Page:The Complete Poetical Works of John Milton.djvu/386

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��LATIN POEMS

��IN EANDEM SICCINE tentasti caelo douasse lacobum,

Quse septemgemino Bellua monte lates ? Ni meliora tuum poterit dare munera nu-

men,

Parce, precor, donis insidiosa tuis. Ille quidem sine te consortia serus adivit

Astra, nee inferni pulveris usus ope. Sic potius tedos in caelum pelle cucullos, Et quot habet brutos Roma profana

Deos; Namque hac aut alia nisi quemque ad-

juveris arte, Crede mihi, caeli vix bene scandet iter. 10

IN EANDEM

PURGATOREM aniline derisit lacobus ignem, Et sine quo superum non adeunda do-

mus.

Frenduit hoc trina monstrum Latiale co- rona,

Movit et horrificum cornua dena minax. Et " Nee inultus " ait " temnes mea sacra,

Britanne ;

Supplicium spreta religione dabis; Et, si stelligeras unquam penetraveris

arces,

Non nisi perflammas triste patebit iter." O quam funesto cecinisti proxima vero,

Verbaque ponderibus vix caritura suis ! Nam prope Tartareo sublime rotatus ab igni n

Ibat ad sethereas, umbra perusta, plagas.

IN EANDEM QUEM modb Roma suis devoverat impia

diris,

Et Styge damnarat, Tsenarioque sinu, Hunc, vice mutata, jam tollere gestit ad

astra, Et cupit ad superos evehere usque Deos.

IN INVENTOREM BOMBARDS

IAPETIONIDEM laudavit cseca vetustas, Qui tulit setheream solis ab axe f acem ;

At mihi major erit qui lurida creditor

arma Et trifidum fulmen surripuisse Jovi.

AD LEONORAM ROM^E CANENTEM

ANGEL.TTS unicuique suus (sic credite,

gentes) Obtigit sethereis ales ab ordinibus.

��ON THE SAME

O BEAST acrouch on the seven hills, did you attempt thus to send King James to Heaven? Unless you have power to be- stow better largess, forbear, I pray, your insidious gifts. Without the aid of your infernal powder he has gone, timely late, to the companionable stars. Do you rather blow skyward your base cowls, and all the brute gods profane Rome worships; for unless you aid them thus or somehow else, they will hardly, believe me, clamber up the hard road to Heaven.

��ON THE SAME

KING JAMES laughed at those purgato- rial fires through which the supernal home must forsooth be approached. At this the triple - crowned monster of the Lateran gnashed its teeth, and moved its ten horns in horrid threat, saying: "Man of Britain, thou shalt not mock my mysteries unpun- ished ; thou shalt pay for despising my reli- gion; and if ever thou enterest the starry dome of Heaven, only through flame shall the sorry way lie open." O how near the awful truth did you speak ! A little more, and the words had not lacked their weight. For almost he went, rolled high by Tar- tarean fire, a burnt shade, to the upper shores.

��ON THE SAME

HIM whom impious Rome had vowed to her ire, whom she had damned to Styx and the Tsenariau gulf, him, contrary-wise, she went about to send to the stars, and sought to carry him clean aloft to the gods.

ON THE INVENTOR OF GUNPOWDER BLIND antiquity praised Prometheus, who brought the heavenly torch from the sun; but for me he shall be greater who stole from Jove his lurid arms and three- forked thunderbolt.

To LEONORA, SINGING (At Rome)

To every man his angel is allotted (be- lieve it, ye people !), his winged angel from

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