THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO

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I. Jamyue opus ctepi. It was custo mary, especially with the ancient poets, to make some reference to themselves at the close of tlieir poems, and this was done, in many cases, in no measured tones of self- laudation. This Peroratio of Ovid is un worthy of the poet, and the reason is, that in writing it, he abandoned his own origi nal genius, to be the copyist of another. The above is an imitation of a poem by Horace on a similar occasion. With a few remarks on the first lines, I will permit the reader to institute the comparison be tween them, and make his own conclu sions. Horace says, "I have finished a monument more enduring than brass, and more lofty than the royal site of the pyra mids." Here is a beautiful metaphor; like the Pharaohs of old. the poet, during his lifetime, had been building his own monument. It was not only more lofty than ihe pyramids, but more enduring, though lofty, neither the rain, nor the storm, nor the flight of time, could destroy it by force, nor waste it by decay. Ovid says, " I have finished a work, which nei ther the anger of Jove, nor fire, nor steel, nor consuming time can destroy." How spiritless and prosaic is the word opus, when compared with monummtum ; and DOW little of forceful and poetic application 306 PERORATIO. AMQ.UE opus exegi, quod nee Jovis ira, nee ignis, Nee poterit ferrum, nee edax abolere vetustas. Cum volet ilia dies, quse nil nisi corporis hujus Jus habet, incerti spatium mihi finiat JBVI; Parte tamen meliore mei super alta perennis 5 Astra fcrar; nomenque erit indelebile nos trum. Quaque patet domitis Romana potentia terris, Ore legar populi; perque omnia siecula fam a, Si quid habent veri vatum praesagia, vivam. NOTJE. have the "storm," and the "lightning, and "corroding time," when applied to a work, in comparison with what they have, when connected with a monument, lofty and cloud-capt, exposed to the rushing hurricane, the driving rain, and the riving bolt. Thus Horace: Exegi monumentum cere pcrennius, Regalique situ pyramidum allius; Quod non imber edax, non Aquilo impotent Tossit diruere, aut inuum rabilis Annornm series, et fugn lemporum. Non qmnis moriar; multaque pars mei Vilabit Libitiimm. Uaque epo poster^ Crescam laude recens, dnm Cupilolium Scandet eum tacitu virgine ponlifex. Diear, qnn vinlens ohsirepit Aufidus, Kt qua pauper aqua: Daunia uffrestium Regnavit popiilorum, ex humili potens Pnncena JJolium curmeii ad Italps Deduxisse inodns. Sume suiicrbiam QutEsitam meritis, et mihi Dclphic£ Lauro cinge volens, Melpomene, coinain. The Peroratio of Virgil, at the close of the Gcorgics, is more modest: While thus I aing of trees, apd flocks, and fields, Great Cfcsar, thundering, war o'er Kuphrat wields, Viclor, o'er willing realms his law extends, And from the world to opening heaven ascends I, Virgil, lh , 'mid Naples' syren bowers, In ease inglorious nursed my studious hours, I, whose bold >outh the pasloral strain essayed And sung thee, Tilyrua, in the beechen shade. We will give three concluding addresses by modern poets. The first is by Herrick, an English poet, born in 1591. It was evidently stiggesied by the poem of Ho race, and is ingeniously constructed, so as to resemble a real column, with emablature and pedestal: <strong>THE</strong> PILLAB <strong>OF</strong> FAME. Fame's pillar here at last we Bet, Out-during marble, brass, or jet; Charmed and enchanted so, As to withstand the blow Of overthrow: Nor shall the seas, Or outrages Of storms, o'erbear What we uproar: Tho' kingdoms full: This pillar never shall Decline, or waste at all; Hut stand forever by his own Firm and well-fixed foundation. The second is by Sir Walter Scott: Yel, once again, farewell, thou Minstrel harp! \ et, once again, forgive my feeble sway, And little reck I of ihe censure sharp May idly cavil at an idl* lay. Much have I owed thy strains uii life's long way, Through secret woes the world has never known, When on the weary night dawned wearier day, And bitterer was the grief devoured alone. That I o'erlive such woe*, Enchantress, is thine own. Hark! as my lingering footsteps slow retire, Some Spirit of the Air has waked thy string! Tis now a seraph bold, with touch of fire, 'Tis now the brush of Folly's frolic wing. Receding now, the dying numbers ring Fatnler and fainter down the rugged dell, And now the mountain breezes scarcely bring A wandering witch-note of the distant spell And now, 'tis silent all! Enchantress, fare thee well! PERORATIO. 307 The following, by the late E. C. Pink- neyt of Baltimore, is distinguished for its poetic merit, and the tender melancholy that pervades it. The firstlings of my simple song Were offered 10 thy name} Again the altar, idle long. In worship rears its flame. My sacrifice of sullen years, My many hecatombs of tears. No happier hours recall Yet may thy wandering thoughts restore To one who ever loved thee more Than fickle Fortune's all. How I have lived imports not now; I am about to die, Else I might chide thee that my life Has been a stifled sigh; Yes life; for time, beyond the line Our parting traced, appears not mine. Or of a world gone by , And often almost would evince. My soul had transmigrated since. Pass, wasted flowers 1 alike the grave, To which I fast go down, Will give the joy of nothingness To me, and to renown: Unto its careless tenants, lame Is idle as that gilded name, Of vanity the crown, Helvetian hands inscribe upon The forehead of a skeleton. List the last cadence of a lay, That closing as begun, Is governed by a note of pain, Oh, lost and worshipped one! Nnnc shall attend a sadder strain, Till Memnon's statue stand again To mourn the setting sun, Nor sweeter, if my numbers seem To aliure ihe nature of their theme.
SIAV10
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If P. OV1DIUS NASO.
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«' < V THE METAMUKPHOSES PUBLIUS O
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PREFACE. To the student of the Clas
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8 LIFE AND WRITINGS OF OVID. visite
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TESTIMONIA VETERUM SCRIPTORUM DE OV
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I FROCEMIUM. 1 ... 11 2 ... 12 3. .
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AKGUMENTUM. AFTER a concise and ele
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24 P. OVIDII NASONIS Non bene junct
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I 28 P. OV1DII NASONIS In mare perv
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ill FABULA II. ANIMALIUM HOMINISQUE
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36 P. OVIDII NASONIS Bic, modo qua
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40 P. OVIDII N ASONIS Montibus in l
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FABULA IV. ARGENTEA In the second,
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"ll •11, FABULA V. AIIENEA .ETAS,
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§2 P- OVIDII NASONIS Non socer a g
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56 P. OVIDII NASONIS Fulmine, et ex
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Mi 60 P. OVIDII N ASONIS Hac iter e
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TABULA. VIII. LYCAON MUTATUS IN LUP
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TABULA IX. DILUVIUM. Having res'.ve
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[ ' IH f 72 P. OVIDII NASONIS Et qu
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76 P. OVIDII N ASONIS Obruerat tumu
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80 P. OVIDII N ASONIS Nunc quoque a
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84 P. OVIDII N ASONIS Squallebant m
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FABULA XL REPARATIO ANIMALIUM: PYTH
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92 P. OVIDII NASONIS Perdidit effus
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96 P. OVIDII N ASONIS Dixerat: ista
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d 100 P. OVIDII N ASONIS Ncc prosun
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I \\ fcl ' II FABULA XIII. IO MUTAT
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108 P. OVIDII NASONIS Bos quoquc Fo
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112 P. OVIDII 1SASONIS Argus ait; n
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116 P. OVIDII NASONIS Virginitate D
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120 P. OVIDII NASONIS Ultimus immen
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P. OVIDII NASONIS METAMORPHOSEON. L
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I' ft! 128 P. OVIDII NASONIS Caerul
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132 P. OVIDII NASONIS In promptu re
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FABULA 11. TERR.EJ INCENDIUM; PHAKT
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140 P. OVIDII NASON1S Hunc puer ut
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144 P. OV1DII NASONIS Cuique fuit r
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I FABULA ill III. SORORES PHAETHONT
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severe a fate. NOTJE. LIBER II. 55.
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156 P. OVIDII NASONIS Nee positu va
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160 P. OVIDII NASONIS I procul hinc
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164 P. OVIDII NASONIS Imposuit coel
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168 P. OVIDII NASONIS Pulchrior in
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FABULA VIII. NYCTIMENE IN NOCTUAM M
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FABULA IX. OCYRRHOE IN EQUAM MUTATI
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FABULA X. BATTUS IN INDICEM MU TATU
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FABULA XI. AGRAULOSIN SAXUM MUTATA.
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III' P. OVIDII NASONIS Concussse pa
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FABULA XII. JUPITER IN TAUIIUM MUTA
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* .1 « 196 P. OVIDII NASONIS METAM
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200 P. OVIDII NASONIS ^onsulil; et,
Page 105 and 106: 204 P. OVIDII NASONIS LIBER III. Pa
Page 107 and 108: 208 P. OVID1I NASONIS Existunt, cre
Page 109 and 110: I ! 212 P. OVIDII NASON1S Prima nep
Page 111 and 112: 216 P. OVIDII NASONIS Et patre Dict
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Page 117 and 118: 228 P. OVIDII NASONIS Tempera matur
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Page 121 and 122: 236 P. OVIDII NASONIS LIBER III. Il
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Page 125 and 126: FABULA VIII. TYRRHENI NAUTjE IN DEL
Page 127 and 128: 248 P..OVIDII N ASONIS LIBER 1 11.
Page 129 and 130: Illl 8" fr FABULA IX. PENTHEUS A BA
Page 131 and 132: M 256 OVIDII NASONIS METAMORPHOSEON
Page 133 and 134: II 260 P. OVIDII NASONIS LIBER IV.
Page 135 and 136: 264 F. OVIDII N ASONIS LIBER IV Sta
Page 137 and 138: 268 P. OVIDll NASONIS Ex aequo capt
Page 139 and 140: 272 P. OVIDII NASONIS Lisa* IV. Pal
Page 141 and 142: 276 P. OVIDII HASONIS LIBER IV. Ac
Page 143 and 144: FABULA IV. INO ET MELICERTA IN DEOS
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Page 151 and 152: TABULA VII. ANDROMEDA A PERSEO LIBE
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Page 159 and 160: ACIES. ADSUM. "Acics, ei, f. (fids,
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Page 163 and 164: C-iELICOLJE. CAUSA. CcelTcola?, aru
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Page 167 and 168: DEPOSCO. DILUVIUM. Deposco, ere, pu
Page 169 and 170: '1 ERECTUS. EXHALO. "Erectus, a, um
Page 171 and 172: FORMOSUS. Formosus, a, um, adj. (fo
Page 173 and 174: ICHNOBATES. IMPATIENS. fchnobates,
Page 175 and 176: INSCIUS. INVIDIOSUS. crazy, fejlish
Page 177 and 178: I ' ll Lib AT US. ire, ayi, a. (Xci
Page 179 and 180: •j B^ MINYEIUS. progenitor of the
Page 181 and 182: NUTRIO. totter, shake, tremble, wav
Page 183 and 184: PAX. PERLUO. trepidation, leafing o
Page 185 and 186: PRjESENTIA. PROFUNDUS. erful; manif
Page 187 and 188: REDEO. REdeo, ire, ii, and Ivi, ttu
Page 189 and 190: 8CORPIOS. SERIES. any large stone:
Page 191 and 192: STO. SULFUR. ing the roots; the roo
Page 193 and 194: THYONEUS. Thyoneus, ei and eos, m.
Page 195 and 196: VENIO. VIMEN. lion; permission, lea
Page 197 and 198: i RECOMMENDATIONS. From the Rev. J.
Page 199: I: 1. NATIONAL SERIES OF STANDARD S
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THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO

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