THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO

156 P. OVIDII NASONIS
Nee positu variare comas : sed fibula vestem,
Vitta coercuerat neglectos alba capillos,
Et modo leve manu jaculum, modo sumpserat arcum.
Miles erat Phrebes : nee Meenalon attigit ulla 15
Gratior hac Trivite. Sed nulla potentia longa est.
Ulterius medio spatium Sol altus habebat;
Cum subit ille nemus, quod nulla ceciderat solas.
E\uit luc humero pharetram, lentosque retendit
Arcus ; inque solo, quod texerat herba, jacebat: 20
Et pictam posita pharetram cervice premebat.
Jupiter ut vidit fessam, et custode vacantem:
Hoc certe conjux furtum mea nesciet, inquit:
Aut si rescierit, sunt, 6 sunt jurgia tanti!
Protinus induitur faciem cultumque Diana;: 25
Atque ait, O comitum virgo pars una mearum,
In quibus es venata jugis ? De cespite virgo
Se levat; et, salve numen, me judice, dixit,
Audiat ipse licet, majus Jove : ridet, et audit;
Et sibi prffiferri se gaudct: et oscula jungit: 30
Nee moderata satis, nee sic a virgine danda.
Qua venata foret sylva narrare parantem
Impedit amplexu : nee se sine crirnine prodit.
Ilia quldem pugnat; superum petit cethera victor
Jupiter: huic odio nemus est, et conscia sylva. 35
12. Positu: by arrangement.
12. Variare: to adorn.
12. I/it. When she had prepared her
self b« girding up her dress with a clasp,
and l.er loose hair with a Jlltet, she was
ready for the chase, and became an attend
ant of Diana.
13. Neglectos capillos: her unadorned hair.
15. Miles: a soldier; an attendant.
15. Phcsbea. Diana, the sister of Apollo.
15. 3fosnalon. Mrenalns was a moun
tain of Arcadia where Diana was accus
tomed, to hunt.
15. Trivite. Diana was called Trivia,
either because of her threefold course un
der the zodiac, or because she was wor
shipped in the trivia, or highways, where
three roads met, and where statues were
set up with three heads, that of a horse, a
doar, and a dog. representing her threefold
character, as Luna, Diana, and Proser
pine. The following lines most briefly
and beautifully describe her triple nature
and functions:
Terret, lustrol, agit. Proserpina. Luna, Diana;
Jinn, suprema, feras, sceptro, fulgore, sagitta
ENMUS.
16. Nulla potentia : no power is lasting.
The instability of all terrestrial things pro
claims their vanity.
17. Ullerius media. The sun had passed
his meridian j it was the afternoon.
NOTJE.
LIBER II.
11. Opus hujus non
erat mollire lanam
trahendo; nee variare
comas positu.
15. Erat miles FhcB-
Des; nee ulla gratior
Tnviae ha>', attigit
Mximlon: sed nulla
polentia est longa.
22. Jupiter, ut vidit
iUam fesstim el vacan
tern custoile; inquit,
certe mea coiijux nes
ciet hoc furtum: aut
si rescierit, suul, A
sunt jurgia tanti.
27. Virgo levat Bo
de cespile, et dixit,
salve nurnen, me ju-
rtice, tnajus Jove, licet
ipse audiat.
32. Trnpedit amplexu
illam piLrinlem nar
rare qua sylv& fbret
venuta.
18. Nulla tetas: no age, by metonymv
for the men of no age.
19. Eetendit arms : unstrung her bow.
If they be not relaxed occasionally they
become weak.
22. Cuslode vacantem: without a pro
lector.
25. Protinus: immediately. It is wor
thy of remark, that the poet, in doscribing
the transformation of mortals, always re
presents it as a gradual thing; but when
speaking of the metamorphosis of the gods,
describes it as instantaneous and invi
sible.
27. De cespile: from the turf. Cespet
signifies earth covered with grass. Tnis
agrees with what is said above:
Im/tte soln, quod texerat herba.
28. Me judice: in my judgmeut; I be
ing judpe.
31. Moderata satis: moderate enough.
Thy cheek, thine eyes, thy lips to kiss,
Ijike this and this no more thhn tins;
For. Alia! sure thy lips are flame:
Whnt fever ill thy veins is flushing?
My own have neurly caught the sami ;
At least, I feel my cheek too blus i ng
BHIDE op ABYDOS.
33. Imped.il amplexu: Le prevents by an
embrace.
35. Conscia sylva: the conscious wood ;
conscious of the violence committed by
Jupiter.
TABULA IV. METAlttORPHOSEON.
Unde, pedcm referens, prone est oblita pharetram
ToJlere cum telis, et quern suspenderat, arcum.
Ecce, sue comitata chore Dictynna per ahum
Mtenalon ingrediens, et ctede superba ferarum,
Aspicit hanc, visamque vocat: clamata refugit; 40
Et timuit primb, ne Jupiter esset in ilia.
Sed postquam pariter nymphas incedere vidit:
Sensit abesse doles: numerumque accessit ad harum.
Heu quam difficile est, crimen non prodere vultu !
Vix oculos attollit humo: nee, ut ante solebat, 45
Juncta Dote lateri, nee toto est aginine prima:
Sed silet, et loesi dat signa rubore pudoris,
Et (nisi quod virgo est) poterat sentire Diana
Mille notis culpam : Nympha? sensisse feruntur.
NOTJE.
157
38. Ecce Dictynna
comitata suo clioro,
ingrediens per altum
Mcenalon, et superba
c:ede ferarum, aspicit
hune, vocntque earn
visam: ilia clamala
retugit: et timuit pri-
mfi ne Jupiter esset in
ilia.
44. Heu quam est
difficile non prodere
crimen vultu!
36. Pedem referens : withdrawing her to betray conscious gui!;, except in tne
footsteps; departing.
case of the most inveterate and hopeless
38. Ecce. As she fled from the grove, depravity. This disposition of our nature,
suddenly Diana passed along.
in the case of murder, has been portrayed
38. . Dictynna. . A name of Diana from om by Webster in the most powerful munncr:
nim:, a net, because she employs nets in
hunting wild beasts.
Meantime the guilty soul cannot keep its own
secret. It is false to itself; or rather it feels an
41. fie Jupiter. She was afraid that it irresistible impulse of conscience to he true to
was Jupiter again under the form of Diana. itself. It labours under its guilty possession,
43. Abesse dolos: that there is no deceit. and knows not what to do with it. The human
44. Crimen prodere: to betray guilt. heart was not made for the residence of such
an inhabitant. It finds itself preyed on by a
>15. Vix oculos. In the confusion con torment, which it does not acknowledge to Cod
sequent upon guilt, the eyes are cast upon nor man. A vulture is devouring it, and it can
the ground.
ask no sympathy or assistance, either from hea
All silent and unheeding now
ven or earth. The secret which the murderer
With downcast eyes. BYRON.
possesses soon comes to possess him; mid, like
the evil spirits of which we read, it overcomes,
46. Juncta detp. In the days of her pu him, and leads him whithersoever it will. He
feels it beating at his heart, rising to his throat,
rity, she was always by the side of the and demanding disclosure. lie thinks the whole
goddess ; but it was different after her world sees it in liis face, reads it in his eyes,
Fall. Sin causes separation from God. and almost hears its workings in the yery si
46. Ncc est prima. The light foot and lence of his thoughts. It has become his mas
the light heart of innocence were her's no ter. It betrays his discretion, it. breaks down
longer.
his courage, it conquers his prudence. When
suspicions from without begin to embarrass
47. Sed silet : but she is silent. Her him, and the net of circumstances to entangle
cheerfulness had departed from her. him the fatu] secret struggles with still greater
49. Mille nolis: by a thousand marks ; violence to burst forth. It must be confessed,
a finite number put for an infinite. It is it will be confess d, there is no refuge, from
natural for the countenance and manners confession but suicide, and suicide is confes
sion. SPEECH ON THE TRIAL OF J. F. KNAPP
What journey did Jupiter mate ?
For what purpose ?
Why was Arcadia peculiarly dear to him ?
Where was Nonacris ?
With whom did he meet there ?
What was her name ?
What were the employments of this vir
gin ?
How did he find her?
What form did Jupiter assume ?
What did the virgin say to him ?
QUJESTIONES.
What explanation do you give of the
story?
Who passed along shortly after the in
jury done to Callisto ?
Was she afraid of Diana ? Why ?
What confirmed her that it was Diana
who appeared ?
Did she betray her guilt by her counte
nance and manner ?
Did Diana notice the change in her ?
Did the nymphs notice it ?
O