Meta Description: Join Dr. David Noe and Dr. Jeff Winkle as they explore Nova Anglia, a 17th-century Latin epic poem about New England. Discover how William Morrell described the “fruit-bearing” trees, the native peoples, and the “painful” task of colonization in dactylic hexameter.
Introduction: Thanksgiving in the Vomitorium
Welcome back to the “bunker vomitorium,” listeners! In Episode 104 of the Ad Navseam Podcast, hosts Dr. David Noe and Dr. Jeff Winkle gather on a cool November evening—the “eve of the eve of Thanksgiving”—to serve up a topical treat.
While the hosts trade barbs about Buffalo snowstorms (25 inches!) and “plain crummy looks” (more on that in the ads), the main course is a fascinating, yet obscure, piece of American history: William Morrell’s Nova Anglia.
This 1625 poem holds the distinction of being the earliest surviving work of poetry about New England3. But for two classical gourmands like Noe and Winkle, the real hook is that it was written in the Latin language—specifically, 309 lines of dactylic hexameter.
The Author: William Morrell
Who was William Morrell?
Born around 1590, Morrell was an Anglican priest and a Cambridge man (Magdalene College, 1615). In 1623, he sailed to the New World with Captain Robert Gorges to oversee the spiritual life of the short-lived Wessagusset Colony (in present-day Weymouth, Massachusetts).
When the colony failed a year later due to “financial difficulties and tensions with the natives,” Gorges returned to England. Morrell, however, stayed behind in Plymouth for another year to observe the land and its people.
The result of his “melancholy leisures” was Nova Anglia, published in London in 1625. As Dr. Noe notes, Morrell wasn’t an armchair poet in an ivory tower; he was “tramping the woods,” an eyewitness using the ancient tools of Vergil and Lucretius to describe a “grandchild to earth’s paradise”.
Nova Anglia: Flora, Fauna, and Dactylic Hexameter
The poem is a “brief enarration” (a telling completely) of the air, earth, water, fish, and fowls of the country. Morrell proves himself an able scholar, peppering his verse with classical allusions.
The Trees of Jupiter:
Morrell describes the abundant forests of New England with the eye of a naturalist and the pen of a Roman poet.
tellus
Cedris, & fagis, Iuglandibus & Iovis alta…
Arbore
“The verdant trees abound… ash, oak, and walnut, pines and juniper.”
Dr. Noe highlights Morrell’s use of Iovis alta arbore (“the tall tree of Jupiter”) to describe the oak, a direct nod to Roman mythology. He also spots a “Lucretian homage” in the use of frugiferentes (“fruit-bearing”), a neologism borrowed from the atomic poet Lucretius.
The Beasts of the Field:
The fauna get equal treatment, with Morrell listing everything from bears and wolves to “foxes both gray and black” (though he admits, “black I never beheld”).
Pascua quae praebent animalibus…
“Grass and herbs contenting man and beast / on which both deer and bears and wolves do feast.”
The hosts delight in the English translation’s internal rhyme (“Fit for to warme vs, and to feede vs fit.”) and the sheer variety of wildlife, from the “mighty whale” whose oil the “careful merchant” buys, to the “fresh bleeding place”.
The Native Inhabitants: A “Kind Salute”
Perhaps the most compelling section of the poem is Morrell’s description of the Native Americans. Writing at a time of early contact, his tone is a complex mix of “awe and curiosity” and missionary zeal.
Appearance and Custom:
Morrell describes the men as “well-limbed,” “fair,” and “expert” with the bow. He notes their hairstyle (“the left side bound up in a knot”) and their clothing (“mantled in skin… with the hair side in”).
Xenia in the New World:
Dr. Noe is particularly struck by Morrell’s description of native hospitality:
“The aged widow and the orphans all / Their kings maintain and strangers when they call.”
This reflects the ancient Greek concept of Xenia (guest-friendship), famously depicted in the Odyssey. Morrell sees a parallel between the “kings” (chiefs) of New England and the heroic kings of Homer, noting that strangers are given “part of what’s most rich”.
The “Painful” Task:
While Morrell respects the natives, he also views them as “holy errands” for conversion. He ends the poem with a call for “painful men” (men willing to take pains/suffer) to come to this “good land” and build an “English kingdom”. It is a vision of imperialism, yes, but one Morrell hopes will be tempered by “kind compassion” rather than brutality.
Sponsors
This episode of Ad Navseam is brought to you by:
- Hackett Publishing: Don’t let your “plain crummy looks” hold you back—buy some books! Use code AN2022 for 20% off and free shipping at hackettpublishing.com.
- Ratio Coffee: For the “swell gal” (or guy) who craves a perfect brew. Use code ANCO7B (B for “brackish”) for 15% off at ratiocoffee.com.
Gustatory Parting Shot
Dr. Noe wraps up the Thanksgiving episode with a quote from Jimmy Fallon:
“A new survey found that 80% of men claim they help cook Thanksgiving dinner, which makes sense when you hear them consider saying, ‘That smells good’ to be helping.”
Valete! (And Da mihi garum—Pass the gravy!).
Resources for the Latin Learner
- Moss Method: Dr. Noe’s Greek course is running a Black Friday Sale (Nov 24-28). Get 10% off and go from “neophyte to erudite” at MossMethod.com.
Latin Per Diem: Dr. Noe’s LLPSI Latin course is also 10% off ($179). The price will jump to $250 after the sale, so act fast! Visit latinperdiem.com.
