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