Corpora visceribus distentæ condita matris
Noluit; eque domo vacuas emisit in auras.
Editus in lucem jacuit sine viribus infans:

Mox quadrupes, rituque tulit sua membra ferarum;
Paullatimque tremens, et nondum poplite firmo
Constitit; adjutis aliquo conamine nervis.

Inde valens veloxque fuit: spatiumque juventæ
Transit: et, emeritis medii quoque temporis annis,
Labitur occiduæ per iter declive senectæ.
Subruit hæc ævi demoliturque prioris

Robora: fletque Milon senior, cum spectat inanes
Illos, qui fuerant solidorum mole tororum
Herculeis similes, fluidos pendere lacertos.
Flet quoque, ut in speculo rugas adspectit aniles,
Tyndaris; et secum, cur sit bis rapta, requirit.
Tempus edax rerum, tuque invidiosa vetustas,
Omnia destruitis: vitiataque dentibus ævi
Paullatim lenta consumitis omnia morte.

Hæc quoque non perstant, quæ nos elementa vocamus. Quasque vices peragant (animos adhibite) docebo.

Elementorum Mutationes, et Aqua in Terras, Montes in
Valles, et contru. FAB. IV.

QUATUOR æternus genitalia corpora mundus
Continet. Ex illis duo sunt onerosa, suoque
Pondere in inferius, tellus atque unda feruntur:
Et totidem gravitate carent: nulloque premente
Alta petunt, aër atque aëre purior ignis.
Quæ quanquam spatio distant, tamen omnia fiunt
Ex ipsis, et in ipsa cadunt, resolutaque tellus
In liquidas rorescit aquas: tenuatus in auras
Aëraque humor abit: dempto quoque pondere rursus
In superos aër tenuissimus emicat ignes:

Inde retro redeunt: idemque retexitur ordo.

Ignis enim densum spissatus in aëra transit;
Hic in aquas: tellus glomerata cogitur unda.
Nec species sua cuique manet: rerumque novatrix
Ex aliis alias reparat Natura figuras.

Nec perit in tanto quidquam (mihi credite) mundo;
Sed variat, faciemque novat: nascique vocatur,
Incipere esse aliud, quam quod fuit ante; morique
Desinere illud idem. Cum sint huc forsitan illa,
Hæc translata illuc; summa tamen omnia constant.
Nil equidem durare diu sub imagine eadem
Crediderim. Sic ad ferrum venistis ab auro

e

Secula. Sic totins versa es, Fortuna locorum.
Vidi ego, quod fuerat quondam solidissima tellus,
Esse fretum. Vidi factas ex æquore terras:
Et procul a pelago concha jacuêre marinæ:
Et vetus inventa est in montibus anchora summis;
Quodque fuit campus, vallem decursus aquarum
Fecit: et eluvie mons est deductus in æquor:
Eque paludosa siccis humus aret arenis:
Quæque sitim tulerant, stagnata paludibus hument
Hic fontes Natura novos emisit, at illic
Clausit: et antiquis concussa tremoribus orbis
Flumina prosiliunt; aut excæcata residunt.

KINIS DECERPTORUM.

NOTES

UPON THE

DECERPTA

OF

OVID'S METAMORPHOSES.

Page 1. ́ANIMUS fert' I incline; purpose. Formas

"mutatas in nova corpora' For 'corpora mutata in novas 'formas." The poet being to write of the transformations. of things, hath, in allusion to his design, thought fit to make a transformation of his words, Et vos,' You and you alone. Perpetuum carmen.' A full connected poem; where one story naturally and easily ushers in another. 'Ante,' At first; In the beginning. Pondus iners,' An unactive lump. Discordia semina,' The jarring principles. Congesta eodem,' Huddled and blended together. • Circumfuso in aëre,' In the ambient air or ether. Li'brata,' Equally poised; Balanced. Longo margine ter'rarum,' About the long winding coast [shore.]

P. 2. Nulli,' Rei sc. vel elemento. Sua forma mane'bat,' Kept its proper [certain] form. Sine pondere,' Rebus sc. 'Melior natura,' More benign nature; A higher principle; A superior being. Diremit,' Composed. Abscidit,' Divided. Liquidum cœlum,' The pure ether. Evolvit,' Had disintangled. Exemit cœco

'acervo,' Had severed from the confused mass. Disso-. 'ciata locis, &c.,' He united them, though placed at a distance from one another, by unalterable laws of harmony and peace. Ignea vis convexi cœli,' The fiery quality of the vaulted [arched] heaven; i. e. The subtile ether, or element of fire. Emicuit,' Mounted up. Summa arce,' In the highest region. Elementaque 'grandia traxit,' And carried the grossest particles of matter along with it; Is compounded of the grossest particles. Circumfluus humor,' The fluid element of water. Solidumque coercuit orbem,' Incircled [begirt] thesolid globe of earth. Sic dispositam congeriem secuit,' Had thus divided and modelled the chaos. Membra,' Several elements; Constituent parts. In speciem magni ' orbis,' In the figure of a great sphere or globe. 'Immensa stagna,' Vast marshes. Cinxit,' He confined within. 'Declivia,' Gliding downwards. Quæ diversa locis,' Which in their various courses. Ipsa,' Terra sc. Par'tim,' some of them. Onus inclusum,' The ball of Plaga,' Divisions; Regions;; Zones. Premuntur' Are impressed; Marked out. P. 3. Motura.' That might strike terror into, 'Ha'bendum passim,' To range in at pleasure. Vix obsis'titur illis,' They are not easily restrained. Nunc,' Even as matters are now ordered. Cum sua, &c.' When the airy empire of each of them is confined within his, own respective district. Horrifer,' Boisterous. Invasit,' Seized as his property. Contraria tellus,' The opposite parts of the earth. Dissepserat,' Had distinguished. from one another. Effervescere,' To sparkle forth. Te'nent cœleste solum,' Inhabit the heavenly mansions [orbs.] Agitabilis, Yielding; Fleeting. Sanctius,' More excellent, [noble.] Mentisque capacius altæ,' More capable of a sublime soul, [thought;] Endowed with reason and understanding. 'Dominari in,' Bear sway over; Com

earth inclosed within it.

(

mand. Natus,' Produced; Formed. Seducta nuper,' But lately separated [taken from.] Semina,' The nature; Qualities. Cognati coeli,' Of heaven to which it was nearly allied; Of its heavenly original.

6

P. 4. Spectent terram prona,' Look downward to the ground. Os sublime,' An erected countenance. Sine imagine,' Without form. Aurea sata est,' Sprung from gold; was generated of gold. Fidem,' Truth; Promise; Covenant. Rectum,' Integrity; Uprightness. 'Colebat,' Observed; Practised. Fixo ære,' Upon brazen plates stuck up for public view: meaning, there were no laws in those days. Directi,' Straight. Securæ,' Void of care; Thoughtless. Mollia peragebant otia,' Spent all their days in soft peace. Im'munis, Free from service; Without being enjoined to furnish corn, and all other things, which are now required of her as a tribute. ' Ipsa per se,' Of her own free bounty. Legebant,' Gathered. Duris,' Prickly. Mulcebant,' Blew smoothly over. Natos,' That sprung up. 'Nec renovatus ager,' And the field though not broken up: Plowing up a field gives it a new surface: Or, And the field though not turned up every other year. But the first sense seems to me the truer. Nec is to be resolved into et non. Gravidis,' Teeming; Full of ripening corn. Jam,' Soon after.

P. 5. Sub,' Under the government of. Subiit,' Succeeded. Deterior,' Of baser alloy. Tempora,' The space; The length. Inæquales,' Unequally tempered. 'Exegit,' Drove out; Drove to an end. Spatiis quatuor,' At four heats. Subiere," Men entered. Sævior inge'niis,' Fiercer in their tempers. Venæ pejoris, of baser ore. ‹ Verum,' Truth. 'Fides,' Honour. Insidiæ,' Ambush. Vis,' Oppression. Amor sceleratus habendi,' A cursed desire of being wealthy. This sense of habeo is not uncommon. ' Ad habentem [h. e. ‘opulentum, copio'sum] Invidia semper serpit. Nec,' For 'nec tamen.