Georgius Buchanan - De Caleto

 

 

AD HENRICVM II.
FRANCORVM REGEM INVICTISSIMVM

DE CALETO RECEPTA

ornatio

GEORGII BVCHANANI CARMEN


 

 

           Non Parca fati conscia, lubricae   [1]
           Non sortis axis sistere nescius,
                 Non siderum lapsus, sed unus
                 Rerum opifex moderatur orbem.
5        Qui terram inermem stare suo loco iubet,
           Aequor perennes volvere vortices,
                 Caelumque nunc lucem tenebris,
                 Nunc tenebras variare luce.
           Qui temperatae sceptra modestiae
10       Dat, et protervae frena superbiae:
                 Qui lacrimis foedat triumphos,
                 Et lacrimas hilarat triumphis.
           Exempla longe ne repetam: En iacet
           Fractusque et exspes, quem gremio suo
15             Fortuna fotum, nuper omnes
                 Per populos tumidum ferebat.   [2]
           Nec tu, secundo flamine quem super
           Felicitatis vexerat aequora
                HENRICE virtus, nescisti   [3]
20            Imbriferae fremitum procellae.   [4]
           Sed pertinax hunc fastus adhuc premit,
           Urgetque pressum: et progeniem sui,
                 Fiducia pari tumentem,
                 Clade pari exagitat Philippum.
25       Te, qui minorem te superis geris,
           Culpamque fletu diluis agnitam,
                 Mitis Parens placatus audit:
                 Et solitum cumulat favorem,
            Redintegratae nec tibi gratiae
30        Obscura promit signa. Sub algido
                  Nox capricorno longa terras
                  Perpetuis tenebris premebat:
            Rigebat auris bruma nivalibus,
            Amnes acuto consisterant gelu,
35              Deformis horror incubabat
                  Iugeribus viduis colono:
            At signa castris Francus ut extulit,
            Ductorque Franci GVISIVS agminis,   [6]
                  Arrisit algenti sub Arcto
40              Temperies melioris aurae:
           Hiems retuso languida spiculo
           Vim mitigavit frigoris asperi:
                 Siccis per hibernum serenum
                 Nube cava stetit imber arvis.
45       Stravit quietis aequora fluctibus
           Neptunus, antris condidit Aeolus
                 Ventos, nisi Francas secundo
                 Flamine qui veherent carinas.
           Per arva nuper squalida, et ignibus
50       Adhuc Britanni paene calentibus,
                 Cornu benigno commeatus
                 Copia luxurians refudit.
           Idem ut reductas condidit oppidis
           Francus cohortes, mitis hiems modo
55              Se rursus armavit procellis,
                 Et positas renovavit iras.
           Stant lenta pigro flumina marmore,
           Canisque campi sub nivibus latent:
                 Diverberatum saevit aequor
60              Horriferis Aquilonis alis.
           Ergo nec altis cincta paludibus
           Tulêre vires moenia Gallicas,
                 Nec arcibus tutae paludes,
                 Praecipitem tenuere cursum.
65       Loraene princeps, praecipuo Dei
           Favore felix, praecipuas Deus,
                 cui tradidit partes, superbos
                 ut premeres domitrice dextra:
          Unius anni curriculo, sequens [5]
70       Vix credet aetas, promeritas tibi
                 Tot laureas, nec si per auras
                 Pegasea veherere penna.
           Cessêre saltus ninguidi, et Alpium
           Inserta caelo culmina, cum Pater
75             Romanus oraret, propinquae ut
                 Subiceres humeros ruinae.
           Defensa Roma, et capta Valentia,
           Coacta pace Parthenope pati,
                Fama tui Segusianus   [7]
80             Barbarica face liberatus.
           Aequor procellis, terra paludibus,
           Armis Britannus, moenia saeculis
                 Invicta longis, insolentes
                 Munierant animos Caletum:
85       Loraena virtus, sueta per invia
           Non usitatum carpere tramitem,
                 Invicta devincendo, famam
                 Laude nova veterem refellit.
          Ferox Britannus, viribus antehac
90       Gallisque semper cladibus imminens,
                 Vix se putat securum ab hoste,
                 Fluctibus Oceani diremptus:
           Regina, pacem nescia perpeti,   [8]
           Iam spreta maeret foedera, iam Dei
95             Iram pavet sibi imminentem,
                 Vindicis et furiae flagellum.
           Cives et hostes iam pariter suos
           Odit pavetque, et civium et hostium
                 Hirudo communis, cruorem
100           Aeque avide sitiens utrumque.
           Huic luce terror Martius assonat:
           Diraeque caedis mens sibi conscia,
                 Umbraeque nocturnae, quietem
                 Terrificis agitant figuris.

 

Adnotationes

1. Hoc carmine Georgius Buchanan, clarus poeta Scotus (1506-1582), urbis Caleti (i.e. Calais) expugnationem canit. Nam post obsidionem octum dierum (a die primo usque ad octavum mensis Ianuarii anno 1558) copiae Francae, duce Francisco Lorraene, urbem vi ex Anglis ceperunt. Buchanan hoc carmen Lutetiae Parisiorum exaravit, tum cum filium marescalli de Brissac erudiebat. Metrum est alcaicum.

2. His versibus, ut patet, designat poëta imperatorem Carolum V, cuius progeniem, Philippum II, Hispaniae regem, versus XXIV commemorat.

3. Henricus II, Francorum rex (1515-1559).

4. Aestate anni 1557 exercitus Francus Quintinopoli (id est apud urbem cui nomen Saint-Quintin) cladem accepit.

5. Franciscus, Guisius dux, Loraene princeps: "Second Duke of Guise, b. at the Château de Bar, 17 Feb., 1519, of Claude de Guise and Antoinette de Bourbon; d, 24 Feb, 1563. He was the warrior of the family, el gran capitan de Guysa, as the Spanish called him." (Catholic Encyclopedia, s.v. House of Guise).

6. Quid anno 1557 dux effecerit Franciscus, ita apud Catholic Encyclopedia (s.v. House of Guise) narratur: "The dukes of Guise, however, as descendants of the House of Anjou, had certain pretensions to the Kingdom of Naples, and it was doubtless with the secret intention of defending these claims that François de Lorraine furthered an alliance between Henry II and Pope Paul IV which was menaced by Philip II. In consequence of this alliance François de Guise entered Milanese territory (Jan., 1557), marched thence through Italy, and although neither the petty princes nor the pope gave him the assistance he expected, he took the little Neapolitan town of Campli (17 April, 1557), and on 24 April laid siege to Civitella. At the end of twenty-two days, being threatened at the same time by epidemic and the Duke of Alva, he fell back upon Rome, where he reorganized his army, and was preparing to return southward, when Henry II, after the victory of the Spaniards over the Constable de Montmorency at Saint-Quentin (23 Aug., 1557), summoned him to 'restore France'. Guise returned to court (20 Oct., 1557) and was invested with the title of lieutenant-general of the kingdom. He captured the city of Calais (1-8 January, 1558) by taking into account the plans of attack drawn up by Coligny."

7. Segusium (i.e. Susa) et Valentia vel Forum Valentinum (i.e. Valenza) urbes sunt Italicae, eius regionis quae Pedemontium (Piemonte) appellatur.

8. Maria I Tudor, Angliae regina (1516-1558). Anno 1554, invitis omnibus et populo et senatu, Philippo II nupserat.

 

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