( As the Altar of Theocritus comprises the story of Troilus , who had been cruelly killed by Achilles at the altar of Apollo , whither he had fled to preserve his modesty , so in this poem I avow that I shall never forsake the Christian religion . This name ( of Christian ) too , because given to the first worshippers of our faith at Antioch ( Acts 11 ), I retain for ever , as the most honourable and most glorious beyond all other designations . The verses are in general iambic , but some are Anacreontics , others Alcmanics or Alcaics , on which Scaliger has more to say . I would also add this , that this shape is more clearly published by Crespin than by others .)
Willes compares his poem to what would now be termed the Altar of Dosiadas ( cf . p . 182 of Bucolici Graeci , OCT , ed . A . S . F . Gow , Oxford 1952 ). This ancient poem is attributed to Theocritus himself (‘ or , following some , Simmias of Rhodes ’) in Willes ’ s edition , namely Jean Crespin , ed ., Τὰ σωζόμενα τῶν παλαιοτάτων ποιητῶν γεωργικά , βουκολικὰ καὶ γνωμικά ( Geneva : Jean Crespin , 1570 ), pp . 224-26 . Modern scholars of this notoriously obscure poem would find the idea that it concerns Achilles and his murder of the reluctant Troilus absurd ; but Willes is merely following Crespin ’ s exceedingly corrupt edition , where that interpretation is given . For metre Willes refers to J . C . Scaliger ’ s discussion of iambics in his Poetices libri septem ([ Geneva ]: Jean Crespin , 1561 ), 2.8 ( pp . 59-60 ).
3-4 . in vera Fide : ‘ in the true Faith ’; deliberately ambiguous , as Willes downplays the chequered nature of his religious affiliation .
5 . lectus in sortem Dei : lit . ‘ chosen into the lot of God ’, i . e . ‘ allotted to God ’.
7 . Nostri … Ponti : ‘ Noster Pontus ’ is a clear reminiscence of ‘ Mare Nostrum ’, a phrase used by the Romans to refer to the Mediterranean . The present phrase has a more local reference , i . e . the English Channel .
8 . Finesque Brabantinos : the ‘ Brabantine lands ’ or ‘ territories ’ are the Low Countries of Europe .
13 . Tonantis : ‘ the Thunderer ’ makes us think immediately of the Roman Jupiter , but must here be the Christian God .
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