The satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis / translated into English verse by William Gifford.

  • Juvenal
Date:
1802
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis / translated into English verse by William Gifford. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

    112/574 (page 32)
    Make stern Achilles bleed in epic strain, And “ Hylas! Hylas!” fill the shore in vain. Harmless, nay pleasant, shall your verse be found. You bare no ulcer^ and you probe no wound. But when Lucilius, fired with virtuous rage. Nerves his bold arm to scourge an impious age, The conscious villain shudders at his sin. And burning blushes speak the pangs within; Cold drops of sweat from every member roll, And growing terrors harrow up his soul. Then tears of shame, and dire revenge succeed— Say; have you ponder’d well th’ adventurous deed? Now—ere the trumpet sound—your strength debate; The soldier once engaged, repents too late. J. Yet I must write; and since these iron times, From living knaves preclude my angry rhymes, could not you be contentj as well as others^ with the Legend of Whit- tington, the Story of Queen Eleanor, and the rearing of London Bridge upon woolsacks ? Ver. 268. But when Lucilius, ^c.] In Randolph’s Entertainment there is so admirable a paraphrase of this passage, that I shall be easily forgiven for producing it: “ When I (Satire) but frown’d in my Lucilius’ brow. “ Each conscious cheek grew red, and a cold trembling “ Freez’d the chill soul, while every guilty breast Stood, fearful of dissection, as afraid To be anatomized by that skilful hand, ‘‘ And have each artery, nerve, and vein of sin. By it laid open to the public scorn.”