Hero and Leander (Greene)/Appendix

by Musaeus Grammaticus

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APPENDIX.

 

Representing some more obvious Passages in Ovid relating to Hero, and Leander, which carry a resemblance to the foregoing Poem.

 

MUSÆUS allots only one Verse to Leander's Invocation of Boreas, which verse has been before criticiz'd, Ovid in his usual vein of Amplification treats us with the Address itself. The lines are beautiful.

 

At Tu de rapidis immansuetissime ventis,
Quid mecum certâ prælia mente geris?
In me, si nescis, Borea, non æquora, fævis.
Quid faceres, effet ni tibi notus Amor?
Tam gelidus cum sis, non te tamen, improbe, quondam
Ignibus Actæis incaluisse negas.
Gaudia rapturo si quis tibi claudere vellet
Aërios aditus, quo paterere modo?

 

The conduct of both the Poets merits attention. The conciseness of Musæus is well adapted to the situation of Leander, who was swimming—The more diffus'd stile of Ovid is equally fitted to Leander, while he continued on the Shore.

 

Άυτὸς ἔων ἐρέτης, ἀυτόστολος, ἀυτόματος νηῦς.
Musæus, V. 255.

Idem navigium, navita, vector, ero.
Ovid. Epist. Leander Heroni, V. 148.

 

ὂφρα νοήσας
Ἒσσομαι ὂλκὰς Ἒρωτος, ἒχων σὲθεν ἀστέρα λὑχνον,
Καὶ μιν ὀπιπτέυων, οὐκ ὂψομαι δύντα Βοώτην,
Όν θρασύν Ώρίωνα, καὶ ἂζροχον ὁλκὸν ἁμάξης.
Musæus, V. 211, &c.

 

Nec sequar aut Helicen, aut, quâ Tyros utitur, Arcton:
 Publica non curat sidera noster Amor.
Andromedan alius spectet, claramve Coronam,
 Quæque micat gelido Parrhasis Ursa polo.
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Est aliud lumen multo mihi certius istis;
 Non erit in tenebris quo duce noster amor.
Ovid. Epist. Leand. Heroni, V. 149, &c.

 

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