Metamorphoses

Ovid

Ovid. The XV bookes of P. Ouidius Naso, entytuled Metamorphosis. Golding, Arthur, translator. London: W. Seres (printer), 1567.

  1. From thence in saffron colourd robe flew Hymen through the ayre,
  2. And into Thracia beeing called by Orphy did repayre.
  3. He came in deede at Orphyes call: but neyther did he sing
  4. The woordes of that solemnitie, nor merry countnance bring,
  5. Nor any handsell of good lucke. His torch with drizling smoke
  6. Was dim: the same to burne out cleere, no stirring could provoke.
  7. The end was woorser than the signe. For as the Bryde did rome
  8. Abrode accompanyde with a trayne of Nymphes to bring her home,
  9. A serpent lurking in the grasse did sting her in the ancle:
  10. Whereof shee dyde incontinent, so swift the bane did rancle.
  11. Whom when the Thracian Poet had bewayld sufficiently
  12. On earth, the Ghostes departed hence he minding for to trie,
  13. Downe at the gate of Taenarus did go to Limbo lake.
  14. And thence by gastly folk and soules late buried he did take
  15. His journey to Persephonee and to the king of Ghosts
  16. That like a Lordly tyran reignes in those unpleasant coasts.
  17. And playing on his tuned harp he thus began to sound:
  18. O you, the Sovereines of the world set underneath the ground,
  19. To whome wee all (what ever thing is made of mortall kynd)
  20. Repayre, if by your leave I now may freely speake my mynd,
  21. I come not hither as a spye the shady Hell to see:
  22. Nor yet the foule three headed Curre whose heares all Adders bee
  23. To tye in cheynes. The cause of this my vyage is my wyfe
  24. Whose foote a Viper stinging did abridge her youthfull lyfe.
  25. I would have borne it paciently: and so to doo I strave,
  26. But Love surmounted powre. This God is knowen great force to have
  27. Above on earth. And whether he reigne heere or no I dowt.
  28. But I beleeve hee reignes heere too. If fame that flies abowt
  29. Of former rape report not wrong, Love coupled also yow.
  30. By theis same places full of feare: by this huge Chaos now,
  31. And by the stilnesse of this waste and emptye Kingdome, I
  32. Beseech yee of Eurydicee unreele the destinye
  33. That was so swiftly reeled up. All things to you belong.
  34. And though wee lingring for a whyle our pageants do prolong,
  35. Yit soone or late wee all to one abyding place doo rome:
  36. Wee haste us hither all: this place becomes our latest home:
  37. And you doo over humaine kynd reigne longest tyme. Now when
  38. This woman shall have lived full her tyme, shee shall agen
  39. Become your owne. The use of her but for a whyle I crave.
  40. And if the Destnyes for my wyfe denye mee for to have
  41. Releace, I fully am resolvd for ever heere to dwell.
  42. Rejoyce you in the death of both. As he this tale did tell,
  43. And played on his instrument, the bloodlesse ghostes shed teares:
  44. To tyre on Titius growing hart the greedy Grype forbeares:
  45. The shunning water Tantalus endevereth not to drink:
  46. And Danaus daughters ceast to fill theyr tubbes that have no brink.
  47. Ixions wheele stood still: and downe sate Sisyphus uppon
  48. His rolling stone. Then first of all (so fame for truth hath gone)
  49. The Furies beeing striken there with pitie at his song
  50. Did weepe. And neyther Pluto nor his Ladie were so strong
  51. And hard of stomacke to withhold his just petition long.
  52. They called foorth Eurydicee who was as yit among
  53. The newcome Ghosts, and limped of her wound. Her husband tooke
  54. Her with condicion that he should not backe uppon her looke,
  55. Untill the tyme that hee were past the bounds of Limbo quyght:
  56. Or else to lose his gyft. They tooke a path that steepe upryght
  57. Rose darke and full of foggye mist. And now they were within
  58. A kenning of the upper earth, when Orphye did begin
  59. To dowt him lest shee followed not, and through an eager love
  60. Desyrous for to see her he his eyes did backward move.
  61. Immediatly shee slipped backe. He retching out his hands,
  62. Desyrous to bee caught and for to ketch her grasping stands.
  63. But nothing save the slippry aire (unhappy man) he caught.
  64. Shee dying now the second tyme complaynd of Orphye naught.
  65. For why what had shee to complayne, onlesse it were of love
  66. Which made her husband backe agen his eyes uppon her move?
  67. Her last farewell shee spake so soft, that scarce he heard the sound,
  68. And then revolted to the place in which he had her found.
  69. This double dying of his wife set Orphye in a stound,
  70. No lesse than him who at the syght of Plutos dreadfull Hound
  71. That on the middle necke of three dooth beare an iron cheyne,
  72. Was striken in a sodein feare and could it not restreyne,
  73. Untill the tyme his former shape and nature beeing gone,
  74. His body quyght was overgrowne, and turned into stone.
  75. Or than the foolish Olenus, who on himself did take
  76. Anothers fault, and giltlesse needes himself would giltie make,
  77. Togither with his wretched wyfe Lethaea, for whose pryde
  78. They both becomming stones, doo stand even yit on watry Ide.
  79. He would have gone to Hell ageine, and earnest sute did make:
  80. But Charon would not suffer him to passe the Stygian lake.
  81. Seven dayes he sate forlorne uppon the bank and never eate
  82. A bit of bread. Care, teares, and thought, and sorrow were his meate
  83. And crying out uppon the Gods of Hell as cruell, hee
  84. Withdrew to lofty Rhodopee and Heme which beaten bee
  85. With Northern wynds. Three tymes the Sunne had passed through the sheere
  86. And watry signe of Pisces and had finisht full the yeere,
  87. And Orphye (were it that his ill successe hee still did rew,
  88. Or that he vowed so to doo) did utterly eschew
  89. The womankynd. Yit many a one desyrous were to match
  90. With him, but he them with repulse did all alike dispatch.
  91. He also taught the Thracian folke a stewes of Males to make
  92. And of the flowring pryme of boayes the pleasure for to take.
  1. There was a hyll, and on the hyll a verie levell plot,
  2. Fayre greene with grasse. But as for shade or covert was there not.
  3. As soone as that this Poet borne of Goddes, in that same place
  4. Sate downe and toucht his tuned strings, a shadow came apace.
  5. There wanted neyther Chaons tree, nor yit the trees to which
  6. Fresh Phaetons susters turned were, nor Beeche, nor Holme, nor Wich,
  7. Nor gentle Asp, nor wyvelesse Bay, nor lofty Chestnuttree.
  8. Nor Hazle spalt, nor Ash wherof the shafts of speares made bee.
  9. Nor knotlesse Firre, nor cheerfull Plane, nor Maple flecked grayne.
  10. Nor Lote, nor Sallow which delights by waters to remayne.
  11. Nor slender twigged Tamarisk, nor Box ay greene of hew.
  12. Nor Figtrees loden with theyr frute of colours browne and blew.
  13. Nor double colourd Myrtletrees. Moreover thither came
  14. The wrything Ivye, and the Vyne that runnes uppon a frame,
  15. Elmes clad with Vynes, and Ashes wyld and Pitchtrees blacke as cole,
  16. And full of trees with goodly frute red stryped, Ortyards whole.
  17. And Palmetrees lythe which in reward of conquest men doo beare,
  18. And Pynapple with tufted top and harsh and prickling heare,
  19. The tree to Cybele, mother of the Goddes, most deere. For why?
  20. Her minion Atys putting off the shape of man, did dye,
  21. And hardened into this same tree. Among this companee
  22. Was present with a pyked top the Cypresse, now a tree,
  23. Sumtime a boay beloved of the God that with a string
  24. Dooth arme his bow, and with a string in tune his Violl bring.
  25. For hallowed to the Nymphes that in the feeldes of Carthye were
  26. There was a goodly myghty Stag whose homes such bredth did beare,
  27. As that they shadowed all his head. His homes of gold did shyne,
  28. And downe his brest hung from his necke, a cheyne with jewels fyne.
  29. Amid his frunt with prettie strings a tablet beeing tyde,
  30. Did waver as he went: and from his eares on eyther syde
  31. Hung perles of all one growth about his hollow temples bryght.
  32. This goodly Spitter beeing voyd of dread, as having quyght
  33. Forgot his native fearefulnesse, did haunt mens houses, and
  34. Would suffer folk (yea though unknowen) to coy him with theyr hand.
  35. But more than unto all folke else he deerer was to thee
  36. O Cyparisse, the fayrest Wyght that ever man did see
  37. In Coea. Thou to pastures, thou to water springs him led,
  38. Thou wreathedst sundry flowres betweene his homes uppon his hed.
  39. Sumtyme a horsman thou his backe for pleasure didst bestryde,
  40. And haltring him with silken bit from place to place didst ryde.
  41. In summer tyme about hygh noone when Titan with his heate
  42. Did make the hollow crabbed cleas of Cancer for to sweate,
  43. Unweeting Cyparissus with a Dart did strike this Hart
  44. Quyght through. And when that of the wound he saw he must depart,
  45. He purposd for to die himself. What woords of comfort spake
  46. Not Phoebus to him? willing him the matter lyght to take
  47. And not more sorrow for it than was requisite to make.
  48. But still the Lad did sygh and sob, and as his last request
  49. Desyred God he myght thenceforth from moorning never rest.
  50. Anon through weeping overmuch his blood was drayned quyght:
  51. His limbes wext greene: his heare which hung upon his forehead whyght
  52. Began to bee a bristled bush: and taking by and by
  53. A stiffnesse, with a sharpened top did face the starrie skye.
  54. The God did sigh, and sadly sayd: Myselfe shall moorne for thee,
  55. And thou for others: and ay one in moorning thou shalt bee.