HYMEN, O HYMENÆE!
69
of his noble race, as well as meet to hand it on. The natural wishes follow:—
" 'Tis not meet so old a stem
Should be left ungraced by them,
To transmit its fame unshorn
Down through ages yet unborn."
Should be left ungraced by them,
To transmit its fame unshorn
Down through ages yet unborn."
The next lines of the original are so prettily turned by Mr Cranstoun, that we forbear for the nonce to tax the charming version of Martin:—
"May a young Torquatus soon
From his mother's bosom slip
Forth his tender hands, and smile
Sweetly on his sire the while
With tiny half-oped lip.
From his mother's bosom slip
Forth his tender hands, and smile
Sweetly on his sire the while
With tiny half-oped lip.
May each one a Manlius
In his infant features see,
And may every stranger trace,
Clearly graven on his face,
His mother's chastity."
In his infant features see,
And may every stranger trace,
Clearly graven on his face,
His mother's chastity."
Of parallels and imitations of this happy thought and aspiration, there is abundant choice. Theodore Martin's taste selects a graceful and expanded fancy of Herrick from his "Hesperides;" while Dunlop, in his 'History of Roman Literature,' quotes the following almost literal reproduction out of an epithalamium on the marriage of Lord Spencer by Sir William Jones, who pronounced Catullus's picture worthy the pencil of Domenichino:—
"And soon to be completely blest,
Soon may a young Torquatus rise,
Soon may a young Torquatus rise,
