TRANSLATIONS
translations
page66.translationsfromvincentbourne.
vincentbourne(1695-1747),theenglishlatinpoet,enteredwestminsterschoolonthefoundationin1710,and,onleavingcambridge,returnedtowestminsterasamaster.hewassoindolentateacheranddisciplinarianthatcowper,oneofhispupils,says:"heseemeddetermined,ashewasthebest,sotobethelast,latinpoetofthewestminsterline."bourne'spoemataappearedin1734.itismainlyowingtocowper'stranslations(particularly"thejackdaw")thatheisknown,excepttolatinists.lambfirstreadbournein1815.writingtowordsworthinaprilofthatyearhesays:—"sinceisawyouihavehadatreatinthereadingwaywhichcomesnoteveryday.thelatinpoemsofv.bournewhichwerequitenewtome.whataheartthatmanhad,alllaidoutupontownandscenes,apropercounterpoisetosomepeople'sruralextravaganzas.whyimentionhimisthatyourpowerofmusicremindedmeofhispoemoftheballadsingerinthesevendials.doyourememberhisepigramontheoldwomanwhotaughtnewtontheabc,whichafterallhesayshehesitatesnottocallnewton'sprincipia?iwaslatelyfatiguingmyselfwithgoingthroughavolumeoffinewordsbyl'dthurlow,excellentwords,andiftheheartcouldlivebywordsalone,itcoulddesirenobetterregale,butwhatanachingvacuumofmatter—idon'tstickatthemadnessofit,forthatisonlyaconsequenceofshuttinghiseyesandthinkingheisintheageoftheoldelisabethpoets—fromthenceiturnedtov.bourne—whatasweetunpretendingpretty-manneredmatter-fulcreature,suckingfromeveryflower,makingaflowerofeverything—hisdictionalllatin,andhisthoughtsallenglish.blesshim,latinwasn'tgoodenoughforhim—whywasn'thecontentwiththelanguagewhichgayandpriorwrotein."
onthepublicationofalbumverses,whereintheseninepoemsfromvincentbournewereprinted,lambreviewedthebookinmoxon'senglishman'smagazineforseptember,1831,underthetitle"thelatinpoemsofvincentbourne"(seevol.i.).therehe"ed"theballadsingers,"andthe"epitaphonaninfantsleeping"—remarkingofbourne:—"heis'solatin,'andyet'soenglish'allthewhile.indictionworthyoftheaugustanage,hepresentsuswithnoimagesthatarenotfamiliartohiscountrymen.histopicsareevencloselierdrawn;theyarenotsoproperlyenglish,aslondonish.fromthestreets,andfromthealleys,ofhisbelovedmetropolis,heculledhisobjects,whichhehasinvestedwithanhogarthianrichnessofcolouring.notownpicturebythatartistcangobeyondhisballad-singers;gay'striviaalone,inverse,comesuptothelifeandhumourofit."
page72.pindaricodetothetreadmill.
firstprintedinthenewtimes,october24,1825.theversiontheregivendifferedconsiderablyfromthatpreservedbylamb.ithadnodivisions.attheendofwhatisnowthefirststropheqametheselines:—
now,bysainthilary,
(asaintilovetoswearby,
thoughishouldforfeitthereby
fiveill-sparedshillingstoyourwell-warm'dseat,
worshipfuljusticesofworship-street;
orpaymycrown
atgreatsirrichard'sstillmoreawfulmandatedown:)
theyraisemygorge—
thoseministersofann,orthefirstgeorge,
(whichwasit?
forhistoryissilent,andmycloset—
readingaffordsnoclue;
ihavethestory,pope,alonefromyou;)
insuchaplace,&c.
lambofferedtheodetohisfriendwalterwilson,forhisworkondefoe,towhichlambcontributedprosecriticisms(seevol.i.),butwilsondidnotuseit.thelettermakingthisoffer,togetherwiththepoem,differingveryslightlyinoneortwoplaces,ispreservedinthebodleian.
page75.goingorgone.
firstprintedinhone'stablebook,1827,signedelia,underthetitle"goneorgoing."itwastherelonger,afterstanza6comingthefollowing:—
hadhemendedinrighttime,
heneednotinnighttime,
(thatblackhour,andfright-time,)
tillsextoninterr'dhim,
havegroan'dinhiscoffin,
whiledemonsstoodscoffing—
you'dha'thoughthima-coughing—
myownfather注释标题whosatupwithhim.heardhim!
couldgainsoimportune,
withoccasionopportune,
thatforapoorfortune,
thatshouldhavebeenours注释标题ihavethisfactfromparentaltraditiononly.,
insoulheshouldventure
topiercethedimcenter,
wherewill-forgersenteramidthedarkpowers?—
andinthetablebookthelaststanzaendedthus:—
andflauntingmisswaller—
thatsoonmustbefalher,
whichmakesfolksseemtaller注释标题deathlengthenspeopletotheeye.,—
thoughproud,once,asjuno!
toannotatethiscurioustaleofoldfriendships,datingback,asisuppose,insomecasestolamb'searliestmemories,bothoflondonandhertfordshire,isataskthatisprobablybeyondcompletion.thedayistoodistant.butasearchinthewidfordregisterandchurchyardrevealsalittleinformationandoraltraditionalittlemore.
stanza2.richkittywheatley.therev.josephwhately,vicarof
widfordinthelatterhalfoftheeighteenthcentury,marriedjane
plumer,sisterofwilliamplumer,ofblakesware,theemployerofmrs.
field,lamb'sgrandmother.archbishopwhatelywastheirson.kitty
wheatleymayhavebeenarelative.
stanza2.pollyperkin.onjune1,1770,accordingtothewidfordregister,samuelperkinsmarriedmarylanham.thismayhavebeenpolly.