THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO
THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO
THE METAMORPHOSES OF PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO
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TESTIMONIA<br />
VETERUM SCRIPTORUM<br />
DE<br />
OVIDIO.<br />
MARCUS ANXJEUS SENECA.<br />
Kasohad a constant, becoming, and amiable wit. Ills<br />
prose appeared no other than dissolved verses. Of his<br />
words no prodigal except In his verue, wherein he was<br />
not Ignorant of the fault, but affected It, and ofien<br />
would Bay, that a mole did not misbecome a beautiful<br />
fece. but made It more lovely. CosTaov. x.<br />
VELLEIU8 PATERCULTJS.<br />
It Is almost a folly to number tiie wits that are evrr<br />
In our eyes. Amorist these, the most eminent of our<br />
ge are Virgil, the prince of verse, Rabtrius, LIvy, imi<br />
tating1 Sallu>t, Tlbiillns, and Nauo, In the form of his<br />
absolute poem. HIST. Lib. 11.<br />
LVCIUS ANN.EUS SEXECA.<br />
"Exlstunt monies, et spnrsas Cyrladas angent," a*<br />
salth the wittiest of all poets. NAT. QDJEST. Lib.lil.<br />
QUINTILIANUS.<br />
Ovid's Medea eeemeth to me to express how much<br />
that man could have performed. If he had restrained,<br />
rather than cherished, his Invention. LID. x.<br />
CORNELIUS TACITUS.<br />
Neither Is there any composition of Aslnus, or Mesala,<br />
so Illustrious as Ovlit's Medea. DIALOG. DE OB AT.<br />
MARTIALIS.<br />
Thou*rt more than rand I tliuse whom thoa seest so hare,<br />
Wltli Ovid's aclt, or Virgil may compare,<br />
LIB. 111. Eno. 38.<br />
BTATIUS PAMPINIUS.<br />
That honored day, the old Cnllimnchus,<br />
Pliiletas, Unibriiiu Projiertius,<br />
Prepare to celebrate with one consent;<br />
And NRSO, clieerful though In banishment,<br />
With ricUTlbullua.-STi.vAit. Lib. U<br />
LACTAXTIUS.<br />
Ovid, In the beginning of hla excellent poem, confess*<br />
eth that God, (not disguising his name,) ordained the<br />
world, who calls him the Creator thereof; and maker of<br />
all tilings. INITIT. Div. Lib. I.<br />
8. HIEROXTMUS.<br />
Semlramls, of whom they report many wonders,<br />
erected the walis of Babylon, as testifies tiiat renowned<br />
poet, in tiie Fourth Book of hla Metamorphoses. IN.<br />
OIK. Cap. 11.<br />
S. AUGUSITNUS.<br />
And Naao, that excellent poet, DE CIVITAT. DEI.<br />
ANGELUS POLITIANUS.<br />
*TIs doubtful, whether he. whom Sulmo bore,<br />
The world-comman ling Tiber honored more<br />
Than hla foul exile tlice d fumed, O Home I<br />
Whom Getlc sands, alas I but half Intonib.<br />
Perhaps observed by Augustus' spies.<br />
To look on Julia with too fricudly eyes. Is NUTHICIA.<br />
MAHCUS AKTONIUS TIUTONIUS.<br />
Tills divine work t* necessary, and to be desired of all<br />
that are addicted to poetry, both for the gracefulness of<br />
speech, the admirable art of tbe poet, and delightful<br />
variety of *he subject. Neither was there any tliat dili<br />
gently collected, or learnedly, elegantly, and orderly<br />
expressed tiie fables, but Ovid, who composed out of<br />
Orpheus, Heslod, Homer, and other most ancient poets,<br />
BO excellent and noble a work, that therein the learning<br />
of the l8,tiiis may worthily glory. DISPUTAT. DE FAD.<br />
12<br />
RAPHAEL REGIUS.<br />
There Is nothing appertaining to the knowledge and<br />
glory of wars, whereofwe have i ot f unous example* In<br />
the Metamorpi o s of Ovid descr b »d with such effi<br />
cacy and eloquence, that often In reading, you will<br />
Imagine yourself embroiled In their conflicts. Pn^* AT.<br />
JACOBUS MICTLLUS.<br />
Hardly shall yon find a poem, which Hows wlih greater<br />
facility. For what should I say of learning t herein so<br />
great, so various and abstruse, that many pinees have<br />
neither been explained, nor yet understood ; no, not by<br />
the most knowing, requiring rather a resolution from<br />
the Delian oracle. PRINCIP. Algernon.<br />
STEPHANUS.<br />
Naso, In his Metamorphoses, may well be called the<br />
poet of painters, In that those witty descriptions afford<br />
such lively patterns for their pencils to Imitate.<br />
PKjepAT. 1W HORATIUM.<br />
ANTOMUS MURETUS.<br />
The Metamorphose , a divine poem, shining through<br />
out, with all the lustres of conceit and eloquence.<br />
OKAT. ill.<br />
JULIUS OffiSAR SCAL1GER.<br />
But now we arrive wi ere the height of wit, and the<br />
Sharpness of judgment are belli to be exercised. For<br />
who c;tn coiiimeiid OvI sufficiently! much less, who<br />
dares reprehend him ? Notw th anding, I wiitsay tome-<br />
thing, not In way of detraction, but that we also may be<br />
abie to grow with his greatness ..... his Meta<br />
morphoses books deserving a more fortunate author,<br />
that from his last hand they might have had their per<br />
fection, which he himself laments in lucuk-nt verses.<br />
Yet are there In tiiesr, weli-ni^h an infinite number,<br />
which the wit of another, I believe, could never have<br />
equalled. POETIC. Lib. v.<br />
BERXARDUS MARTINUS.<br />
I conceive the poet of Sulmo did follow the industry<br />
and advice of Zcnxls, In the composure of that admira<br />
ble work of his Metamorphoses. For au that excellent<br />
painter, about to draw tiie picture of Helen, had assem<br />
bled together the most rare and beautiful virgins of<br />
Greece, that by examining their several perfections and<br />
graces, he might express all In one wiLh his curious<br />
pencil ; so he out of tbe innumerable voiumes of the<br />
Grecian poets, flrt>t gathered these multiplicities of l\-<br />
bleu, composing the diffused and variously dispersed<br />
Into one body, and then diligently noting what In every<br />
author was elegant and beautiful, transferred the same<br />
to his own, that notiiing might be wanting to the en<br />
riching and adorning of his divine poem. VAHJAR.<br />
Lacx. Lib. lii. Cap. 18.<br />
HERCULES CI<strong>OF</strong>4.NUS.<br />
A witty work, repute with solid and manifold learn<br />
ing. Those who peruse it diligently, bhnll find. ouch<br />
admirable Ihieucy, such fulness, such gravity of words<br />
and sentences, tlmt tew or nouu among the Lutin pools<br />
can be said to traiiscerd him. Wbat shall I say of that<br />
uiiigular and weli-ni^h di\ine coutexturu of fable with<br />
fabie t so surpassing that nothing can be spoken or done<br />
more artificially, more excellently, or more gracefully.<br />
\Vho, handling such diversity of matter, so cunningly<br />
weaves them together, that ali nin»ear hut one series f<br />
Planudcs, well knowing that Grn.ve had not a poem sc<br />
abounding with delight and beauty, tr.insLittd It tntc<br />
that language. What should I say mure f All arts which<br />
antiquity knew art; here t>o fully dehiK-atcd, that a num<br />
ber, expert in both tongues, of prime underbuilding<br />
and judgment, ndimrc it beyond all expression.<br />
PKJEFAT. OBS. IN MET AM.<br />
INDEX<br />
METAMORPHOSEON<br />
LIBER L<br />
FABCU<br />
L Chaos changed into four elements;<br />
the Creation or the world ... 22<br />
II. Formation of animals; the creation<br />
of man .......... 33<br />
in. The Golden Age, in which inno<br />
cence and hnppiness prevail . . 38<br />
IV. The Silver Age, in which there i»<br />
a deterioration of morals ... 44<br />
V. TheBrazenandlronAges.inwhich<br />
wickedness reaches its height . 48<br />
VI. The Battle of the Gianls; their<br />
blood changed into men . . . ffi<br />
Vn. Council of the Gods called to deli<br />
berate on the prevailing wicked<br />
ness of mankind . ...... 58<br />
VITI. Lycaon changed into a wolf ... 64<br />
IX. The world destroyed by a flood,<br />
on account of the ungodliness of<br />
men . . ........ 68<br />
X. Restoration of the world; stones<br />
changed into men ...... 88<br />
. XL The earth changed into animals;<br />
Python slain by Apollo .... 88<br />
XII. Daphne changed into a laurel . . 94<br />
XIIL Vale ofTempe; lo changed into a<br />
P. OVIDII <strong>NASO</strong>NIS.<br />
heifer, and placed under Argus . 104<br />
XIV. Syrinx changed into a reed; death<br />
of Argus ......... 114'<br />
XV Io the heifer, changed into the hu<br />
man form ........ 118<br />
LIBER II.<br />
FABULA.<br />
L The Palace of the Sun; a descrip<br />
tion of the solar chariot . . . . 12*<br />
II. The conflagration of Ihe world; the<br />
fallofFhaelhon. ...... 138<br />
in. The sisters of Fhaelhon changed<br />
into poplars, and Cycnus, his cou<br />
sin, into a swan ....... 148<br />
IV Jupiter changed inlo the form of<br />
Diana, that he may deceive Cal-<br />
listo, the daughter of Lycaon . . 154<br />
V. CallUto changed into a bear by<br />
Juno ........... 158<br />
VI. Callisto and her son Areas changed<br />
into constellations ...... 101<br />
VII. Coronis of Fhocis changed inlo a<br />
crow; the raven changed from<br />
white to black ....... 166<br />
VIII. Nyclimene changed to a night-<br />
owl; the death of Coronis of<br />
Larissa ....... . . ITS<br />
IX. Ocyrrhoe, the daughter of Cniron,<br />
changed into a mare ..... 170<br />
X. Apollo becomes a shepherd; Battus<br />
changed by Mercury into a touch<br />
stone ........... 189<br />
XI. The loves of Mercury and Ilerse;<br />
Agraulos changed lo stone . . 184<br />
XII. Jupiter, transformed to a bull, car<br />
ries Europa across the sea into<br />
Crete ......... .191<br />
B 13