登陆注册
4907400000054

第54章

Beside that, the [Greek text which cannot be reproduced] which they shed was so very like our common blood that it was not to be distinguished from it but only by the name and colour. As for what Horace says in his "Art of Poetry," that no machines are to be used unless on some extraordinary occasion--"Nec deus intersit, nisi dignus vindice nodus" - that rule is to be applied to the theatre, of which he is then speaking, and means no more than this--that when the knot of the play is to be untied, and no other way is left for making the discovery, then, and not otherwise, let a god descend upon a rope, and clear the business to the audience. But this has no relation to the machines which are used in an epic poem.

In the last place, for the dira, or flying pest which, flapping on the shield of Turnus and fluttering about his head, disheartened him in the duel, and presaged to him his approaching death--I might have placed it more properly amongst the objections, for the critics who lay want of courage to the charge of Virgil's hero quote this passage as a main proof of their assertion. They say our author had not only secured him before the duel, but also in the beginning of it had given him the advantage in impenetrable arms and in his sword; for that of Turnus was not his own (which was forged by Vulcan for his father), but a weapon which he had snatched in haste, and by mistake, belonging to his charioteer Metiscus. That after all this Jupiter, who was partial to the Trojan, and distrustful of the event, though he had hung the balance and given it a jog of his hand to weigh down Turnus, thought convenient to give the Fates a collateral security by sending the screech-owl to discourage him; for which they quote these words of Virgil:-

"Non me tua turbida virtus Terret, ait; dii me terrent, et Jupiter hostis."

In answer to which, I say that this machine is one of those which the poet uses only for ornament, and not out of necessity. Nothing can be more beautiful or more poetical than his description of the three Dirae, or the setting of the balance, which our Milton has borrowed from him, but employed to a different end; for, first, he makes God Almighty set the scales for St. Gabriel and Satan, when he knew no combat was to follow; then he makes the good angel's scale descend, and the devil's mount--quite contrary to Virgil, if I have translated the three verses according to my author's sense:-

"Jupiter ipse duas aequota examine lances Sustinet, et fata imponit diversa duorum;

Quem damnet labor, et quo vergat pondere letum."

For I have taken these words Quem damnet labor in the sense which Virgil gives them in another place (Damnabis tu quoque votis), to signify a prosperous event. Yet I dare not condemn so great a genius as Milton; for I am much mistaken if he alludes not to the text in Daniel where Belshazzar was put into the balance and found too light. This is digression, and I return to my subject. I said above that these two machines of the balance and the Dira were only ornamental, and that the success of the duel had been the same without them; for when AEneas and Turnus stood fronting each other before the altar, Turnus looked dejected, and his colour faded in his face, as if he desponded of the victory before the fight; and not only he, but all his party, when the strength of the two champions was judged by the proportion of their limbs, concluded it was impar pugna, and that their chief was overmatched. Whereupon Juturna, who was of the same opinion, took this opportunity to break the treaty and renew the war. Juno herself had plainly told the nymph beforehand that her brother was to fight "Imparibus fatis; nec diis, nec viribus aequis;" so that there was no need of an apparition to fright Turnus, he had the presage within himself of his impending destiny. The Dira only served to confirm him in his first opinion, that it was his destiny to die in the ensuing combat. And in this sense are those words of Virgil to be taken -

"Non me tua turbida virtus Terret, ait; dii me terrent, et Jupiter hostis."

I doubt not but the adverb solum is to be understood ("It is not your valour only that gives me this concernment, but I find also by this portent that Jupiter is my enemy"); for Turnus fled before, when his first sword was broken, till his sister supplied him with a better, which indeed he could not use because AEneas kept him at a distance with his spear. I wonder Ruaeus saw not this, where he charges his author so unjustly for giving Turnus a second sword to no purpose. How could he fasten a blow or make a thrust, when he was not suffered to approach? Besides, the chief errand of the Dira was to warn Juturna from the field, for she could have brought the chariot again when she saw her brother worsted in the duel. I might farther add that AEneas was so eager of the fight that he left the city, now almost in his possession, to decide his quarrel with Turnus by the sword; whereas Turnus had manifestly declined the combat, and suffered his sister to convey him as far from the reach of his enemy as she could. I say, not only suffered her, but consented to it; for it is plain he knew her by these words:-

"O soror, et dudum agnovi, cum prima per artem Faedera turbasti, teque haec in bella dedisti; Et tunc necquicquam fallis dea."

同类推荐
  • 六如居士画谱

    六如居士画谱

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 道德真经传

    道德真经传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 上清三尊谱箓

    上清三尊谱箓

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 万松老人评唱天童觉和尚颂古从容庵录

    万松老人评唱天童觉和尚颂古从容庵录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛国记

    佛国记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 玄门肥师

    玄门肥师

    一个看似只会吃饱就睡的天下钱庄肥宅三少爷。本以为会碌碌无为过一辈子,不曾想偶遇玄门第一弟子玄飞。俊朗的外表配上一身锄强扶弱的好本领。肥三少第一次找到了人生努力的目标……
  • 废土生存守则

    废土生存守则

    由于能源危机而爆发的核战争导致核冬天的降临,幸存的人类被迫转入地下的避难所中生存。然而地下储备的资源终归有限,为了能早日返回地面,一款叫做《废土生存守则》的完全沉浸式游戏被强制在所有的地下避难所推广了开来。在这款游戏里,完美模仿了地表上可能发生的一切状况,辐射、饥饿、怪物……玩家可能会面对各种各样足以致命的威胁,然而,每个人在游戏里只能有三次复活机会。一旦复活机会用完,避难所的智能主控系统将会自动切断该玩家现实之中所有的物资供应……食物、水……甚至,包括氧气。“你好,我是玩家9527,请问这款动力装甲怎么卖?”末世废土风格网游文,游戏部分设定借鉴B社的辐射系列。书友群564747351新书《旧世之烬》已经发布,请大家多多支持
  • 废柴逆天:恃宠毒后霸凰位

    废柴逆天:恃宠毒后霸凰位

    叶家痴呆的二小姐死而复生,先休了太子,后敲诈继母――真的假的!叶家庶出的二小姐坐拥王爷,有仙人守护,有圣尊撑腰――不是吧!人称“双面狐狸”的金牌特工,穿越为丞相府中蠢笨弱懦的二小姐叶溪幼。下毒活埋又如何?嫁给双腿残废外加毁容的王爷又如何?她定要让那些算计自己的人用性命抵账!管你是嫡长女,还是皇后、宠妃,招惹她的人,她来一个杀一个,来一双灭一双!收服不良阁,化身四派掌门,纵横天下无敌!只是……谁能告诉她,这个废王,怎么如花似玉,还夜夜逼她洞房!
  • 谁来拯救草食系欧皇

    谁来拯救草食系欧皇

    那是远比神话所描述的,更恢弘的东西。大群(LEGION),先驱,星空贤者,古老者....秘巫们沉默地穿行于黑暗里,地狱三十七大群踏足人间。星灵界在灵魂的引渡中成型,遥远的西海岸,七国燃起战火。然后,他来了,于是世界为他加冕。通识学派虔诚地将那段历史书于永不磨灭的碑碣,在开篇,他们如是说。吾从未见幸运如此之于一人,顺顺遂遂如马夫仆从!
  • 王爷想洞房:魅惑王妃

    王爷想洞房:魅惑王妃

    "女人,本王一定要征服你!"英明冷酷的王爷殿下,即将进行婚后第一次洞房。特工来穿越,废柴变天才,邪魅王爷很霸道,装嫩王妃来闹闹。王爷想洞房,还得问她同不同意!--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 创科武元年

    创科武元年

    太阳即将毁灭,人类不得不开启太空移民计划,在宇宙深处建立新的家园“出日堡垒”,载着地球上的不同物种飞出太阳系,寻找新的家园!还有很多的人类不愿离开地球,努力寻求解决办法不让地球上的物种灭绝!可面对逐渐冰冻的地球,却无能为力!可是真正的危害不仅仅来自于大自然,最复杂的莫过于人心,出日堡垒爆发大革命,一批人分裂出去建立新的家园“盘古”,相对于出日堡垒,盘古更有创造力,更有探索精神!地球,日出堡垒,盘古,三方的势力,不同的初心,相同的目的,只为努力活下去……
  • 社会学视野下的新型毒品(谷臻小简·AI导读版)

    社会学视野下的新型毒品(谷臻小简·AI导读版)

    从全球视角对毒品问题进行了分析、思考、阐述新型毒品的流行及其危害、传统毒品与新型毒品的比较研究等。
  • 骑着恐龙在末世

    骑着恐龙在末世

    末日来临,百族降世,人族面临危亡,路军意外获得了龙骑系统,当别人还在末世苦苦挣扎时,他已经建立起自己的恐龙大军,且看他如何骑着恐龙在末世。新书《星际匪帮》已发布,不喜欢这本的去看看那本。
  • 汽车上

    汽车上

    那张肖像,老师画得很慢。每天晚上六点,女孩都会像天仙一样飘然而至。乡下的天色暗得特别早,那是因为乡下的晚上没有内容的缘故。像恋人都喜欢电影院里的昏暗,老师也希望他头顶的夜幕越暗越好,他一个人呆在校舍里,觉得这整座学校都是他的,甚至连学校外面的街道也是他的。他会把传达室那扇小门故意打开,这无疑是给女孩一个信号——里面有一个人在等她,颜料和画笔准备好了,椅子和背景也布置好了,只等她落座,只等她摆好姿势。他会焦急地一趟趟地往门口跑,他希望能在半道上碰上她,装出无意间碰上的惊讶,噢,这么早就来啦。
  • 都市最蠢召唤系统

    都市最蠢召唤系统

    宅男果元重生到平行世界,意外获得一套万界诸天召唤系统,但是,系统很蠢,将宿主坑的不要不要的。幸亏果元拜两只喵星来的喵圣为师,觉醒了喵圣天赋,又学了各种拉轰的喵族神技,世界一下子变得美好起来。美女、赚钱、变强、拯救世界,宅男的春天来啦…