THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO

§2 P- OVIDII NASONIS
Non socer a genero: fratrum quoque gratia rara est.
Imminet exitio vir conjugis, ilia mariti:
Lurida terribiles misccnt aconita novercae :
Filius ante diem patrios inquirit in annos:
Victa jacet Pit'tas : et virgo csede madentes
Ultima coslestum terras Astrcca reliquit.
Now man's right hnnd is law; for spoil they
wait,
And lay their mutual cities desolate. HESIOD.
20. Nonliospea. The ritca of hospitality,
deemed sacred, even by barbarians, are ex
tended merely to entrap the unwary guest.
The host with kindness greets his guest no more,
And friends and brethren love not as of yore.
1 IESIOD.
A nice gradation is exhibited in the fol
lowing scale of crime:
Deeds of violence and blood ore done,
first, by those bound to each other by
casual ties of hospitality; secondly, by
those united by affinity; thirdly, by ihoae
related by blood; then by those united by
that mysterious bond which makes two
beings one; then infant helplessness and
innocence appeals for mercy to those from
whom it merits protection; and lastly, and
worst of all, impious youth indulges mur
derous designs against the life of tho au
thor of its own life.
21. Fratrum gratia: the love of bro
thers is rare. How unnatural is the va
riance of the members of a common origin,
and a common heritage. How strongly are
we reminded, by this sentence, that the
first blood shed was that of a brother, by
a brother's hand.
Behold, how good, ami how pleasant it is, for
brethren to dwell together in unity. PSALM
cxxxiii. 1.
But when the earth was stained with "wicked
ness,
Aiid lust, and justice fled from every breast,
Then brahrm vilely shed each other's blood.
CATULLUS.
22. Imminet.- watches for the destruction
of his wife. Some of the most fearful
tragedies that the world has seen, have
been of this kind.
23. Lurida nconila: the lurid wolfs-
bane. The color of persons, after death,
is lurid; hence, the effect being put for the
cause, the poison is called lurid. By aco
nita is meant any poison, the species being
put for the genus.
24. A nte diem: before his father's time
is come; the day of his dcalh. Dies here
has a peculiar signification, having refe
rence to the natural term of life, or its
close. Thus:
Slat sua cuique dies. VIRGIL.
Sed codat unte diem. ID.
24. Patrios annos : inquires into his fa
ther's years; consults the astrologers
LIBER 1.
ab hospite, non socet
ft genero: quoque
gratia fratrum est
rara. Vir imminet
exitio conjugis, ilia
imminet cxitiomariti;
terribiles novercas
misccnt lurida acon
ita: filius inquirit in
whether his father will live a long time or
not. The astrologers were generally Ba
bylonians. Hence Horace :
Nee Babvlonios tentaris numeros.
Lib. i. Ode xi.
And the soul that turneth after such as have
familiar spirits, and after wizards, I will even
set my face against that soul, and I will cut him
off from among his people. LEVITICUS.
Astrologers assure long life, you say,
Your son can tell you better much than they,
Your son. whose hoprs your lilc doth now delay.
Poison will work agimiM Ihe stars ; beware 1
For every meal un antidote prepare.
DHYDEN'S JUVENAL.
The father wished the funeral of his son ;
The son to enjoy the lather's relic wished.
CATULL-JS.
25. Jacet pietas: piety lies neglected.
Piety is the duty and affection which we
owe to God, to our country, our parents,
and other relatives.
25. Ctcde madentes •• reeking with
slaughter.
For the earth is filled with violence, through
them. GENESIS vi. 13.
How abhorrent ought war and murder to
be to the human mind, when we consider
that even wild beasts do not prey upon their
own kind !
Sed jam serpcntum major concorilia : parcit
Cognatis muculis, simihs fera : quando leoni
'crpellluni : sxvs nter se convent urss.
Ast homini fcrrum Icthulc incude nefanda
Froduxisse parum est. JUVENAL.
26. Ultima caleslum: the last of the ce
lestials. Hesiod represents Modesty as
leaving the earth, simultaneously with
Justice. This is with great propriety;
for, nothing tends more to the corrup
tion of public morals than indifference
to female virluc, and the eacredness of
the marriage tie. The history of antedi
luvian times proves this, when polygamy
was introduced. Ancient and modern
writers have noticed the fact.
Fruitfufof crime_s, th" Age profaned,
At first, the nuptial bed, and stained
The r hnplessoffspring, whence the woes,
Both i nrious and unnumbered roec
From this polluted fountain-head.
FRANCIS'S HO&ACK.
Yes, I believe that Chastity was known,
And prized on earth, while Saturn filled the
throne. GIFFOHD'S JUVENAL.
FABTJLA V. METAMORPHOSE ON. 53
Till those fair forms, in snowy raiment bright,
Abandon earth.and heavenward soar from sight:
3 ustice and Modesty, from mortals driven,
Rise to the immortal fumilyof heaven. HESIOD.
2G. Astreea. She was the daughter of
Astrseus and Aurora, or of Jupiter and
Themis, according to some, and was the
goddess of Justice. She is sometimes put,
by metonymy, for justice itself. After
abandoning earth, on account of its im-
pirty, she was translated into the sign
Virgo.
What was the third age of the world ?
What was the character oi the Brazen
Age?
What age succeeded the Brazen Age ?
What was the state of morals in this
age?
What virtues ceased to be exercised ?
By what vices were they succeeded ?
What art arose about this period ?
By what figure is carina put for MODI'S ?
What shows the eager spirit of avarice
that actuated the mariner ?
What took place at this period, with re
ference to the ground ?
Did men exact more than sustenance
from the earth ?
Why had the earth removed her trea
sures far from men ?
QU^STIONES.
A virgin pure is Justice, and her birth
From Jove himself; a creature of much worth.
HESIOB.
26. Terras reliquit: abandoned the earth.
It was a general opinion, that the deitiea
once inhabited earth, and forsook it be
cause of the wickedness of mankind.
Thus right and wrong.by furious passion mixed,
Drove from us the divine propitious mind.
CATULLM,
I Why is gold more pernicious than the
! sword ?
What was the state of piety in this age f
What do you understand by piety ?
Which one of the gods was the last to
leave the earth ?
To what may this have an obscure re
ference ?
Had the ancients any knowledge of
Enoch ? Under what name ?
What probably gave rise to the corrup
tion of. the Brazen and Iron Ages ?
To what Biblical period does it corre
spond ?
Are the characteristics of -this period,
and of the Iron Age, similar t