Metamorphoses
Ovid
Ovid. The XV bookes of P. Ouidius Naso, entytuled Metamorphosis. Golding, Arthur, translator. London: W. Seres (printer), 1567.
- Then sprang up first the golden age, which of it selfe maintainde
- The truth and right of every thing unforct and unconstrainde.
- There was no feare of punishment, there was no threatning lawe
- In brazen tables nayled up, to keepe the folke in awe.
- There was no man would crouch or creepe to Judge with cap in hand,
- They lived safe without a Judge, in everie Realme and lande.
- The loftie Pynetree was not hewen from mountaines where it stood,
- In seeking straunge and forren landes, to rove upon the flood.
- Men knew none other countries yet, than where themselves did keepe:
- There was no towne enclosed yet, with walles and diches deepe.
- No horne nor trumpet was in use, no sword nor helmet worne,
- The worlde was such, that souldiers helpe might easly be forborne.
- The fertile earth as yet was free, untoucht of spade or plough,
- And yet it yeelded of it selfe of every things inough.
- And men themselves contented well with plaine and simple foode,
- That on the earth of natures gift without their travail stoode,
- Did live by Raspis, heppes and hawes, by cornelles, plummes and cherries,
- By sloes and apples, nuttes and peares, and lothsome bramble berries,
- And by the acornes dropt on ground, from Joves brode tree in fielde.
- The Springtime lasted all the yeare, and Zephyr with his milde
- And gentle blast did cherish things that grew of owne accorde,
- The ground untilde, all kinde of fruits did plenteously afforde.
- No mucke nor tillage was bestowde on leane and barren land,
- To make the corne of better head, and ranker for to stand.
- Then streames ran milke, then streames ran wine, and yellow honny flowde
- From ech greene tree whereon the rayes of firie Phebus glowde.
- But when that into Lymbo once Saturnus being thrust,
- The rule and charge of all the worlde was under Jove unjust,
- And that the silver age came in, more somewhat base than golde,
- More precious yet than freckled brasse, immediatly the olde
- And auncient Spring did Jove abridge, and made therof anon,
- Foure seasons: Winter, Sommer, Spring, and Autumne off and on:
- Then first of all began the ayre with fervent heate to swelt.
- Then Isycles hung roping downe: then for the colde was felt
- Men gan to shroud themselves in house. Their houses were the thickes,
- And bushie queaches, hollow caves, or hardels made of stickes.
- Then first of all were furrowes drawne, and corne was cast in ground.
- The simple Oxe with sorie sighes, to heavie yoke was bound.
- Next after this succeded streight, the third and brazen age:
- More hard of nature, somewhat bent to cruell warres and rage.
- But yet not wholy past all grace. Of yron is the last
- In no part good and tractable as former ages past.
- For when that of this wicked Age once opened was the veyne
- Therein all mischief rushed forth: then Fayth and Truth were faine
- And honest shame to hide their heades: for whom crept stoutly in,
- Craft, Treason, Violence, Envie, Pride and wicked Lust to win.
- The shipman hoyst his sailes to wind, whose names he did not knowe:
- And shippes that erst in toppes of hilles and mountaines had ygrowe,
- Did leape and daunce on uncouth waves: and men began to bound
- With dowles and diches drawen in length the free and fertile ground,
- Which was as common as the Ayre and light of Sunne before.
- Not onely corne and other fruites, for sustnance and for store,
- Were now exacted of the Earth: but eft they gan to digge,
- And in the bowels of the ground unsaciably to rigge,
- For Riches coucht and hidden deepe, in places nere to Hell,
- The spurres and stirrers unto vice, and foes to doing well.
- Then hurtfull yron came abrode, then came forth yellow golde,
- More hurtfull than the yron farre, then came forth battle bolde,
- That feightes with bothe, and shakes his sword in cruell bloudy hand.
- Men live by ravine and by stelth: the wandring guest doth stand
- In daunger of his host: the host in daunger of his guest:
- And fathers of their sonne in lawes: yea seldome time doth rest,
- Betweene borne brothers such accord and love as ought to bee.
- The goodman seekes the goodwifes death, and his againe seeks shee.
- The stepdames fell their husbandes sonnes with poyson do assayle.
- To see their fathers live so long the children doe bewayle.
- All godlynesse lies under foote. And Ladie Astrey, last
- Of heavenly vertues, from this earth in slaughter drowned past.
- And to th'intent the earth alone thus should not be opprest,
- And heaven above in slouthfull ease and carelesse quiet rest,
- Men say that Giantes went about the Realme of Heaven to win
- To place themselves to raigne as Gods and lawlesse Lordes therein.
- And hill on hill they heaped up aloft into the skie,
- Till God almighty from the Heaven did let his thunder flie,
- The dint whereof the ayrie tops of high Olympus brake,
- And pressed Pelion violently from under Ossa strake.
- When whelmed in their wicked worke those cursed Caitives lay,
- The Earth their mother tooke their bloud yet warme and (as they say)
- Did give it life. And for bicause some ympes should still remaine
- Of that same stocke, she gave it shape and limmes of men againe.
- This offspring eke against the Gods did beare a native spight,
- In slaughter and in doing wrong was all their whole delight.
- Their deedes declared them of bloud engendred for to bee.
- The which as soone as Saturns sonne from Heaven aloft did see,
- He fetcht a sigh, and therwithall revolving in his thought
- The shamefull act which at a feast Lycaon late had wrought,
- As yet unknowne or blowne abrode: He gan thereat to storme
- And stomacke like an angry Jove. And therfore to reforme
- Such haynous actes, he sommonde streight his Court of Parliament,
- Whereto resorted all the Gods that had their sommons sent.
- Highe in the Welkin is a way apparant to the sight
- In starrie nights, which of his passing whitenesse Milkie hight:
- It is the streete that to the Court and Princely Pallace leades,
- Of mightie Jove whose thunderclaps eche living creature dreades.
- On both the sides of this same waye do stand in stately port
- The sumptuous houses of the Peeres. For all the common sort
- Dwell scattring here and there abrode: the face of all the skie
- The houses of the chiefe estates and Princes doe supplie.
- And sure and if I may be bolde to speake my fancie free
- I take this place of all the Heaven the Pallace for to bee.
- Now when the Goddes assembled were, and eche had tane his place,
- Jove standing up aloft and leaning on his yvorie Mace,
- Right dreadfully his bushie lockes did thrise or four times shake,
- Wherewith he made both Sea and Land and Heaven it self to quake,
- And afterward in wrathfull wordes his angrie minde thus brake:
- I never was in greater care nor more perplexitie,
- How to maintaine my soveraigne state and Princelie royaltie,
- When with their hundreth handes apiece the Adderfooted rout,
- Did practise for to conquere Heaven and for to cast us out.
- For though it were a cruell foe: yet did that warre depende
- Upon one ground, and in one stocke it had his finall ende.
- But now as farre as any sea about the worlde doth winde,
- I must destroy both man and beast and all the mortall kinde.
- I sweare by Styxes hideous streames that run within the ground,
- All other meanes must first be sought: but when there can be found
- No helpe to heale a festred sore, it must away be cut,
- Lest that the partes that yet are sound, in daunger should be put.
- We have a number in the worlde that mans estate surmount,
- Of such whom for their private Gods the countrie folkes account,
- As Satyres, Faunes, and sundry Nymphes, with Silvanes eke beside,
- That in the woods and hillie grounds continually abide.
- Whome into Heaven since that as yet we vouch not safe to take,
- And of the honour of this place copartners for to make,
- Such landes as to inhabite in, we erst to them assignde,
- That they should still enjoye the same, it is my will and minde.
- But can you thinke that they in rest and safetie shall remaine
- When proud Lycaon laye in waite by secret meanes and traine
- To have confounded me your Lorde, who in my hand doe beare
- The dreadfull thunder, and of whom even you doe stand in feare?
- The house was moved at his words and earnestly requirde,
- The man that had so traiterously against their Lord conspirde.
- Even so when Rebels did arise to stroy the Romane name,
- By shedding of our Cesars bloud, the horror of the same
- Did pierce the heartes of all mankinde, and made the world to quake.
- Whose fervent zeale in thy behalfe (O August) thou did take,
- As thankfully as Jove doth heare the loving care of his,
- Who beckning to them with his hand, forbiddeth them to hisse.
- And therewithall through all the house attentive silence is.
- As soone as that his majestie all muttring had alayde,
- He brake the silence once againe, and thus unto them sayde:
- Let passe this carefull thought of yours: for he that did offende,
- Hath dearely bought the wicked Act, the which he did entende.
- Yet shall you heare what was his fault and vengeance for the same.
- A foule report and infamie unto our hearing came
- Of mischiefe used in those times: which wishing all untrew
- I did descend in shape of man, th'infamed Earth to vew.
- It were a processe overlong to tell you of the sinne,
- That did abound in every place where as I entred in.
- The bruit was lesser than the truth, and partiall in report.
- The dreadfull dennes of Menalus where savage beastes resort
- And Cyllen had I overpast, with all the Pynetrees hie
- Of cold Lyceus, and from thence I entred by and by
- The herbroughlesse and cruell house of late th'Arcadian King,
- Such time as twilight on the Earth dim darknesse gan to bring.
- I gave a signe that God was come, and streight the common sort
- Devoutly prayde, whereat Lycaon first did make a sport
- And after said: By open proufe, ere long I minde to see,
- If that this wight a mighty God or mortall creature bee.
- The truth shall trie it selfe: he ment (the sequele did declare)
- To steale upon me in the night, and kyll me unbeware.
- And yet he was not so content: but went and cut the throte,
- Of one that laye in hostage there, which was an Epyrote:
- And part of him he did to rost, and part he did to stewe.
- Which when it came upon the borde, forthwith I overthrew
- The house with just revenging fire upon the owners hed,
- Who seeing that, slipt out of doores amazde for feare, and fled
- Into the wilde and desert woods, where being all alone,
- As he endevorde (but in vaine) to speake and make his mone,
- He fell a howling: wherewithall for verie rage and moode
- He ran me quite out of his wits and waxed furious woode.
- Still practising his wonted lust of slaughter on the poore
- And sielie cattle, thirsting still for bloud as heretofore,
- His garments turnde to shackie haire, his armes to rugged pawes:
- So is he made a ravening Wolfe: whose shape expressely drawes
- To that the which he was before: his skinne is horie graye,
- His looke still grim with glaring eyes, and every kinde of waye
- His cruell heart in outward shape doth well it selfe bewraye.
- Thus was one house destroyed quite, but that one house alone
- Deserveth not to be destroyde: in all the Earth is none,
- But that such vice doth raigne therein, as that ye would beleve,
- That all had sworne and solde themselves to mischiefe us to greve.
- And therefore as they all offende: so am I fully bent,
- That all forthwith (as they deserve) shall have due punishment.
- These wordes of Jove some of the Gods did openly approve,
- And with their sayings more to wrath his angry courage move.
- And some did give assent by signes. Yet did it grieve them all
- That such destruction utterly on all mankinde should fall,
- Demaunding what he purposed with all the Earth to doe,
- When that he had all mortall men so cleane destroyde, and whoe
- On holie Altars afterward should offer frankinsence,
- And whother that he were in minde to leave the Earth fro thence
- To savage beastes to wast and spoyle, bicause of mans offence.
- The king of Gods bade cease their thought and questions in that case,
- And cast the care thereof on him. Within a little space
- He promist for to frame a newe, an other kinde of men
- By wondrous meanes, unlike the first to fill the world agen.