صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

PRÆLECTIO DECIMA.

TSI pleræque omnes, Academici, quotquot

ET

non modo in dramate, verum etiam in quolibet poemate occurrunt imagines, fi accuratius loquamur, pathetica debeant appellari, (utpote quæ ad univerfos animi motus ciendos fpectant, quos fingulos verbum Tálos manifeftum eft complecti) illæ tamen præcipue, cum vulgaris opinionis, tum ipfius diftinctionis caufa, ifto nomine folent fignari, quæ molliores quafi affectus, amorem fcilicet et mifericordiam refpiciunt. Itaque reliquas, et quæ in terrore, feu in quovis alio affectu excitando verfantur, et quæ, licet parum hominibus commovendis idoneæ fint, animum tamen temperata quadam et æquabili voluptate perfundunt, poffunt, pro ratione fcribendi, aut inter grandes et fublimes imagines, aut inter vividas et naturales non incommodo numerari. Conftat autem ex iis, quæ antea de imaginibus ftatuimus, utcunque in eas triplex ifta divifio cadat, id in omnibus poftulari, ut fint naturæ confentaneæ ; cui fi minus conveniant, eas neutiquam aut ad fublimes imagines, aut ad patheticas relegandas, Hujufmodi autem imagines (quæ fcribendi quod

dam

dam genus maxime ridiculum efficiunt) vix ullis ex antiquis vitio dari poffint præter Senecam, ad quem utinam recentiores quidam minus fimilitudine acceffiffent.

Porro fieri poteft, ut orationes fimpliciffime, sed vivide et naturaliter confcriptas, quæ vix aliquid poetici fpirare videntur nifi numerum, idonei pluris æftiment judices quam eas, quæ quamvis, vel fcribendi ornamentis et flofculis, vel verborum fulmine fonituque abundent, a norma naturæ aberrantes, certos illos fines in poefi tranfeunt,

Quos ulta citraque nequit confiftere rectum."

Ex rebus quippe et conceptibus, potius quam ex verbis aut fententiis et fublimitas, et To Tálos conficiuntur. Simplicis vero generis exemplo fit primum ista Shakefperii (nam ad noftros jam perventum eft) nota pharmacopolæ et tabernæ ejus defcriptio, quam ob nudam atque inornatam fimplicitatem, a me quodammodo latinis hifce verfibus adumbratam, pulcherrimam cenfeo:

[ocr errors]

"Hic vendit homo, commemini, egenus pharmaca; Lacerumque vidi vefte, fronteque nubila "Herbas legentem; lividas pallet genas, Edaxque corpus cura confecit macrum.

Teftudinem

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

tr

[ocr errors]

Teftudinem vidi in taberna pendulam,
Pellemque crocodili refertam ftramine,
Pifcefque dubii nominis quam plurimos !
Ipfis egeftas hominis arguitur bonis
Sparfa jacebant nempe femina, fictiles
Olla, et inanes pyxides, et mucida
Cruftula rofarum, fila, veficæ, omnia
"Mentita parce figna melioris rei a.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Cui merito fubjungendam arbitror Saga apud Otwaium defcriptionem, eadem de caufa laude donandam :

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Longum per anguftam viam faciens iter, Somnique vifa pectore revolvens meo, "Curvam fenecta debili confpexi anum : Stramenta legit fola fecum murmurans ; « Oculi madebant rore fanguineo rubri

"I do remember an Apothecary,

"And hereabouts he dwells, whom late I noted
"In tatter'd Weeds, with overwhelming Brows,
"Culling of Simples; meagre were his Looks;
"Sharp Misery had worn him to the Bones:
"And in his needy Shop a Tortoife hung,
"An Alligator stuft, and other Skins

66

Of ill-fhap'd Fishes; and about his Shelves

"A beggarly Account of empty Boxes;

5 Green earthen Pots, Bladders, and mufty Seeds, "Remnants of Packthread, and old Cakes of Rofes "Were thinly scatter'd to make up

a Shew.

ROMEO and JULiet.

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]
[ocr errors]

Tremuere frigore caput, et manus arida; "Aulaa corpus lacera morbofum tegunt, Qua miferam ab hyeme male tuentur turbida ; Veftis fuit diftincta tota coloribus, "Et futa pannis luteis, albis, nigris, "Satis indicabat ipfa pauperiem fenis,

Vitamque variis ufque vexatam modis".

Præterea vero tum maxime arridere liquet naturalem hanc quam laudo fimplicitatem cum ei affectus (qui nimirum imaginandi primi loci sunt) judicio admifcentur. Eft autem quando ipfæ locorum defcriptiones affectibus commovendis inferviant. Hujufmodi eft nota ifta Clivi Doverienfis defcriptio :

"Through a close Lane, as I perfu'd my Journey, "And meditated on the laft Night's Vision, "I fpy'd a wrinkled Hag, with Age grown double, "Picking dry Sticks, and mumbling to herself; "Her Eyes with scalding Rheum were gall'd and red; "Cold Palfy fhook her Head, her Hands feem'd wither'd, "And on her crooked Shoulders had the wrapt "The tatter'd Remnant of an old strip'd Hanging, "Which ferv'd to keep her Carcass from the Cold; "So there was nothing of a Piece about her : "Her lower Weeds were all o'er coarfely patch'd "With diff'rent-colour'd Rags, black, red, white, yellow, "And feem'd to fpeak Variety of Wretchedness.

"Advenimus

Advenimus-adeas-fifte vertigo caput "Rotat; deorfum tremula aciem convertere "Lumina refugiunt; æthera corvorum greges « Medium fecantes cantharûm fimiles volant. "Au! pendet infra fænicula quidam legens "Non invidendo quæftui certe vacat! « Videtur ipfe capite vix major fuo"Littora pererrant curva pifcantes, velut "Mures pufilli; ftans in anchora ratis Magna ifta parvam fuperat haud fpecie fcapham; Quia ipfa vifum fcaphula propemodum fugit. Non tangit aures murmurans fubter mare, Fluctuque littus plurimo pulfans cavum. "Avertam ocellos; aliter in vaftum ferar Præceps barathrum, corruens vertigine".

[ocr errors]

Illa profecto non fine horrore quodam legentur.

"Come on, Sir, here's the Place-ftand ftill. How fearful "And dizzy 'tis, to caft one's eyes fo low !

"The Crows and Choughs that wing the midway Air, "Shew scarce fo grofs as Beetles. Half way down

[ocr errors]

Hangs one that gathers Samphire; dreadful Trade!
"Methinks, he seems no bigger than his Head.
"The Fifher-men, that walk upon the Beach,

"Appear like Mice; and yond tall anchoring Bark,
"Diminish'd to her Cock; her Cock, a Buoy
"Almoft too small for Sight. The murmuring Surge,
"That on th' unnumber'd idle Pebbles chafes,
"Cannot be heard fo high. I'll look no more,

"Left my Brain turn, and the deficient Sight
"Topple down headlong.

King LEAR.

[blocks in formation]
« السابقةمتابعة »