THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO

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P. OVIDII N ASONIS
Montibus in liquidas pinus descenderat undas:
Nullaque mortales, prater stia, Itttora norant.
Nondum pracipites cingebant oppida fossa? ;
Non tuba direct!, non asris cornua flexi,
Non gales, non ensis erant: sine militis usu
6. Peregriaum orbem . a foreign orb. The
whole is here put, by synecdoche, for a
part of the "world.
7. Pinus. The pine is a mountain tree
used for ship-building. It is here put, by a
figure, for a ship. Virgil, speaking of the
return of the golden age, says, commerce
will cease :
Nee nautica piniis
Mutubit merces Jk-LOGUE iv.
Daut utile hgnum
Navigiis pinos. GEOKGICOV ii
7. Descenderal undas. The first attempt
nt ship-building was, doubtless, the linter
or canoe, hollowed out of a single tree. It
is thought that the first hint of navigation
may have been afforded by the fulling of an
older tree, decayed and hollowed with age,
from the river side into the woter.
Tune alnos priinum fluvil sensere cavatas.
GtoRGlc i.
Tlie first rude plough man made to turn the
soil; the first rude »ixe of stone with which he
felled the stalwart pins; the first rude canoe he
scooped from its trunk to cross the river, which
knpt him from greener fields, were each a hu-
nuin facully, flint brought wiitiin his reach a
] li> sical comfort he never cnjo> ed before.
ELIIIU BURRITT.
8. Mortales: mortals; men. Koraul for
noveraal, by syncope. See Groin, p. 1!I5.
9. Pracipiles fossa : steep ditches did
not ns yet enclose towns. A periphrasis
to express the fact that there were no
towns, for even houses were not built till
the Silver age. It is remarkable that IIv-
ginus, referring to this period, ond that of
ihc succeeding age, speaks of one univer-
sn] language, and of its after-confusion,
and the consequent division of the people.
The confusion of tongues was consequent
on the building of one of the first cities.
Go to. let us build us a city, and a tower
whose lop may reach unto heaven. GEVKSIS
z>. 4.
Homines ante secula multa sine oppidis ]eg:-
liusque vitatn exegerunt sub imperio Jevis, Bed
una hngua loqucutcs. HYGIM, Fab. 14.J.
10. Non liitia. There were no instru
ments of martial music to stir the courage
of the soldiers.
At tuha terribili eonitu taratuntura dixit.
KfMUS.
fl're ciere viros, Martemque accenderu
caniu. Viaou,.
The shrill trump.
The »pirit-stirring drum, the cur-piercing fife.
SlIAKSl'EARE.
10. Dirccli. The tulm, or trumpet, was
employed in war for signals of every kind;
also ai games, festivals, and at funeral
NOT..E.
10
LIBER 1.
csesa suis montibus,
noiidiim descenderat
in liqwdas undas, ul
viseret peregrinum
U. Pr.ucmites fossil!
nonduin cingefoant op-
pida; non tuba di
rect! seris, non cornun
rites. It was a long, straight tube, increas
ing in diameter, and terminating in a bell-
shaped mouth, which was often ornamented
with the figure of some animal. The Zient into a spiral shnpe at the mouth.
It was generally used by cavalry, and
emitted a harsh, shrill sound.
ID. Cortina flexi. The horn, anciently
made of horn, but afterwards of brass, was
curved in the shape of a C, with a .cross-
piece. It was an octave lower than the
titlm, and was generally used to sound the
clafsicum.
Sonuit rcflexo classicum cornu. SENECA.
11. Sine militis: without the use of sol
diery. There were no wars nor battles.
To a reflecting and humane mind, and es
pecially to one influenced by Christian
principles, few things can be more revolt
ing than standing armies; men kept for the
very purpose of destroying life.
O who are these?
Death's minister?, not men! who thus deal death
InhuuiMiily to men. and multiply
Ten thousand-fold the sin of him who slew
His brother. MILTON.
11. Nun golefc. Helmets were at first
formed of the skins of beasts, as is now
the cnee among the American Indians. The
hair was generally left on, and the teeth of
FABULA ill.
METAMORPHOSE ON.
MoIIia secure peragebant otia gentcs.
Ipsa quoque immunis rastroque intacta, nee ullis
Saucia vomeribus, per se dabat omnia tellus;
Contentique cibis, nnllo cogente, creatis,
Arbuteos fetus, monlanaque fragra legebant,
Cornaque, et in duris ham-ntia mora rubetis ;
Eu quce deciderant patula Jovis arbore, glandes.
the animal were generally turned po as to
threaten ihe enemy. See plate, Fab. I.,
Lib. III. Afterwards, they were made of
brass and iron. The principal parts of the
helmet are the circular portion, the cone,
or central part, which receives the plume,
and the cheek-pieces, attached to the hel-
iret by hinges. See plate, Fab. VI., Lib. I.
11. JVb/i eitsis. The ancient sword hud
a broad two-edged blade, which was nearly
of equal width from hilt to point. The
first swords were made of bronze ; after
wards, they were made of iron. The Ro
man sword was generally much larger than
the Greek. They were worn around the
body by a belt, generally on the left side,
but sometimes on the right.
12. Perogebant: passed, or enjoyed soft
tranquillity.
Nor yet injurious act. nor surly deed,
VVag known among those happy sons of heaven;
For reason and benevolence were law.
THOMSON.
13. Immunis : the free earth ; without
tillage, or the gift of seed.
13. IRustro: untouched by the harrow, an
instrument used to .break clods, and pul
verize them after ploughing.
14. Saucia: wounded. The bosom of the
forth opened by the ploughshare, is figura
tively said to be wounded.
Adunci vnlnera oratri
Rastroruinque fero. OVID, Lib. ii.
On the return of the golden age, as de
scribed by Virgil, the earth will not require
tillage.
Non rastros patietur humus, non vinea falcem.
ECLOGUE iv.
14. Per se: of itself; spontaneously.
'EoflXo/t TTttfTa
v^ qv Kapirov, 6'zQEfic {/ c&opof apov vpa
pdril, TTo^\6v rf Kal Sift^ovof. — HOMER.
14. Omnia : all things ; all necessary
sustenance. The use of flesh was then
unknown. This agrees with the Biblical
account; for, the permission to eat flesh was
not given till after the flood.
6
NOT IE.
15
41
flexi, non galeoe, non
ensis erant: secure
gentes peragebant
molJia otia sine usu
militis.
15. Content! scibis
creatis, nulJo cogente
legebant arbuteos fe
tus, que montana
fragra, que corna, et
mora hacrcntia in
The food of man
While yet he lived in innocence, and toW
A length of goklen years; unfleshed in blood.
THOMSON.
Sub Saturno, id est. in anreo seculo, cum om
nia humus fundcret nullum comedisse carnes,
sed universes vixisse frngibus et pomis qute
spoute terra gignebat DIC.BAIICIHJS.
At vetus ilia rctas, cui fecimus aurea nomcn
Fretibus arboreis, et quas humus educat herbis
Fortunata fuit, nee poHuit ora cruore.
METAMOBPH. xv.
15. Contenii: content; satisfied with the
productions of the earth.
Rich in content, in Nature's bounty rich j
In herbs and fruits. THOMSON.
15. Cibis: with food provided without
toil. Like Adam and Eve, they were naked.
God himself, their keeper, fed them, as man, a
more divine animal, pastures the races lower
than himself. Naked and without covering,
living in the open air, they partook of varied
food. PLATO.
The first men lived very hardy, before the
conveniences of life were found put, being ac
customed to go naked, and wanting dwelling!
and fires. DIODORCS SICULUS.
15. Nallo cogenti: no one compelling.
The fruits of the earth were voluntary, not
extorted by tillage.
Ipsaque tellus
Omnia libenus, nullo pof ceute, ferebat. VIBGIL.
16. A rbuteos foetus: the fruit of the ar
butus. It grows on a low tree, and ripens
in winter. In appearance it resembles a
strawberry.
17. Montana fraga: mountain straw
berries. These are the common straw
berries.
Humi nascefttia fraga. VIRGIL.
17. Coma: cornels; the fruit of the
cornel, or wild-cherry.
17. Duris rubetis: the rough bramble
hedges.
18. Jovis arbore. The different gods had
particular trees, or shrubs, which were
sacred' to them. The oak was sacred tc-
Jupiter; the laurel to Apollo; the beech
to Mars; the vine to Bacchus; the cypress
to Pluto; the purslain- to Mercury; the
poplar to Hercules; the pine to Pan; the
olive to Minerva; the myrtle to Venus;
the saffron to Ceres; the narcissus to Pro
serpine ; the palm to the Muses ; the aldei
to the Eumcnidcs; the garlic to the Lares
&c.