Aetheris en! portas sacro fulgore micantes
Coelicolae pandunt, torrentis aurea lucis
Flumina prorumpunt; non posthac sole rubescet
India nascenti, placidaeve argentea noctis
Luna vices revehet; radios pater ipse diei
Proferet archetypos; coelestis gaudia lucis
Ipso fonte bibes, quae circumfusa beatam
Regiam inundabit, nullis cessura tenebris.
Littora deficiens arentia deseret aequor;
Sidera fumabunt, diro labefaeta tremore
Saxa cadent, solidique liquescent robora montis:
Tu secura tamen confusa elementa videbis,
Laetaque Messia semper dominabere rege,
Pollicitis firmata Dei, stabilita ruinis.
[a] This translation has been severely criticised by Dr. Warton, in his
edition of Pope, vol. i. p. 105, 8vo. 1797. It certainly contains
some expressions that are not classical. Let it be remembered,
however, that it was a college exercise, performed with great
rapidity, and was, at first, praised, beyond all suspicion of
defect--This translation was first published in a Miscellany of
Poems by several hands. Published by J. Husbands, A.M. fellow of
Pembroke college, Oxon. 8vo. Oxford, 1731. Of Johnson's production,
Mr. Husbands says, in his preface, "The translation of Mr. Pope's
Messiah was delivered to his tutor as a college exercise, by Mr.
Johnson, a commoner of Pembroke college in Oxford, and 'tis hoped
will be no discredit to the excellent original.
Pages:
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313