THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO
THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO
THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO
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272 P. OVIDII <strong>NASO</strong>NIS Lisa* IV.<br />
Palmite mutantur: de stamine pampinus exit:<br />
Purpura fulgorem pictis accommodat uvis.<br />
Jamque dies txactus erat, tempusque subibat,<br />
Q.uod tu nee tenebras, nee posses dicere lucem ;<br />
Sed cum luce tamen dubiaj confinia noctis.<br />
Tecta repente quati, pinguesque ardere videntur<br />
Lampades, et rutilis collucere ignibus ffides ;<br />
Falsaque sa;varum simulacra ululare ferarum.<br />
Fumida jamdudum latitant per tecta sorores ;<br />
Diverssque locis ignes ac lumina vitant.<br />
125<br />
1SS. Sorores jamdil-<br />
dum lat taut per fumi-<br />
loU da tectn, diversxqne<br />
Dumque petunt latebras ; parvos membrana per artus iumrnJ 1""" 'gne* '*<br />
Porrigitur, tenuique inducit brachia penna.<br />
Nee, qua perdiderint veterem ratione figuram,<br />
Scire sinunt tenebrs. Non illas pluma levavit:<br />
Sustinucre tamen se perlucentibus alis. 135<br />
Conataeque loqui, minimam pro corpore vocem<br />
Emittunt; peraguntque leves stridore querelas;<br />
Tectaque, non sylvas, celebrant; lucemque perossB<br />
Nocte volant: seroque trahunt a vespere nomen.<br />
NOT-ffi.<br />
122. Purgura. The purple of the cloth |<br />
gives its brightness to the red grapes that<br />
make their appearance in the webs.<br />
128. Falsa simulacra: false forms. Bac<br />
chus caused vain apparitions of wild beasts<br />
to move through the house.<br />
128. Ferarum. Tigers, lynxes, panthers,<br />
&c. Oppian, in his Cynegeties, says that<br />
the panthers were formerly Bacchae, and<br />
retaining their ancient fondness for wine,<br />
are the most readily taken by placing it<br />
where they can drink until they are in<br />
toxicated.<br />
129. Latitant sorores. The sisters con<br />
ceal themselves through terror.<br />
131. Membrana. A thin skin which en<br />
tirely covers the uody of the bat.<br />
134. Non pluma levavit. Feathers did<br />
not bear them up into the air, but cartila<br />
ginous wings.<br />
136. Pro corpore: vrhen compared with<br />
the body.<br />
were Pyramus and Thisbe ?<br />
Where did they live ? Was Babylon a<br />
remarkable city ?<br />
By whom was Babylon built ?<br />
What impediment was there to the union<br />
of Pyramus and Thisbe ?<br />
How were they accustomed to converse ?<br />
What appointment did they make ?<br />
Who came first to ihe place of meeting?<br />
138. Tecta celebrant. BatB frequent barns<br />
and houses.<br />
138. Lucemque peroscs: hating the light.<br />
The moral application of the metamorpho<br />
sis of the Minyc'ides is excellent. The<br />
profane and irreligious who fly from the<br />
light of truth, and love the darkness of<br />
error, are appropriately represented as<br />
changed into bats, animals that come out<br />
at night. So the Evangelist:<br />
Light is come into the world, and men loved<br />
darkness rather than light, because their deeds<br />
were evil. For every one that doethevil./ialefA<br />
tht light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds<br />
should be reproved. ST. JOHN iii. 19, 20.<br />
139. Vespere. Bats are called vesperti-<br />
Hones, from vesper, evening, because they<br />
fly in the twilight and night. From the<br />
similarity to tela, a web, which the latter<br />
part of vfspcrtilio exhibits, may have<br />
arisen the ideft of their being weavers who<br />
were changed to bats.<br />
QU^ESTIONES.<br />
What happened to her as she came ?<br />
What induced Pyramus to suppose<br />
Thisbe was killed ?<br />
What did he do in consequence ?<br />
Did Thisbe arrive before he expired ?<br />
When she perceived ihe cause of his<br />
death, what did she do ?<br />
What petition did »he make before her<br />
death ?<br />
FABULA II. METAMORPHOSEON.<br />
Did her parents grant her request ?<br />
What change took -place in the tree be<br />
neath which they lay ?<br />
How many kinds of mulberry-trees are<br />
there ?<br />
Do white mulberry-trees ever bear black<br />
fruit?<br />
Might this have given rise to the fiction ?<br />
After the Minye'ides had ended their<br />
relation, what took place ?<br />
85<br />
273<br />
What sounds were heard?<br />
What took place in the webs that they<br />
were engaged upon ? '<br />
What apparitions were seen ?<br />
veTdeaf hanee took place m lhe Min<br />
'hey 6aid * be into<br />
At n* t ,- J de.rivat!on of VeBpertiliol<br />
At what time do bats come out f<br />
r