Virgils Eclogues, vvith his booke De apibus, concerning the gouernment and ordering of bees, translated grammatically, and also according to the proprietie of our English tongue, so farre as grammar and the verse will well permit. Written chiefly for the good of schooles, to be vsed according to the directions in the preface to the painfull schoole maister, and more fully in the booke called Ludus literarius, or the grammar-schoole, chap. 8

THE SIXTH ECLOGVE [* 1.1 called] SILENVS.

THE ARGVMENT.

IN this Eclogue [‖ 1.2 the Poet] brings in Silenus drunke, (as it well became the schoolemaister of Bacchus) but yet ‖ 1.3 singing very skil∣fully according to the opinion of the Epicures, ‖ 1.4 concerning the be∣ginnings of [all] things, and that ‖ 1.5 in fauour of Quintilius Varus: * 1.6 who, as Donate saith, gaue himselfe to the studie of this discipline, together with Virgil, vnder Silon the Philoso∣pher. But because these things did not sufficiently * 1.7 accord ‖ 1.8 to the low straine * 1.9 of a pastorall verse, * 1.10 he presently at his entrance craueth par∣don; and not tarying long in that argument, forthwith passeth vnto certaine fained tales.

The Poet himselfe is the onely speaker in this Eclogue.

OVr [Muse] a 1.11 Tha∣lia vouchsafed first ‖ 1.12 to play ‖ 1.13 in b 1.14 Syracusian verse, and blushed not * 1.15 to dwell a∣mong the woods.

* 1.16 When as I sang of Kings and ‖ 1.17 warres, * 1.18 A∣pollo * 1.19 pluckt me by the care, and warned me: Oh Tityrus * 1.20 it becometh a sheepheard to fat [his] sheepe, [and] to sing a teased verse.

* 1.21 Now will I play a countrey tune with my slender reeden pipe: (for Varus thou shalt haue ••∣now who will desire to* 1.22 speake of thy praises, and * 1.23 to describe thy dread∣full warres.

I do not sing * 1.24 vnbid∣den things: yet if any one shall also [reade] these [verses,] if any one * 1.25 enamoured with the* 1.26 loue [of thee] will reade

them. Oh Varus, * 1.27 our heath shall sing thy prai∣ses.

Euery ‖ 1.28 wood ‖ 1.29 shall sing of thee: * 1.30 for there is not any * 1.31 writing more pleasing ‖ 1.32 to Apollo, then that * 1.33 which beares the name of Varus.

* 1.34 Yee Muses of the hill Pierius proceede. ‖ 1.35 The lads Chromis and Mnasilus saw ‖ 1.36 Silenus ly∣ing fast asleepe in a caue,

* 1.37 Hauing his veines blowne vp, * 1.38 with wine the day before, as alwayes [hee was wont.]

[His] garlands lay * 1.39 a good way off, ‖ 1.40 one∣ly slipped * 1.41 from his head,

* 1.42 And a great ‖ 1.43 kan hanged by, hauing the eare all worne.

[* 1.44 They] setting [on him] (for ‖ 1.45 the old man had oft times mocked* 1.46 them both ‖ 1.47 with hope of a song) ‖ 1.48 cast bonds vpon

him [made] of his very garlands.

Egle * 1.49 adioyned her selfe [as] a companion, * 1.50 and came to helpe these timorous youths:

[Euen] Egle the fairest of the. * 1.51 water Nymphs, ‖ 1.52 and painted [both] the forehead and the tem∣ples of the head [* 1.53 of him] now ^‖ seeing [her,] with bloudie coloured mulberies.

Hee laughing at [‖ 1.54 their] subtiltie; to what end knit you these bands? quoth he.

‖ 1.55 Yee boyes, loose me: c 1.56 it is enough * 1.57 that I could be seene [of you.]

* 1.58 Chuse ye what songs you will haue, * 1.59 you shall haue songs.

* 1.60 She shall haue ano∣ther reward. * 1.61 [And] so withall doth he begin.

‖ 1.62 And then indeede you might behold both the ‖ 1.63 Fawnes and wilde beasts too, * 1.64 to dance in measure and in time;

then might you see the * 1.65 sturdie oakes to waue their tops.

* 1.66 So that Parnassus rock * 1.67 doth not so much reioyce in Phoebus:

* 1.68 Nor d 1.69 Rhodope and Is∣marus do so admire Or∣pheus.

e 1.70 For he sang how the f 1.71 seeds * 1.72 of the earth and of the aire, and also of the water, and likewise of the ‖ 1.73 liquid fire, were first gathered together * 1.74 tho∣rough out the great vast space: Al. 1.75 how all things[tooke] their beginnings of the first [seeds,] and how the ‖ 1.76 tender globe it selfe of the round world did grow together:

Then [loe] the earth began to harden and to separate * 1.77 the Ocean sea from * 1.78 Pontus, ‖ 1.79 and by litle and litle to take the * 1.80 shapes of things.

* 1.81 And also how the earth is now astonished [to see] ‖ 1.82 the new Sunne to begin to shine.

And [how] ‖ 1.83 the showres do fall * 1.84 from clouds remoued on high [from th'earth,]

‖ 1.85 When first the woods * 1.86 began * 1.87 to grow vp, * 1.88 and at what time the beasts wandered vp and downe throughout the vnknowne mountaines.

g 1.89 * 1.90 After this [he sang of] the stones cast by Pyrrha, and of Saturnes kingdomes.

* 1.91 And withall he sings of the birds of the hill Caucasus and the theft* 1.92 of Prometheus, &c.

Notes

• * 1.1

  To which the name is Silenus.
• ‖ 1.2

  Virgil in this Eclogue bringeth in Sile∣nus, [and] him indeed drunke, as it became a bringer vp of Bacchus, &c.
• ‖ 1.3

  He bringeth him in singing very skilfully.
• ‖ 1.4

  Of the beginnings of things, viz. the first forming or framing of things.
• ‖ 1.5

  To the grace or honour of Quintilius Va∣rus.
• * 1.6

  Who, Donate being witnesse, together with Virgil, gaue his endeuour to this sect, vnder Silon the Philosopher.
• * 1.7

  Agree.
• ‖ 1.8

  To the lownesse, or low pitch of, &c.
• * 1.9

  Of a Bucolicke verse.
• * 1.10

  He prayeth for pardon straightway from [or after] the beginning: neither hauing taried so much in that argument, be passeth straightway vnto fables.
• a 1.11

  Thalia is properly one of the three Gra∣ces, whose names were Aglaia, Thalia, and Euphrosune, supposed to be the daughters of Iupiter and Venus.
• ‖ 1.12

  To sing.
• ‖ 1.13

  In pa••torall verse, in imitation of Theocritus, who dwelt in Syracuse a famous citie in Sicilia.
• b 1.14

  For Syracusio some write Syracosio, lest it comming of ou, should be contracted. And it is Syracusi for Syracusa∣no after the maner of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉, as Siceli∣des for Sicilienses, Ec∣log. 4.
• * 1.15

  To inhabite the woods.
• * 1.16

  When I did sing.
• ‖ 1.17

  Battels or skirmishes.
• * 1.18

  Cynthius, [Apollo is called Cyn∣thius of Cynthus a mountaine in the Isle Delos, where Apollo and Dians were borne.
• * 1.19

  Puid [my] eare, and admonished me.
• * 1.20

  It behoueth a sheepheard to feed fat sheepa, and to speake [or sing] a verse drawne out, [viz. a pastorall song of a low or meane kind, drawne out small like wooll in spinning.]
• * 1.21

  Now will I meditate a fielden Muse, [viz. a pastorall song] with my slender reed.
• * 1.22

  (For, Varus, there shall be aboue to thee, [viz. there shall remaine enow to thee] who may desire to vtter thy praises.
• * 1.23

  To build [viz. to set out or de∣clare] thy sorrowfull warres.
• * 1.24

  Things vncommanded, without the command [viz. of Pollio or Au∣gustus.]
• * 1.25

  Taken with the loue of thee, or
• * 1.26

  ‖ If any one be enamoured, let him reade these things.
• * 1.27

  Our wilde tamariske [or ling] shal sing of thee.
• ‖ 1.28

  Groue or forrest, most properly a groue for pleasure.
• ‖ 1.29

  Shall praise thy deeds.
• * 1.30

  Neither is there.
• * 1.31

  Page [or booke.] A page is pro∣perly a side of a leafe in a booke.
• ‖ 1.32

  To be learned.
• * 1.33

  Which hath prescribed the name of Varus vnto it selfe, [viz. which is written in the praises of Varus] or hath the title of Varus.
• * 1.34

  Oh ye [nine] Muses borne in Pie∣rius in Thessalie, go ye on.
• ‖ 1.35

  The two youths Chromis & Mnas.
• ‖ 1.36

  Bacchus schoolemaister, a famous Poet.
• * 1.37

  Lying [ouerwhelmed or buried] in sleepe.
• * 1.38

  Blowne vp [in respect of his veins] with yesterdayes wine, as alwayes.
• * 1.39

  Bacchus. [Iachos a name of Bac∣chus, of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifying a crie, groa∣ning or belching, taken from the filthy noises which drunkards make com∣monly.
• ‖ 1.40

  Onely fallen downe from his head, viz. otherwise whole, and not bro∣ken nor hurt.
• * 1.41

  A farre off.
• * 1.42

  To his head.
• ‖ 1.43

  A pot or iug that held a great deale of wine.
• * 1.44

  And a great [viz. a heauie or mightie] tankard, with the handle [or stouke all worne] hanged on his necke or at his girdle, neare vnto him.
• ‖ 1.45

  This old Silenus.
• * 1.46

  * They inuading or assailing him.
• ‖ 1.47

  Promising to sing them songs.
• ‖ 1.48

  Bind him with hands made of the garlands themselues.
• * 1.49

  Addeth her selfe a fellow.
• * 1.50

  And came vpon them being fear∣full, [viz. came (as we say) in the nicke, or in the very fit oportunitie, to helpe them, being timorous or doubt∣full.
• * 1.51

  Naiades are the Fairies, haunting riuers and fountaines.
• ‖ 1.52

  And painted [both] his browes and temples with bloud red mulberies, she seeing him.
• * 1.53

  [To him, viz▪ to Silenus] now see∣ing [her] viz. being awaked, and looking on her.]
• ‖ 1.54

  Loose me, ye boyes.
• ‖ 1.55

  The subtill iest.
• c 1.56

  Silenus makes him∣selfe a halfe God, which were seene but when they listed; and thus he speaketh as followeth.
• * 1.57

  Me to haue bene able to be seene [of you,] being seene but when I list.
• * 1.58

  Know ye what verses you will.
• * 1.59

  Verses [shall be] to you.
• * 1.60

  Another reward shact be to this [Egle.]
• * 1.61

  He begins withall.
• ‖ 1.62

  When Silenus began to sing.
• ‖ 1.63

  The Gods of the woods.
• * 1.64

  To play [or skip] in number, viz. according to the harmony of the tune.
• * 1.65

  Stiffe oakes to moue oft and shake
• * 1.66

  Neither the Parnassian rocke, [viz. the mount Parnassus in Thessa∣lie, consecrated to Apollo]
• * 1.67

  Doth so much [delight and] ioy in Phoebus, viz. Apollo.
• * 1.68

  Nor Rhodope doth wonder at so much, nor Ismarus [so greatly ad∣mire] Orpheus.
• d 1.69

  Rhodope and Isma∣rus mountains in Thra∣cia, wherein Orpheus was wont to play.
• e 1.70

  The argument or subiect matter of Sile∣nus songs.
• f 1.71

  The Epicures thoght all these to be made of motes and such little bodies concurring.
• * 1.72

  Of the earths, and of the soule, and also of the sea, and withall of the li∣quid fire had bene gathered together.
• ‖ 1.73

  Cleare or pure.
• * 1.74

  Thorough the great emptinesse.
• Al. 1.75

  How all beginnings [growed vp together] from these first seeds, and the very tender globe of the world growed together.
• ‖ 1.76

  Yong, pliant delectable, or tender at the first. ^‖ Growed fast and strong in euery part.
• * 1.77

  Nereus [a god of the sea, the sonne of Oceanus, whereof the Ocean had the name. Here put for the Ocean.
• * 1.78

  Pontus the sea betweene Meotis and Tenedos, so called of Pontus the sonne of Nercus.
• ‖ 1.79

  How things began to be formed of the earth.
• * 1.80

  Formes, viz. diuers shapes.
• * 1.81

  And now the earths [or lands] are amazed at the new Sunne to begin to shine.
• ‖ 1.82

  The Sunne newly formed with the other heauenly lights.
• ‖ 1.83

  The raine doth fall.
• * 1.84

  The clouds being remoued more high [or very high.]
• ‖ 1.85

  How.
• * 1.86

  Do begin.
• * 1.87

  To rise [viz to spring vp.]
• * 1.88

  And when the liuing creatures do erre [or wander] thorough [or a∣mongst] the mountaines, [viz when the mountaines and valleys began to be replenished with new creatures.]
• g 1.89

  Of the framing of the world in the be∣ginning, and of the re∣pairing it after the floud, especially for the repairing of man∣kind by Pyrrha and Deucalion, and so the other stories, see Ouid in his Metamorphosis.
• * 1.90

  After this [he reports or relates] the stones cast to Pyrrha [viz. of or by Pyrrha] [and also he relates] Sa∣turnes kingdomes.
• * 1.91

  Also he reports [or shewes] the birds of Caucasus and the theft of Prometheus.
• * 1.92

  For the rest of this Eclogue, I referre the ingenuous Reader to Ramus and other Commenters.