Ovid's Metamorphosis / Englished, mythologiz'd, and represented in figures. An essay to the translation of Virgil's Aeneis. By G. S[andys].

  • Ovid, 43 B.C.-17 A.D. or 18 A.D
Date:
[1640]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Ovid's Metamorphosis / Englished, mythologiz'd, and represented in figures. An essay to the translation of Virgil's Aeneis. By G. S[andys]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    a Diana ; of Crathtu a moiintaine of Delos. b Nymphs of fonntaines and Lakes, c The God- deiTc of ^ conn fell, d Baeotia, called alfo ^onia. cThc Cretans were famous of old for their archery f The God of Marriage. AIetamorphOsis With fervent vowes, and gift.s ftill multiply'd> At length llde wavers. Faue of faitli,! cry'd? Thou art difclos'd: I no adulterer> But thy wrong’d Ipoule: nor can this tryall erre.' She made no anl wer, prefi: with filent lhame. Th’unhappy houfe, and me, far more in blame, Forlaking; man-kmde for my lake efehewes: And Z> w^-like the mountain chace purfues. Abandon’d hotter flames my bloud incenle. I pardon beg’d,confening my offence: And laid, Aurora might have me fubdu’d With fuch inticements, had but Ihee fo woo’d. My fault confefr, her wrong revenged, we Cirow reconcil’d; and happily agree. Befides her lelfe, as though that gift were fmall, A Dog llie gave: which ^ Cynthia giving; All, Said llie, liirpalfe in fwiftnelfe; and this Speare You lb commend, which in my hand I beare. ' . Doe you the fortune of the firll inquire ^ Receive a wonder; and the fed: admire. Dark prophelies, not underftood of old. The ^ Naiades with fearching wits unfold;. When facred Themisy in that fo oblcure, Negleded grew. Nor could fhe this indure. A cruell BeSl infefts ^ th’ Aonian plaines; To many fetall; feard by countrey Swaines, Both for their cattle, and themfelves, I met . The neighbouring youth,our toyles the fieldsbcfet,. He nimbly skips above the upper lines i And mounting over,fruftrats our delignes. ' The dogs uncouple, from them all he fprings With no lelfe Ipeed, then if fupply'd by wings: All bid me Let my Lalaps flip (tor lb My dog was call'd) who ftrugUng long ago, Hdfe-throtledjdraind the leafla. No ifeoner gone, Thenput of light; his fbot-fteps left upon The burning fend: who vanillit from our eyes As fwiftly as a well-driv'n javelin flyes ; Or as a finging pellet from a fling ; Or as an arrow from a ^ Cretan ftring. I mount a hill which over-topt the place; From thence beholding this admired chacc. The beafl: now pincht appeares, now Ihuns by flight His catching j'awes. Nor (crafty) runs out-right; Nortrufts his heeles with nimble turnings IRunning His urgent foe ; call back by over-rimning. Who prefr, what onely might in fpeedcompare j Appeares to catch th’uncaught; and mouths the aire» My dart I take to aid: which, while I fhooke. And on the thong dired my haftie lookc To fit my fingers: looking up againe, I law two marble ftatues on the plaine. Had you thefe leene, you could not choofe but fey That this appeard to run,and that to bay. That neither flrould each other over-goe The Gods decree’d: if Gods defeend lb low. Thus he: here paus’d. Then Phocus; Pray’unfold Your darts offence. Which Cephalm thus told, loy griefe fore-runs: |:hat joy we firfl: recite. For O Ithofe times I mention with delight. When youth and ^ Hymen our happy life % She, in her husband blefl:; I in my wife. In both one care,and one affedicxi moves. She would not have exchang’d my bed for loves Nor Venus could have tempted my delire: . Our bofomes flam’d with fuch an equall lire. ^When s Y^^/had rais’d his beames above the floods ; My cuftome was to trace the leavy woods. Arm’d with this dart, I lolitary went, Without horfe,huntlmen, toylespr dogs of fent. Much kild j I to the cooler fliadesrepaire: And where the vallie breathes a frellier aire. Coole aire I feek, while all with fervor gloes: Coole aire exped, the caufe of my repole. Come aire, I ufe to ling, relieve th* oppreft: j Come, O moft: welcome, glide into my brefl:: Now quench,as erft, in me this fcalding heat. By chance I other blandilhiments repeat; (So Fates inforce) as, O my loules delight I By thee I am fed and cheat'd: thy fweets excite My affedions to thofe woods: O may thy breath Still mix with mine,and fo preferve from death! A bufie eare thefe doubtfull Ipeeches caught; who oft-nain'd aire fome much-lov’d thought: And told to Procrisy with a lewder tongue. His felfe furmiles; with the Ibng I fung. Love'xs too credulous.With griefe fhe feints ; And foarce reviving, burfts into complaints: ' My fpotlelfe faith with forie execrates: Woe's me, Ihe cryes, produc’t to cruell fates I Tranlported with imaginary blame, what is not, feares: an unfubftantiall name. - Yet grieves (poore foule!) as if in truth abus’d: Yet often doubts; and her diftrull accus'd. Now holds the information fora lye: Nor will truftfother witnefl'e then her eye.. Aurora re-inthron'd th'infuing Day: I hunt,and fpeed. Asonthegralfellay, ^ Come Aire, faid I, my tyred Ipirits cheare. ’At this an unkno wnc figh invades my eare. Yet I j O come, before all /oyes preferd. I then among the leaves a milling heard. And threw my dart • liippofing it fome beafl:: But 0,’twas Procris I wounded on the brefl. She Ihreekt, ay me 1 Her voyce too weUI knew - And thither, with my griefe diflradled, fle w. Halfe deadfall blood-imbra^i, my wife I found t Her gift (alas I) extrading from her wound- I rais’d her body, then my owne more deare: To binde her wounds my lighter garment teare And flrive to flench the blood. O pitty take. Said I, nor thus a guilty foule forfeke I She, weake, and now a dying, thus replies, (Her lafl of ipeech) By aU our nuptiall ties; By heaven-imbowred Gods • by thofe below, T o whofe infernall m onarchy I goc: • By that, if ever I deferved well j By this ill-fated love, for which I fell, • Yet now in death moft conftantly retaine ; O, let not Ayre our chafter bed prophane. This faid; I Iho w’d, and flie perceived how That error grew :but what avail'd it now ? She finks ; her bloud along her Ipirits took: Who lookes on me as long as fhe could look- My lips her foule receive, with her laft breath: Who, now refolved, fweetly fmiles in deatli. The weeping Heroe told this tragedy To thofe that wept as fall. ‘ The King drew nye ^ And his two Ibns, with well-arm'd Regiments, Ne w-rais’d; which he to Cephalus prefents. VPON ] g The Sun h A Wood- Nymph. i ty£acttt» k Telamon aod PeleM.