METAPHRASIS.

This kind of exercise is all one with Paraphrasis, save it is out of verse either into prose, or into some other kind of metre; or else out of prose into verse, which was Socrates' exercise and pastime (as Plato_reporteth) when he was *in prison, to translate sop's Fables into verse. Quintilian doth greatly praise also this exercise; but because Tully doth disallow it in young men, by mine opinion, it were not well to use it in grammar schools, even for the self same causes that be recited against Paraphrasis. And therefore, for the use and misuse of it, the same is to be thought that is spoken of Paraphrasis before. This was Sulpicius's exercise; and he gathering up thereby a poetical kind of talk, is justly named of Cicero, grandis et tragicus orator: which, I think, is spoken, not for his praise, but for other men's warning, to eschew the like fault. Yet, nevertheless, if our schoolmaster, for his own instruction, be desirous to see a perfect example hereof, I will recite one, which I think no man is so bold to say that he can amend it; and that is Chryses the priest's oration to the Greeks, in the beginning of Homer's Ilias, turned excel

* What he alludes to here, is in the beginning of Plato's Phædo. Περὶ γάρ τοι τῶν ποιημάτων ὧν πεποίηκας, ἐντείνας τοὺς τοῦ Αἰσώπου λόγους, καὶ τὸ εἰς τὸν ̓Απόλλω προοίμιον, καὶ ἄλλοι τινές με ἤροντο ἤδη, ἀτὰρ καὶ Εὐηνὸς πρώην, ὅ, τι ποτὲ διανοηθεὶς, ἐπειδὴ δεῦρο ἦλθες, ἐποιήσας αὐτὰ, πρότερον οὐδὲν πώποτε ποιήσας.

"Sed et illa ex Latinis conversio, multum et ipsa contulerit. Ac de carminibus quidem neminem credo dubitare, quo solo genere exercitationis dicitur usus esse Sulpicius. Nam et sublimis spiritus attollere orationem potest; et verba poeticâ libertate audaciora, præsumunt eandem propriè dicendi facultatem. Sed et ipsis sententiis adjicere licet oratorium robur, et omissa supplere, et effusa substringere." Quint. lib. 10.

"Fuit enim Sulpicius vel maximè omnium, quos quidem audiverim, grandis, et, ut ita dicam, tragicus orator. Vox cùm magna,

tum suavis et splendida : gestus et motus corporis ita venustus, ut tamen ad forum, non ad scenam institutus videretur. Incitata et volubilis, nec ea redundans tamen nec circumfluens oratio." Cic. de claris Orat. p. 181.

From this character here given by Tully, Sulpicius seems to be called grandis et tragicus, rather from his theatrical management of himself in his delivery, than from his style and method of expression.

lently into prose by Socrates himself, and that advisedly a purposely for others to follow. And therefore he calle this exercise * in the same place, Μίμησις, that is, Imitat which is most true: but in this book, for teachingsake, will name it Metaphrasis, retaining the word that all teac ers in this case do use.

Ὁ γὰρ ἦλθε θοὰς ἐπὶ νῆας ̓Αχαιών,

Λυσόμενός τε θύγατρα, φέρων τ' ἀπερείσι ἄποινα,
Στέμμα τ ̓ ἔχων ἐν χερσὶν ἑκηβόλου Απόλλωνος,
Χρυσέῳ ἀνὰ σκήπτρῳ· καὶ ἐλίσσετο πάντας ̓Αχαιοὺς,
Ατρείδα δὲ μάλιστα, δύω κοσμήτορε λαῶν.

̓Ατρεῖδαί τε, καὶ ἄλλοι ἐυκνήμιδες ̓Αχαιοί,
Ὑμῖν μὲν Θεοὶ δοῖεν, Ολύμπια δώματ ̓ ἔχοντες,
Εκπέρσαι Πριάμοιο πόλιν, εὖ δ ̓ οἴκαδ ̓ ἱκέσθαι.
Παῖδα δέ μοι λύσατε φίλην, τὰ δ ̓ ἄποινα δέχεσθε,
Αζόμενοι Διὸς υἱὸν, ἑκήβολον ̓Απόλλωνα.

Ἔνθ ̓ ἄλλοι μὲν πάντες ἐπευφήμησαν ̓Αχαιοί,
Αἰδεῖσθαί τ ̓ ἱερῆα, καὶ ἀγλαὰ δέχθαι ἄποινα.
Αλλ ̓ οὐκ ̓Ατρείδη ̓Αγαμέμνονι ἤνδανε θυμῷ,
̓Αλλὰ κακῶς ἀφίει, κρατερὸν δ ̓ ἐπὶ μῦθον ἔτελλε.

Μή σε, γέρον, κοίλησιν ἐγὼ παρὰ νηυσὶ κιχείω,
Ἡ νῦν δηθύνοντ', ἡ ὕστερον αὖτις ἰόντα,
Μὴ νύ τοι οὐ χραίσμη σκῆπτρον, καὶ στέμμα Θεοῖο.
Τὴν δ ̓ ἐγὼ οὐ λύσω, πρίν μιν καὶ γῆρας ἔπεισιν,
Ημετέρῳ ἐνὶ οἴκῳ, ἐν Αργεῖ τηλόθι πάτρης
Ἱστὸν ἐποιχομένην, καὶ ἐμὸν λέχος ἀντιόωσαν.
Αλλ ̓ ἴθι, μὴ μὲ ἐρέθιζε, σαώτερος ὡς κε νέηαι.

Ὡς ἔφατ', ἔδδεισεν δ ̓ ὁ γέρων, καὶ ἐπείθετο μύθι.
Βῆ δ ̓ ἀκέων παρὰ ῖνα πολυφλοίσβοιο θαλάσσης.
Πολλὰ δ ̓ ἔπειτ ̓ ἀπάνευθε κιὼν ἠρᾶθ ̓ ὁ γεραιός
̓Απόλλωνι ἄνακτι, τὸν ἠύκομος τέκε Λητώ.

Κλύθί μευ, ̓Αργυρότοξ, ὃς Χρύσην ἀμφιβέβηκας,
Κίλλάν τε ζαθέην, Τενέδοιό τε ἔφι ανάσσεις,
Σμινθεῦ· εἴποτέ τοι χαριέντ ̓ ἐπὶ νηὸν ἔρεψα,
Ἢ εἰ δὴ ποτέ τοι κατὰ πίονα μηρί ἔκα
Ταύρων, ἠδ ̓ αἰγῶν, τόδε μοι κρήηνον ἔελδωρ,
Τίσειαν Δαναοὶ ἐμὰ δάκρυα σοῖσι βέλεσσιν.

Οὐκοῦν τό γε ὁμοιοῦν ἑαυτὸν ἄλλῳ, ἢ κατὰ φωνὴν, ἢ κατὰ σχῆμα, μιμεῖσθαί ἐστιν ἐκεῖνον ᾧ ἄν τις ὁμοιοῖ; Τί μήν; Ἐν δὴ τῷ τοιούτῳ (ὡς ἔοικεν) οὗτός τε καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι ποιηταὶ διὰ μιμήσεως τὴν διήγησιν ποιοῦνται. Πάνυ μὲν οὖν. Εἰ δέ γε μηδαμοῦ ἐαυτὸν ἀποκρύπτοιτο ὁ ποιητὴς, πᾶσα ἂν αὐτῷ ἄνευ μιμήσεως ἡ ποιήσίς τε καὶ ἡ διήγησις γεγονυῖα εἴη. Plato de Rep. lib. 5.

Socrates, in Plato's third book de Republica, saith thus : Φράσω δὲ ἄνευ μέτρου· οὐ γὰρ εἰμὶ ποιητικός.

Ηλθεν ὁ Χρύσης τῆς τε θυγατρὸς λύτρα φέρων, καὶ ἱκέτης τῶν ̓Αχαι ὤν, μάλιστα δὲ τῶν βασιλέων· καὶ εὔχετο ἐκείνοις μὲν τοὺς Θεοὺς δοῦ ναι ἑλόντας τὴν Τροίαν, αὐτοῦς δὲ σωθῆναι, τὴν δὲ θυγατέρα οἱ αὐτῷ λῦσαι, δεξαμένους ἄποινα, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν αἰδεσθέντας. Τοιαῦτα δὲ εἰπόντος αὐτοῦ, οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι ἐσέβοντο καὶ συνήνουν· ὁ δὲ ̓Αγαμέμνων ἠγρίαινεν, ἐντελλόμενος νῦν τ ̓ ἀπιέναι, καὶ αὖθις μὴ ἐλθεῖν, μὴ αὐτῷ τό, τε σκῆπτρον, καὶ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ στέμματα οὐκ ἐπαρκέσοι. πρὶν δὲ λυθῆναι αὐτοῦ τὴν θυγατέρα, ἐν ̓́Αργει ἔφη γηράσειν μετὰ οὗ. ἀπιέναι δὲ ἐκέλευε, καὶ μὴ ἐρεθίζειν, ἵνα σῶς οἴκαδε ἔλθοι. Ὁ δὲ πρεσβύτης ἀκούσας, ἔδεισέ τε καὶ ἀπῄει σιγῇ. ἀποχωρήσας δ ̓ ἐκ τοῦ στρατοπέδου· πολλὰ τῷ ̓Απόλλωνι εὔχετο, τάς τε ἐπωνυμίας τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀνακαλῶν, καὶ ὑπομιμνήσκων καὶ ἀπαιτῶν, εἴτι πώποτε ἢ ἐν ναῶν οἰκοδομήσεσιν, ἢ ἐν ἱερῶν θυσιαῖς κεχαρισμένον δωρήσαιτο, ὧν δὴ χάριν κατεύχετο τίσαι τοὺς ̓Αχαιοὺς τὰ ἃ δάκρυα τοῖς ἐκείνου βέλεσι.

To compare * Homer and Plato together, two wonders of nature and art for wit and eloquence, is most pleasant and profitable for a man of ripe judgement. Plato's turning of Homer in this place doth not ride aloft in poetical terms, but goeth low and soft on foot, as prose and pedestris oratio should do. If Sulpicius had had † Plato's consideration in

* Plato himself, (if we may believe Longinus) as well as the rest of the Grecian writers, owes not a little to Homer, their common master; though he was so ungrateful as to forbid him his Republic.

Οὐ γὰρ μόνος Ηρόδοτος Ομηρικώτατος ἐγένετο. Στησίχορος ἔτι πρότερον, ὅ, τε ̓Αρχίλοχος. πάντων δὲ τούτων μάλιστα ὁ Πλάτων ἀπὸ τοῦ Ομηρικοῦ ἐκείνου νάματος εἰς αὑτὸν μυρίας ὅσας παρατροπὰς ἀποχετευσάμενος. Sect. 13.

Although in this instance, and mostly elsewhere, Plato flows along in a soft and gentle stream, χεύματί τινι ἀψοφητὶ ῥέων, as Longinus speaks; yet he has his sublimities too, and bold flights; and some passages there are to be found in his writings, not entirely clear of the same censure, which is by Tully cast upon Sulpicius. And this perhaps might be occasioned likewise by his passionate affection for the Muses and study of poetry in his youthful days. Who can read this sentence, and not be offended, which Longinus cites out of his ninth book de Republica ? Καὶ ἕνεκα τῆς τούτων πλεονεξίας λα κτίζοντες, καὶ κυρίττοντες ἀλλήλους σιδηροῖς κέρασι, καὶ ὁπλαῖς, ἀποκτιννύουσι δι' ἀπληστίαν. For such harsh and metaphorical expressions as these, and for his poetical and figurative schemes (σχήμασί τε ποιητικοῖς ἐσχάτην προσβάλλουσιν ἀηδίαν), Plato is somewhat severely handled by Dionysius, in his letter to Cn, Pompey.

T

right using this exercise, he had not deserved the name of tragicus orator; who should rather have studied to express vim Demosthenis, than furorem poeta, how good soever he was whom he did follow.

And therefore would I have our schoolmaster weigh well together Homer and Plato, and mark diligently these four points; what is kept, what is added, what is left out, what is changed either in choice of words or form of sentences. Which four points be the right tools, to handle like a workman this kind of work; as our scholar shall better understand, when he hath been a good while in the university: to which time and place I chiefly remit this kind of exercise.

And because I ever thought examples to be the best kind of teaching, I will recite a golden sentence out of that poet, which is next unto Homer, not only in time, but also in worthiness; which hath been a pattern for many worthy wits to follow by this kind of Metaphrasis. But I will content myself with four workmen, two in Greek and two in Latin, such as in both the tongues wiser and worthier cannot be looked for. Surely no stone set in gold by most cunning workmen, is indeed, if right account be made, more worthy the looking on, than this golden sentence, diversly wrought upon by such four excellent masters.

Hesiodus, "Epy. nal 'Hμép. d.

Οὗτος μὲν πανάριστος, ὃς αὐτὸς πάντα νοήσει
Φρασσάμενος, τά κ ̓ ἔπειτα καὶ ἐς τέλος ἦσιν ἀμείνω.
Εσθλὸς δ ̓ αὖ κἀκεῖνος, ὅς εὖ εἰπόντι πίθηται.
Ος δέ κε μήτ' αὐτὸς νοέη, μήτ ̓ ἄλλου ἀκούων
Ἐν θυμῷ βάλληται, ὅ δ ̓ αὖτ ̓ ἀχρήϊος ἀνήρ.
Thus rudely turned into base English:
That man in wisdom passeth all,

To know the best who hath a head:
And meetly wise eke counted shall,
Who yields himself to wise men's read.
Who hath no wit, nor none will hear,
Among all fools the bell may bear.

Sophocles in Antigone.

Φήμ ̓ ἔγωγε, πρεσβεύειν πολὺ
Φύναι τὸν ἄνδρα πάντ ̓ ἐπιστήμης πλέω.
Εἰ δ ̓ οὖν, (φιλεῖ γὰρ τοῦτο μὴ τάυτη ῥέπειν)
Καὶ τῶν λεγόντων ἔν, καλὸν τὸ μανθάνειν.

*

Mark the wisdom of Sophocles in leaving out the last sentence, because it was not comely for the son to use it to his father.

St. Basil in his Exhortation to Youth.

Μέμνησθε † τοῦ Ἡσιόδου, ὁς φησί· Αριστον μὲν εἶναι τὸν παρ' ἑαυ του τὰ δέοντα ξυνορῶντα. ἐσθλὸν δὲ κἀκεῖνον, τὸν τοῖς παρ' ἑτέρων ὑπου δειχθεῖσιν ἑπόμενον· τὸν δὲ πρὸς οὐδέτερον ἐπιτήδειον, ἀχρεῖον εἶναι πρὸς ἅπαντα.

M. Cicero pro A. Cluentio.

Sapientissimum esse dicunt eum, cui quod opus sit, ipsi veniat in mentem: proxime accedere illum, qui alterius bene inventis obtemperet. In stultitia contra est. Minus enim stultus est is, cui nihil in mentem venit, quàm ille, qui quod stulte alteri venit in mentem, comprobat.'

Cicero doth not plainly express the last sentence, but doth invent it fitly for his purpose, to taunt the folly and simplicity in his adversary Actius, not weighing wisely the subtle doings of Chrysogonus and Stalenus.

Tit. Livius in Orat. Minucii, Lib. 22.

Sæpe ego audivi, milites, eum primum esse virum, qui ipse consulat, quid in rem sit; secundum eum, qui bene monenti obediat: qui nec ipse consulere, nec alteri parere scit, eum extremi esse ingenii.”

Now which of all these four, Sophocles, St. Basil, Cicero, or Livy, hath expressed Hesiod best, the judgement is as hard, as the workmanship of every one is most excellent indeed. Another example out of the Latin tongue also I will recite, for the worthiness of the workman thereof, and that is Horace; who hath so turned the beginning of Terence's Eunuchus, as doth work in me a pleasant admiration, as oft soever as I compare those two places together. And though every master, and every good scholar too, do know the places

* Hæmon speaks to his father Creon.

This is taken from the beginning of St. Basil's Discourse to the young students, directing them how to read the Grecian writers with advantage. Εἰ μὲν οὖν προθύμως δέχοισθε τὰ λεγόμενα, τῆς δευτέρας τῶν ἐπαινουμένων ἔσεσθε παρ' Ησιόδῳ τάξεως. εἰ δὲ μὴ, ἐγὼ μὲν οὐδὲν ἂν εἴποιμι δυσχερές· αὐτοὶ δὲ μέμνησθε τῶν ἐπῶν δηλονότι, ἐν οἷς ἐκεῖνος φησί "Αριστον, &c.