Page:The Complete Poetical Works of John Milton.djvu/392

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��LATIN POEMS

��Sylvestrique tulit genti pia verba salutis Impius, atque lupos delimit, Libycosque

leones. 89

Subdolus at tali Serpens velatus amictu Solvit in has fallax ora execrantia voces: " Dormis, nate ? Etiamne tuos sopor op-

primit artus ? Immemor O fidei, pecorumque oblite tuo-

rum ! Dum cathedram, venerande, tuam dia-

demaque triplex Bidet Hyperboreo gens barbara nata sub

axe, Dumque pharetrati spernunt tua jura Bri-

tanni: Surge, age ! surge piger, Latius quern

Csesar adorat,

Cui reserata patet convexi janua caeli; Turgentes animos et fastus frange procaces, Sacrilegique sciant tua quid maledictio pos-

Slt, ioo

Et quid Apostolicse possit custodia clavis; Et memor Hesperiae disjectam ulciscere

classem,

Mersaque Iberorum lato vexilla profundo, Sanctorum que cruci tot corpora fixa pro-

brosae,

Thermodoontea nuper regnante puella. At tu si tenero mavis torpescere lecto, Crescentesque negas hosti contundere vires, Tyrrhenum implebit numeroso niilite pon-

tuin,

Signaque Aventino ponet fulgentia colle; Relliquias veteruin franget, flammisque

cremabit, no

Sacraque calcabit pedibus tua colla pro-

fanis,

Cujus gaudebant soleis dare basia reges. Nee tamen hunc bellis et aperto Marte

lacesses ;

Jrritus ille labor; tu callidus utere fraude: Qusalibet hsereticis disponere retia fas est. Jamque ad consilium extremis rex magnus

ab oris Patricios vocat, et procerum de stirpe cre-

atos, Grandsevosque patres trabea cauisque ver-

endos: Hos tu membratim poteris conspergere in

auras, 1 19

Atque dare in cineres, nitrati pulveris igne ^Edibus injecto, qua convenere, sub imis. Protinils ipse igitur quoscunque babet An-

glia lidos

��bearing to the forest people pious words of salvation, though himself was impious.

Thus deceitfully clad, the false Serpent opened his execrable lips and spake : " Dost thou sleep, my sou ? Does slumber oppress thy limbs ? O unmindful of the Faith, and forgetful of thy flock ! Canst thou sleep while a barbarous people of the north laugh at thy throne and thy triple diadem, thou whom all should venerate ? Canst thou sleep while the quiver-bearing Britons spurn thy laws ? Come, arise ! arise ! thou sloth- ful one, whom even Roman Emperors adore, and to whom the locked gates of the sky lie open. Break their pride and shameless insolence ! Let their sacrilegious eyes see what thy malediction can do, and what the custody of the apostolic key. Take thought to avenge the scattered armada of Spain, the Iberian standards overwhelmed in the broad deep, and all the bodies of thy saints who died on the ignominious cross during the late reign of the Amazonian queen. 1 If thou preferrest to drowse in thy soft bed and refuse to crush the growing strength of the enemy, he will soon fill the Tyrrhenian sea with his ships, and plant his shining standards on the Aventiue hill. He will break the relics of old saints and burn them with fire. He will plant his profane heel on thy neck, thou the very soles of whose feet kings now rejoice to kiss. But do not assault him with open war ; that would be labor lost. Rather use cunning and fraudj it is righteous to set any kind of trap for heretics. Just now their king calls from far and wide his great men to council, his lords and commons, and aged bishops venerable with robe and snowy hair. These thou canst blow limb from limb, their ashes thou canst scatter to the wind, by placing nitrous- powder beneath the building where they convene. Straightway therefore do thou admonish of the proposed deed all those in England who are still faithful. Who will

1 The reference is to the persecution of the Catholics under Elizabeth.-

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