This short epigram and the one that follows (d1_CraT_006) were originally published as liminary verses in Thomas Jack's Onomasticon poeticum, sive, propriorum quibus in suis monumentis usi sunt veteres poetae, brevis descriptio poetica (Edinburgh, 1592), a dictionary of Classical mythology written in hexameter. They appeared alongside contributions from Hercules Rollock, Robert Rollock, Andrew Melville, Hadrian Damman and Patrick Sharp (Craig's contributions are located in the final unpaginated leaves after the main text). Jack (d.1598) served as minister of Eastwood (near Paisley) from 1570 until his death, and had close ties to the University of Glasgow throughout his life - he served as a bursar or quaestor during Andrew Melville's principalship from 1574 to 1580 (who advised him to show the draft of his text to George Buchanan), and his daughter married Patrick Sharp, principal from 1585 until 1613 (see Ronald Bayne, 'Jack, Thomas (d. 1598)', rev. James Kirk, ODNB. Metre: elegiac couplets.
In Thomae Iacchaei Onomastichon Poeticum (c.1592)
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In Thomae Iacchaei Onomastichon Pœticum
1Clara Gigantaei vivat quod fama triumphi, 1
quod superas teneat Mars et Apollo domos;
Aeolus in nimbis regnet, Neptunus in undis,
priscorum legimus quod monumenta Ducum:
5quod sua nec fluviis, neque stagnis nomina desint,
floreat et propriis urbs regioque notis:
quod grex Nereidum fluctus, juga montis Oreas,
quod liquidos fontes caerula Nais amet:
quod Dryades sylvae, facilesque ad furta Napaeas, 2
10quod Faunum, et Satyros, avia rura tegant:
et quae praeterea vates meminere priores,
huic uni debent saecula nostra libro.
At vos o juvenum praesens venturaque turba
Phœbea authoris cingite fronde comam.
15Spargite purpureos qua fert vestigia flores,
16tam breve qui famae ad limina monstrat iter.
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A poem on the 'Poetic Dictionary' of Thomas Jack
That the illustrious fame of the Giant's defeat lives, that Apollo and Mars dwell in their heavenly homes, that Aeolus governs the clouds and Neptune the waves, that we read about the deeds of ancient leaders; that their names are not absent from either rivers or lakes, and the city and its territory a still flourishes in its own language; that the flock of the Nereids love the waves, Oreas the peaks of the mountains, and blue-green Nais the aqueous fountains; b that the pathless wilds conceal the Dryads of the woods, the quick-to-hide dell-nymphs, Pan, and the Satyrs (and, moreover, whatever else the ancient poets commemorated), our age owes to this one book alone. But you current crop of youth, and that to come, crown the author's brow with a laurel. Scatter rosy flowers wherever he bears his feet, who shows such a short cut to the threshold of their glory.
