Ovid's Metamorphoses: translated by eminent persons. Published by Sir Samuel Garth.

  • Ovid, 43 B.C.-17 A.D. or 18 A.D.
Date:
1794
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Ovid's Metamorphoses: translated by eminent persons. Published by Sir Samuel Garth. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    the feather’d shaft, that sent Her to the fates, And his own hand, that sent the shaft, he hates. Fain would he heal the wound, and ease her pain, And tries the compass of his art in vaiii. Soon as he saw the lovely nymph expire, 775 The pile made ready, and the kindling fire, With sighs and groans her obsequies he kept, And, if a god could weep, the god had wept. Her corps he kiss’d, and heav’nly incense brought^ And solemniz’d the death himself had wrought. 780 But, lest his offspring should her fate partake, Spite of th’ immortal mixture in his make, He ript her womb, and set the child at large, And gave him to the Centaur Chiron’s charge : Then in his fury black’d the raven o’er, 785 And bid him prate in his white plumes no more. OCYRRHOE TRANSFORMED INTO A MARE* Old Chiron took the babe with secret joy, Proud of the charge of the celestial boy. His daughter too, whom on the sandy shore The nymph Charicle to the Centaur bore, 790 With hair dishevell’d on her shoulders came ' To see the child, Ocyrrhoe was her name; She knew her father’s arts, and could rehearse The depths of prophecy in sounding verse. Once, as the sacred infant she survey’d, 795 The godwas kindled in the raving maid,