The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) Volume II.Cibber, Theophilus
History
The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) Volume II.
Cibber, Theophilus
Poets, English -- Biography -- Early works to 1800; Poets, Irish -- Biography -- Early works to 1800
the vault of his father-in-law, Sir John Harrison. The Author of the
Short Account of his Life, prefixed to his letters, says, 'that he was
remarkable for his meekness, sincerity, humanity and piety, and also
was an able statesman and a great scholar, being in particular a
compleat master of several modern languages, especially the Spanish,
which he spoke and wrote with as much advantage, as if he had been a
native.' By his lady, eldest daughter of Sir John Harrison, he had six
sons, and eight daughters, whereof only one son and four daughters
survived him.
The following is an account of his works,
1. An English Translation in Rhyme, of the celebrated Italian
Pastoral, called Il Pastor Fido, or the Faithful Shepherd, written
originally by Battista Guarini, printed in London, 1644 in 4to. and
1664 8vo.
2. A Translation from English into Latin Verse, of the Faithful
Shepherders, a Pastoral, written originally by John Fletcher, Gent.
London, 1658.
3. In the octavo edition of the Faithful Shepherd, Anno 1664, are
inserted the following Poems of our author, viz. 1st, An Ode upon the
Occasion of his Majesty's Proclamation, 1630, commanding the Gentry to
reside upon their Estates in the Country. 2d, A Summary Discourse of
the Civil Wars of Rome, extracted from the best Latin Writers in Prose
and Verse. 3d, An English Translation of the Fourth Book of Virgil's
AEneid on the Loves of Dido and AEneas. 4th, Two Odes out of Horace,
relating to the Civil Wars of Rome, against covetous, rich Men.
4. He translated out of Portuguese into English, The Lusiad, or
Portugal's Historical Poem, written originally by Luis de Camoens,
London, 1655, &c. folio.
After his decease, namely, in 1671, were published these two
posthumous pieces of his in 4to, Querer per solo Querer, To Love only
for Love's sake, a Dramatic Romance, represented before the King and
Queen of Spain, and Fiestas de Aranjuez, Festivals at Aranjuez: both
written originally in Spanish, by Antonio de Mendoza, upon occasion of
celebrating the Birth-day of King Philip IV. in 1623, at Aranjuez;
they were translated by our author in 1654, during his confinement at
Taukerley-park in Yorkshire, which uneasy situation induced him to
write the following stanzas on this work, which are here inserted, as
a specimen of his versification.
Time was, when I, a pilgrim of the seas,
When I 'midst noise of camps, and courts disease,
Purloin'd some hours to charm rude cares with verse,
Which flame of faithful shepherd did rehearse.
But now restrain'd from sea, from camp, from court,
And by a tempest blown into a port;
I raise my thoughts to muse on higher things,
And eccho arms, and loves of Queens and Kings.
Which Queens (despising crowns and Hymen's band)
Would neither men obey, nor men command:
Great pleasure from rough seas to see the shore
Or from firm land to hear the billows roar.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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