Selected quad for the lemma: world_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A34832
|
A translation of the sixth book of Mr. Cowley's Plantarum being a poem upon the late rebellion, the happy restoration of His Sacred Majesty, and the Dutch war ensuing.; Plantarum libri sex. Book 6. English
|
Cowley, Abraham, 1618-1667.
|
1680
(1680)
|
Wing C6692; ESTC R17196
|
11,830
|
51
|
A TRANSLATION Of the Sixth Book of Mr. Cowley's PLANTARUM BEING A Poem upon the late Rebellion the Happy Restoration of His Sacred Majesty and the Dutch War Ensuing Bella per Angliacos plusquam Civilia Campos Iusque datum sceleri canimus Lucan Crimine ab uno Disce omnes Virg. LONDON Printed for Samuel Walsall at the Golden Frying-Pan in Leaden-Hall-Street 1680. The Preface THis little Poem I have Collected and Translated from the Sixth Book of Mr. Cowley's Plantarum being intermix't with other Matters and Circumstances I am very sensible how ill this Piece represents the Life for if no Copy was ever so good as the Original as the Divine Cowley himself says how imperfectly must the greatest Master perhaps that ever the world knew Virgil excepted be copied by the Pencil of a Dawber However this Translation may give you a tolerable Prospect of the Sense of the Author and the Beauty of his Thoughts though divested of their Ornaments and perhaps these ill-dress't Lines may at least be acceptable to those who have not the advantage of seeing them in their rich Habiliments I have avoided a servile verbal translation observing that noted Rule of Horace Non verbum verbo reddere sidus Interpres the only way an Author can be rendred perspicuous and I may say intelligible in another language By a verbal Translation nothing almost can be rendred well and some things not tolerably As Mr. Dryden in his excellent discourse of Translations before Ovid's Epistles observes I will produce an instance out of the Sixth Book of Mr. Cowley's Plantarum here translated Tergeminique eâdem fratres in morte Jacentes The greatest Favourite of Apollo I doubt cannot render this well into English any way much less by a literal translation In some places of this Poem the sence is not determin'd at the end of the Stanza which tho improper in Original Poems I think an ill natur'd Iudge may excuse in a Translation where a man ha's at the best but a limited and no absolute power being confin'd to the sence of the Author which rather than pervert I choose sometimes to be a little irregular in inconsiderable matters 1. WHen Charles the Pious Son of Iames the Wise In Peace and Plenty Britain's Scepter sway'd His Subjects happy if they knew to prize Their happiness by his just Reign were made 2. Happy above all Kings while Fate permits Till the curst Tempest of Rebellion came Now he 'bove Envy blest securely sits Among the Gods crown'd with immortal Fame 3. For while the dreadful Storms of cruel War Did all the rest of Europe rudely spoil Peace o're the Ocean flew disturb'd with fear And built her warm Nest in the British Isle 4. Nor did the fruitful Goddess sit in vain For strait Faith Justice Plenty who 's full Horn A Cure for most Diseases do's contain The golden Off-springs of rich Peace were born 5. Such I believe was Saturn's Golden Reign So smoothly pass't his quiet years away Till Fortune her own weight could not sustain Envy'd by Gods by Men contemn'd she lay 6. And rash inconstant men too happy made Tir'd with the kindness of a lovely Wife Exchange her for an ugly painted Jade Fickle and lew'd O blessed Change of Life 7. A seeming vigorous and luxuriant Health Death or Disease approaching still portends When without cause apparent and by stealth Languishing nature with it 's own weight bends 8. Such was the Britans fair and sickly State Happy if Happiness they could have known Impute not yet their ignorance to Fate Since it was wilful and the crime 's their own 9. Fore-warning Prodigies alas in vain The fatal Anger of the Gods proclaim So is fierce Thunder which big Clouds contain Before it breaks known by fore-running Flame 10. I saw and still methinks the horrid Sight I plainly see sad Signs o're all the Skies Heav'n seem'd the Tragic History to write Of all our sad approaching Miseries 11. The Heavens which I tremble but to tell Which a bright Fiery Tempest did infold Did represent the Burning Face of Hell And about waves of Flaming Sulphur roll'd 12. Strait then appear'd within a broken Cloud A horrid beauteous Scene two Armies plac't And Marshall'd in rare Order ready stood For Fight with shining Armour nobly grac't 13. Not Monck himself that Hero Monck the Grace And Pillar of his falling Country nam'd In better order could those Armies place Monck above all in War so justly fam'd 14. Who perhaps in some Figure then express't In the Coelestial Army fiercely rode High mounted on a Noble Fiery Beast Gracing the Heavens looking like a God 15. I heard unless fear did my senses cheat The Trumpets sound the Charge here Wings of Horse With bodies bended forwards fiercely meet The Foot their Spears brandish with mighty Force 16. They from aetherial Guns true Thunder send Involving in dark Clouds the Heav'nly Field Which did the Cloud-begotten Men defend From mortal Eyes and their brave Acts conceal'd 17. Yet a confused Prospect of the Fight And of the Sky with Bloody Rivers swell'd We had by the Armours Brightness and the Light Of the dire threatning Flames the Guns expell'd 18. At length the Army which the better shew'd And Nobler both in Men and Armour flies But from the rest a dismal gloomy Cloud And Darkness of the future seal'd our Eyes 19. But nor these Prodigies nor many more Which at that time by Pious Men were seen Did stupid England to it's Sense restore Careless as if it had Lethargic been 20. Who then the Murmurs of the foolish Croud Or hidden Seeds of Zeal Phanatic fear'd Or Monsters of the Caledonian Wood And impious Cromwell had not then appear'd 21. First rose a Cloud from Caledonian ground Which did the North and gentle Tweed invade Forgetting once he did two Kingdoms bound He thinks of one he is the Center made 22. By popular Winds fiercely impuls't it flyes To frighten England with it's deadly Shade First to move terrour only Scotland tries And in cool blood a Scene of War is plai'd 23. A Silver show'r soon put the Foe to flight A sort of Weapon never understood By our Forefathers who alone in Fight Profuse bought Peace with the sole price of Blood 24. And yet this people prodigal and vain Who did so dearly a short Peace create Lasting Rebellion purchas 't and Prophane Dire Civil War at a much dearer rate 25. Now Peace it self with the first Blood was stain'd O dreadful Omen of ensuing Fate A purple Fountain op'ning she prophan'd And in the Senate with the Furies sate 26. A great man falls by th' Envy of the Great A just by th' unjust hatred of the Croud Noise do's the wise and Eloquent defeat Rivers of Blood Strafford thy sacred Blood Must expiate which Miseries will bring Both to the guilty People and the guiltless King 27. Worcester condemn'd for the first seat of War A mournful Victor her good fate deplores Her Severn's Tears and Murmurings