Note 323 — Chapter VI · THIRD PERIOD OF HUMANISM
Reading edition
The following verses on Alessandra are so curious a specimen of Poliziano's Greek style that I transcribe them here (Carmina Quinque Illustrium Poetarum, p. 304):—
εὕρηχ’ εὕρηχ’ ἣν θέλον, ἣν ἐζήτεον αἰεὶ, ἣν ᾔτουν τὸν ἔρωθ’, ἣν καὶ ὀνειροπόλουν· παρθενικὴν ἧς κάλλος ἀκήρατον, ἧς ὅγε κόσμος οὐκ εἴη τέχνης ἀλλ’ ἀφελοῦς φύσεως· παρθενικὴν γλώττῃσιν ἐπ’ ἀμφοτέρῃσι κομῶσαν, ἔξοχον ἔντε χοροῖς ἔξοχον ἔντε λύρᾳ· ἧς περὶ σωφροσύνῃ τ’ εἴη χαρίτεσσι θ’ ἁμίλλα, τῇ καὶ τῇ ταύτην ἀντιμεθελκομέναις. εὕρηκ’ οὐδ’ ὄφελος, καὶ γὰρ μόλις εἰς ἐνιαυτὸν οἰστροῦντι φλογερῶς ἐστιν ἅπαξ ἰδέειν.
The satires on Mabilius (so he called Marullus) are too filthy to be quoted. They may be read in the collection cited above, pp. 275-280.