THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO

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300 P. OVIDII N ASONIS LlBEB IV.
Utque Jovis praepes, vacuo cum vidit in arvo
Prffibentem Phffibo liventia terga draconem,
Occupat aversum: neu szeva retorqueat ora,
Squamigeris avidos figit cervicibus ungues: 55
Sic celeri fissum przepes per inane volatu
Terga ferae pressit; dextroque frementis in armo
Inachides ferrum curvo tenus abdidit hamo.
Vulncre hesa gravi, modft se sublimis in auras
Attollit: rnodft subdit aquis : modft more ferocis 60
Versat apri, quern turba canum circumsona terret.
Ille avidos morsus velocibus effugit alis:
Quaque patent, nunc terga cavis super obsita conchis,
Nunc laterum costas, nunc qua tenuissima cauda
Desinit in piscem, falcato vulnerat ense. 65
Bellua punicco mistos cum sanguine fluctus
Ore vomit: maduere graves aspergine pennee.
Nee bibulis ultra Perseus talaribus ausus
Credere; conspexit scopulum, qui vertice summo
Stantibus exstat aquis ; operitur ab asquore moto. 70
JVixus eo, rupisque tenens juga prima sinistra,
Ter quater exegit repetita per ilia ferrum.
Littora cum plausu clamor superasque deorum
Implevere domes. Gaudent, generumque salutant,
Auxiliumque domfls servatoremque fatentur 75
Cassiope, Cepheusque pater. Eesoluta catenis
Incedit virgo, pretiumque et caussa laboris.
63. Nee Perseus au-
sus credere ultra bi
bulis talaribus, cou-
spexit scopulum qul
exit stamibus aquis
summo Venice.
NOT-ffi.
She thought of earlv nhildhood'" -umm-r h->urs, And terrfble jaws, expanded to devour;
Of sportive glee b tilth my e Ii de, When from the upper air dashed on her head
Of garlands wreaihed for youthful f i nds in A sudden light, and in that fearful hour.
bowers
An unseen arm was raised that broke the mon
Of myrrliine sweets, through which her feet ster's power.
hud strayed—
K'en as his giant body ~mote th sand,
Thought of her father's halls—the dance—the lay Swift rushing from the foam engirdled tide,
Of minstrel, and the mellow lute of maid— With nostrils spread but br ill ess on the sand
Then of her doom; and saw with dread dismay He lay immense —with jaws expanded wide—
The monster of the deep roll on, prepared to slay. And sinews bent—but rigid as the pile
One piercing shriek of anguish wildly rose Of endless crags that, reared on either side
Above ilie moaning ocean—fear represt With everlasting adamant did lile
The hapless cry of agony, and fro^e
The rocky ramparts of the sea-defying isle.
The fount of life within her virgin breast; And as the maiden slowly raised her eyes,
While from each starting orli, the tear-drops, A form of matchless beaul} nd o i rht,
• o'er
With waving pinions of a I ous i d ly ,
Her snowy bosom showering pearls, con And looks of love, burst on her r; ptu ed sight.
fessed
Again lite's fenr-chilled current freely gushed,
Her lorn despair, as rushing towards the shore Her eyes that tears had dimmed, agaiu grew
The ravenous monster seemed her beauty to hright;
explore.
And lik*1 the rosy morning, sweetly blushed
She trembled like an aspen; and the blood The blanched and pallid cheek by love's deep
Was curdling in her veins, as mute she gazed hectic flushed.—N. C. BROOKS.
Upon his hulk, now stretched upon the Mood, 52. Pffepes Jovis: the bird of Jove, viz.,
Now rolled in spires, as o'er the waves he
raised
the eagle.
His towering crest, high gleaming in the air; 58. Tenus hamo: up to the hilt.
And marked his eyes, which like two meteors 61. Turba canum: the pack of dogs.
blazed
67. Aspergine: wifh the sprinkling;
Upon his burnished front, with iheir red glare, with the spray.
Portending diirksome death, destruction and
despair.
67. Plnma. The wings of Perseus.
Btill onward rolled lh~ portent t ;I I his breath
7O. Stanlibus aquis: the waters during
Came wnrm upon r nd his nos rils sh d a calm.
The dewy Lrine: and armed w'lh po.nied deaih 77. Pretium et causa: the reward, and
Appeared the jagged teeth within his dread the cause.
FABULA VII.
METAMORPHOSEON.
Ipse inanus hausta victrices abluit unda:
Anguiferumque caput nuda ne kedat arena,
Mollit humum foliis: natasque sub eequore virgas 80
Sternit, et imponit Phorcynidos ora Medusa.
Virga recens, bibulaque etiamnum viva medulla,
Vim rapuit monstri, tactuque induruit hujus,
Percepitque novum ramis et fronde rigorem.
At pelagi Nymphee factum mirabile tentant 85
Pluribus in virgis, et Mem contingere gaudent;
Seminaque ex illis iterant jactata per undas.
Nunc quoque coraliis eadem natura remansit,
Duritiem tacto capiant ut ab acre ; quodque
Vimen in sequore erat, fiat suppr eequora saxum. 90
79. Anguiferum eaput: the snaky head,
viz. the head of Medusa.
80. Natas sub {square virgas: the twigs
formed in the sea, viz. the coral.
Where the waters murmur tranquilly-
Through the bending twigs of Ihe coral grove.
J. G. FERCIVAL.
81. Phorcynidos. Of Medusa, the daugh
ter of Phorcys.
Who was Cepheus?
Who was Andromeda ?
To what was she exposed ? Why ?
Who discovered her thus exposed ?
What proposal did he make to her pa
rents ?
Did they accede to his proposal ?
Did he slay the monster ?
What happened -to the twigs that he
placed under the head of Medusa?
What probably gave rise to this Fa
ble!
NOTJE.
QU^STIONES.
301
82. Virga recent,
etiamnumque vivo,
rnpuit vim monstri
bibula medulla, indu
ruitque tactu hujua.
83. Vim rapuit 'monstri: contracted the
power of the monster, viz. Medusa.
87. Scmina ex illis: slips from them,
viz. the branches of com.
88. Coraliis. A marine taophyte that
often grows in branches like a tree. On
removal from the water, it becomes as hard
as a stone. It is used for ornaments.
How will you interpret the crime of Cas
siope ?
How will you explain the monster?
In what two ways can we explain the
exposure of Andromeda?
What description in the Fable would
induce the belief that a piratical ship was
the monster ?
How do Pliny and Mela regard the
monster ?
Whom does Pliny say brought the bonea
to Rome ? »
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