Page:The Complete Poetical Works of John Milton.djvu/381

 ELEGIES AND EPIGRAMS

��339

��Et nunc sancta canit superum consulta

deorum,

Nunc latrata fero regna profunda cane, Ille quidem parce, Samii pro more magis-

tri,

Vivat, et innocuos prjebeat herba cibos ; 60 Stet prope fagineo pellucida lympha ca-

tillo,

Sobriaque e puro pocula fonte bibat. Additur huic scelerisque vacans et casta

juventus,

Et rigidi mores, et sine labe mantis; Qualis veste nitens sacra, et lustralibus

undis,

Surgis ad infensos augur iture Deos. Hoc ritu vixisse feruut post rapta saga-

cem

Lumiua Tiresian, Ogygiutnque Linon, Et lare devoto profugum Calchanta, senem-

qtie

Orpheon edomitis sola per antra feris; 70 Sic dapis exiguus, sic rivi potor Homerus Dulichium vexit per freta longa virum, Et per monstrificam Perseia? Phcebados

aulam,

Et vada fcemineis insidiosa sonis, Perque tuas, rex ime, domos, ubi sanguine

nigro

Dicitur umbrarum detinuisse greges: Diis etenim sacer est vates, divuinque sacer-

dos,

Spirat et occultum pectus et ora Jovem. At tu si quid again scitabere (si mod5

saltern

Esse putas tanti uoscere siquid agam). 80 Paciferum cauimus cselesti semine regem,

Faustaque sacratis ssecula pacta libris; Vagitumque Dei, et stabulantem paupere

tecto

Qui suprerna suo cum patre regna colit; Stelliparumque polum, modulantesque

sethere turmas,

Et subitb elisos ad sua fana Deos. Dona quidem dedimus Christi natalibus

ilia;

Ilia sub auroram lux mihi prima tulit. Te quoque pressa manent patriis meditata

cicutis; Tumihi, cui recitem, judicis instar eris. 90

��the holy counsels of the gods above, and now the realms profound where Cerberus howls, such a poet must live sparely, after the manner of Pythagoras, the Samian teacher. Herbs must furnish him his inno- cent food ; clear water in a beechen cup, sober draughts from the pure spring, must be his drink. His youth must be chaste and void of offence ; his manners strict, his hands without stain. He shall be like a priest shining in sacred vestment, washed with lustral waters, who goes up to make augury before the jealous gods. Thus righteously, they say, wise Tiresias lived, after his eyes were darkened ; and Linus, and Calchas, who fled from his doomed hearth, and Orpheus, roaming in old age through lonely caverns, quelling the wild beasts with his music. ' So, a spare eater and a drinker of water, Homer carried Odysseus through the long straits, through the monster-haunted hall of Circe, and the shoals where the Sirens made insidious music ; and through thy realms, nether- most king, where they say he held with a spell of black blood the troops of the shades. Yea, for the bard is sacred to the god ; he is their priest ; mysteriously from his lips and his breast he breathes Jove.

But if you will know what I am doing, I will tell you, if indeed you think my doings worth your concern. I am singing the King of Heaven, bringer of peace, and the fortunate days promised by the holy book ; the wanderings of God, and the stabling under a poor roof of Him who rules with his father the realms above ; the star that led the wizards, the hymning of angels in the air, and the gods flying to their en- dangered fanes. This poem I made as a birthday gift for Christ ; the first light of Christmas dawn brought me the theme.

The poor strains which I have piped musingly to my homely reed await you ; you, when I recite them to you, will be my judge.

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