Metamorphoses
Ovid
Ovid. The XV bookes of P. Ouidius Naso, entytuled Metamorphosis. Golding, Arthur, translator. London: W. Seres (printer), 1567.
- Thus ended his advertisment: and yet the wilfull Lad
- Withstood his counsell urging still the promisse that he had,
- Desiring for to have the chare as if he had been mad.
- His father having made delay as long as he could shift,
- Did lead him where his Chariot stood, which was of Vulcans gift.
- The Axeltree was massie golde, the Bucke was massie golde,
- The utmost fellies of the wheeles, and where the tree was rolde.
- The spokes were all of sylver bright, the Chrysolites and Gemmes
- That stood uppon the Collars, Trace, and hounces in their hemmes
- Did cast a sheere and glimmering light, as Phoebus shone thereon.
- Now while the lustie Phaeton stood gazing here upon,
- And wondered at the workemanship of everie thing: beeholde
- The earely morning in the East beegan mee to unfolde
- Hir purple Gates, and shewde hir house bedeckt with Roses red.
- The twinckling starres withdrew which by the morning star are led:
- Who as the Captaine of that Host that hath no peere nor match,
- Dooth leave his standing last of all within that heavenly watch.
- Now when his Father sawe the worlde thus glister red and trim,
- And that his waning sisters hornes began to waxen dim,
- He had the fetherfooted howres go harnesse in his horse.
- The Goddesses with might and mayne themselves thereto enforce.
- His fierifoming Steedes full fed with juice of Ambrosie
- They take from Maunger trimly dight: and to their heades doe tie
- Strong reyned bits: and to the Charyot doe them well appoint.
- Then Phoebus did with heavenly salve his Phaetons heade annoint,
- That scorching fire coulde nothing hurt: which done, upon his haire
- He put the fresh and golden rayes himselfe was wont to weare.
- And then as one whose heart misgave the sorrowes drawing fast,
- With sorie sighes he thus bespake his retchlesse sonne at last:
- (And if thou canst) at least yet this thy fathers lore obay:
- Sonne, spare the whip, and reyne them hard, they run so swift away
- As that thou shalt have much adoe their fleeing course to stay.
- Directly through the Zones all five beware thou doe not ride,
- A brode byway cut out askew that bendeth on the side
- Contaynde within the bondes of three the midmost Zones doth lie:
- Which from the grisely Northren beare, and Southren Pole doth flie.
- Keepe on this way: my Charyot rakes thou plainely shalt espie
- And to th'intent that heaven and earth may well the heate endure,
- Drive neyther over high nor yet too lowe. For be thou sure,
- And if thou mount above thy boundes, the starres thou burnest cleane.
- Againe beneath thou burnst the Earth: most safetie is the meane.
- And least perchaunce thou overmuch the right hand way should take,
- And so misfortune should thee drive upon the writhen Snake,
- Or else by taking overmuche upon the lefter hand
- Unto the Aultar thou be driven that doth against it stand:
- Indifferently betweene them both I wish thee for to ride.
- The rest I put to fortunes will, who be thy friendly guide,
- And better for thee than thy selfe as in this case provide.
- Whiles that I prattle here with thee, behold the dankish night
- Beyond all Spaine hir utmost bound is passed out of sight.
- We may no lenger tariance make: my wonted light is cald,
- The Morning with hir countnance cleare the darknesse hath appald.
- Take raine in hand, or if thy minde by counsell altred bee,
- Refuse to meddle with my Wayne: and while thou yet art free,
- And doste at ease within my house in safegarde well remaine,
- Of this thine unadvised wish not feeling yet the paine,
- Let me alone with giving still the world his wonted light,
- And thou thereof as heretofore enjoy the harmelesse sight.
- Thus much in vaine: for Phaeton both yong in yeares and wit,
- Into the Chariot lightly lept, and vauncing him in it
- Was not a little proud that he the brydle gotten had.
- He thankt his father whom it grievde to see his childe so mad.
- While Phebus and his rechelesse sonne were entertalking this,
- Aeous, Aethon, Phlegon, and the firie Pyrois,
- The restlesse horses of the Sunne, began to ney so hie
- Wyth flaming breath, that all the heaven might heare them perfectly.
- And with their hoves they mainly beate upon the lattisde grate.
- The which when Tethis (knowing nought of this hir cousins fate)
- Had put aside, and given the steedes the free and open scope
- Of all the compasse of the Skie within the heavenly Cope:
- They girded forth, and cutting through the Cloudes that let their race,
- With splayed wings they overflew the Easterne winde apace.
- The burthen was so lyght as that the Genets felt it not.
- The wonted weight was from the Waine, the which they well did wot.
- For like as ships amids the Seas that scant of ballace have,
- Doe reele and totter with the wynde, and yeeld to every wave:
- Even so the Waine for want of weight it erst was wont to beare,
- Did hoyse aloft and scayle and reele, as though it empty were.
- Which when the Cartware did perceyve, they left the beaten way
- And taking bridle in the teeth began to run astray.
- The rider was so sore agast, he knew no use of Rayne,
- Nor yet his way: and though he had, yet had it ben in vayne,
- Because he wanted powre to rule the horses and the Wayne.
- Then first did sweat cold Charles his Wain through force of Phebus rayes
- And in the Sea forbidden him, to dive in vaine assayes.
- The Serpent at the frozen Pole both colde and slow by kinde,
- Through heat waxt wroth, and stird about a cooler place to finde.
- And thou Bootes though thou be but slow of footemanship,
- Yet wert thou faine (as Fame reports) about thy Waine to skip.
- Now when unhappy Phaeton from top of all the Skie
- Behelde the Earth that underneath a great way off did lie,
- He waxed pale for sodaine feare, his joynts and sinewes quooke,
- The greatnesse of the glistring light his eyesight from him tooke.
- Now wisht he that he never had his fathers horses see:
- It yrkt him that he thus had sought to learne his piedegre.
- It grievde him that he had prevailde in gaining his request.
- To have bene counted Merops sonne he thought it now the best.
- Thus thinking was he headlong driven, as when a ship is borne
- By blustring windes, hir saileclothes rent, hir sterne in pieces torne,
- And tacling brust, the which the Pilote trusting all to prayre
- Abandons wholy to the Sea and fortune of the ayre.
- What should he doe? much of the heaven he passed had behinde
- And more he saw before: both whiche he measurde in his minde,
- Eft looking forward to the West which to approch as then
- Might not betide, and to the East eft looking backe agen.
- He wist not what was best to doe, his wittes were ravisht so.
- For neither could he hold the Reynes, nor yet durst let them go.
- And of his horses names was none that he remembred tho.
- Straunge uncoth Monsters did he see dispersed here and there
- And dreadfull shapes of ugly beasts that in the Welkin were.
- There is a certaine place in which the hidious Scorpion throwes
- His armes in compasse far abrode, much like a couple of bowes,
- With writhen tayle and clasping cles, whose poyson limmes doe stretch
- On every side, that of two signes they full the roume doe retch,
- Whome when the Lad beheld all moyst with blacke and lothly swet,
- With sharpe and nedlepointed sting as though he seemde to thret,
- He was so sore astraught for feare, he let the bridels slacke,
- Which when the horses felt lie lose upon their sweating backe,
- At rovers straight throughout the Ayre by wayes unknowne they ran
- Whereas they never came before since that the worlde began.
- For looke what way their lawlesse rage by chaunce and fortune drue
- Without controlment or restraint that way they freely flue
- Among the starres that fixed are within the firmament
- They snatcht the Chariot here and there. One while they coursing went
- Upon the top of all the skie: anon againe full round
- They troll me downe to lower wayes and nearer to the ground,
- So that the Moone was in a Maze to see hir brothers Waine
- Run under hirs: the singed cloudes began to smoke amaine.
- Eche ground the higher that it was and nearer to the Skie
- The sooner was it set on fire, and made therewith so drie
- That every where it gan to chinke. The Medes and Pastures greene
- Did seare away: and with the leaves, the trees were burned cleene.
- The parched corne did yeelde wherewith to worke his owne decaie.
- Tushe, these are trifles. Mightie townes did perish that same daie.
- Whose countries with their folke were burnt: and forests ful of wood
- Were turnde to ashes with the rocks and mountains where they stood.
- Then Athe, Cilician, Taure and Tmole and Oeta flamed hie,
- And Ide erst full of flowing springs was then made utter drie.
- The learned virgins daily haunt, the sacred Helicon,
- And Thracian Hemus (not as yet surnamde Oeagrion,)
- Did smoke both twaine: and Aetna hote of nature aye before,
- Encreast by force of Phebus flame now raged ten times more.
- The forkt Parnasus, Eryx, Cynth, and Othrys then did swelt
- And all the snow of Rhodope did at that present melt.
- The like outrage Mount Dindymus, and Mime and Micale felt.
- Cytheron borne to sacred use with Osse, and Pindus hie
- And Olymp greater than them both did burne excessively.
- The passing colde that Scithie had defended not the same
- But that the barren Caucasus was partner of this flame.
- And so were eke the Airie Alpes and Appennyne beside,
- For all the Cloudes continually their snowie tops doe hide.
- Then wheresoever Phaeton did chaunce to cast his vew,
- The world was all on flaming fire. The breath the which he drew,
- Came smoking from his scalding mouth as from a seething pot.
- His Chariot also under him began to waxe red hot.
- He could no lenger dure the sparkes and cinder flyeng out,
- Againe the culme and smouldring smoke did wrap him round about,
- The pitchie darkenesse of the which so wholy had him hent
- As that he wist not where he was nor yet which way he went.
- The winged horses forcibly did draw him where they wolde.
- The Aethiopians at that time (as men for truth upholde)
- (The bloud by force of that same heate drawne to the outer part
- And there adust from that time forth) became so blacke and swart.
- The moysture was so dried up in Lybie land that time
- That altogither drie and scorcht continueth yet that Clyme.
- The Nymphes with haire about their eares bewayld their springs and lakes.
- Beotia for hir Dyrces losse great lamentation makes.
- For Amimone Argos wept, and Corinth for the spring
- Pyrene, at whose sacred streame the Muses usde to sing.
- The Rivers further from the place were not in better case,
- For Tanais in his deepest streame did boyle and steme apace,
- Old Penew and Caycus of the countrie Teuthranie,
- And swift Ismenos in their bankes by like misfortune frie.
- Then burnde the Psophian Erymanth: and (which should burne ageine)
- The Trojan Xanthus and Lycormas with his yellow veine,
- Meander playing in his bankes aye winding to and fro,
- Migdonian Melas with his waves as blacke as any slo.
- Eurotas running by the foote of Tenare boyled tho.
- Then sod Euphrates cutting through the middes of Babilon.
- Then sod Orontes, and the Scithian swift Thermodoon.
- Then Ganges, Colchian Phasis, and the noble Istre
- Alpheus and Sperchius bankes with flaming fire did glistre.
- The golde that Tagus streame did beare did in the chanell melt.
- Amid Cayster of this fire the raging heat was felt
- Among the quieres of singing Swannes that with their pleasant lay
- Along the bankes of Lidian brakes from place to place did stray.
- And Nyle for feare did run away into the furthest Clyme
- Of all the world, and hid his heade, which to this present tyme
- Is yet unfound: his mouthes all seven cleane voyde of water beene,
- Like seven great valleys where (save dust) could nothing else be seene.
- By like misfortune Hebrus dride and Strymon, both of Thrace.
- The Westerne Rivers Rhine and Rhone and Po were in like case:
- And Tyber unto whome the Goddes a faithfull promise gave
- Of all the world the Monarchie and soveraigne state to have.
- The ground did cranie everie where and light did pierce to hell
- And made afraide the King and Queene that in that Realme doe dwell.
- The Sea did shrinke and where as waves did late before remaine,
- Became a Champion field of dust and even a sandy plaine.
- The hilles erst hid farre under waves like Ilelandes did appeare
- So that the scattred Cyclades for the time augmented were.
- The fishes drew them to the deepes: the Dolphines durst not play
- Above the water as before, the Seales and Porkpis lay
- With bellies upward on the waves starke dead: and fame doth go
- That Nereus with his wife and daughters all were faine as tho
- To dive within the scalding waves. Thrise Neptune did advaunce
- His armes above the scalding Sea with sturdy countenaunce:
- And thrise for hotenesse of the Ayre, was faine himselfe to hide.
- But yet the Earth the Nurce of things enclosde on every side
- (Betweene the waters of the Sea and Springs that now had hidden
- Themselves within their Mothers wombe) for all the paine abidden,
- Up to the necke put forth hir head and casting up hir hand,
- Betweene hir forehead and the sunne as panting she did stand
- With dreadfull quaking, all that was she fearfully did shake,
- And shrinking somewhat lower downe with sacred voyce thus spake:
- O king of Gods and if this be thy will and my desart,
- Why doste thou stay with deadly dint thy thunder downe to dart?
- And if that needes I perish must through force of firie flame,
- Let thy celestiall fire O God I pray thee doe the same.
- A comfort shall it be to have thee Author of my death.
- I scarce have powre to speak these words (the smoke had stopt hir breath).
- Behold my singed haire: behold my dim and bleared eye,
- See how about my scorched face the scalding embers flie.
- Is this the guerdon wherewithall ye quite my fruitfulnesse?
- Is this the honor that ye gave me for my plenteousnesse
- And dutie done with true intent? for suffring of the plough
- To draw deepe woundes upon my backe and rakes to rend me through?
- For that I over all the yeare continually am wrought?
- For giving foder to the beasts and cattell all for nought?
- For yeelding corne and other foode wherewith to keepe mankinde?
- And that to honor you withall sweete frankinsence I finde?
- But put the case that my desert destruction duely crave,
- What hath thy brother? what the Seas deserved for to have?
- Why doe the Seas, his lotted part, thus ebbe and fall so low,
- Withdrawing from thy Skie to which it ought most neare to grow?
- But if thou neyther doste regarde thy brother, neyther mee,
- At least have mercy on thy heaven, looke round about and see
- How both the Poles begin to smoke which if the fire appall
- To utter ruine (be thou sure) thy pallace needes must fall.
- Behold how Atlas ginnes to faint. His shoulders though full strong,
- Unneth are able to uphold the sparkling Extree long.
- If Sea and Land doe go to wrecke, and heaven it selfe doe burne
- To olde confused Chaos then of force we must returne.
- Put to thy helping hand therfore to save the little left
- If ought remaine before that all be quite and cleane bereft.