Camoens - The Lyrics part 1 - Sir Richard Francis Burton (1821-1890)

10 LYRICKS OF CAMOENS.Rengifo (Cap. LIX. et seq.}. Sayinghave justified the Title.thus much weFolloweth the Distribution of the work, whichis divided into five parts, because the Numberquinary especially appertaineth to works of Poesyand of Eloquence. This is clearly seen for-thatconformably with the doctrine of the Platonists, itwas dedicated to Mercunus and to other gods, who,according to their gentilick rite, were the Patrons ofthe Arts, as Rhodiginus writeth (Lib. xii. Cap. 10),and they held Mercurius to be the Deity of Eloquence ;and therefore, as relateth Vincendo Cartario}* in hisBook on the "Images of the Gods," they consecratedto him the Tongues (of victims).This being the casewith Eloquence, the same became that of Poetry\ byvirtue of the alliance subsisting between the twain ;agreeably to the definition of Dante and Posidonius.And therefore the fifth letter of the Greek alphabetwas dedicated to Apollo, as writeth GuillelmusOnciacus^ in his " Book of Places " (NumeraliumLocorum Decas, Cap. V.). Also of the Muses, albeitthey number nine, only five had the Government ofPoesy ; because to Clio was attributed the Subject ofVerse, she presiding over History to ; Polymnia theadornment of Language; the Epos Heroical toCalliope; to Melpomene the Tragick ;and to Thaliathe Comickj conformably with the vulgar Epigramwhich goeth amongst those of Virgilius.Following, then, such Distribution, we have assignedthe First Place to the Sonnets, these being Compo-