Metamorphoses

Ovid

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

Now when the kings Ambassadour returned home without
The succour of th'Aetolian prince, the Rutills being stout
Made luckelesse warre without theyr help: and much on eyther syde
Was shed of blood. Behold king Turne made burning bronds to glyde
Uppon theyr shippes, and they that had escaped water, stoode
In feare of fyre. The flame had sindgd the pitch, the wax, and wood,
And other things that nourish fyre, and ronning up the maste
Caught hold uppon the sayles, and all the takling gan to waste,
The Rowers seates did also smoke: when calling to her mynd
That theis same shippes were pynetrees erst and shaken with the wynd
On Ida mount, the moother of the Goddes, dame Cybel, filld
The ayre with sound of belles, and noyse of shalmes. And as shee hilld
The reynes that rulde the Lyons tame which drew her charyot, shee
Sayd thus: O Turnus, all in vayne theis wicked hands of thee
Doo cast this fyre. For by myself dispoynted it shall bee.
I wilnot let the wasting fyre consume theis shippes which are
A parcell of my forest Ide of which I am most chare.
It thundred as the Goddesse spake, and with the thunder came
A storme of rayne and skipping hayle, and soodeyne with the same
The sonnes of Astrey meeting feerce and feyghting verry sore,
Did trouble bothe the sea and ayre and set them on a rore.
Dame Cybel using one of them to serve her turne that tyde,
Did breake the Cables at the which the Trojane shippes did ryde,
And bare them prone, and underneathe the water did them dryve.
The Timber of them softning turnd to bodyes streyght alyve.
The stemmes were turnd to heades, the ores to swimming feete and toes,
The sydes to ribbes, the keele that through the middle gaily goes
Became the ridgebone of the backe, the sayles and tackling, heare:
And into armes on eyther syde the sayleyards turned were.
Theyr hew is duskye as before, and now in shape of mayd
They play among the waves of which even now they were afrayd.
And beeing Sea nymphes, wheras they were bred in mountaynes hard,
They haunt for ay the water soft, and never afterward
Had mynd to see theyr natyve soyle. But yit forgetting not
How many perills they had felt on sea by lucklesse lot,
They often put theyr helping hand to shippes distrest by wynd,
Onlesse that any caryed Greekes. For bearing still in mynd
The burning of the towne of Troy, they hate the Greekes by kynd.
And therfore of Ulysses shippes ryght glad they were to see
The shivers, and as glad they were as any glad myght bee,
To see Alcinous shippes wex hard and turned into stone.
Theis shippes thus having gotten lyfe and beeing turnd each one
To nymphes, a body would have thought the miracle so greate
Should into Turnus wicked hart sum godly feare have beate,
And made him cease his wilfull warre. But he did still persist.
And eyther partye had theyr Goddes theyr quarrell to assist,
And courage also: which as good as Goddes myght well be thought.
In fyne they neyther for the Realme nor for the scepter sought,
Nor for the Lady Lavine: but for conquest. And for shame
To seeme to shrinke in leaving warre, they still prolongd the same.
At length dame Venus sawe her sonne obteyne the upper hand.
King Turnus fell, and eeke the towne of Ardea which did stand
Ryght strong in hygh estate as long as Turnus lived. But
Assoone as that Aenaeas swoord to death had Turnus put,
The towne was set on fyre: and from amid the embers flew
A fowle which till that present tyme no persone ever knew,
And beete the ashes feercely up with flapping of his wing.
The leanenesse, palenesse, dolefull sound, and every other thing
That may expresse a Citie sakt, yea and the Cities name
Remayned still unto the bird. And now the verrye same
With Hernesewes fethers dooth bewayle the towne wherof it came.

And now Aenaeas prowesse had compelled all the Goddes
And Juno also (whoo with him was most of all at oddes)
To cease theyr old displeasure quyght. And now he having layd
Good ground wheron the growing welth of July myght be stayd,
Was rype for heaven. And Venus had great sute already made
To all the Goddes, and cleeping Jove did thus with him perswade:
Deere father, whoo hast never beene uncurtuous unto mee,
Now shewe the greatest courtesie (I pray thee) that may bee.
And on my sonne Aenaeas (whoo a graundchyld unto thee
Hath got of my blood) if thou wilt vouchsafe him awght at all)
Vouchsafe sum Godhead to bestowe, although it bee but small.
It is ynough that once he hathe alreadye seene the Realme
Of Pluto utter pleasurelesse, and passed Styxis streame.
The Goddes assented: neyther did Queene Juno then appeere
In countnance straunge, but did consent with glad and merry cheere.
Then Jove: Aenaeas woorthy is a saynct in heaven to bee.
Thy wish for whom thou doost it wish I graunt thee frank and free.
This graunt of his made Venus glad. Shee thankt him for the same.
And glyding through the aire uppon her yoked doves, shee came
To Lawrent shore, where clad with reede the river Numicke deepe
To seaward (which is neere at hand) with stealing pace dooth creepe.
Shee bade this river wash away what ever mortall were
In good Aenaeas bodye, and them under sea to beare.
The horned brooke fulfilld her hest, and with his water sheere
Did purge and clenze Aenaeas from his mortall body cleere.
The better porcion of him did remayne unto him sownd.
His moother having hallowed him did noynt his bodye rownd
With heavenly odours, and did touch his mouth with Ambrosie
The which was mixt with Nectar sweete, and made him by and by
A God to whom the Romanes give the name of Indiges,
Endevering with theyr temples and theyr altars him to please.
Ascanius with the dowble name from thence began to reigne,
In whom the rule of Alba and of Latium did remayne.