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FRANCIS BACON'S CRYPTIC RHYMES 135
fit. Like Lucrece, he begins by telling of the dangers
of the storm-racked sea, but he adds such words as
which are not contained in the Roman
suit his purpose
poem. The first added word is "ships." For a while,
he follows the line of thoughts set down by the
original poem, to depart from it suddenly, and turn to
things not mentioned by Lucrece, deliberately adding
the word " Tempests." Besides that, he translates the
whole passage into modern English poetry, for Bacon
is again about to reveal something that is on his mind.
He does not choose the form of the hexameter, which
he theoretically discards as unsuited to English form
of verse ;
he adopts the healthy form of English rich
rhymes, which towards the end where the ideas
(i.e.,
approach, and finally merge into the word " Tempests ")
burst into a carol of rhymes.
A close examination of the alterations made at will
by the essayist in the passage from " De Rerum
Natura," will afford us a general insight into Bacon's
manner of treating the quotations he selects. Over
and over again we may see him taking passages from
the works of other authors, selecting by preference
those best known, and recasting them at will to suit
his ideas and the object he has in view.
The Second Book of the work entitled " De Rerum
Natura " begins thus ;
Suave, mari magno turbantibus aequora ventis,
E terra magnum alterius spectare laborem ;
Non quia vexari quemquam'st jucunda voluptas,
Sed, quibus ipse malit careas, quia cernere suave'st.
Suave etiam belli certamina magna tueri
Per campos instructa, Tua sine parte pericli ;
Sed nil dulcius est, bene quam munita tenere
Edita doctrina Sapientum templa serena ;