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Letter #6252

Ioannes SECUNDUS to Ioannes DANTISCUS
Mechelen, [1531, autumn]

Early printed source materials:
1DANTISCUS 1764 p. 326-328 (in extenso)
2PERIANDER (Ioannes Secundus Hagiensis ad Ioannem Dantiscum praesulem Culmensem eundemque poetam epistola) p. 444-446 (in extenso)
3SECUNDUS 1541 (Ad Ioannem Dantiscum Praesulem Culmensem eundemque Poëtam) No. Epist. I.7
4SECUNDUS 1561 p. 106-107 (in extenso)
5SECUNDUS 1619 p. 169-171 (in extenso)

Prints:
1SECUNDUS 1821/2 (Ad Ioannem Dantiscum, praesulem Culmensem, eumdemque poetam) p. 38-41 (in extenso)
2STARNAWSKI 1977 p. 186-187 (in extenso)
3GUÉPIN part 2, No. 1.5.2, p. 477-478 (in extenso)
4GUÉPIN part 1, No. 1.5.2, p. 56-57 (Dutch translation)
5SECUNDUS 2007 3 p. 432-444 (in extenso; French translation)

 

Text & apparatus & commentary Plain text Text & commentary Text & apparatus

 

Laus vatum, laus magna virum, quos infula vestit,
Ore melos Getico[1] qui Latiale[2] sonas,
In quem curarum bona pars secura recumbit
Sigismund I Jagiellon (Zygmunt I) (*1467 – †1548), King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (1506-1548); Duke of Głogów (Glogau) (1499-1506), Duke of Opava (1501-1506), Governor of Silesia (1504-1506); son of King Kazimierz IV Jagiellon and Elisabeth of Austria⌊RegisSigismund I Jagiellon (Zygmunt I) (*1467 – †1548), King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (1506-1548); Duke of Głogów (Glogau) (1499-1506), Duke of Opava (1501-1506), Governor of Silesia (1504-1506); son of King Kazimierz IV Jagiellon and Elisabeth of Austria⌋, Inhabitants of Poland ⌊SarmatidumInhabitants of Poland ⌋ cui famulatur humus.
Hospite, quo Schelde (Escaut, Scheldt, Scaldis), river in northern France, western Belgium and the southwestern part of the Netherlands⌊ScaldisSchelde (Escaut, Scheldt, Scaldis), river in northern France, western Belgium and the southwestern part of the Netherlands⌋ sese miratur et Danube (Dunaj, Donau), river in central and eastern Europe⌊IstriDanube (Dunaj, Donau), river in central and eastern Europe⌋
Gurgitibus tumidis iam putat ire parem.
Hocne meas arteis etiam, Dantisce, manebat,
Ut traducendae te quoque teste forent?
Hei mihi, quid speras a caelatore poeta
Et cui vix primo tempora vere tepent?
Istam aciem pascat, si quid restabit ab aevo,
Phydiacae quondam quo viguere manus,
Cum Aphrodite (Venus), Greek and Roman goddess of love, beauty, and sexuality⌊VenusAphrodite (Venus), Greek and Roman goddess of love, beauty, and sexuality⌋ ipsa suae decus admirata figurae
Dixit: „Praxiteles the most famous Greek sculptor of the IVth century BC⌊PraxiteliPraxiteles the most famous Greek sculptor of the IVth century BC⌋ visa ubi nuda fui?”
Cum poterant duri lapides mollescere ferro
Uvaque certanteis picta vocabat aveis,
Suspensosque animos sperata voce tenebat
Daedalus ⌊DaedalusDaedalus ⌋ in tabula versicolore liquor,
Ausus ego temptare novas temerarius arteis,
Vix infausta rego caela negante manu.
Felix plebeios si tantum sculpere vultus
Dextera et ulterius non foret ausa vehi,
Obscuris cum nominibus neglecta iaceret,
Non hominum variis subdita iudiciis,
Cum domini pallore sui male nobilis esset.
Sed quid ego haec autem? Sera querela mea est.
E manibus nostris dudum vaga currit imago,
Quae pia caesarei numinis ora tenet.
Nec satis est illud, cupit hanc Dantiscus habere,
Ille, cui quicquam sit renuisse nefas.
Accipe, magne pater, tua iussa capessere fas est,
Tecum age, si laedet lumina forma rudis.
Mittimus in multas transfusum caesara formas.
Sic te velle, mihi dixerat ille tuus
Ledaeus vates, iuvenis dignissimus, in quem
Pars tibi diffusi multa favoris eat,
Qui sic ore modos et acuta temperat aure,
Ut cygnum melius non potuisse rear.
Illum, Ledaeis olim qui fusus in ulnis,
Velavit niveo corpore furta Jupiter (Jove), king of the gods in ancient Roman mythology⌊IovisJupiter (Jove), king of the gods in ancient Roman mythology⌋.
Mittimus et quaedam, quae te fortasse iuvabunt,
Inter quae dominae sit quoque forma meae,
Dilectae dominae, Aphrodite (Venus), Greek and Roman goddess of love, beauty, and sexuality⌊VeneremAphrodite (Venus), Greek and Roman goddess of love, beauty, and sexuality⌋ cui cedere Mars ancient Roman god of war⌊MavorsMars ancient Roman god of war⌋
Noluit, hinc caeli non bene rexit iter.
Hic quoque flammivomis oculis formosa latebit
Vatis amatoris Iulia sculpta manu.
Iulia, quae nostris vivat celebrata Muses Greek goddesses of literature and the arts⌊CamoenisMuses Greek goddesses of literature and the arts⌋,
Donec Amor the Roman god of love⌊AmorAmor the Roman god of love⌋ gemitus nesciet et lacrimas.

[1 ] Here: Scythian, barbarian (as opposed to the Latin); cf. also e. g. Ov., Pont. 4.36: et longum Getico murmur in ore fuit

[2 ] Of Latium, Latin