From Whittinton's poem ‘In clarissimi Scheltonis Louaniensis poeta: laudes epigramma’ (‘On the most famous John Skelton, poet of Louvain: laudatory epigrams’) included in his ‘Opusculum Roberti Whittintoni in florentissima Oxoniensi achademia Laureati’ (1519), Sigs c iiiiv–viii, STC 25540.5. The work is a series of laudatory poems addressed to such contemporary figures as Henry VIII, Thomas More and Cardinal Wolsey.
I have adopted Dyce's emendation of Turn for Cum in line 75. Whittinton's astrological preamble (lines 1–34) has been omitted.
Whittinton (fl. 1519) was the author of a number of grammatical treatises.
Nubifer assurgit mons Pierus atque Cithaeron,
Gryneumque nemus dehinc Heliconque sacer;Inde et Parnasi bifidi secreta subimus,
Tota ubi Mnemosynes sancta propago manet.Turba pudica novem dulce hic cecinere sororum;
Delius in medio plectra chelynque sonat:Aurifluis laudat modulis monumenta suorum
Vatum, quos dignos censet honore poli:De quo certarunt Salamin, Cumae, vel Athenae,
Smyrna, Chios, Colophon, primus Homerus erat;Laudat et Orpheum, domuit qui voce leones,
Eurydicen Stygiis qui rapuitque rogis;Antiquum meminit Musaeum Eumolpide natum,
Te nec Aristophanes Euripidesque tacet;Vel canit illustrem genuit quem Teia tellus,
Quemque fovit dulci Coa camena sinu;Deinde cothurnatum celebrem dat laude Sophoclem,
Et quam Lesbides pavit amore Phaon;Aeschylus, Amphion, Thespis nec honore carebant,
Pindarus, Alcaeus, quem tuleratque Paros;Suat alii plures genuit quos terra Pelasga,
Daphnaeum cecinit quos meruisse decus:Tersa Latinorum dehinc multa poemata texit,
Laude nec Argivis inferiora probat;Insignem tollit ter vatem, cui dedit Andes
Cunas urbs, clarum Parthenopaea taphum;Blanda Corinna, tui Ponto religatus amore,
Sulmoni natus Naso secundus erat;Inde nitore fluens lyricus genere Appulus ille
Qui Latiis primus mordica metra tulit;Statius Aeacidem sequitur Thebaida pingens,
Emathio hinc scribens praelia gesta solo;Cui Verona parens hinc mollis scriptor amorum,
Tu nec in obscuro, culte Tibulle, lates;Haud reticendus erat cui patria Bilbilis,atque
Persius hinc mordax crimina spurca notans;Eximius pollet vel Seneca luce tragoedus,
Comicus et Latii bellica praeda ducis;Laudat et hinc alios quos saecula prisca fovebant;
Hos omnes longum jam meminisse foret.Tum Smintheus, paulo spirans, ait, ecce, sorores,
Quae clausa oceano terra Britanna nitet!Oxoniara claram Pataraea ut regna videtis,
Aut Tenedos, Delos, qua mea fama viret:Nonne fluunt istic nitidae ut Permessidos undae,
Istic et Aoniae sunt juga visa mini?Alma fovet vates nobis haec terra ministros,
Inter quos Schelton jure canendus adest:Numina nostra colit; canit hic vel carmina cedro
Digna, Palatinis et socianda sacris;Grande decus nobis addunt sua scripta,
linenda Auratis, digna ut posteritate, notis;Laudiflua excurrit serie sua culta poesis,
Certatim palmam lectaque verba petunt;Ora lepore fluunt, sicuti dives fagus auro,
Aut pressa Hyblaeis dulcia mella favis;Rhetoricus sermo riguo fecundior horto,
Pulchrior est multo puniceisque rosis,Unda limpidior, Parioque politior albo,
Splendidior vitro, candidorque nive,Mitior Alcinois pomis, fragrantior ipso
Thureque Pantheo, gratior et violis;Vincit te, suavi Demonsthene, vincit Ulyxim
Eloquio, atque senem quem tulit ipse Pylos;Ad fera bella trahat verbis, nequiit quod Atrides
Aut Brisis, rigidum te licet, Aeacides;Tantum ejus verbis tribuit Suadela Venusque
Et Charites, animos quolibet ille ut agat,Vel Lacedaemonios quo Tyrtaeus pede claudo
Pieriis vincens martia tela modis,Magnus Alexander quo belliger actus ab illa
Maeonii vatis grandisonante tuba;Gratia tanta suis virtusque est diva camenis,
Ut revocet manes ex Acheronte citos;Leniat hic plectro vel pectora saeva leonum,
Hic strepitu condat moenia vasta lyrae;Omnimodos animi possit depellere morbos,
Vel Niobes luctus Heliadumque truces;Reprimat hic rabidi Saulis sedetque furores,
Inter delphinas alter Arion erit;Ire Cupidineos quovis hic cogat amores,
Atque diu assuetos hic abolere queat;Auspice me tripodas sentit, me inflante calores
Concipit aethereos, mystica diva canit;Stellarum cursus, naturam vasti et Olympi,
Aeris et vires hic aperire potest,Vel quid cunctiparens gremio tellus fovet almo,
Gurgite quid teneat velivolumque mare;Monstratur digito phoenice ut rarior uno,
Ecce virum de quo splendida fama volat!Ergo decus nostrum quo fulget honorque, sorores,
Heroas laudes accumulate viro;Laudes accumulent Satyri, juga densa Lycaei,
Pindi, vel Rhodopes, Maenala quique colunt;Ingeminent plausus Dryades facilesque Napaeae,
Oreadum Celebris turba et Hamadryadum;Blandisonum vatem, vos Oceanitidesque atque
Naiades, innumeris tollite praeconiis;Aeterno vireat quo vos celebravit honore,
Illius ac astris fama perennis eat:Nunc raaduere satis vestro, nunc prata liquore
Flumina, Pierides, sistite, Phoebus ait.Sat cecinisse tuum sit, mi Schelton, tibi laudi
Haec Whitintonum: culte poeta, vale.
(From here we approach also the retreats of cleft Parnassus, where all the holy progeny of Mnemosyne lives. Here the chaste band of nine sisters sang and the Delian (1) in their midst plays with plectrum and lyre. With golden-flowing measures he praises the monuments of his poets, those he thinks worthy of the honour of the heavens. First was Homer, whose birthplace was contested by Salamis, Cumae, Athens, Smyrna, Chias and Colophon. And he praises Orpheus who with his voice tamed lions and who snatched Eurydice from the pyres of the Styx. And he calls to mind ancient Musaeus, son of Eumolpis, and is not silent about you, Aristophanes, nor Euripides. Then he sings of the famous poet born of Teian soil (2) and the one whom the Coan Muse fondled in her lovely lap; (3) and then buskined Sophocles is celebrated with praise and the Lesbian whom Phaon fed with love. (4) Aeschylus, Amphion and Thespis had their honour and Pindar, Alcaeus and the poet born of Paros. (5) Several others born in Pelasga he sang, that had observed the honour of Daphne's laurel. Then he glorifies many neat poems of the Latins and judges them to be not inferior to the Argives. Three times he praises the poet to whom the city Andes was a cradle and Parthenope a famous grave. (6) Naso, (7) born in Sulmo was the second, bound by love of you, charming Corinna, in Pontus. Then that brilliantly flowing lyric poet, (8) Apulian by birth, who first brought the biting metre to the Latins. Statius follows the Aeacid (9) picturing the Thebais, then the one who writes of the battles fought on Emathian soil. (10) And you, elegant Tibullus, do not lie in obscurity, smooth writer of love poetry whose birthplace was Verona. The one whose country was Bilbilis (11) was not passed over; and then came biting Persius marking dirty crimes. The excellent Seneca is brilliant as tragedian, as the battle spoil of a Latin general is as comedian. (12) After this he praises others whom former ages cherished, but to call to mind all these now would be tedious.
Then Apollo, with deeper breath, said, ‘Behold sisters, the land which shines surrounded by the ocean, Britain! Famous Oxford you see, like the Pataraean kingdom, or Tenedos, or Delos where my fame is strong. Do not the waters there flow bright as those of Peressus, and do I not see there the Aonian mountains? This land gently nourishes the poets who are my attendants, among whom Skelton is rightly to be celebrated. He cultivates my godhead; he sings songs worthy of the cedar even, songs to be added to the Palatine rites. His songs give us great glory and should be overlaid with gold, as worthy of posterity. His polished poetry runs in a chain flowing with praise and the selected words seek the palm in rivalry. His mouth flows with charm as the holy beech does with gold, or the sweet honey pressed from Hyblaean honeycombs. His rhetorical speech is more bountiful than a watered garden, and much more beautiful even than purple roses, more clear than a wave, more smooth than the white of Parian marble, more brilliant than crystal and whiter than snow, riper than the apples of Alcinous, more fragrant than Thurean and Panthean perfume, and more pleasing than violets. He conquers you, smooth Demosthenes, and you, Ulysses, in eloquence, as well as that old man that Pylos bore. (13) He could persuade you to war, stubborn Achilles, with his words, which Agamemnon or Brisis could not; so much force has Persuasion and Venus and the Graces given to his words, that he might lead minds wherever he wants, either in the limping metre in which Tyrtaeus led the Spartans (14) overcoming the weapons of Mars with Pierian rhythms, or that in which great Alexander, the warlike, was spurred on by that great-sounding trumpet of the Maeonian poet. (15) There is such charm and divine power in his Muses that he might recall the shades, summoning them from Acheron. He could calm with his plectrum even the savage breasts of lions, or with the sound of his lyre build vast walls. He could chase away all diseases of the mind, even the violent griefs of Niobe or of the sisters of Phaethon. He could check and calm the furies of raging Saul; among the dolphins he will be another Arion. He could compel the desires caused by Cupid to go anywhere, and he could destroy those long ingrained. With me as interpreter, he feels the tripod, with me fanning them he conceives heavenly flames and sings holy mysteries. He can reveal the courses of the stars, the nature of the deep and of Olympus and the powers of the sky, or what the earth, mother of all, nourishes in her gentle lap, or what the sail-flown sea holds in its waters. He is pointed out as one rarer than a single phoenix: behold the man whose brilliant fame flies! Therefore, sisters, wherever our glory and honour shines, heap up a hero's praise on this man. Let the satyrs heap up praise, those who inhabit the thick hills of Lycaeus, of Pindus, and Rhodope and Maenalus. Let the Oryads and the friendly dell-nymphs, the numerous crowd of Oreads and of Hamadryads heap up praise. You, daughter of Oceanus and Naiads praise the smooth-sounding poet with innumerable proclamations. Let him flourish in the eternal honour with which he celebrated you, and let his fame be perennial in the stars. Now the fields have been soaked enough in your water; stop your rivers, Pierides, says Phoebus. Let these praises of you, Skelton, sung by your Whittinton, suffice: learned poet, farewell.)
1 Apollo.
2 Anacreon.
3 Possibly Simonides or Bacchylides.
4 Sappho.
5 Archilochus.
6 Virgil.
7 Ovid.
8 Horace.
9 I.e. Achilles in the ‘Achilleis’.
10 Lucan.
11 Martial.
12 Terence.
13 Nestor.
14 I.e. elegiac.
15 Homer.