SYLVA 233 



character was ancienter than that in paper ; let us 

 hear the amorous poet leaving his young couple thus 

 courting each other, 



1 My name on bark engraven by your fair hand, 

 Oenone, there, cut by your knife does stand ; 

 And with the stock my name alike does grow, 

 Be't so, and my advancing honour show. 



which doubtless he learnt of Maro describing the 

 unfortunate Gallus. 



2 There on the tender bark to carve my love ; 

 And as they grow, so may my hopes improve. 



and these pretty monuments of courtship I find were 

 much used on the cherry-tree (the wild one, I suppose) 

 which has a very smooth rind, as the witty Calphurn- 

 ius, 



3 Repeat, thy words on cherry-bark I'll take, 

 And that red skin my table-book will make. 



Let us add the sweet 4 Propertius, 



Ah quoties teneras resonant mea verba sub umbras, 

 Scribitur & vestris Cynthia corticibus. 



And so deep were the incisions made, as that of 5 

 Helena on the platan (o>c wa piw ?rc Avyvoty that one 



1 Incisae servant a te mea nomina fagi, 



Et legor, Oenone, falce notata tua : 

 Et quantum trunci, tantum mea nomina crescunt: 



Crescite, & in titulos surgite rite meos. Ovid, Ep. 5. 



2 .......... tenerisque meos incidere amores 



Arboribus : Crescent illae, crescetis amores. Eclog. 10. 



3 Die age, nam cerasi tua cortice verba notabo. 

 Et decisa feram rutilanti carmina libro. 



4 Lib. I, Elegia XVIII. 



5 Theocrit. Epithal. Helenae, Idyll. 18. 



dd 



