Metamorphoses
Ovid
Ovid. The XV bookes of P. Ouidius Naso, entytuled Metamorphosis. Golding, Arthur, translator. London: W. Seres (printer), 1567.
- The lustie earth of owne accorde soone after forth did bring
- According to their sundrie shapes eche other living thing,
- As soone as that the moysture once caught heate against the Sunne,
- And that the fat and slimie mud in moorish groundes begunne
- To swell through warmth of Phebus beames, and that the fruitfull seede
- Of things well cherisht in the fat and lively soyle in deede,
- As in their mothers wombe, began in length of time to grow,
- To one or other kinde of shape wherein themselves to show.
- Even so when that seven mouthed Nile the watrie fieldes forsooke,
- And to his auncient channel eft his bridled streames betooke,
- So that the Sunne did heate the mud, the which he left behinde,
- The husbandmen that tilde the ground, among the cloddes did finde
- Of sundrie creatures sundrie shapes: of which they spied some,
- Even in the instant of their birth but newly then begonne,
- And some unperfect, wanting brest or shoulders in such wise,
- That in one bodie oftentimes appeared to the eyes
- One halfe thereof alive to be, and all the rest beside
- Both voyde of life and seemely shape, starke earth to still abide.
- For when that moysture with the heate is tempred equally,
- They doe conceyve: and of them twaine engender by and by
- All kinde of things. For though that fire with water aye debateth
- Yet moysture mixt with equall heate all living things createth.
- And so those discordes in their kinde, one striving with the other,
- In generation doe agree and make one perfect mother.
- And therfore when the mirie earth bespred with slimie mud,
- Brought over all but late before by violence of the flud,
- Caught heate by warmnesse of the Sunne, and calmenesse of the skie,
- Things out of number in the worlde, forthwith it did applie.
- Whereof in part the like before in former times had bene,
- And some so straunge and ougly shapes as never erst were sene.
- In that she did such Monsters breede, was greatly to hir woe,
- But yet thou, ougly Python, wert engendred by hir thoe.
- A terror to the newmade folke, which never erst had knowne
- So foule a Dragon in their lyfe, so monstrously foregrowne;
- So great a ground thy poyson paunch did underneath thee hide.
- The God of shooting who no where before that present tide
- Those kinde of weapons put in ure, but at the speckled Deare,
- Or at the Roes so wight of foote, a thousand shaftes well neere,
- Did on that hideous serpent spende: of which there was not one,
- But forced forth the venimd bloud along his sydes to gone.
- So that his quiver almost voyde, he nailde him to the grounde,
- And did him nobly at the last by force of shot confounde.
- And least that time might of this worke deface the worthy fame,
- He did ordeyne in mynde thereof a great and solemne game,
- Which of the serpent that he slue of Pythians bare the name.
- Where who so could the maistrie winne in feates of strength, or sleight
- Of hande or foote or rolling wheele, might claime to have of right,
- An Oken garland fresh and brave. There was not any wheare
- As yet a Bay: by meanes whereof was Phebus faine to weare
- The leaves of every pleasant tree about his golden heare.
- Peneian Daphne was the first where Phebus set his love,
- Which not blind chaunce but Cupids fierce and cruel wrath did move.
- The Delian God but late before surprisde with passing pride
- For killing of the monstrous worme, the God of love espide,
- With bowe in hand alredy bent and letting arrowes go:
- To whome he sayd, and what hast thou thou wanton baby so
- With warlike weapons for to toy? It were a better sight,
- To see this kinde of furniture on my two shoulders bright:
- Who when we list with stedfast hand both man and beast can wound,
- Who tother day wyth arrowes keene, have nayled to the ground
- The serpent Python so forswolne, whose filthie wombe did hide
- So many acres of the grounde in which he did abide.
- Content thy selfe sonne, sorie loves to kindle with thy brand,
- For these our prayses to attaine thou must not take in hand.
- To him quoth Venus sonne againe, well Phebus I agree
- Thy bow to shoote at every beast, and so shall mine at thee
- And looke how far that under God eche beast is put by kinde,
- So much thy glorie lesse than ours in shooting shalt thou finde.
- This saide, with drift of fethered wings in broken ayre he flue,
- And to the forkt and shadie top of Mount Parnasus drue.
- There from hys quiver full of shafts two arrowes did he take
- Of sundrie workes: t'one causeth Love, the tother doth it slake.
- That causeth love, is all of golde with point full sharpe and bright,
- That chaseth love is blunt, whose stele with leaden head is dight.
- The God this fired in the Nymph Peneis for the nones:
- The tother perst Apollos heart and overraft his bones.
- Immediatly in smoldring heate of Love the t'one did swelt,
- Againe the tother in hir heart no sparke nor motion felt.
- In woods and forrests is hir joy, the savage beasts to chase,
- And as the price of all hir paine to take the skinne and case.
- Unwedded Phebe doth she haunt and follow as hir guide,
- Unordred doe hir tresses wave scarce in a fillet tide.
- Full many a wooer sought hir love, she lothing all the rout,
- Impacient and without a man walkes all the woods about.
- And as for Hymen, or for love, and wedlocke often sought
- She tooke no care, they were the furthest end of all hir thought.
- Hir father many a time and oft would saye: My daughter deere,
- Thow owest me a sonneinlaw to be thy lawfull feere.
- Hir father many a time and oft would say: My daughter deere,
- Of Nephewes thou my debtour art, their Graundsires heart to cheere.
- She hating as a haynous crime the bonde of bridely bed
- Demurely casting downe hir eyes, and blushing somwhat red,
- Did folde about hir fathers necke with fauning armes: and sed:
- Deare father, graunt me while I live my maidenhead for to have,
- As to Diana here tofore hir father freely gave.
- Thy father (Daphne) could consent to that thou doest require,
- But that thy beautie and thy forme impugne thy chaste desire:
- So that thy will and his consent are nothing in this case,
- By reason of the beautie bright that shineth in thy face.
- Apollo loves and longs to have this Daphne to his Feere,
- And as he longs he hopes, but his foredoomes doe fayle him there.
- And as light hame when corne is reapt, or hedges burne with brandes,
- That passers by when day drawes neere throwe loosely fro their handes,
- So into flames the God is gone and burneth in his brest
- And feedes his vaine and barraine love in hoping for the best.
- Hir haire unkembd about hir necke downe flaring did he see,
- O Lord and were they trimd (quoth he) how seemely would she bee?
- He sees hir eyes as bright as fire the starres to represent,
- He sees hir mouth which to have seene he holdes him not content.
- Hir lillie armes mid part and more above the elbow bare,
- Hir handes, hir fingers and hir wrystes, him thought of beautie rare.
- And sure he thought such other parts as garments then did hyde,
- Excelled greatly all the rest the which he had espyde.
- But swifter than the whyrling winde shee flees and will not stay,
- To give the hearing to these wordes the which he had to say:
- I pray thee Nymph Penaeis stay, I chase not as a fo:
- Stay Nymph: the Lambes so flee the Wolves, the Stags the Lions so.
- With flittring feathers sielie Doves so from the Gossehauke flie,
- And every creature from his foe. Love is the cause that I
- Do followe thee: alas alas how would it grieve my heart,
- To see thee fall among the briers, and that the bloud should start
- Out of thy tender legges, I, wretch, the causer of thy smart.
- The place is rough to which thou runst, take leysure I thee pray,
- Abate thy flight, and I my selfe my running pace will stay.
- Yet would I wishe thee take advise, and wisely for to viewe
- What one he is that for thy grace in humble wise doth sewe.
- I am not one that dwelles among the hilles and stonie rockes,
- I am no sheepehearde with a Curre, attending on the flockes:
- I am no Carle nor countrie Clowne, nor neathearde taking charge
- Of cattle grazing here and there within this Forrest large.
- Thou doest not know, poore simple soule, God wote thou dost not knowe,
- From whome thou fleest. For if thou knew, thou wouldste not flee me so.
- In Delphos is my chiefe abode, my Temples also stande
- At Glaros and at Patara within the Lycian lande.
- And in the Ile of Tenedos the people honour mee.
- The king of Gods himselfe is knowne my father for to bee.
- By me is knowne that was, that is, and that that shall ensue,
- By mee men learne to sundrie tunes to frame sweete ditties true.
- In shooting have I stedfast hand, but surer hand had hee
- That made this wound within my heart that heretofore was free.
- Of Phisicke and of surgerie I found the Artes for neede,
- The powre of everie herbe and plant doth of my gift proceede.
- Nowe wo is me that nere an herbe can heale the hurt of love
- And that the Artes that others helpe their Lord doth helpelesse prove.