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Title: Clitophon And Lucippe Translated
Author: Richard Lovelace [
More Titles by Lovelace]
<1>TO THE LADIES.
Pray, ladies, breath, awhile lay by
Caelestial Sydney's ARCADY;<2>
Heere's a story that doth claime
A little respite from his flame:
Then with a quick dissolving looke
Unfold the smoothnes of this book,
To which no art (except your sight)
Can reach a worthy epithite;
'Tis an abstract of all volumes,
A pillaster of all columnes
Fancy e're rear'd to wit, to be
The smallest gods epitome,
And so compactedly expresse
All lovers pleasing wretchednes.
Gallant Pamela's<3> majesty
And her sweet sisters modesty
Are fixt in each of you; you are,
Distinct, what these together were;
Divinest, that are really
What Cariclea's<4> feign'd to be;
That are ev'ry one the Nine,
And brighter here Astreas shine;
View our Lucippe, and remaine
In her, these beauties o're againe.
Amazement! Noble Clitophon
Ev'n now lookt somewhat colder on
His cooler mistresse, and she too
Smil'd not as she us'd to do.
See! the individuall payre
Are at sad oddes, and parted are;
They quarrell, aemulate, and stand
At strife, who first shal kisse your hand.
A new dispute there lately rose
Betwixt the Greekes and Latines, whose
Temples should be bound with glory,
In best languaging this story;<5>
Yee heyres of love, that with one SMILE
A ten-yeeres war can reconcile;
Peacefull Hellens! Vertuous! See:
The jarring languages agree!
And here, all armes layd by, they doe
In English meet to wayt on you.
Notes:
<1> Achillis Tatii Alexandrini DE LUCIPPES ET CLITOPHONTIS AMORIBUS LIBRI OCTO. The translation of this celebrated work, to which Lovelace contributed the commendatory verses here republished, was executed by his friend Anthony Hodges, A.M., of New College, Oxford, and was printed at Oxford in 1638, 8vo. There had been already a translation by W. Burton, purporting to be done from the Greek, in 1597, 4to. The text of 1649 and that of 1638 exhibit so many variations, that the reader may be glad to have the opportunity of comparison:--
"TO THE LADIES.
"Fair ones, breathe: a while lay by
Blessed Sidney's ARCADY:
Here's a story that will make
You not repent HIM to forsake;
And with your dissolving looke
Vntie the contents of this booke;
To which nought (except your sight)
Can give a worthie epithite.
'Tis an abstract of all volumes,
A pillaster of all columnes
Fancie e're rear'd to wit, to be
Little LOVE'S epitome,
And compactedly expresse
All lovers happy wretchednesse.
"Brave PAMELA'S majestie
And her sweet sister's modestie
Are fixt in each of you, you are
Alone, what these together were
Divinest, that are really
What Cariclea's feign'd to be;
That are every one, the Nine;
And on earth Astraeas shine;
Be our LEUCIPPE, and remaine
In HER, all these o're againe.
"Wonder! Noble CLITOPHON
Me thinkes lookes somewhat colder on
His beauteous mistresse, and she too
Smiles not as she us'd to doe.
See! the individuall payre
Are at oddes and parted are;
Quarrel, emulate, and stand
At strife, who first shall kisse your hand.
"A new warre e're while arose
'Twixt the GREEKES and LATINES, whose
Temples should be bound with glory
In best languaging this story:
You, that with one lovely smile
A ten-yeares warre can reconcile;
Peacefull Hellens awfull see
The jarring languages agree,
And here all armes laid by, they doe
Meet in English to court you."
Rich. Lovelace, Ma: Ar: A: Glou: Eq: Aur: Fil: Nat: Max.
See Halliwell's DICTIONARY OF OLD PLAYS, 1860, art. CLYTOPHON.
<2> There can be no doubt that Sidney's ARCADIA was formerly as popular in its way among the readers of both sexes as Sir Richard Baker's CHRONICLE appears to have been. The former was especially recommended to those who sought occasional relaxation from severer studies. See Higford's INSTITUTIONS, 1658, 8vo, p. 46-7. In his poem of THE SURPRIZE, Cotton describes his nymph as reading the ARCADIA on the bank of a river--
"The happy OBJECT of her eye
Was SIDNEY'S living ARCADY:
Whose amorous tale had so betrai'd
Desire in this all-lovely maid;
That, whilst her check a blush did warm,
I read LOVES story in her form."
POEMS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
By Charles Cotton, Esq. Lond. 1689, 8vo, p. 392.
<3> The Pamela of Sydney's ARCADIA
<4> The allusion is to the celebrated story of THEAGENES AND CHARICLEA, which was popular in this country at an early period. A drama on the subject was performed before Court in 1574.
<5> Lovelace refers, it may be presumed, to an edition of ACHILLES TATIUS, in which the Greek text was printed with a Latin translation.
[The end]
Richard Lovelace's poem: Clitophon And Lucippe Translated
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