THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO

202 P. OVIDII N ASONIS LIBER III.
Pellis erat; telum splendent! lancea ferro,'
Et jaculum ; teloque animus prastantior onini.
Utnenius intravit, lethataque corpora vidit, 55
Victoremque supra spatiosi corporis hostem
Tristia sanguined lambentem vulnera lingua:
Aut ultor vestroe, fidissima corpora, mortis,
Aut comes, inquit, ero. Dixit: dextraque molarem
Sustulit, et magnum magno conanime" misit. 60
Illius impulsu cum turribus ardua celsis
Mcenia mota forent; serpens sine vulnere mansit.
Lnricasque modo squamis defensus, et atrze
Duritia pellis, validos cute reppulit ictus.
At nnn duritia jaculum quoque vincit eadem ; 65
Quod incdio lentas fixum curvamine spinas
Constitit; et toto descendit in ilia ferro.
Ille, dolore ferox, caput in sua terga retorsit,
Vulneraque adspexit: fixumque hastile momordit.
Idque, ubi vi multa partem labefecit in omnem,
Vix tergo eripuit; ferrum tamen ossibus hroret.
Turn verb, postquam solitas accessit ad iras
NOT.*:.
Cl. Mcenia nrdua
cum celsis mrribus
forent mota impulsu
illius.
6S. Ille ferox doloie
retorsit caput in SUB
tergu, uilspexttque
vulnera, momorditqut
fixum liastile.
antiquity wore skins of lions and bears for 63. IsorictB modo: like a coat of matt
a protection in hunting and in battle. So Spenser, in describing the conflict a
Dat Ni*o Mnestheus pellem. horrenlisque leonis the Knight with the Dragon:
Exuvias: galcam fidus permutat Alethes. And over all wilh brazen scales was armed,
STATIUS'B TIIEBAID. Like plated eote of steele, so couched neure
54. Animus. A courageous spirit is the That nought rnote piercej lie might his eorse be
most certain defence.
harmed
With diut of sword, nor push of pointed speare.
56. S/iatiosi corporis: of huge body.
FAERIK QUEENE.
59. Slolnrem: a millstone ; a stone large 65. Non vincit: does not overcome;
enough for a millstone. This is a strong does not repel.
hyperbole. Different heroes, on the loss
of their weapons, have used this means of
Though late ill vain assaileil my keener dart.
Shall through thy scales a latal wound impart.
offensive war. Thus Diomed, in Homer:
STATIUS'S THEBAID.
Tydicles raised a stone.
66. Media curvamine: in the mid cur
"\Vith hie one hand, of wondrous weight, and
poured it mninly on
vature.
Tlie hip of Anchisiadcs. wherein tlie joint doth 67. T'oto ferro: w ith the entire iron;
move. II.IAU v.
with the whole iron point. So Spenser:
In like manner, Statius represents hie The steely head stuck last still in his flesh,
hero, Tydeus. in the fifth book of the The- Till with his cruel elawes he simtcht the wood,
baid, as throwing a stone of immense
And quite asunder broke: forth flowed fresh
A gushing river of blueke gory blood.
weight. So Tnrnus, in the twelfth book o( That drowned all the land, whereon he stood.
the ^Eneid of Virgil.
FAERIE QUEENK.
Him, as with pious haste he came
To draw the purifying stream.
68. Eetorsil: shot back. There is great
Dauntless the Tynatl chief repressed; rapidity of motion expressed by the use of
Dashed with a rork his sanguine crest, this word.
And crushed his sealy pride. 69. Hostile momordit .- champed the
EURIPIDES. spenr. This shows the rage into which
60. Magno conanime: with mighty effort. the wound had excited him.
62. Kine vulnere: without a wound. 70. Jjtbefecit: loosened the weapon.
But tlie idle stroke yet back recoylcd tn viiine, 71. Tergo rripuil: tore it from his back,
And found no place liis deadly point to rest. 'Ilie furious monster, unftppelleil with pain,
SPEKSER. In rapid ina?es hounds along the plnin.
First stoops Hippomedon, and from tlie fields Then, wrenched the javelin from his bleeding
Heaved with vast force, a rocky fragment head.—STATUS'S THEBAIU.
wields.
72. Solitas ad iras. His accustomed
As when by vast machines a ponderous stone
Descending on some hostile pate is thrown, anger; his usual fierceness. In like man
Thus fell the craggy rock, but fell in vain. ner, the Dragon, described by Spenser,
STATIUS'S THEBAID. rages more fiercely after he is wounded:
FABULA I.
METAMORPHOSEON.
Plaga recens, plenis tumuerunt guttura venis;
Spumaque pestiferos circumfluit albida rictus ;
Terraque rasa sonat squamis ; quique halitus exit
Ore nigcr Stygio, vitiatas inficit auras.
Ipse modft immensum spiris facientibus orbem
Cingitur: interdum longa trabe rectior exit:
Impete nunc vasto, ecu concitus imbribus amnis,
Fertur; et obstantes proturbat pectore sylvas.
Cedit Agenorides paullum; spolioque leonis
Sustinet incursus; instantiaque ora retardat
Cuspide pratenta. Furit ille; ct inania duro
Vulnera dat ferro; figitque in acumine denies.
Jamque venenifero sanguis manare palato
Coeperat; et virides aspergine tinxerat herbas:
Sed leve vulnus erat; quia se retrahebat ab ictu;
Lsesaque colla dabat retro; plagamque sedere
Cedendo arcebat, nee longius ire sinebat.
Donee Agenorides conjectum in gutture ferrum
Usque sequens pressit; dum retrft quercus eunti
Obstitit; et fixa est pariter cum robore cervix.
Pondere serpentis curvata est arbor, et imze
Trebly augmented was his furious mood
"With bitter sence of bis deepe rooted ill.
That flames of fire he threw forth from his large
nostril. FAERIE QUEENS.
73. Tumuerunt guttura. The heads, and
even the bodies of many serpents, swell
when they are enraged.
75. Terra rasa: the earth scraped by his
scales sounds. So Spenser:
"\Vliich, as an eagle, seeing1 prey appeare.
His aery plumes doth rowze full rudely dight;
So shaked lie, that horror was to heare:
For, as the clashing of an armor bright.
Such noyse his rowzed scales did send into the
knight. FAERIE QIEENE.
76. Styffio ore: from his Stygian mouth;
from his infernal mouth.
But his most hideous head my tongue to tell
fell. SPEKSER.
7C. Infcit auras: infects the air.
Which to increase, and ell at once to kill,
A cloud of smoothering smoke, and sulphure
senre;
Out of his stinking gorge forth steemed still,
Tliat nil the nyre about with smoke and stench
did fill. SPENSER.
78. Exit: goes out; unfolds himself.
81. Cedit Agenorides. The son of Age-
nor fell back a little, to avoid the terrible
onset of the serpent. So in Spenser, the
Red-cross Knight is dismayed at the ad
vance of the Drugon:
So dreadfully lie towards him did pass,
Forcliinng up aloft his r-peckled breast,
NOTJE.
75
80
85
203
77. Tpse modo cin-
gitur sniris facientjbus
immensumorbein: iu-
terdum exit rectior
longd trabe.
87. Sed vnluus erat
leve, quia rctrahebat
se ab ictu, dabatque
Icesu colla retro, ce-
dcndoquearcebat pla-
90 gam aedere, nee sine
bet ire longiue
And often bounding on the bruised grass,
As for great joy ance of his new-come guest.
Eft soon es he gan adance his haughty crest;
As chauffecl I ore his bristles doth upreare;
And shoke his scales to battaile reedy drest,
That made the Red-crosse Knight nigh quake
for fearc. FAERIE QUEENE.
81. Spolio leonis. The lion skin was
used in conflict as a defence to the body,
after the manner of the Grecian cklamys.
82. Ora retdrdat : stops his mouth.
Spenser represents his hero as thrusting
his spear into the mouth of the Dragon,
and thus killing him:
And in his first encounter, gaping wyde,
He tbought et once him to have swallowed
quipht,
And rusht upon him wilh outragious pryde;
Who Iiim rcncounting fierce as huuke in flight,
Perforce rebutted back; the weapon bright
Taking advantage of his open jaw
Ran through his mouth with so importune might,
That deepe emperst his darksome hollow maw,
And. back retyrd, his life-blood forth wit hall
did draw. FAERIE QUEENE.
86. Aspcrgine. Wilh the sprinkling of
blood.
Swift through his gaping jaw the javelin glides.
And tlie rough texture ot'his tongue divides;
Tlie point was seen above his crested head,
Then stains the ground with gory filth dispread.
STATIUS'S THEBAIU.
87. Leve vulnus. The wound was a
slight one, because the serpent drew buck
his head from the spear.
91. Usque sequens : still following him
up. 93. Eunti obstitit. Opposed the serpem
as he fell back.
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