee hath but is Homers not an inuention person or disposition but is wholly or originally built vpon Homericall foundations and in many places hath the verie wordes Homer vseth besides where Virgill hath had no more plentifull and liberall a wit then to frame twelue imperfect bookes of the troubles and trauailes of Aeneas Homer hath of as little subiect finisht eight fortie perfect and that the triuiall obiection may be answerd that not the number of bookes but the nature and excellence of the worke commends it All Homers bookes are such as haue beene presidents euer since of all sortes of Poems imitating none nor euer worthily imitated of any yet would I not be thought so ill created as to bee a malicious detracter of so admired a Poet as Virgill but a true iustifier of Homer who must not bee read for a few lynes with leaues turned ouer caprichiously in dismembred fractions but throughout the whole drift weight height of his workes set before the apprehsiue eyes of his iudge The maiestie he enthrones and the spirit he infuseth into the scope of his worke so farre outshining Virgill that his skirmishes are but meere scramblings of boyes to Homers the silken body of Virgils muse curiously arest in guilt and embrodered siluer but Homers in plaine massie and vnualued gold not onely all learning gouernment and wisedome being deduc't as from a bottomlesse fountaine from him but all wit elegancie disposition and iudgement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Homer saith Plato was the Prince and maister of all prayses and vertues the Emperour of wise men an host of men against any deprauer in any principle he held All the ancient and lately learned haue had him in equall estimation And for anie to be now contrarilie affected it must needes proceed from a meere want onnesse of witte an Idle vnthriftie spirit wilfull because they may choose whether they will think otherwise or not haue power and fortune enough to liue like true men without truth or els they must presume of puritanicall inspiration to haue that with delicacie squemishnes which others with as good means ten times more time and ten thousand times more labour could neuer conceiue But some will conuey their imperfections vnder his Greeke Shield and from thence bestowe bitter arrowes against the traduction affirming their want of admiration grows from defect of our language not able to expresse the coppie and elegancie of the originall but this easie and traditionall pretext hides them not enough for how full of height and roundnesse soeuer Greeke be aboue English yet is there no depth of conconceipt triumphing in it but as in a meere admirer it may bee imagined so in a sufficient translator it may be exprest And Homer that hath his chiefe holinesse of estimation for matter and instruction would scorne to haue his supreame worthinesse glosing in his courtshippe and priuiledge of tongue And if Italian French Spanish haue not made it daintie nor thought it any presumption to turne him into their languages but a fit and honorable labour and in respect of their countries profit and their poesies credit ●●●ost necessarie what curious proud and poore shamefastnesse should let an English muse to traduce him when the language she workes withall is more conformable fluent and expressiue which I would your Lordship would commaunde mee to proue against all our whippers of their owne complement in their countries dialect O what peeuish ingratitude and most vnreasonable scorne of our selues we commit to bee so extrauagant and forreignely witted to honour and imitate that in a strange tongue which wee condemne and contemne in our natiue for if the substance of the Poets will be exprest and his sentence and sence rendred with truth and elocution hee that takes iudiciall pleasure in him in Greeke cannot beare so rough a browe to him in English to entombe his acceptance in austeritie But thou soule-blind Scalliger that neuer hadst any thing but place time and termes to paint thy proficiencie in learning nor euer writest any thing of thine owne impotent braine but thy onely impalsied diminution of Homer which I may sweare