JOANNI MILTONI LONDINENSI: Juveni patria, virtutibus, eximio; VIRO, qui multa peregrinatione, studio cuncta, orbis terrarum loca, perspexit; ut novus Ulysses omnia ubique ab omnibus apprehenderet: Polyglotto, in cujus ore linguæ jam deperditæ sic reviviscunt, ut idiomata omnia sint in ejus laudibus infacunda; et jure ea percallet, ut admirationes et plausus populorum ab propriâ sapientiâ excitatos intelligat : Illi, cujus animi dotes corporisque sensus ad admirationem commovent, et per ipsam motum cuique auferunt; cujus opera ad plausus hortantur, sed venustate vocem laudatoribus adimunt. Cui in memoriâ totus orbis; in intellectu sapientia; in voluntate ardor gloriæ; in ore eloquentia; harmonicos cœlestium sphærarum sonitus astronomia duce, audienti; characteres mirabilium naturæ per quos Dei magnitudo describitur, magistrâ philosophiâ, legenti; antiquitatum late bras, vetustatis excidia, eruditionis, ambages comite assiduâ autorum lectione, Exquirenti, restauranti, percurrenti. Illi, in cujus virtutibus evulgandis ora Famæ non sufficiant, nec hominum stupor in laudandis satis est, reverentiæ et amoris ergo hoc ejus meritis debitum admirationis tributum offert CAROLUS DATUS Patricius Florentinus, Tanto homini servus tantæ virtutis amator. ELEGIARUM LIBER. ELEG. I. AD CAROLUM DEODATUM'. TANDEM, chare, tuæ mihi pervenere tabellæ, Nuda nec arva placent, umbrasque negantia molles: 1 Charles Deodati, one of Milton's most intimate friends, was an excellent scholar, and practised physic in Cheshire. He was educated with our author at Saint Paul's School in London; and from thence went to Trinity College, Oxford, where he was entered in the year 1621, at thirteen years of age. He was a fellow-collegian there with Alexander Gill, another of Milton's intimate friends, who became successively Usher and Master of Saint Paul's School. He died in 1638. Nec duri libet usque minas perferre magistri, O! utinam vates nunquam graviora tulisset Non tunc Ionio quicquam cessisset Homero, Quid sit amor nescit, dum quoque nescit, amat. Gaudia, et abrupto flendus amore cadit; Sed neque sub tecto semper, nec in urbe, latemus; Nos quoque lucus habet vicinâ consitus ulmo, Et quæcunque vagum cepit amica Jovem. Et quot Susa colunt, Memnoniamque Ninon; Vos etiam Danaæ fasces submittite Nymphæ! Et vos Iliacæ, Romuleæque nurus ! Nec Pompeianas Tarpeïa Musa columnas Jactet, et Ausoniis plena theatra stolis. Gloria virginibus debetur prima Britannis; Extera, sat tibi sit, fœmina! posse sequi. Tuque urbs Dardaniis, Londinum! structa colonis, Turrigerum latè conspicienda caput, Tu nimium felix intra tua moenia claudis Quicquid formosi pendulus orbis habet. Non tibi tot cœlo scintillant astra sereno, Endymioneæ turba ministra deæ, Quot tibi, conspicua formâque auroque, puellæ Per medias radiant, turba videnda, vias. Creditur huc geminis venisse invecta columbis Alma pharetrigero milite cincta Venus; |