244 S Y L V A BOOK iv 



1 For in the earth's non-age under heaven's new frame, 

 They stricter liv'd who from oaks rupture came. 



Stapylton. 



Or as the sweet Papinius again, 



2 Fame goes that ye brake forth from the hard rind, 

 When the new earth with the first feet was sign'd : 

 Fields yet nor houses doleful pangs reliev'd, 

 But shady ash the numerous births receiv'd, 

 And the green babe dropt from the pregnant elm, 

 Whom strange amazement first did over-whelm 

 At break of day, and when the gloomy night 

 Ravish'd the sun from their pursuing sight, 

 Gave it for lost 



almost like that which Rinaldo saw in the Inchanted 

 Forest. 



3 An aged oak beside him cleft and rent, 

 And from his fertile hollow womb forth went 

 (Clad in rare weeds, and strange habiliment) 

 A full-grown nymph 



And that every great tree included a certain tutelar 

 genius or nymph living and dying with it, the poets 

 are full ; a special instance we have in that prodigi- 

 ous oak which fell by the fatal stroke of Erisichthon; 



1 Quippe aliter tune orbe novo caeloque recent! 

 Vivebant homines, qui rupto robore nati, &c. 



Juvenal, vi. n. 



2 Nemorum vos stirpe rigenti 



Fama satos, cum prima pedum vestigia tellus 

 Admirata tulit, nondum arva, domusque f erebant, 

 Cruda puerperia, ac populos umbrosa creavit 

 Fraxinus, & fceta viridis puer excidit orno : 



Hi lucis stupuisse vices, noctisque feruntur 

 Nubila, & occiduum longe Titana secuti 

 Desperasse diem 



3 Quercia gli appar, che perse stessa incisa 

 Apre feconda il cavo ventre, e figlia : 

 En'esce fuor vestita in strania guisa : 



Ninfa d' eta cresciuta Canto, 18. 



