-86-
51) Signature moment two, Part 1
Continuing on this theme of “signature
moments” we now turn to the very last page in the First Folio. This should be
page 399. However it is mispaged as 993.
The last page, like the first, is a
sensible place for an author to sign his work. But how might he sign it if he
was also concealing his authorship? Perhaps by another fitting allusion. So,
with the eye-catching mispage of 993 as a possible signal, we once again return
to Bacon’s 1640 edition OF THE
ADVANCEMENT AND PROFICIENCIE OF LEARNING. Turning now to page 399 of
this book we find emphasized one quote from Virgil’s The Aeneid, book X, which is:
Dextra mihi Deus, & telum quod missile
libro,
Nunc adsint----
This has been translated as: “Now let
this right-hand, my god, and the missive weapon which I poise, be my aid.”
Another translation is:
“My right hand a God to me and the
dart which I poise about to send now be friendly to me.”
A third translation is:
http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433082191077;view=1up;seq=317
So the word ‘telum’ can also mean
“speare” as it could “dart” or “weapon” or “javelin”. And in fact, the quote is
from the battle between two “spear-shakers”, Mezentius and Aeneas, and
Mezentius is preparing to cast his spear at Aeneas when he speaks the line
above. A Little earlier in the same scene we find this translated line:
This is from
page 223 of Virgil with an English
Translation, by H. Rushton Fairclough, 1916.
Mezentius’
spear misses his target and then Aeneas fells him with his own spear. Another
passage from another translation has:
The Twelve Books of Virgil's Æneid... By Virgil
No comments:
Post a Comment