Series 1 > Grameid: an heroic poem descriptive of the campaign of Viscount Dundee in 1689, and other pieces

PANURGI PH1LO-CABALLI
SCOTI
POEMATA.1
Brittaniarum et Valliae Principis
Natalis
Junii Decimo Anno 1688
Paraphrasis Virgiliana.
PIERIDES, magni proles Jovis aurea, vatum
Pectora quae sacro succenditis Enthea 2 motu,
Vos mihi jam dignum tanti date Principis ortu
Carmen, et altisono 3 modulemur magna cothurno:
Non semper dicenda levi sunt rura cicuta,
Nec juvat exiles nimium cecinisse genistas:
Si tamen aereas calamo tentabimus ulmos,
Fraxineasque trabes, et adultae robora sylvae,
Forsitan haec magnis dignentur carmina Divis.
1 This is the title-page of the original ms. , and these pieces which follow
are at the beginning of the book instead of at the end, as they appear here.
Over the words 1 Panurgi Philo-caballi ’ there is inserted in a much later hand
‘Jacobi Philp sub nomine,’ and under the words ‘Paraphrasis Virgiliana’ there
appears in the same modem hand ‘auctore Jacobo Philp.’ Napier takes the
writing of the inserted words to be that of Goodall, one of the keepers of the
Advocates’ Library under the learned Ruddiman, who assisted him in the pre¬
paration of the Catalogue of 1742. Goodall was the author of a defence of Queen
Mary. The spelling, capitals, and punctuation of the original are strictly
followed in these lesser pieces, except where noted. The first piece is, of course,
a parody of Virgil, Ec. iv.,—the Prince of Wales, Graham, Wallace, Bruce,
Merlin, etc., taking the places in dull manner of the personages of the beautiful
original.
2 Thus in original, and so spelt as an adjective in later dictionaries, such as
Ainsworth.
3 Mixed metaphor, pronounced frigid by our critic.