A PHRYGIAN and of servile origin.-After | communicate that knowledge to others. The having passed by sale from master to master, he at length fell into the hands of Iadmon of Samos, who, in admiration of his genius and acquirements, gave him his freedom. Æsop now turned his attention to foreign travel, partly to extend the sphere of his own knowledge, and partly to latter he did by means of those Fables for which he is so celebrated, and which have associated his name with that pleasing branch of composition through all succeeding ages. The following is the only elegiac strain of his that has come down to us. satisfaction after an honest performance of the most difficult and solemn duty, which can fall to the lot of man-the new-modelling of a political constitution for his country; in doing which he had not been unmindful of the genius and utility of the ancient institutions of the state, nor played any base game for personal power; but, alike unseduced by aristocratic influence or mob adulation, had impartially assigned to all orders such measures of power as reason and experience taught him to believe most conducive to a total To crown their state with modest grace, * "The people love their rulers best, JUSTICE. SHORT are the triumphs to injustice given,- Thence the loud thunders roar, and lightnings glare And oft a people, once secure and free, place, To reverence justice, and abhor disgrace; REMEMBRANCE AFTER DEATH. A FRAGMENT. THE man that boasts of golden stores, ALCEUS. [About 620 B. C.] metre which bears his name, and sung of various subjects,-now celebrating the praises of Bacchus and Venus; now inveighing against tyrants; now deploring the evils of exile and war, "Dura navis, ALCEUS was a native of Mitylene, and a contemporary and lover of Sappho. Having bitterly satirized Pittacus for his apostasy in usurping the very powers, from which, in conjunction with himself, he had deposed a former tyrant, Alcæus was driven into exile. He endeavoured to return by force of arms, but was unsuccessful, and fell into the hands of his former friend, but now ex- Antiquity is full of his praises; but a few fragasperated conqueror, who, however, granted himments only of his poetry remain, though its echo may be sometimes heard in the strains of his successful imitator and admirer, Horace. his liberty, observing that forgiveness was better than revenge. Alcæus was the inventor of the Dura fugæ mala, dura belli." CONVIVIAL. WHY wait we for the torches' lights? Now let us drink, while day invites. In mighty flagons hither bring The deep-red blood of many a vine, That we may largely quaff and sing The praises of the God of wineThe son of Jove, and Semele, Who gave the jocund grape to be A sweet oblivion to our woes. Fill, fill the goblet-one and two: Let every brimmer, as it flows, In sportive chase, the last pursue. THE CONSTITUTION OF A STATE. Not high-raised battlement or laboured mound, As beasts excel cold rocks and brambles rude- Know too their rights, and, knowing, dare maintain; Prevent the long-aimed blow, And crush the tyrant, while they rend the chain. CONVIVIAL. JOVE descends in sleet and snow, Every stream forgets to flow, Bound in winter's icy sleep. Drive the tempest from your door, Brimful high with nectar smiling. THE STORM. Now here, now there, the wild waves sweep, Loose from their hold our anchors burst, D 2 SAPPHO. [About 620 B. C.] THIS "tenth Muse" was a native of Mitylene and sweetness, her concentrated force, passion, in the island of Lesbos. The name of her father and beauty of expression, are unsurpassed in the is said to have been Scamandronomus, and that Greek tongue, and can be transfused into no other. of her mother, Cleis. She was married to Cer- There seems to be but little doubt of the tender colas, a wealthy inhabitant of the isle of Andros, reverence and admiration wherein she was held by whom she was left early a widow, with an by the poet Alcæus, who, in a sweet, though unonly child called Cleis. Out of nine books of connected line, (found in one of his few remainlyric verse, besides numerous epigrams, epitha-ing fragments,) addresses her as his 'Ionhox”, dyvai, lamia, and other kinds of poetry, very little re-μɛchoxóμɛida Zanpoc—his violet-wreathed, pure, mains to us except the Hymn to Venus, and her sweetly-smiling Sappho.-As to the tales about Ode to the Beloved; but these alone suffice to her loves and death,-about Phaon and the Leujustify the high praises so universally awarded cadian rock,-they seem to have been utterly desto her by all Greece, and to place her in the very titute of all foundation.-See Welcker's “Sappho first rank of lyric poets. Her unaffected grace | von einem herrschenden Vorurtheil befreyt." HYMN TO VENUS. O VENUS, beauty of the skies! And ask'd what new complaints I made, What frenzy in my bosom raged, Though now he freeze, he soon shall burn, Celestial visitant, once more Another translation of the Same. Dread power, to whom I bend the knee, And gloomy care. Yea, come thyself!-If e'er, benign, Of Jove's court leaving, With bright wings cleaving. Soon were they sped-and thou, most blest, What end my frenzied thoughts pursue- What though he fly, he'll soon return- And said'st thou this, dread goddess?-O, TO THE BELOVED. BLEST as the immortal gods is he, 'Twas this deprived my soul of rest, FRAGMENTS. I. I HAVE a child-a lovely one- Or like sweet flowers, of earliest bloom, II. COME, gentle Youth, and in thy flowing locks With delicate fingers weave a fragrant crown Of aromatic anise; for the gods Delight in flowery wreaths, nor lend an ear III. CLING to the brave and good-the base disownWhose best of fortunes is to live unknown. IV. THROUGH Orchard plots, with fragrance crown'd, V. WEALTH, without Virtue, is a dangerous guest; Who holds them mingled, is supremely blest. VI. HESPER! every gift is thine Thou bring'st the kidling from the rock; Thou bring'st the damsel with the flock; Thou bring'st us rosy wine. VII. BEAUTY, fair flower, upon the surface lies; But Worth with Beauty soon in aspect vies. VIII. MAIDEN LOVE. [THE following fragment, as Warton remarks, well represents "the languor and listlessness of one deeply in love!"] Он, my sweet mother,-'tis in vain I cannot weave as once I wove; So wildered are my heart and brain With thinking of that youth I love. who had neither a soul susceptible of poetry herself, nor the sense to admire, nor the candour to allow of it in others. This is a description of persons, which has been always severely handled by the poets, and the stigma of contempt with which they are branded by Sappho, is mercy to what they are sentenced to undergo by Dante"Questi sciaurati, che mai non fur vivi," &c. "Those miserables, who never truly loved. * No record of their names is left on high; Mercy and Justice spurn them and refuse. Take we no note of them-look, and pass by!" |