Check out the Scansion Practice containing works by Caterina Imperiale, Camille de Morel, & Anna Memorata here!

Scansion Practice

Northern and Central Europe

Anna Memorata

Early Modern Era

Wiersze Anny Memoraty.

Magnifico, nobilissimo ac excellentissimo viro
D. Christian-Theodoro Schossero,
Aemiliano, comiti palatino caesareo,
philosophiae et medicinae doctori, poetae laureato, etc.1

Sol, oculus mundi, dum illustrat lampade terras,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Dat vitam, est vitae quicquid in orbe capax.
Et tu, Phoebe Pater, spaciosa Heliconis in arce
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Collustras oculis quaeque minuta tuis.
Inter ego clarias quo tandem nomine digne
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sum memoranda tibi, sum numeranda deas?
Nam si plectra iubes grata tentare Thaliae,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Exiguus nostro pollice tactus abit.
Vis cultas artes? doctae vis carmina vatis?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Heu! vires tenerae me dare posse negant.
Dulcis Elisa dabit, Schurmanni et filia Belgae
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Anna Maria, parum quae Memorata potest.
Fallor ego, aut fas est Heliconia numina falli,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Dum quaerunt clarias, est ubi nulla, deas.

Lesnae Polonorum, anno 𝛝εαν𝛉𝛒⍵𝛑ο𝛄ο𝛎ία𝜍&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Anna Memorata,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1640, 28 Julii.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;virgo polona.

1 Z Laurifoliorum liber VIII, fol. F7; por. w części A. wiersz Nr. 9i 10.

Wierszbowski, Teodor (ed.). Anny Memoraty, ‘Dzwiewicy Polskiéj’, Łacínskie Wierze, z lat 1640-1644. Warsaw: K. Kowalewskiego, 1895. p. 24.

https://www.wbc.poznan.pl/dlibra/publication/54068/edition/70282/content

“Magnifico, nobilissimo ac excellentissimo viro..."

France

Camille de Morel

This lesson plan includes ideas for activities and assessment and her poems in Latin (with notes!) and in translation. 

Latin Lesson Plan: Caterina Imperiale Lercari

Appareil pédagogique: Caterina Imperiale Lercari

Italy

Caterina Imperiale Lercari Pallavicini, Marchioness of Mombaruzzo

INTER ARCADES
ARSINDA POLIADES
De Aranea in lauro.
ELEGIA.

Pensilis argutâ desudat aranea lauro,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Visceribus nectens eruta fila suis.
Ac veluti gestet manuumque, pedumque coronam,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Desuper intextas itque, reditque vias.
Sed, dum Phæbeas super astitit inscia frondes,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nil profecturum se ligat inter opus.
Stamine ab intexto surgit novus orbis, & orbis,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Et quæque est radiis orbita plena suis;
Atque adeo tensis, adeo subtilibus: ipsos
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In morem ut credas prætereuntis acus.
Et iam surgit opis: medio stat aranea centro,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ingenii judex fiat ut ipsa sui.

[page break in original]

Ite triumphales circum mea tempora lauri
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Pene ait; apta sibi talia dona putans.
Bombices cedant; dat sibila serica vestis
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Excussa ut dominum rideat illa rudem.
Ast, quæ de nostro textura est parta labore,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Circumdat lauros, auree Phaebe, tuas.
Vix ea: cum doctum mirata, Lycoris, Amyntam,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Laurea de arboribus vellere serta parat.
Atque huc accedens ubi pandit aranea telas,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Disjecit casses, Bellua nigra, tuos.
Quin te disjectam, & latebras tellure petentem
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Irato attrivit territa Nympha pede.
Vanum opus exsufflat, ridensque coronat Amyntam;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ignarum & vatem non sinit esse suum
Sit quale hoc sertum, qualis sit dextra Lycoris,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Vultu, inquit, capias tu satis ipse meo!
Dextra etenim puras effecit Apollinis umbras,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nec passa est mediis bestiolam in foliis.
Ergo sacer vates tollas de versibus, oro,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Quidquid apud Lauros texit inanis Amor.


Arcadum Carmina: Pars Prior. Rome: Antonius de Rubeis, 1721, p. 68.

https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/OuNfAAAAcAAJ?hl=en&sa=X&v ed=2ahUKEwjuiMvopvjsAhWBKs0KHZ2jD3IQ7_IDMAx6BAgQEAU

De Aranea in lauro.

EPIGRAMMA.

Fœmina, quae Formæ studeat, studeatque placere,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Et formae, & merito fiet iniqua suo.
Sit Virtutis amans, nec amari gaudeat illa:
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Obsequia, in morem despicientis, amet.
Majestas, & Amor non una in sede morantur:
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Unica Majestas nos facit esse Deas.

Original Text:
Arcadum Carmina: Pars Prior. Rome: Antonius de Rubeis, 1721, p. 69.
https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/OuNfAAAAcAAJ?hl=en&sa=X&v
ed=2ahUKEwjuiMvopvjsAhWBKs0KHZ2jD3IQ7_IDMAx6BAgQEAU

Arcadum Carmina: Pars Prior. Rome: Antonius de Rubeis, 1721, p. 69.

https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/OuNfAAAAcAAJ?hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjuiMvopvjsAhWBKs0KHZ2jD3IQ7_IDMAx6BAgQEAU

“Fœmina, quae Formæ studeat, studeatque placere...”

EPIGRAMMA.

Quid nam sit tempus? Se scire, aut dicere posse
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Unâ omnes, sapiens, insipiensque negant.
Nempe animus noster vitam scit, tempora nescit:
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Aeternum quid enim praetereuntis habet?
Sed cur tristatur de praetereuntibus annis?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Heu timet iratum sistier ante Deum!
Sistar ego: sed qualis ero? sons dicar, an insons?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Utraque, care Deus, si mihi parcis, ero.

“Quid nam sit tempus? Se scire, aut dicere posse...”

EPIGRAMMA.

Non re, sed famā vivunt plerique; colorem
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Et virtutis amant, quem vel iniquus amat.
Hinc laus est, sincera licet, male cauta frequenter;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nam rerum vacuā sistitur in facie.
Cognitor arcani verax, Deus intime, nostri!
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Tu solus laudis noscere jura potes.

“Non rē, sed fāmā uīuunt plērīque...”

America

Helen M. Chestnutt

Modern Era

TO THE TEACHER

I. The material in each chapter takes from three to five class periods for mastery. Actual classroom use has shown that it takes a first-year high-school class two semesters to cover the first forty-five chapters of the book. A junior high-school class requires three semesters.
II. The work is so planned that the story involving the new grammatical principle may be read and dramatized by the teacher while the pupils’ books are closed; or it may be read by the pupils and teacher together with open books. In the latter case the picture at the beginning of the chapter will help the pupil greatly in comprehending the story.
III. The section Respondē Latīnē should not be omitted, but should rather be expanded by the addition of questions formed by the teacher; for by the use of questions and their answers the pupil becomes familiar with the new principle by repetition, a fundamental factor in learning a language.
IV. The Discussion should be carried on by the teacher and pupils together, with frequent use of the blackboard when possible. The rules at the end of the Discussion should be memorized.
V. The Reading Lesson gives the pupil an opportunity to apply the knowledge he has just gained and to review principles previously learned. This lesson should be read aloud again and again by the pupils so that they may gain skill in reading Latin with intelligence and with proper emphasis and phrasing.
VI. Not all the words in the vocabularies need to be memorized. Stress should be laid upon those included in the word list included by the College Entrance Examination Board. Such words are marked with an asterisk in the lesson vocabularies and in the general vocabulary at the end of the book. Actual use, however, has made it evident that the entire vocabulary in each lesson can easily be learned.
VII. The drill exercises give plenty of material for maximum and minimum requirements

TO THE PUPIL: THE ROAD TO LATIN
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When you begin the study of Latin you are starting out upon a long road over which you will travel, no doubt, for several years. Do you know why it is a very good thing for you to travel this road? When people ask you why you are taking Latin, can you give them a good answer? Can you prove to them that Latin is really a living language? Can you make them see that you are doing the best thing for yourself by studying Latin?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;You can do this, very definitely, by telling them first that nearly two thirds of the words in your own language are either Latin or are derived from Latin. You can tell them that the languages spoken in France, Spain, and Italy have an even greater proportion of words derived from the Latin than the English language has, and that they are called Romance languages because they are derived directly from the language that the ancient Romans spoke when they conquered these countries many hundreds of years ago. It is very clear that the study of Latin will help you to understand these great languages of the modern world.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Someone may tell you that very few people are studying Latin today. As you travel along the road you will learn that this is a mistake, for you will find all sorts of people who are anxious to get the most out of life, and are finding that a knowledge of Latin is a great satisfaction to them, and makes a definite contribution to their happiness. Yes, millions of people today are either studying or have studied Latin.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Those who are interested in the sciences should study Latin because many of the terms of science are based on Latin. Doctors, pharmacists, lawyers use many Latin terms in their work. Writers need Latin more than any other group because they must be able to express themselves clearly and exactly, and with a knowledge of Latin they have a clearer understanding of the meaning of each word and thus a mastery of their own language.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then, as you continue the study of Latin, you will realize that you are gaining certain powers that will make living easier for you as you grow up. You will find that you have learned to concentrate, to judge, to decide quickly, and to persevere, to keep going until you have reached your goal, whatever that may be. These powers are very important to our complex civilization. You need every one of them when you have the ordinary situations of your daily life.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And finally, having learned to think and to judge, you will realize that you have also gained the tool that is most fundamental and important in your life, namely, a command of language by which you may express your thoughts clearly, adequately, and forcefully.

The Road to Latin: A First Year Latin Book is a Latin textbook written by Helen M. Chesnutt, A.M., Martha Whittier Olivenbaum, A.M., and Nellie Price Rosebaugh, A.B.  The book and teaching methods promote the oral presentation of Latin, intensive reading and discussion, and the development of reading comprehension.

The document of the stories written by these three women Latinists includes a table of contents listing the grammatical principles and cultural/historical topics to be learned.

Below is an excerpt from the textbook. To view full version of about 100 pages of this textbook, please click on the "View PDF" tab above.

Chestnutt, Helen, et al. The Road To Latin: A First-Year Latin Book. John C. Winston, 1932.

https://books.google.com/books/about/The_road_to_Latin.html?id=nHcNAQAAIAAJ

The Road to Latin: A First Year Latin Book

Johanna Otho

LIGNICENSI SILESII.

Femineo sexu Musas finxere Poetae,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Virginis ingenium, laudat, amatque Deus;
At similis simili gaudet: sic iunctus Apollo
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Musis, Aonidum Phoebus it ipse comes.
Phoebus it ipse Comes Musis, sociusque sacratis
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Musarum, differt sic similis simili.
Numina non Phoebo potiora, sed eminet ipse
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Phoebus; sic superat vir mulierem & amat.
Candida Fata canant laudes de pectore toto
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;BANDUSIE, & sancto sidere vive diu.

Otho, Johanna. Viri Clarissimi, Domini Guilielmi Mayarti, in Provinciali consilio Flandriae quondam Advocati consultissimi, Carminum Diversorum Libri Duo: Liber Secundus. Strasbourg: Antonius Bertramus, Academiae Typographus, 1616, p. 8.

https://books.google.com/books?id=Q99oAAAAcAAJ&pg=PT11&lpg=PT11&dq=gotfrido+baudisio&source=bl&ots=UCmZkTyYRY&sig=ACfU3U3tjcurWtb5hhVB6uTEWqjsDHpMHg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwja8LTEz-DuAhXaKM0KHR6vBboQ6AEwAnoECAIQAg#v=onepage&q=gotfrido%20baudisio&f=false

Ornatissimo Domino Gotfrido Baudisio

Quid faciunt Musae? praebent illustria multa,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rebus in adversis magnanimosque colunt;
Pernoctant, simul ac alias comitantur ad oras,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Una & nobiscum rura paterna colunt.
Exornant iuvenum mentes, tristemque senectam.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Exhilarant, ornant sic quoque divitias
Delectantque domi, semper comitantur ubique,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nec magno nostris sunt humeris oneri.
Anne putas quemquam, qui non sit deditus illis,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Artibus, egregium sic simul esse virum?
Capti quando essent multi in custodia iniqua
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Hostium, & in duro quis fuit exilio:
Tristia fata sacris Musis, studiisque benignis
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sustinuerunt, et munere Castalidum.
Sic Cicero affirmat pro Archia rite Poeta,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Atque Diogene hoc dicitur ingenio.
Quid magis eximium, tamque exspectatum, et amoenum
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Hanc quam virtutem iam modo repperias?
In tenebris quae non sed in auribus omnium amoenis,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Atque oculis hominum est condita perpetuo.
Ut vulgus videat quales Respublica firmas
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ipsa columnas sic nutriat atque colat.
Tristia at erudiunt mentes, cautasque reponunt,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nemo potest aequa commoda mente pati.

Otho, Johanna. Poematia sive Lvsvs Extemporanei. Antwerp: Gvlielmvm à Tongris, 1617, p. 15.

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Poematia_sive_Lvsvs_extempora

Laus Musarum Castalidum Choro.

This lesson is designed for the Latin classroom and will take two or more days. It uses the work of the seventeenth century author, Margareta van Godewijck, to cover several concepts: Neo-Latin, Latin written by women, classical reception, state mottos, and emblem books.

- Margareta van Godewijck and Emblem Books Slides: https://9cc615d0-1255-4689-b262-e5224d896f89.filesusr.com/ugd/a8964a_07c4464849b14610abf02952f8a35e22.pptx?dn=Margareta%20van%20Godewijck%20and%20Emblem%20Books
- Emblem Book Template: https://www.lupercallegit.org/margareta-van-godewijck#:~:text=Emblem%20Book%20Template.pptx

Margareta van Godewijck and Emblem Books

Margareta van Godewijck

Pater care, cum legissem
opus tuum rhythmicum,
et cum gaudio vidissem
carmen tuum musicum,

tum accepi suavitatem
ex hoc honorario,
etiam hilaritatem
ex isthoc donario.

O si mihi ad reddendum
nunc restaret aliquid! ̶
prompta sum ad largiendum;
tempus mihi deficit.

O si otium haberem
ad haec exercitia! ̶
sane, ego tum gauderem;
procul sit inertia.

Semper iam sum occupata
rebus oeconomicis,
et diebus implicata
in multis negotiis

Ego conor imitari
philosophi exemplum,
qui debebat operari,
nocte scripsit librum.

Amo vere et libenter
ista alta studia;
doleo, qui indecenter
tractant hic inania.

Illi semper in hoc mundo
abutuntur tempore;
manent in impuro fundo
cum scelesto pecore.

Hoc non fuit mihi gratum
quod me tollis laudibus;
et tu putas te beatum
in tantis honoribus.

Dato Deo omnem laudem
qui dat sapientiam,
et qui docet inscientem,
habe illi gratiam.

Deus ille qui creavit
omnia ex nihilo,
et qui populum beavit,
sit tibi propitio.

Care pater, bene vale
cum mea matercula;
opto ut non vivas male
cum tua carissima.

Van Godewijck responds to a (lost) ‘rhythmic’ poem that her father had written to her. She first recounts her joy in receiving his poem (vv. 1-8). Unfortunately, however, she
lacks the time to properly express her gratitude; she is always occupied with domestic duties (vv. 9-20). Nevertheless, she tries to work as hard at night as the Greek philosopher Cleanthes allegedly did (vv. 21-24). She loves studying, and despises those who, instead, waste their time (vv. 25-32). Then, she tells her father that she did not appreciate his praise of her. He, however, should be glad with the honour that he receives (vv. 33-36). In the penultimate passage, she praises God, bestower of wisdom, life, and grace – may he be favourable to him (vv. 37-44). Finally, she wishes him a
happy life with her dear mother (sc. Sara Cornelisdr Pijpelaar) (vv. 45-48).

Responsio ad parentem meum carissimum, D(omnium) Petrum Godewyck, cum nuper ad me dedisset versus suos Latinos rhythmicos

England

Maria Hutchenson

‘QUI MUSAS STUDIIS, QUI MURIS AUXIT ET ÆDES,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;HIC SITUS EST: CURA PRÆSES, AMORE PARENS.
PRÆSIDIS OFFICIO FUNCTUS, FATO EST QUOQUE FUNCTUS:
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;PROQUE GRAVI, PLACIDUM, MUNERE FUNUS HABET.
FATA JOHANNENSES, DIVI TOLERATE JOHANNIS;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;PERDIDIT, UT VESTRUM VOS CAPUT ILLE SUUM.’

Anthony à Wood, The History and Antiquities of the Colleges and Halls in the University of Oxford, ed. John Gutch, 3 vols. (Oxford: Clarendon, 1786), iii. 560 [London. British Library, HLR. 378.42574]

“QUI MUSAS STUDIIS, QUI MURIS AUXIT ET ÆDES”

This excerpt of the complete lesson plan by Rachel Beth Cunning provides an introduction to Martha Marchina and teaching activities for her poem "De Puero Jesu," which include detailed day-by-day instructions for teaching as well as worksheets.

Martha Marchina: Teacher's Guide to “De Puero Jesu”

Martha Marchina

Distichon.

Sidera, si vobis1 curae est servare Leonem,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Hoc2 nullus vestro dignior orbe fuit.

In the title: This is about the same lion that saved Prisca. Marchina argues that this lion would be a better one to preserve
among the stars than the Nemean lion.
1 Vobis, double dative. “If it is for care to you (stars)”; i.e., if you care.
1 Ablative of comparison; “than this one.”

Marchina, Martha. Marthae Marchinae virginis Neapolitanae Musa posthuma. 1701, p. 71.

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=kaP6VenzAf8C&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=verbi&f=false

De eodem Leone.

In rebus spiritualibus.
Distichon

Pungit Amor, pungitque dolor, sed distat uterque.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Appetit hic1 vitam dum ferit; ille2 necem.

1 Referring to dolor.
1 Referring to amor.

Marchina, Martha. Marthae Marchinae virginis Neapolitanae Musa posthuma. 1701, p. 97.

Amor, & Dolor

Nigra sum, sed &c.1

Pulchrae (Sponse) genae, sed per te; ut pulchra colores,
Sole repercusso, discolor Iris2 habet.

1 This poem is inspired by Song of Solomon 1:5-6. However, the explanation Marchina gives in the poem itself is
not the one provided in the original text.
2 Iris, according to classical mythology, was the goddess of the rainbow.

Marchina, Martha. Marthae Marchinae virginis Neapolitanae Musa posthuma. 1701, p. 70.

Sponsae responsio.

Exiit edictum, ut describeretur universus Orbis.
Ad Romam.
Felicior universi Orbis descriptio.1

Immensus dum Roma tibi describitur Orbis,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Quis labor innumeros est numerare homines?
Unam Virginibus divinam adscribere Matrem
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Disce, interque homines adnumerare Deum.

1 This poem refers to the census of Augustus recounted in Luke 2:1-5. See note below on “Ad Beatissimam
Virginem Cum Sponso Iosepho Bethleem proficiscentem.”

Marchina, Martha. Marthae Marchinae virginis Neapolitanae Musa posthuma. 1701, p. 49.

In Christi Natali.

Quae D. Martham, & Socios Massiliam advexit.1

Aspicis ut certo puppis secat aequora cursu,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Et duce divino flamine carpit iter?
Aether2 pelle tuis audacem ex orbibus Argon,3
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Haec auro Phryxi4 nobiliora vehit

1 This poem concerns the New Testament apostles and siblings Mary, Martha, and Lazarus of Bethany.
Following church tradition, the siblings were set adrift in the Mediterannean in a boat which lacked oars,
rudder, or sails. A divine wind carried them to Marseilles, where they proceeded to convert the local population.
2 Vocative.
3 A reference to the Argo, the famous ship of the mythological Jason and the Argonauts.
4 A reference to the Golden Fleece sought by Jason and the Argonauts. According to Greek mythology, Phrixus
and his sister Helle escaped from Thessaly by riding on the back of a golden ram. Helle fell off, giving her name
to the Hellespont, but Phrixus arrived safely in Colchis. He proceeded to sacrifice the ram and keep its fleece.

Marchina, Martha. Marthae Marchinae virginis Neapolitanae Musa posthuma. 1701, p. 86.

De Navi

Tetrastichon.
Tota pulchra es.1

Aspexit cum Virgo tuos pulcherrima vultus
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Omnipotens hominum, caelicolumque sator.
Ad superos conversus, ait, vos cedite Divi,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Pulchrior est vestris ista puella Choris.

1 This title refers to the Song of Songs, also called the Song of Solomon, which is a collection of verses between
two lovers and a chorus. It appears in both the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament. Marchina is connecting
the Song of Songs, which is generally interpreted as describing God’s love for Israel, to Jesus’ love for Mary.

Marchina, Martha. Marthae Marchinae virginis Neapolitanae Musa posthuma. 1701, p. 65.

Ad Beatissimam Virginem.

Distich.

Scribere de rebus magnis epigrammata ludus
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Non1 est. Quid possit serius2 esse ioco?

1 The placement of *non* here to delay the negative and surprise the reader is emphatic. To capture this in the English translation, *ludus* is translated as ‘trivializes’ so that the next line could begin with ‘nothing’ to stand in for *non est*.
2 Comparative adverb

Marchina, Martha. Marthae Marchinae Virginis Neapolitanae Musa Posthuma. Google Books. Romae: apud Antonium Bulifon, 1701, p. 112.

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=kaP6VenzAf8C&amp;printsec=frontcov

De epigrammatis.

Gutta cadens lapidem repetito frangere fluxu:
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Atque animi morbos verba sacrata valent.

Marchina, Martha. Marthae Marchinae Virginis Neapolitanae Musa Posthuma. Google Books. Romae: apud Antonium Bulifon, 1701, p. 96

Divini Verbi vis.

Si tibi dulce placet, toto cur respuis orbe
Me, quo dulce tibi dulcius ore sapit?

Marchina, Martba. Marthae Marchinae Virginis Neapolitanae Musa Posthuma. Google Books. Romae: apud Antonium Bulifon, 1701, p. 125.

Amara

Aliud

Semper festinas, ut si lux ultima adesset:
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Haec puto caussa est, cur disticha sola probas.

Marchina, Martha. Marthae Marchinae Virginis Neapolitanae Musa Posthuma. Google Books. Romae: apud Antonium Bulifon, 1701, p. 117.

In eundem

Ad eandem Virginem.

Olim nocte micans Phoebo redeunte recessi,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Et mea pervasit plurimus ora rubor.
Postquam Virgo tuis substernor gressibus, ipso
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Cynthia1 iam Phoebo clarior ecce mico.

1 Cynthia is a personification of the moon in classical mythology.

Marchina, Martha. Marthae Marchinae virginis Neapolitanae Musa posthuma. 1701, p. 67.

Luna

Sacello eidem extra Urbem posito, in Vinea Illust. Iulii Donati:
alluditur ad eiusdem Sacellum in Vallicella ab eodem viro erectum.

Super illud: Ego flos Campi, & lilium convallium.1
Distichon.

Colligit in Valle Urbana mea lilia Civis;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Hic florem Campi demetit Agricola.

1 This is a line from Song of Solomon 2:1; flos Campi is often translated as “the rose of Sharon”. Scholars have
suggested that the “rose of Sharon” may be any of the following plants: a crocus, a tulip, a lily, or a daffodil.

Marchina, Martha. Marthae Marchinae virginis Neapolitanae Musa posthuma. 1701, p. 92.

De Novo

Tetrastichon.

Arca1 ornata auro, non aurum tota nitebat,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Aurum tu tota es, totaque Virgo2 nites.
Et cum plenus erat tibi venter pondere sacro,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Viva fodina auri nos redimentis eras.

1 A reference to the Ark of the Covenant from ancient Judaism. The Ark was a gold-covered wooden chest and
the most holy object to the Israelites. In Catholic theology, it is common to associate Mary with the Ark of the
Covenant, since in both, God’s glory dwelt.
2 Vocative, subject of es.

Ad Sanctissimam Deiparam.

Aliud.

Fundere non poteras caeco tua lumina mundo;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I felix inter sidera, sidus eris.

Marchina, Martha. Marthae Marchinae Virginis Neapolitanae Musa Posthuma. Google Books. Romae: apud Antonium Bulifon, 1701, p. 125.

De eadem.  (Fundere non poteras…)

Nativitatis Christi, & diem mortis eius.
Epig.

Nox est clara dies, novus hic dum Sol venit: ergo
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Dum fugiet, clara nox erit atra dies.

Marchina, Martha. Marthae Marchinae virginis Neapolitanae Musa posthuma. 1701, p. 58.

In ipsum diem:

Ad puerum Jesum.

Te Regem Reges, hominemque, Deumque fatentur
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Thure, auro, myrrha, munere quisque suo.
Ast1 ego, cui nullum est triplici de munere munus,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Me tibi Christe dabo Regi, homini, atque deo.

1 *Ast* signals a strong transition in the second couplet.

Marchina, Martha. Marthae Marchinae virginis Neapolitanae Musa posthuma. 1701, p. 52.

In eadem Epiphania.

Super illud
Non erat ei locus in diversorio.1

Egreditur patriis expulsus moenibus Urbis
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Felix intacta cum Genitrice senex,
Scilicet his tectis tantus non clauditur ignis,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Tanta nec angusto condita gaza sinu.

1 A reference to the Nativity account Luke 2:4-7. While in the city of Bethlehem, the ancestral home of Joseph,
Mary went into labor. However, the city was so full of people gathered for the census that there were no spare
rooms available. According to church tradition, Mary instead gave birth in a stable.

Marchina, Martha. Marthae Marchinae virginis Neapolitanae Musa posthuma. 1701, p. 48.

In eodem Natali die.

Distichon.

Miraris, quod terna ferant tres munera Reges,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At mirare magis,1 quid Deus accipiat.

In the title: A reference to the Magi from Matthew 2:1-12. Having seen a star which signaled that the King of the Jews been
born, wise men (or Magi) travelled from the east to Judea to worship him. The star led them to Bethlehem
where Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were living. The Magi worshipped Jesus and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense,
and myrrh. Christians celebrate this every year in the Feast of the Epiphany.
1 *Magis* here means ‘more,’ but Marchina is likely playing with the fact that *Magis* in Latin could also mean the
‘Magi,’ i.e. the three kings who visited Christ upon his birth.

Marchina, Martha. Marthae Marchinae virginis Neapolitanae Musa posthuma. 1701, p. 53.

De Tribus Magis.

Dum a B. Stephano P. & Mart. Sacro fonte abluitur visum recipit.

Luminibus Lucilla tuis fles lumen ademptum,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ast urbs coelistis te abluit unda, vides.
Quod nunc nomen habes lucis, modo nomen habebas:
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Tunc aberat, fidei nunc tibi lumen adest.

Marchina, Martha. Marthae Marchinae virginis Neapolitanae Musa posthuma. 1701, p. 89.

D. Lucilla

Quid facis? Atque Abeo. properans mihi dicis utrunq;1
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Quae responsa feram? Nil facio, atque Abeas.

1 *utrunq* = *utrumque*

Marchina, Martha. Marthae Marchinae virginis Neapolitanae Musa posthuma. 1701, p. 117.

In quendam

Aliud

Quae gelidas potuit flammis succendere terras
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Tybridis in medio conditur urna sinu.
Quid mediis undis mirer ni extinguitur ignis?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mirum est, ni flammis ardeat unda minor.

In the title: In *Musa Posthuma* the previous poem is titled “*De Sepulchro S. Bartholomæi Apostoli*”. Both poems relate to
Saint Bartholomew the Apostle, for whom a church was dedicated on Tiber Island in Rome. The church, which
may have housed the ashes of St. Bartholomew, was badly damaged in a flood in 1557, and certain items,
including an urn, were likely washed away in the flood waters.

Marchina, Martha. Marthae Marchinae virginis Neapolitanae Musa posthuma. 1701, p. 73.

De eodem sepulchro

In cunis lacrymatur.
Nivibus comparantur lacrymae.

Vagit in horridulo soboles1 divina cubili,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Et vivo teneras irrigat imbre genas:
Intactas ne quaere nives; cur frigora laedant,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Quas2 pius omnipotens igne coegit Amor.

1 *Soboles* refers to Jesus, and it is interesting to note that this word is grammatically feminine.
2 The antecedent of *quas* can be either nives or lacrimas. The title, which Macedo wrote, helps with the
interpretation of this poem as the snows are compared to Jesus’ tears.

Jesus puellus.

Illustriss. Lucretiae Bevilaquae Scotae.1
Distichon.

Sidereos iam tuta potes transcendere lucos
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Retia sunt supera quando soluta manu.

1 See the following for a biography of the woman who is likely Marchina’s subject in this poem and the
following two: Smeraldi, Orazio. *italic text*. Italy: nella stamperia ducale di Giouanni Bazachi, 1670. [Link here](https://www.google.com/books/edition/Vita_della_contessa_Lucretia_Scotti_scri/PWjrpUd2s_MC?hl=en&gbpv=0).

In funere

Epig.

Aspicit innocuum Virgo secura leonem
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Vulneribus, lictor, saucia facta tuis.
Nempe ferae incipiunt saevos dediscere mores,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Humanos postquam dedidicere homines.

In the title: St. Prisca (dates unknown) was a Christan martyr in ancient Rome. According to church tradition, the emperor Claudius had her tortured and sent to the Colosseum, where she fearlessly faced a lion. Instead of attacking her, the lion tamely licked her feet. She was then beheaded.

Marthae Marchinae virginis Neapolitanae Musa posthuma, p. 71.

D. Prisca Virgo, & Martyr Leoni objecta.

Distichon

His amor in nivibus sociavit frigora flammis,
Quo facta est olim Virgo iubente parens.

This poem references the Miracle of the Snow at Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. According to church tradition, on August 4, 352 C.E., a patrician named John and Pope Liberius each dreamt that the Virgin Mary commanded them to build a church where snow was found. They found the top of the Esquiline hill miraculously covered in snow the next morning. This church would eventually become Santa Maria Maggiore, also known as Basilica S. Mariae ad Nives. The miracle was commemorated annually on August 5th.

Marchina, Martha. Marthae Marchinae virginis Neapolitanae Musa posthuma. 1701, p. 69.

De Nivibus aestivis B. Virginis.

Distichon.1

Odi verbosos: ego servo silentia dicis.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Tune silere potes? Ceu modo, non aliter.

In the title: The title (likely the editor Macedo’s) suggests this poem ridicules an old woman, although the poem itself
does not indicate the gender of the addressee.
1 This poem, like “*In loquacem*,” can be interpreted as a conversation between the poem’s speaker and an
interlocutor. We have chosen not to include quotation marks in order to preserve the poem’s original
punctuation.

Marchina, Martha. Marthae Marchinae Virginis Neapolitanae Musa Posthuma. Google Books. Romae: apud Antonium Bulifon, 1701, p. 129.

In vetulam loquacem.

Sol ad Virginem loquitur.

Ingredere, & nostros Virgo ne despice currus,1
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nec pigeat niveā flectere lora manu.
En Sol splendidior, dum te comitatur orantem;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Luminibus cedunt lumina nostra tuis.

1 23 The idea of the chariot of the sun is common in classical mythology.

In eodem die festo.

Deo votis consecratus.

Rex, miles, dives; transcendo, vinco, relinquo;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sidera, corda, aurum; lege, pudore, fuga.

In the title: While the identity of this religious man cannot be known for certain, this poem is likely about St. Giles given
that the poem immediately preceding it was also about him. According to Catholic tradition, St. Giles (c. 650 –
c. 710 C.E.) was a prince of Athens who gave his title up to become a hermit.

Marchina, Martha. Marthae Marchinae virginis Neapolitanae Musa posthuma. 1701, p. 96.

Religiosus

Tetrastichon.

Sacra Deo quondam, veteres pertaesa figuras,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Dona Palaestini respuit Ara senis.
Non placeant Numen templo data munera sola,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Haec placare potest trimula Virgo Deum.


This poem is about the presentation of the Virgin Mary in the temple, an apocryphal account about Mary’s
childhood. Mary’s parents, Anne and Joachim, had been unable to have children. In thanksgiving for Mary’s
birth, her parents brought her to the Jewish temple in Jerusalem as a three-year old. There they consecrated
her to God, and she was raised in the temple. This event is remembered yearly as a feast day in the Catholic and
Orthodox church.

Marchina, Martha. Marthae Marchinae virginis Neapolitanae Musa posthuma. 1701, p. 66.

In Praesentatione B. Virginis

Distichon.

Foemina, fortis, ovans, salvavit, fregit, adivit,1
Terram, Erebum,2 Coelum, lege,3 dolore, Deo.

1 Following Catholic theology, Mary did not die but was bodily assumed into heaven.
2 Erebrus is a god from Greek mythology associated with darkness. He was born from Chaos and is sometimes
a synonym for part of the Underworld.
3 Literally ‘law,’ but translated as ‘faith’ here, following later uses in Catholic Latin writing.

De eadem.

Ardens Virgineo Phoebus1 velatus amictu,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mitius ardentes dirigit inde faces.
Sic deus intactae nivea modo Virginis alvo
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Velatus fundit mitis in Orbe faces.

In the title: The Annunciation refers to the visitation of the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary, as recorded in Luke 1:26-38.
Gabriel announces to Mary that she has found favor with God and will bear a son, Jesus, through the power of
the Holy Spirit. Mary responds by saying “May it be to me according to your word.”
1 Phoebus, another name for the Greek god Apollo, often associated with the sun.

De Annunciatione B. Virginis 

Exquilias1 ne sperne nives, aestate coactas:
Frigoris o quantum, si bene tangis, habent?

1 Read: Esquilias.

Aliud.

Pulchrae sunt genae tuae.1

Usque adeo pulchrae sunt, sponsa, genaeque, rosaeque
Divus ut ex illis saepe triumphet Amor.

1 This line drawn from Song of Solomon 1:9.

Sponsus alloquitur Sponsam.

Praecipis ex isto demi mala carmina libro.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Si mala sustuleris, quid reliquum fuerit?

N.B.  It should be noted this is the last poem of the original text *Musa Posthuma*. We have no evidence that Marchina knew Macedo would publish her work posthumously or whether she was asked to provide input on the order of her poems for publication while she was still alive. Whatever her intention was with this poem, one reading it now might want to consider what Marchina thought of her own writing and its reception during her lifetime.

Marchina, Martha. Marthae Marchinae Virginis Neapolitanae Musa Posthuma. Google Books. Romae: apud Antonium Bulifon, 1701, p. 132.

In librum

Epig.

Quis tandem in teneras furor est saevire papillas?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Cum spernit saevas Virgo tenella manus.
En quod secta duplex in Virgine syllaba1 reddit,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Impie2 si nescis Ubera secta docent.

In the title: This poem is also about St. Agatha.
1 Here, this means ‘verses,’ though it can also mean ‘syllable’ or ‘letter.’ This poem is self-referential in that it is
through the power of poetry that St. Agatha is restored.
2 Impie is vocative.

Marchina, Martha. Marthae Marchinae virginis Neapolitanae Musa posthuma. 1701, p. 76.

De eadem Virgin. Ac Mart.

Lancea perfossum.1 Distich.

Cor,2 dilecte, mihi referas, mihi pectora pandis?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ingrediar tandem; tunc mihi claude sinus.

1 Following John 19:34, After Jesus had died, the soldiers conducting the crucifixion pierced his side with a
lance and water and blood flowed forth.
2 *Cor* here is taken as vocative, although it could be the direct object of *referas*.

Marchina, Martha. Marthae Marchinae virginis Neapolitanae Musa posthuma. 1701, p. 60.

Ad latus Christi

Distichon.1

Nil, inquis, dico. At non cessas fundere verba,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ut vel sic taceas2 obsecro dic aliquid.


In the title: The gender of the “*in loquacem*” is uncertain, but the editor Macedo believed it to be a man. The next poem in the original text is titled “*In eundem*,” which can only refer to a man.
1 This poem, like the poems "*In quendam*" and “*In vetulam loquacem*,” can be interpreted as a conversation between the poem’s speaker and an interlocutor. We have chosen not to include quotation marks here in order to
preserve the poem’s original punctuation.
2 Purpose clause; the English syntax would be: *dic aliquid ut sic taceas*.

In loquacem.

Quid tibi cum nostra est, vates indocte, Minerva?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Hic te nullus honor, praemia nulla manent.
Cernis, ut innumeris turpatur pagina mendis,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Vulneribusque tuis carmina laesa dolent?
Redde igitur Musis calamos, fessosque libellos:
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Non sunt haec dextra munera digna tua.

Marchina, Martha. Marthae Marchinae virginis Neapolitanae Musa posthuma. 1701, p. 116.

In Indoctum Poetam.

Distichon.

Ut Romam videas, praeceps perque a via curris;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Iam potes hic Romam cernere, siste gradum.

In the title: The Aniene river runs east of Rome and supplied at least three major Roman aqueducts.

Marchina, Martha. Marthae Marchinae virginis Neapolitanae Musa posthuma. 1701, p. 131.

Ad Anien Fluvium.

Aliud.

Purpura, sceptra deo flectuntur, corpora Regum.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Pugnax solus homo flectere corda negat.

In the title: A reference to the Magi from Matthew 2:1-12. Having seen a star which signaled that the King of the Jews been
born, wise men (or Magi) travelled from the east to Judea to worship him. The star led them to Bethlehem
where Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were living. The Magi worshipped Jesus and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense,
and myrrh. Christians celebrate this every year in the Feast of the Epiphany.

De iisdem

Joannes Baptista Spadius
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;En pius ista bonis adaptas.
Joannes Baptista Spadius Lector
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ipse an sudasti plectro ista bona.

Marchina, Martha. Marthae Marchinae Virginis Neapolitanae Musa Posthuma. Google Books. Romae: apud Antonium Bulifon, 1701, p. 128.

Anagramma.

Ad eandem.

Astra quid ostentas Coelum1 Vestigia Virgo
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Imprimit en astris lucidiora tuis.

1 Coelum is a vocative here, and quid indicates that this is a question. Coelum also ends this phrase; vestigia is
the direct object of imprimit and is modified by lucidiora in the second line.

Sidera

Suas Rosas tuetur.1

Si quis Lucanos aequabit munere flores,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Praestantesque rosas, aurea mala dabit.
Non vestros nostris dignamur floribus hortos:
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Non mala haec Pestis, sed mala semper habe:2
Cedite Felsinei, Lucanis cedite campis;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nam nequeunt fructus floribus esse paret.3

1 Marchina wrote this poem in response to Cardinal Spada’s poem on the same topic (see footnote below for
Spada’s poem). In it, she reverses many of Spada’s assertions, particularly the last two lines of his poem.
Marchina comments on Spada’s poem in a letter, where she questions his use of *malis* in its metrical position;
she thinks it will be interpreted solely as “evils” instead of apples, since the *a* in his poem is metrically short. She
remedies this in her poem by using both *mala*, “evil” and *māla*, “apples.” See original text p. 102-3 for the exchange between Spada and Marchina.
2 In the plague, fruits were apparently a sign of decadence, and excessive fruit-eating was seen as a possible
cause of the plague.
3 Spada’s poem is as follows: *Est celebris Paesto Lucania*, *Felsina peste* / *Paestanisque rosis illa*, *sed ista malis*. /
*Cedite Felsineis*, *Lucani*, *cedite, campis*: / *Nam nequeunt flores fructibus esse pares*. (English): Lucania is famed for
Paestum, Felsina, its plague / One, Paestanian roses, the other, misery./ Yield to Felsinian fields, yield,
Lucanians: / For flowers cannot equal fruits. See original text p. 102.

Marchina, Martha. Marthae Marchinae virginis Neapolitanae Musa posthuma. 1701, p. 103.

Lucania

Distichon.

Filia, sponsa, parens, flectit, devincit, adorat
Patrem, ignem, natum, lege, pudore, prece.

De Beatissima Virgine.

Aliud.

Iam valeat1 lethale Chaos, gemat improba Clotho:
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Quando nil majus te, unde triumphet, habet.

1 *valeat* could mean either “let it be gone” or “let it be strong.” The former is the more likely literal meaning, but
Marchina does not shy away from wordplay, so the second meaning may also be implicit.

De eadem. (Iam valeat lethale…)

Has tibi1 Virgo nives Coeli dimittit ab hortis,
Non potes aestivas Roma2 timere faces.

In the title: argum = argumentum
1 Referring to Roma in the second line.
2 Vocative.

This poem references the Miracle of the Snow at Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. According to church tradition, on August 4, 352 C.E., a patrician named John and Pope Liberius each dreamt that the Virgin Mary commanded them to build a church where snow was found. They found the top of the Esquiline hill miraculously covered in snow the next morning. This church would eventually become Santa Maria Maggiore,
also known as Basilica S. Mariae ad Nives. The miracle was commemorated annually on August 5th.

Aliud eiusdem argum.

Cinname sollicitus stomachi medicamina vendis.
Cur? vacuum sentis esse tibi stomachum.

In the title: Cinnamon would have been an expensive spice at this time. It was used medicinally, but Marchina clearly
believes it was an ineffective cure.

Marchina, Martha. Marthae Marchinae Virginis Neapolitanae Musa Posthuma. Google Books. Romae: apud Antonium Bulifon, 1701, p. 124.

In Cinnamum Circulatorem.

Distich.

Franguntur lapides, vertuntur moenia ab imo,
Saxea tu solus frangere corda nequis.

This poem is based upon Matthew 27:51, which details what happened at the moment of Jesus’ death. “At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split.”

In Christi mortem.

Vulneribus decorata.

Ubera praecidit geminato vulnere lictor,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sed formam laedunt vulnera nulla meam.
Namque ego purpureo1 coepi decorata colore
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Inter Virgineas pulchrior esse nives.

In the title: St. Agatha (231-251 C.E.) made a vow of virginity. When she rebuffed the Roman prefect Quintianus, he had her
tortured, which included having her breasts cut off, and thrown into prison. She died in prison, refusing to
rescind her vow of chastity and continuing to profess her Christian faith.
1 Purpureus can signify a bloody, reddish-purple color. To help contrast her innocence and purity against the
violence inflicted upon her, I made the decision to use red rose to evoke the color.

Agatha Virgo

Cum Sponso Iosepho Bethleem proficiscentem.1

Sedula quid properas casto cum coniuge Virgo
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Foenora iussa Urbi solvere2 Bethlemiae?
Cum sacro edideris caelestem e viscere foetum
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Tum nil, quod cupiant, terra, & Olympus3 erit.

1 A reference to the Nativity account in Luke 2:1-5. The emperor Augustus issued a decree that a census be
taken and everyone had to register in their hometown. Although Mary was pregnant at the time, she and Joseph left Nazareth to travel to Bethlehem, his ancestral home.
2 *Foenora iussa...solvere*: “to pay taxes.”
3 Olympus, the home of the gods in Greek mythology. Here likely also a reference to heaven

Ad Beatissimi Virginem.

S. Marii coniugi, & Matri SS. Audifacis & Abachii1

Sponte subit flammas, ensesque invicta Virago,2
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nec timor est raptam cernere utramque manum;
Ne iactet dextra contemptos Mutius3 ignes:
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Plus potuit pro te fœmina,4 Christe, pati.

1 Saint Martha died in 270 C.E. along with her whole family because she buried Christians.
2 *Virago* is a word that means a warlike woman, a heroic woman. Because of its visual similarity to the word for *vir* (man), we’ve translated it as ‘hero’ rather than ‘heroine’ to emphasize the male appearance of the word.
3 Mucius Scaevola famously burned off his right hand to show his determination in defeating the Etruscan
Porsenna. His story appears in greater detail in Livy’s *Ab Urbe Condita* (2.12-13).
4 *Fœmina* with the œ ligature is a typical post-classical spelling of *femina*.

Marchina, Martha. Marthae Marchinae virginis Neapolitanae Musa posthuma. 1701, p. 77.

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