of-spring was a contemner of the Gods and most greedy of cruell slaughter And was violent that you might know it to be bred of bloud FAB VI. Of Lycaon turned into a Walfe WHICH things when Iupiter sawe from his high Tower He sighes and reuoluing in his mind the odious banquets of Lycaons Table not yet divulged the fact being new He conceiueth in his minde very great indignation beseeming Iupiter And calleth a councell of the Gods no delay with-held thē being called There is a lofty way apparant in a cleare heauen It is called Lactea or milky notable by the very whitenesse This way the Gods goe vnto the Palace of great Iupiter And to his royall house The Courts of the noble Gods are frequented the gates standing euer open on the right hand and on the left The cōmon sort of the gods inhabiteth distant in places the potent glorious heauēly peeres haue placed their houses in the front This is the place which if I may speak boldly I need not feare to call the Palace of the great heauen Then when the Gods sat in a Marble inner roome He being higher in place and leaning vpon his Iuorie Scepter shak't oft the terrible bush of his head wherew th he moued both the earth Sea and Heauen And after he spake thus with great indignation I was not more carefull for the kingdom of the world at that time wherin euery one of the snake-footed giants was ready to laye their hundreth hands vpon the heauen which they indeuoured to surprize For although that enemy was cruell yet that warre depended of one body of one beginning Now I am to destroy all man-kinde as far as the Ocean roareth about the whole world I sweare by the infernall riuers running vnder the earth from the Stygian groue All meanes are first to bee assayed but the vncureable wound is to bee cut off with the sword lest the sound part be corrupted I haue halfe Gods I haue countrie Gods Faunes and Nymphs Satyrs and also Syluans w ch inhabite the moūtaines Whome because we doe not as yet vouchsafe the honour of heauen Yet certainely let vs suffer them to inhabite the earth which wee haue giuen them O ye supernall Gods do yee belieue that they can be safe enough When Lyeaon notorious for cruelty hath plotted mischief euen against me who both possesse and gouerne the lightning and euen you yourselues They all fretted together and earnestly ask with vehement desire for him who durst doe such things Euen so as when that wicked band raged furiously to extinguish the name of the Romans in the bloud of the Caesars All mankind was astonished with so great a terrour of such a sudden downfall the whole world did dread exceedingly Neither oh Augustus is the piety of thy Romans lesse pleasing vnto thee Then that was to Iupiter who after that he had repressed the murmure of the Gods with his speach and hand all of thē kept silence After the noise was stayed being repressed by the grauitie of the Regent Iupiter againe brake off the silence with this speech He indeed hath payed for it let this care passe Notwithstanding I will shew what a horrible fact hee committed and what vengeance I tooke of him The infamie of the time had comne to our eares Which I desiring to be false descend from the highest heauen And though I bee the great GOD yet I viewe the earth vnder the shape of a man It is too long to tell how much wickednes is found euery where the infamy it selfe was lesse then the truth I had passed Menalus being dreadfull for the dennes of wilde beasts And the Pinegroues of colde Lycaeus with Cyllenus Afterwards I enter into the seat and barbarous house of the Arcadian tyrant When as now it drew towards night I signified that a God was comne and the common sort began to pray but Lycaon at first derides their godly prayers By and by quoth hee I will try by a plain experience whether he be a God or a mortall man Neither shall the truth be any more to bee doubted of So he prepareth to destroy mee being heauie with sleep in the night by an vnexpected death This experience of the truth pleaseth him Neither is hee content therewith but hee cuts the throate of one of the Hostages sent from the Molossians And so he did partly seeth his ioynts being but halfe dead and partly roasted them Which so soone as hee had set vpon the table I ouerturned vpon the Masters head with a reuenging flame his houses being worthy to bee burnt He being terrified flyeth away getting the solitarinesse of the countrey He howleth out and indeauoureth to speake but all in vaine from that time hee runnes mad and vseth his greedy desire of his accustomed slaughter vpō beasts and now also doth he delight in bloud His garmēts are turned into haires his arms into legs He is made a Wolfe and yet he keepes the prints of his olde shape Hee hath the same graynesse the same grimnesse of his lookes The same gloring of his eyes the same picture of crueltie FAB VII Of the generall deluge and destruction of the world thereby for the ouerflow of iniquitie and the repairing the same againe ONe house is ouerthrowen but not one house alone hath beene worthy to perish crueltie raignes through all the world You would thinke that all men had sworne together to commit all horrible wickednesse Let all of them presently abide the punishmēt which they haue deserued to indure for so I haue
decreed Part of them approoue the speech of Iupiter by voice and put spurres vnto him thus moued others fulfil their parts with their assents Yet notwithstanding the losse of mankinde is a griefe vnto them all and they ask what shall be the forme of the earth being depriu'd of mortal men who should bring Frankincense vnto their Altars whether he thus prepare to deliuer to the wilde beasts the earth to bee destroyed Iupiter bids them asking such like things not to feare for that hee would haue a care of all other matters and promiseth that there should be an of-spring vnlike vnto the former people of a wonderful beginning And euen now was hee ready to disperse his lightnings vpon all the earth But he feared least bechance the holy heauen should catch the flame by so many fires vnder it and the whole heauen should be set on fire He also remembreth that it was decreed that the time should come Wherein the sea earth Palace of heauen being set on fire should burne the curious frame of the world should be dissolued His thunderbolts made by the hands of the Cyclopians are laid vp A contrary punishment pleaseth him to destroy all mankinde vnder the water and to send downe mighty raine from euery part of heauen And therefore hee forthwith shuts vp the North-winde in the caues of Eolia And all other windes which driue away the clouds broght in And hee sends out the South-winde The South-winde flies abroad with wet wings Hauing his terrible countenance couered with darknesse as black as pitch His beard is loaden with abundance of raine the water floweth from his hoarie lockes Little cloudes sit in his forehead both his feathers and bosome distill like deawe And as hee wringed with his hand the cloudes hanging all abroad A crash is made huge showers are poured downe from the skie The rainebowe Iunoes messenger being arrayed with diuers colours conceiueth waters and affoordeth matter vnto the clouds The standing corne is beaten downe and the hopes of the husbandmen lye altogether desperate and also the labour of the long yeer being frustrate perisheth vtterly Neither yet is the anger of Iupiter contēt w th his own heauen but his azure colored brother Neptune helpeth him with his aiding waues He calleth together the Gods of the riuers who after that they entred the house of their King we are not now quoth he to vse any long exhortation powre out your forces open your fountaines for so there is neede hauing remooued all hindrances giue the whole raines to al your streams Hee had thus commanded These returne and set open the mouths of their fountaines And so they are tumbled into the sea with a most violent course He himselfe also smit the earth with his three-forked Mace so that it Trembled and set open the passages of the water in the moouing thereof The floudes running all abroad doe rush through the open fields And carrie away with violence groues of trees together with the sowen corne and also cattell and men and houses and all the places of the worship of their Gods together with their sacred things If any house remained vncast downe and could withstand so great an euill yet the water being higher couereth the top thereof and the towers lye hid being ouerwhelmed vnder the vast waters And now the sea and land had no difference All things were sea euen the very shoares were wanting to the sea One man gets vp into a hill another sits in a crooked boat And roweth there where hee had plowed of late Hee sailes ouer the standing corn or the top of a drowned farme another catcheth fish in the top of an Elme The Anchor is fastened in the greene medowe as it fell out Or the crooked keeles do couer the vineyards lying vnder them And where of late the slender Goats did feede There the ill-fauoured sea-calues doe now lay their bodies The nymphs of the sea doe woonder at the groues and Cities and houses vnder the water also the Dolphins abide in the woods and doe runne vp and downe amongst the thick boughs and beat vpon the tossed Oakes The Wolfe swimmeth amōgst the sheep the water carrieth the tawnie coloured Lyons The water beareth away the Tigres neither doth the force of the thūderbolt help the Bore Nor yet doe the swift legs availe the Stag being carried away with the waters The bird likewise wandring with wearie wings falleth downe into the Sea hauing long sought the earth where she might rest The outragious swelling of the Sea had couered the hils And the r new waues beate vpon the tops of the moūtaines The greatest part of men is whirled away violently by the water whom the water spared Those long fasting doth ouercome thorough lacke of foode Phocis seuereth the Aonians from the Actean fields It was a fruitfull land whilst it remained a land but at that time A part of the sea a broad field of suddaine waters Where the mount Parnassus by name reacheth almost vnto the stars with two tops and goeth aboue the clouds with his height Whenas Deucalion being carried in a little ship together with his wife stayed here for the sea had couered the rest He adoreth the r Corycidane Nymphes and the Gods of the Mountaine And Themis the destinieteller who at that time gaue answeres from the Gods There was not a better man then he or
Iupiter himselfe being the father both of Gods and men Hee maketh them also attentiue setting forth both the hainousnesse of the thing and his own care for their safety * I haue not beene * Doubtfull or troubled * In which Where is set out Iupiters Oration to the Gods in which hee laboureth first to make them attentiue by his care of the world and of preseruing the Gods that yet remained in the earth And this by comparison q The â—â—ants are 〈◊〉 to haue 〈◊〉 feâ—t for theâ—â—â—lish dâ—â—â—ces a hundreth hands for their violence * Prepared himselfe to cast on his hundreth armes to heauen taken or surprised * Armes r The Gods dwelling in heauen * Being captiue viz. taken subdued or conquered That hee was not more carefull for the kingdomes of the world at that time wheÌ„ the Giants sought to inuade and conquer heauen Because although that was a cruell enemie viz. the Giants yet that warre depended but onely vpon the Giants as vpon one bodie and so he had to doe but onely with theÌ„ to destroy them But now that hee must bee inforced to destroy all mankinde in the whole world all being becomne corrupt and rebellious against him so farre as sea and earth extended * One body of the Giants that is one kinred or stocke r Of-spring of the Giants r The manner how Magistrates should proceed in punishing euen as the Chirurgian with limbs past cure * All the mortall kinde is to bee destroyed of me * What way s Nereus a God of the Sea put for the Ocean Sea compassing the world * Nereus soundeth about viz. maketh a noyse about with his waues This hee bindeth by the solemne oath of the Gods viz. swearing by the infernall riuers running from the Stygian groue viz. by Styx t Hee sweares by Styx the riuer of hell as the Gods vsed to doe for that they feared to deceiue the God thereof * Flouds beneath * Sliding r The wood hanging ouer the riuer Styx u This was the reason why the Consuls of Rome had a bunch of rods tyed vnto an Axe carried before them to signifie that lesse offences are to be corrected with rods but that wickednesse that cannot be helped is to bee vtterly cut off * All things * Before * Tryed That howsoeuer all meanes were to be tried first for preuenting hereof yet fith all mankinde was becomn now as an vncureable and a desperate wound they were all to bee cut off for feare of corrupting that one part which yet remained sound r The wound that cannot be cured * Sword point * Sencere viz. whole and vncorrupt * Bee drawen to a like corruption x These were worthy Nobles which were accounted greater then men yet lesse then Gods * There are to mee halfe Gods there are rurall diuine powers For that hee had yet in the earth halfe Gods and countrey Gods as Faunes Nymphes Satyrs gods of the woods and mountaines y These Faunes are supposed to haue beene some kind of Baboons Munkies and the like which the poore people seeing but seldome thought to bee Gods For they are reported to haue beene little dwarfes with crooked Noses hairy bodies Goats feete and some of them hauing two hornes These vsed oft to daunce with other such like wanton gestures r Faunes Satyrs Syluanes were accounted countrey Gods r Nymphes were supposed Goddesses and they of sundry sorts according to the places which they are said to inhabite * Count worthy Whome because hee did not yet vouchsafe the honour of heauen to dwell there yet he would haue them to inhabite the earth which he had giuen them quietly and safely r At least * Earths lands or Countries Sabine maketh a doubt of it whether they were men or diuels r Gods inhabiting the heauens Then turning his speech more specially vnto the Gods there present asketh of them whether they thinke that those other halfe Gods the rest could possibly bee safe in the earth when as Lycaon durst plot mischiefe euen against himselfe the great God hauing the thunderbolt in his hand to be auenged of all his enemies and who was chiefe of all the Gods hauing all of them vnder him euen these themselues z Lycaon a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a The occasion or the Fable of Lycaons cruelty is thought by some to bee this that hauing ordained games for triall of masteres in a hill called Lycaeus vnto Iupiter whome he therefore called Iupiter Lycaeus he there first offered an infant vnto Iupiter vpoÌ„ his Altar which cruelty made him notorious and odious to all as eating mans fiesâ— so entertaining Iupiter Others thinke it to bee for murdering one of the hostages of the Molossians and offering him in sacrifice to Iupiter and so deuoâ—â—ing them as sheepe the Poets faine him to be turned into a Wolfe alluding to his name * Knowen or noted for or famous for it * Built viz. contriued or practised treacherre or treason * Tome b This is thought to be spoken in fauor of Augustus Caesar who escaped the treachery against him Not of Iulius Caesar who was so murdered c The name of the Romans was becomne famous by the worthy acts of Iulius and Augustus Caesar which was sought to bee extinguished in Augustus Caesar so conspired against to be murdered cruelly as Iulius Caesar had beene before * Haue and rule r Thunderbolt * Who doe possesse and rule you * Require earnestly with ardent or feruent studies him being bold to enterprize such things Hereupon the Poet shewes the effect of his speech how they all stormed asking earnestly for him who durst attempt this r viz. they asked for him to be punished Then sets out the manner of their murmuring by a fit similitude That like as when certaine wicked conspiratours sought to extinguish the famous name of the Romans by murdering Augustus Caesar as they had done Iulius Caesar before all mankinde was astonished with the terrour of the suddaine feare and the whole world did dread exceedingly so did they disdaine * So. * Hand viz. a company of wicked conspiratours * Doth cruelly rage * The Roman name in the Coesarian bloud r Amazed * Ruine or vtter ouerthrow intended or ready to haue beene executed r Was horribly afraid or trembled with feare d The religion loue of thy people of Rome who auenged the conspiracie against thee is no lesse acceptable to thee then the indignation of the Gods was to Iupiter for the intendment against him This sheweth the former to be meant of Augustus Caesar. r Subiects of Rome * Acceptable Afterwards turning his speech to the Emperour Augustus sheweth Iupiters acceptation hereof that this loue and piety of the Romans for being auenged on those conspiratours was no lesse pleasing to Augustus himselfe then that was to Iupiter * Hath beene e The Poet expresseth the gesture of them who command or cause a silence * With voyce And then how Iupiter staid
FABLE I. Of the Chaos or of the first and most admirable Metamorphosis viz. of the forming or fashioning all things out of the Chaos first of the 4. Elemeâ—ts made out of it BEfore the Sea earth and Heauen which couereth al things There was one forme of nature in the whole world Which they called Chaos which was a rude confused heape Neither was there any thing but a lumpish weight and disagreeing â—eeds of things not well ioyned heaped vp together in the same No Sun gaue light as yet to the world Neither did the newe Moone repaire her hornes by increasing Nor yet the earth pâ—ized with her owne weight did hang in the ayre compassed about it nether had the sea reached out her armes by the long banke of the earth And likewise in what part was earth there was also both sea and ayre So the earth was vnstable the water not to bee swomme in The ayre was without light nothing had the proper form And one thing was against others because in one bodie Cold things did fight with hot moist with dry Soft things did fight with hard things hauing weight w th things without weight God and a better nature tooke away this strife For he diuided the earth from heauen the water from the earth And separated the liquid skie from the foggie ayre Which after he had tumbled out and taken from the confused heape Hee bound theÌ„ being separate in place with a quiet peace The fiery power of the heauen bending downward and without weight shined out chose it selfe a place in the highest tower The ayre is next to it in lightnesse and in place The earth is more solide then these and hath drawen the great Elements with it And is pressed downe with the heauinesse of it selfe The water flowing about it Hath possessed the vtmost places and kept in the soâ—â—e globe FABLE II. Of the full and perfect forming and fashioning of the 4. chiefe parts of the world and the adorning each of them with their proper creatures more specially of the creation of man last to bee Lord of all WHen hee which soeuer of the Gods he was had diuided the heape so disposed and brought it diuided into parts First of all hee made the earth round after the fashion of a great globe least that it should not be euen of euery part Then he poured abroad the narrow seas and commanded them to swell w th the whirling winds and to compasse about the shores of the earth inuironed thereby Moreouer he added fountaines and huge standing ponds and lakes And he girt in the riuers running downewards with crooked banks Which being distant in places are supped vp partly of the earth it self Partly doe they come into the sea and being receiued there in a field Of more free water they beate vpon the shoares instead of banks He commanded also the champaine fieldes to bee stretched abroad the valleies to settle downward The woods to bee couered with leaues the craggie mountains to ascend And as two zones diuide the heauen on the right part and as many moe on the left the fift is more burning then those So the prouidence of God hath distinguished the burden included by the same number and euen so many climates are set in the earth Whereof that which is the middle is not habitable for heate Deepe snow couereth two of them and also hee placed as many moe between those two And hath giuen them a teÌ„perature heat being mixed in them w th cold The ayre hangeth ouer these w ch is so much heauier then the fier as the weight of the water is lighter then the weight of the earth There he hath coÌ„manded both the little and great cloudes to stay and the thunders to mooue mens harts And together with the lightning the winds making the cold Moreouer the maker of the world hath not permitted the ayre to bee vsed of these euery where there there is scarcely any wiâ—hstanding of theÌ„ now Whenas euery one of theÌ„ ruleth his owne blasts in a diuers region But that they would reare the world in pieces the discord of those brethreÌ„ is so great The East-winde betooke it selfe vnto the morning and to the kingdomes of Nabathaea And to Persia and to the mountaines lying vnder the Sunne rising The euening and the shoares w ch wax warme by the Sunne setting Are next vnto the West-wind the horrible North-wind hath inuaded Scythia the parts lying vnder the North pole The contrarie earth is wet with continuall clouds froÌ„ the rainy south He placed ouer these the skie being pure and without all heauinesse neither hauing any terrene substaÌ„ce Scarcely had he thus seuered all things in their certaine bounds When as the starres which had long lyen hid pressed vnder that same masse began to glister in the whole heaueÌ„ And least any region should be destitute of their owne liuing creatures The starres and the Gods doe possesse the heauenly soyle The waters haue befallen to bee inhabited of the bright fishes The earth tooke the beasts the moueable ayre the birds A liuing creature more holy then these and more capeable of a diuine minde And which might rule ouer the rest was as yet lacking Man was borne whether that maker of all things the beginning of the better world made him of diuine seede
Or whether the earth newly made lately separated from the high skie retained the seedes of the heauen being kinne vnto it Which earth being mingled with riuer water Prometheus the Son of Iaphet Formed according to the image of the Gods ruling all things And whereas the rest of the liuing creatures do looke to the earth downeward He gaue to man a lofty countenance commaÌ„ded him to behold the heauen and to lift vp his face vpward to the skies So the earth which had beene but preseÌ„tly before vnwrought and without forme Being chanchanged put vpon it the vnknowen shapes of men FABLE III. Of the foure ages of the world v. z. the Golden Siluer Brazen Iron ages and first of the golden age THe golden age is sowen first which obserued fidelity and vpright dealing without any reuenger of the own accord w th out law There was no punishment nor feare nor threatning wordes were bound in fixed brasse neither yet did the suppliant company feare the face of their Iudge but they were safe without iudge The Pine cut out of her mountaines had not yet descended into the liquid waues that shee might goe to see the stâ—aunge world And mortall men knew no coasts but their owne Deepe trenches did not as yet compasse about the towns There was no Trumpet of straight brasse no hornes of bended brasse No helmets not a sword The nations liuing securely did follow continually their pleasant ease without vse of the souldier Also the earth it selfe as yet free and vntouched with the harrowe nor cut with any Shares yeelded all things of it selfe And they being content with meats prepared without any labour Gathered Seruice-berries and Straw-berries growing in the mountaines And Hawes and also bramble-berries sticking in the rough bushie places And likewise Acornes w ch fell from the broad spreading tree of Iupiter The spring was continual the pleasant West windes cherisht the flowers bred without seede W th their warm blasts Forth-with also the vntilled earth broght forth fruits The field not renued was white with r ful eares of corne Now riuers of milke now the riuers of Nectar ran And yellow honey dropped down froÌ„ the green holme FAB IIII. Of the other three ages viz. the Siluer Brazen Iron ages first of the siluer age wherein Iupiter contracted that perpetuall spring diuiding the yeare into foure parts AFter that Saturne was sent into the darke dungeons of hell The world was vnder Iupiter and the siluer age succeeded Worse then golde more pretious then the yellowe Brasse This Iupiter contracted the times of the ancieÌ„t spring And hee digested the yeare by foure spaces by Winters Summers inconstant autumns and a short spring Then first the ayre being burnt with drying heat Beganne to glowe and the I se haÌ„ged being congealed w th the r winds Then men first got into houses caues were their houses And thicke shrubs and rods tyed with pillings of trees Then first the seed corne was couered in long furrowes and the bullocks groned being pressed w th the yoke The third age being made of brasse succeeded after that More cruell in disposition and more forward to dreadfull warres Yet not mischieuous The last age is of hard iron Forthwith all wickednesse burst into an age of a worse metall Shamefastnesse and truth and fidelity fled away Into the place whereof there came both fraud and deceit And also treachery and violence and a wicked desire of getting The Mariner hoisted vp the Sayles to the winds although he yet knew theÌ„ not well and the Keeles W ch had stood long in the high mountains bounsed in the vnknowen waues Also the wary Suruaier bounded his ground with a long limite being common before as the light of the Sunne and of the ayre Neither onely the rich ground was asked corn and due nourishment but men went into the bowels of the earth And riches which it had hid deepe put vnto the Stigian shades are digged out being the r prouocations of euils And now hurtful iron golde more hurtful then iron came abroad war comes forth which fighteth with them both And shakes his ratling armour with a bloudy hand Men liue of rapine the guest is not safe from his host The father in lawe is not safe from his sonne in lawe and the agreemeÌ„t of brethren is rare The husband watcheth for the death of his wife she of her husband The terrible step-mothers doe mingle black wolf-bane The Sonne pries into his Fathers yeers before his day Piety lyeth ouercome and the virgin Iustice the last of the heauenly inhabitants left the earth imbrued in bloud FABLE V. Of the battell which the Giants prepared against the Gods ANd least the high heaueÌ„ should bee more secure then the earth They say that Giants did affect the kingdome of heauen And built vp mountains heaped vp vnto the high skies Then the Almighty Father sending downe his thunderbolt brake in pieces Olympus and smit out Pelion lying vnder Ossa When as their cruell bodies lay ouerwhelmed with their owne vast weight They say that the earth waxed wet being dashed w th much blood of her sonnes and that it animated the warm bloud And least no monuments of their progenie should remaine That it turned it into the shape of men and moreouer that that same
Thou in like manner alwaies beare the perpetuall honours of thy leaues Apollo had thus ended his speech the Laurell assented w th her boughs so lately made seemed to haue mooued her top euen as her head FINIS Adde quod ingenuas didicisse fideliter artes Emollit mores nec sinit esse feros Ouid. a Metamorphosis signifieth a change of one likenesse or shape into another of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof commeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 transformo and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 transformatio Some books haue of the metamorphosis or transformation in the singular number others of the transformations in the plurall it is all one in effect one sort speaking of the whole work in generall the other of the particular changes * Metamorphosis r Changes r Ouid. Here first is set down the Exordium or entrance into this worke contained in these 4 first verses Which consisteth of two parts viz. a Proposition and an Inuocation * My minde carrieth me viz. desireth r I intend or I am purposed or determined b Formes changed into new bodies for bodies chaÌ„ged into new forms by a figure most common amongst the Poëts called Hypallage * Formes or shapes changed into new bodies d This is vsuall with the Poëts to beginne with the inuocation of those Gods which they thought to be the principall authors and directors of the matters whereof they writ * O ye God 's for euen ye haue changed those shapes no other 1. The proposition sheweth the authors inteÌ„t which is to set down a continued history of the first creation of all things and the change of them after c Aspirare signifieth to blow prosperously vnto A metaphor taken from the windes blowing fitly vpon the sailes of a ship so fâ—rthering it in sailing * Fauour ye c. * Aspire ye vnto or blow ye vnto viz. Prosper ye or giue good successe vnto 2. The inuocation of the Gods is to prosper this attempt And that first because this transformation was their worke alone Secondly for that his desire is to draw out the storie in a continued verse euen vnto his owne times to make each fable to arise and depend euery one vpon another * Beginnings or attempts r Yee and none other * Perpetuall viz. so continued as no transformation is omitted but euery one fitly knit vnto another that one fable might seeme to rise of another r Creation of the world This Ouid teacheth to be the order of the creation according to the Poets as they had receiued of the ancicients who it is most like had scene or heard of the sacred scriptures Which although it be not in all things agreeable to the scriptures yet in many things coÌ„meth very neâ—re therevnto r Seas * Earths or lands e Coelum quasi varjâ—sy deribus coelatum or q. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—concauâ—tate r The outward cirâ—cuÌ„fereÌ„ce wherin are the Sun moone and stars called the firmament or heauen r One oneâ—y Before Heauen or earâ—h were maue there was but one forme or fashion of all things * CountenaÌ„ce shape or fâ—shion f Oâ— nature viz. of all natural things whâ—râ— of nature is the auâ—hour Met. efficientis for nature is thus described Vis quaedam qua omnia 〈◊〉 r All the world * Which forme or countenance g Chaos signifieth hiatus â— gaping of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Poets meane by it a confused heape or lumpe which thâ—y hold to haue beene eternall and that out of it God formed all things contrary to the Scriptures which teach that God made this first and then all things out of it by his word aloue They seeme herein to allude to that which is Gen. 1. ver 1. 2 That in the beginning God created the Heauen the earth the earth was without form and voyde and darkenesse was vpon the face of the deep c. yet missing in the chiefe that God created first the very lumpe or masse r Men tearmed or the ancients called This the auncients called Chaos r An impolished vndigested masse or a greatnesse without distinction or order r Lumpe Which was a confused heape without all order r Sluggish or heauie and immooueable without all art And nothing but a dead and vnmoueable lumpe without all art r Contrary or repagnant h Those seedes were chiefly the fourâ— Elements called the first bodies of which all things consist Yet hauing the seeds of all thingâ— heaped vp together in it r Seedes viz. the beginings of all things disagreeing among themselues heaped or confused in the same place or in the Chaos t Titan son to Coelâ—m and Vesta viz. to the heauen and the earth There was as yet no Sunne to giue light to the world * The new mooue repaired Al the mone repaired â—er new hornes k Phoebe sister to Phoebus the Sunne so called o◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because or their brightnesse r Renew or restore Nor Moone to change and increase * Neither r Neither did the earth peized c. hang in the ayre l The earth alone of all the Elements remaines immooueable and is therefore called the center of the world because it is in the middest of all the elements vnto which all things descâ—nd * Weighed by her c. or stayed vp r Proper * Weights Nor earth hanging equally of it selfe in the middest of the ayre * Poured about or compassing it about * The sea had reachâ—d or stretched out m Amphitrite the wife of Neptune heere put for the Sea Met Effic * Brinke or shore * Earths or lands Neither any sea reaching along by the bankes of the earth * And also * There was All parts of the world were mingled and confused in one Al slie r Vnsetled or moueable The earth was vnstable r Not possible or fit to be swomme in The water not to be swomme in * Needing or wanting light The ayre without light * The owne forme or shape did remaine to nothing or to none of the foure Elements Nothing had the right shape n Contrary qualities were in the same subiect which now cannot be in the same manner * Another thing stood against other things r was contrary to others One thing hindered another For that all things did striue together in the Chaos r Striue or contend * Hot things Colde with hot * Moyst things did fight with drye things Moyst with dry Soft things with hard Heauy with light * Hard things r Weighty or heauy things * Did striue with things Thus much concerning the Chaos Now the Poet sheweth the the first generall chaÌ„ge how the foure Elements were made out of this by whom so all things out of them o This he speaketh either acccording to the opinion of those Philosophers who thought nature to bee superiour to God more mighty then hee as it is in the 9. Booke Or et may be taken for
Framer r Suffered or granted * to these * The ayre to be had or to haue the ayre viz. free liberty of the ayre * All abroad * It is resisted scarcely to them now viz. things can hardly abide the violence of them now For that they are so boystrous that they hardly can be resisted r Although euery of them hath but his owne region or quarter r Tract coast or quarter Although he haue restrained euery one of them to his owne part and region * But that they teare in pieces the world or butcher the world or destroy it k Epiphonemâ— Because they would otherwise teare the world in pieces thorough the vehemenâ—y of the discorde between them l Eurus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod ab oriente flat It is called Vulturnus by a similitude from the fierce flying of the Vultur * Went backe or departed r The Sunne rising * Nabathaean kingdomes m Nabathaea is a part of Arâ—bia-foelix between the Persian Sea and the red Sea The East-wind hee hath limited to the Sunne rising viz. to all those parts towards the Sunne rising n Persia a Countrey in the East part of Asia * Ridges or tops of the hills subiect or lying towards the * morning beames The warme West-winde to the Sunne setting viz. to all those parts towards it o Zephyrus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à ferenda satis omnibus vita of refreshing and quiâ—kning all things sowen p Boreas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the noyse which â—t maketh or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à nutrimento because it especially nouâ—sheth the body making it healthfull r Gone into The boystrous North winde to the parts towards the north â—ole or the Charles waine * The seauen flowe Oxen or the seauen starres called the Charles waine The moyst South-winde to the contrary parts r Pâ—rt of the eâ—rth * Doth waxe wet r Or by the rainie South q Auster q. hauster ab hauriend a aqua because it is commonly rainie Ouer these he set the liquid skie without all weight or earthly substance * Hee hath imposed or set * The liquide skie r Aether may be taken here for the Element of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—b ardendo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— semper currendo * And wanting waight * Any thing of earthly dregs or setling These were scarcely thus separated and setled but the starres * He had separated or distinguâ—shed scarcely r He viz. God r Setled and vnchangâ—â—ble Which before had lyen hid kept-in in the Chaos * Signes consisting of many starres as Aries Tâ—uruâ— c. * Which haue lyen hid long r Kept vnder that they could not shine r The Chaos r Shine bright in euery part of heauen Began to glitter in all parts of the heauen * Depriued or voyd of * Her viz. proper and belonging to them And lest any region or part of the world should bee destitute of her huing creatures He set in each of them seuerall kinds s He followeth their opinion who hold the stars to bee liuing and the fained Gods liuing creatures * Formes or shapes of the Gods viz. the imagined Gods of the heathens * Holde or haue r Heauen t Solum is taken for whatsoeuer doth sustaine other things as the earth doth the creatures vpon it q sol dum The stars and Gods in the heauens * Waues * Giuen place to yeelded themselues or fallen to the lot of r Shining Fishes in the waters r Receiued the beasts for her creatures u Ferae quod toto corpore ferantur They are properly wilde beasts here for all kinds by Synec spec * The wilde beasts x The ayre is called mooueable because it is easily driuen hither and thither * Tooke or receiued the birds to abide chiefly in it Beasts in the earth Birds in the ayre y Man is said to bee a holy liuing creature and partaker of a high mind because he alone is partaker of reason hauing some acknowledgement of the Lord by nature For this high mind doth signifie reason inlightned with the knowledge of God and of the law of nature * These viz. beasts fishes and birds * A high or deepe mind viz. of a profound memory and great wit r Vnderstanding or reason And finally whereas there was as yet lacking a creature more holy and of a more diuine â—nderstanding z Man through reason hath the vse and benefite of all the creatures making all so to serue him r Haue the gouernment of the rest * The rest of the creatures * Was lacking as yet Which might rule ouer the rest * Is. r Bred. Man was made but whereof by whom or how hee sheweth it to be vncertaine amongst the Poets a We are not to maruaile if the Poet professe his ignorance in the creation of man * That chiefe workeman or framer of things viz. God * Originall or fountaine viz the cause or author r The world after the Chaos Whether that God which had made all the oâ—her creatures framed him of diuine seede * Fresh or new Or whether of the new earth retaining still the seeds of heauen wherunto it was so neer of kin * Drawne asunder or diuided r Neere vnto it by kin as comming out of the same masses or framed together * mixed * Waters * He who was soweÌ„ or begotten or descended of Iaphet b Iapeto by Iapetus is thought to bee meant Iaphet the sonne of Noah whom antiquitie accounted a holy man of the number of the heauenly like as they account his sons whom the Poets call Titans to bee more ancient then man-kinde And amongst them one of them was called Prometheus à prouidentia because he was prudent and prouident aboue the rest Being mingled with water Prometheus the Son of Iaphet c This Prometheus is celebrated to haue been the framer of man either because wisedome is onely belonging to man or because man was made by singular counsell aboue the other creatures or else for that he was the first that instructed men in the knowledge of the creation especially of man kinde how God made him to his image and so as the knowledge of God all diuine vnderstanding came from him * Hath fashioned or framed vnto the image or likenesse * Gouerning all things Formed him according to the image of the Gods who gouern all things * The other liuing creatures * Doe looke vpon or behold the earth * Prone or inclining downeward or groueling And made him such a one that whereas the rest of the creatâ—res looke downewards towards the earth d This shape of man after this sort sheweth to what end he was created to wit to the acknowledgment of God and the contemplation of heauenly things which appertaineth to no other of the creatures * Mouth viz. a countenance looking vpward or high * See or looke to He gaue him a lofty countenance to looke vpward * Countenances erect to the signes or
horrible fact of Lycaon and the vengeance which Iupiter tooke of him for the same hee proceedeth to declare that all the world being likewise filled with cruelty Iupiter fully resolues to destroy all in like manner * Hath fallen or is fallen r To be ouerthroweÌ„ q Erynuis is taken for a Furie of hel delighting in discord and warre a taker of vengeance on such especially as are impious against their parents * Cruell furie raigns what way the earth lyeth open viz. euery where That although this one house was ouerthrowen yet it was not one house alone that had deserued it but euen all man-kinde was worthy to perish * You may thinke them to sweare to horrible wickednesse r A man would thinke that all men had bound themselues by oath to commit all kinde of mischiefe Because cruelty so raigned euery where that a man would haue thought that all sorts had conspired bound themselues by oath to commit all horrible wickednesse * All of them let them giue the punishment c. r Let them haue all according to their deseruings * More quickly And therefore he decrees to deale with theÌ„ all in taking vengeance according to their desert * To suffer * So my sentence or decree stands r Determined And this is the determination of his sentence which he will not reuoke r This seemeth to be an allusion to the manner of the Senatours of Rome in giuing their sentences or voices * Sayings Hereupon all the rest of the Gods approoue of Iupiters decree Some by speech setting him on * Put vnto pricks or goads * Chafing discontented or full of indignation Others by their assents agreeing thereunto r By giuing their assent or assenting r They all take to heart the losse of mankinde r Destruction Yet here the Gods make sundry doubts concerning this matter And first they are all troubled for this vtter destruction of mankinde And then demand what the forme and condition of the world should be being vtterly dispeopled and depriued of mortall men r They demaund of Iupiter * What the fashion of the earth shall be being depriued or destitute r should be Who should do them any worship or seruice r Who should worship or doe any honour vnto them r Incense or sacrifice Whether he thus prepared a way to deliuer the earth to the wilde beasts to be wasted by them * To giue ouer the earth to be wasted with wilde beasts * Dispeopled or wasted * The King of the Gods forbids them asking such like things to feare To all which Iupiter giuing answere first for the generall bids them not to feare for that he would haue a care of all these things * Tremble * For hee said the rest or other matters to bee afterwards a care to him * To be r Issue or generation And for mankinde that hee would raise vp another of-spring farre vnlike this former which hee would destroy and of a more admirable beginning viz. by changing euen very stones into men and women as followeth after * Maruailous original stock or birth viz. By changing stones into men and women as followeth after * About * Scatter or spread or throwe abroad r Thunderbolts * The whole earths And here he was ready to haue scattered his lightnings throwen his thunderbolts thoroughout all the earth But that hee feared least hereby the verie heauens should bee set on fire by so many fires euery where vnder them * Skie * Conceiue or catch the flames * From so many c. r Vpon the earth s The Axletree about which the heauen is said to bee turned put for the whole heauen * Axletree * Begin to burne r Cals to minde t Fatum according to the Stoicks is the decreed order of things whereby the world is gouerned necessarily * To be in the destinies or fates And withall remembred that it was decreed that such a destruction by fire should come in the end of the world * A time to be present * In which time the sea in which the earth palace or court of heauen being catched by fires must burne For that the time should come wherein earth sea and heauens being set on fire should burne and the whole frame of the world should be dissolued * Huge masse or building of the world so ful of work or that cost so much labour must labour or faint * Darts * Framed forged or hammered u The Cyclopians are said to haue beene Iupiters Smiths which make him thuÌ„derbolts They were giaÌ„ts of Sicily hauing but one eye and that in the middest of their forehead r Layed aside to bee reserued against the last destruction by fire Hereupon hee layeth vp his thunderbolts forged by his Smiths the Cyclopians * Diuers r It pleaseth him to haue a punishment contrary to that by fire viz. by water * The mortall kind r By water And resolueth of a contrary destruction viz. To destroy all mankinde with a floud of waters and that chiefly by sending downe a mighty raine from euery part of heauen * Great showers or sodaine stormes of raine out of all the heauen * To that end x Aquile the North-winde is so called because he commeth flying boystrously as an Eagle * Eolian caues y Eolus is fained to bee the sonne of Iupiter by Acestaâ— and he is said to bee the GOD of the winds because being Prince of Eolie hee found out much the reason of the winds by certaine signes to foretell what windes would blowe and so was thought to haue the windes at commaund And to this purpose hee presently shuts vp the North-winde in the caues of the countrey of Eolia where Eolus rules them * Whatsoeuer other blasts * Put to flight or cause to fly away r Spred ouer And likewise all other windes which driue away the cloudes and the raine And instead of them sends abroad the south-winde the principall procurer of raine z The South-winde is thus described because it is commonly wet a The winds are said to haue wings for the swiftnesse of them Which is described thus for the more easie vnderstanding the rainie nature of it * Hauing couered his terrible c. or being couered in respect of his countenance or as concerning his countenaÌ„ce Synce * Pitchy darknesse viz. blacke clouds 1. That hee comes flying with wet wings 2. That he hath his countenance terrible couered with darknesse as blacke as pitâ—h * Heauie or full * Huge showers or stormes 3. That his beard is loaden with raine and that raine floweth from his hoarie lockes all bedeawed * Waue r White with deaw * Haires 4. That in his forehead sit little cloudes his feathers bosom all distill like deaw r Drop downe as the deaw or send downe a deaw * Pressed the clouds hanging farre and wide with his hand 5. That hee wrings the clouds in his hand b Fragor is the noise of things broken
one that more loued equitie or any one that more reuerenced the Gods then she After that Iupiter seeth the world to stand as a pond with liquide fens And one onely man to remaine of so many thousands And onely one woman to be remaining of so many thousands Both of them harmelesse both deuout worshippers of God He dispersed the cloudes and hauing remooued the mighty raine with the Northwinde Hee sheweth both the earth vnto the heauens and the heauens vnto the earth Neither doth the rage of the sea continue And also Neptune hauing layd aside his three forked Mace asswageth the waters and calleth forth that azure coloured Triton his Trumpeter appearing aboue the deepe and hauing his shoulders couered with a natiue purple colour and commaunds him to blow with his sounding shell and now to recall the floudes and streames by this signe giuen vnto them He taketh vnto himselfe his hollowe Trumpet writhē wider and wider which waxeth bigger like vnto a top from the very smallest end His trumpet I say which so soone as it conceiueth the blast in the middest of the sea Filleth with the sound all the shoares lying vnder compasse of the Sunne Then also so soone r as it touched the mouth of the God distilling like the deawe with his wet beard and being blowen sounded the commāded retreits It was heard of all the waues both of land and sea And of what waters soeuer it was heard it forthwith repressed them all And now hath the Sea his shoares again the chanell containeth the full riuers The floudes settle downe and the little hils doe seeme to come forth The ground ariseth places doe increase the waters decreasing And after a long time the woodes shewe their naked tops and keepe the mud left In their boughs The world was restored which after that Deucalion saw it made bare And also the desolate earth to be altogether silent he speakes thus vnto Pyrtha the teares standing in his eyes Oh sister oh my wife oh the only woman remaining aliue Whome the common stocke and descent from the same Grandfather afterwards the bed hath ioyned vnto mee and now also these very dangers do ioyne together Wee two are the whole company of all the lands which soeuer the West and East do see the Sea hath all other liuing creatures Moreouer this confidence of our life is not yet sure enough now euen the verie cloudes doe terrifie our minde Ah poore soule to be pittied what a heart shouldest thou now haue had if thou hadst beene preserued alone without mee how couldest thou alone endure this feare by whose comfort couldest thou abide these griefes For why I my selfe my deare wife belieue mee if the Sea had thee likewise would follow thee and the sea should haue me too Oh that I were able to repaire the people by my Fathers skill infuse soules into the formed earth Now all mankinde remaineth in vs twaine For so it hath pleased the Gods and we remaine samples of men Hee had thus made an end of his speech and they both wept Then they thought it good to pray vnto the heauenly God and to seeke his ayde by the sacred Oracles They made no longer delay they goe together to the waters of Cephisus Although not* cleare as yet but now onely cutting the knowen fordes From thence so soone as they had sprinkled the waters lightly touched Vpon their clothes head they turne their steps vnto the Temple of the sacred Goddesse the roofe wherof of was lothsome with filthy mosse and her Altars stoode without fire Assoone as they touched the staires of the Temple both of them fall down Humbly vpon the ground and trembling kissed the colde stone And thus they spake If the diuine powers being ouercomne with the prayers of the iust begin to be appeased againe if the anger of the Gods be asswaged Oh Themis tell vs by what deuice the losse of our kinde may be repayred and oh most milde Goddes bring som help to mankind being thus destroyed The Goddess is mooued at their prayers giues them this answer Depart yee out of the tēple And couer your heads withall vnloose your garments And then cast the bones of your great mother behind your backe They stood amazed long but Pyrrha breakes off the silence first and refuseth to obey the commandement of the Goddesse And beseecheth her with a trēbling voice that she would pardon her for that shee feareth exceedingly To hurt her mothers ghost by casting of her bones In the meane time they repeate and scan betweene themselues the words of the answer which was giuen being obscure with darke mysteries And then Deucalion comforts Pyrrha his wife with these sweet wordes Either quoth he our iudgement deceiueth vs Or the answeres are holy perswade vs to no impietie The great mother is the earth I suppose the stones in the bodie of the earth to bee called bones wee are commanded to cast these behinde our backs Although Pyrrha be moued by this coniecture of her husband Yet their hope is doubtfull and stil both of them distrust the heauenly Oracle but what shall it hurt them to make a triall They depart couer their heades vngirde their garments And cast the stones commāded behind their backes The stones who can belieue this but that anquitie is witnesse Began to lay away their hardnesse and their stifnesse And to bee softened by little and little and being softened to take a shape By and by they increased and receiued a softer nature that some shape of man might be seene
â—d est melior natura viz. God that better nature so the words following import that he diuided c. r Ended or brake or determined r Contention That God the best nature tooke away this strife * Cut away or parted in sunder * Earths * Waters Diuiding the earth from heauen and the waters from the earth * Seuered or distinguished r Pure clear bright free from corruption * Heauen p The thick ayre wherin the clouds and raine are bred * Thicke or grosse The pure skie from the foggy ayre * He rouled out And hauing separated these forth of the Chaos * Exempted * Blind or disordered r Lumpe or Chaos Hee bound each of them in their own proper place and settled them in a quiet peace * Dissociate in their places or seuered a sunder * Places * Agreeable r The fier * Force or strength * Bowing downeward The fire or fiery power of the heauen bending downeward and lightest in the highest place r Appeared r In the highest part of all r Chiefe The ayre next to it in lightnesse and place r Grosse and heauy The solide earth pressed downe with the weight of it selfe and drawing all heauie things vnto it in the lowest place q The earth is said to draw all heauie things because al heauy things doe naturally descend to it r The great heauie parts out of the Chaos or all weighty things r Ouid doth not â—ssigne the third place to the earth but the lowest as beiâ—g thâ— heauâ—est and drawing downe alâ— heauie things vnto it and so the water compassing it about The water flowing vpon and compassing the vttermost parts of the earth in the third r The vtmost parts of the earth flowing vpon it in many places compassing it about not couering it all r The earth Al So when hee which of the Gods soeuer he was a Heere the Poet making â—s though he was ignorant which of the Gods it was which diuided the foure Elements intimateth that it was some greater and more mighty theÌ„ those which the common sort tooke for Gods In this Chapter the Poet sheweth that God hauing thus diuided the Chaos into parts * Cut or hath cut or seperated r Set in order * Reduced or brought baâ—ke viz. digâ—steit * Beâ—ng cut First hee made the earth round like a globe * In the beginning * He winded round or made round the earth * To the fashion or shape or like to * Orbe or bowle r That it might be * Equall or round and of like weight r On euery side That it might bee equall on each side b Pretum is any narrow sea where 〈…〉 to boyle à seruendâ— oâ— as â—ome wâ—â—â— Ã â—remendo r The mediterranean seas Then hee poured abroad the seas * To begin to swell or to rage r Violent vehement or fierce winds Commanding them to swell with the winds * Gone about or compassed in or hâ—med in r By those seas To inuirone the earth * Hee added also r Springs * Vnmeasurable standing waters or fennes r Pooles â—â—eres or deepe places aâ—waâ—es full of water After he made fountains the great standing waters as lakes and fennes r Compassed in or compassed about r Turning downewardes Also riuers kept in with crooked bankes * Thwart or winding or sidelong bankes * Which riuers * Diuers or separate Which being distant in places one from another r Swallowed vp Are some of them swallowed vp of the earth r Runne Others of them run into the Sea r As in a field or in a more large place of waters Where they haue more liberty as in a large field r Where there is more liberty or room for them r Dash against * For bankes And shores insteade of bankes r Plaine fields Next hereunto hee stretched out the champaine fields * Extended or stretched out to lye euen all abroad c A valley is properly the hollow betweene two hils r Vales or dales r Descend Making the valleyes to descend * Hee commanded the woods * A leafe viz. with boughs of trees The woods to be couered with leaues * Stonie hils to arise or rockes Mountaines rocks to ascend d Zona signifieth both the part of the body which is giâ—t and the girdle it selfe which girdeth it * Girdles or circles * Cut. e Coelius Rhodiginus sheweth out of Cleomedes a notable expounder of the â—ifficulties of the Poets that antica or the fore-part of the heauens is the West whither the heauens tuâ—ne quoniam illuc annuit mundus so the hinder part towards the East from whence it is carried towardes the West and thereupon the left part towards the South the right toward the North. Like as it is if wee stand with our face towaâ—des the West Hâ—e likewise diuided the heâ—uens into fiue zones or pâ—rts two on the right hand two on the left and the burning zone in the middest * So many or euen so many * Left part * The fift zone r Hot or scorching r Then these foure * Care r Diuided r The earth compassed about within those zones or circles Hee diuided likewise the earth into fiue climates proportionable to the fiue zones in the heauens r By the same number of fiue viz hath diuided the earth into so many parts * Cuts diuâ—sions circles or regions * Pressed or stamped * Of which climates that c. Whereof that which is in the middest is not habitable for heate f The fift which is the middle is more hot and scorâ—hing then the rest for the neeâ—enâ—sse of the Sunne passing ouer it twise in the yeer r In the middest g Thus the ancients thought but our trauâ—llers finde it otherwâ—se * High * Two â—limates of those câ—â—mates The two vttermost are extreamely cold * And hee hath set euen so many between both or either of them The two middle viz. betweene the cold and hot of either side temperate of an equal mixture of hot and cold * A temper * The flame r Hauing mingled or tempered them of hot and colde * Those climates * Which is heauier then the fier by so much by how much it is lightâ—â— theâ— the weight of the earth and then the weight of the mater The ayre hangeth ouer these which is so much heauier then the firâ— as the water is lighter then the earth h Pondus leuius Al Pondere leuior * He hath commanded both the little cloudes to stay there and the great clouds to stay there r Fogs or mists * Stand or abide In the ayre hee hath placed both the little cloudes viz. fogs and mists and also the great * About to moue or able to terrifie mens minds or the hearts of men * Humane minds The terrible thunder * Lightnings i All windes are cold by nature * Colds Lightning Windes * And also Hee also limited the windes that they should not haue free liberty of the ayre *
diuided or measured r Foure measures of times or parts euery one consisting of three moneths * Heats of the weather p Autumns or Haruests are called vnequall because they are more vnconstant sometimes hot sometimes colde * vnequall q The spring is said to bee short in regard of the ancient spring in the golden age Diuiding the yeare into foure parts viz. Winter Summer Autumne and Spring r Scorched * Dry heat viz. feruent or vehement heate drying all things 3. That then first the ayre began to bee scorched with the heate in Summer * Glowed like a coale or waxed hot * I se bound with the winds hanged r Frozen viz. the North-winde and other colde windes And the waters to be frozen with the windes in Winter * Went vnder or went into * Caues or holes of the earth dennes haue beene * House 4. That now men began first to seek them houses to saue themselues in from the violence of the weather r Fushes r Windings tyed with barks of trees viz. hurdles made of rods * Ioyned with a barke viz. tyed or bound together That their houses were at the first but dens of the earth thicke shrubs and hurdles r Ceres daughter to Saturne and Ops is said to haue first deuised sowing of corne which before grew wilde for which shee was honoured as a Goddesse * Ceres seeds or seeds belonging to Ceres * Are ouerwhelmed r With long furrowes r Oxen. Then first the sowing of Corne and husbandry was inuented r The brazen age being the third succeeded after that * Of-spring * Brazen After the siluer age succeeded the brazen age worse then it * That siluer age Wherein men waxed more cruell in disposition and more forward to warre and bloudshed * Wits s Horrid a arma q. horrorem incutientia * Ready * Horrible or bloudie Yet this was not so wicked as that which followed * Armes or weapons * Wicked vngratious * Is made of c. Then in the last place hee declareth how the last age of all succeeded which he calls the iron age for that it seemed to be made of Iron Wherein all kinde of wickednesse burst forth modesty truth and fidelity viz. all vertue and honesty departed r And forthwith an age of a worse metall burst forth into all villany * Mischiefe or villany not to be spoken of r Brake out r Time * Veine or Myne r Modesty r Faithfulnesse or faithfull dealing * Of which viz. shamefastnesse and truth c. * Both fraudes and guiles and lying in wayt priuily and violence and a wicked desire of hauing came vnder or entred in And in place thereof succeeded all kinde of vice as deceit treacherie violence and wicked couetousnesse * Force t Here is a briefe descriptiō of couetousnes which is therefore called a wicked desire of getting or hauing riches because it inforceth man to all kinde of wickednesse and makes him wicked whence it is called the mother of all euils * Loue of hauing * Gaue. * Neither had hee knowen them well as yet viz. he knew not the violence or danger of the winds or how to preserue himselfe u Keeles or bottoms of the shippes for the whole ships r Ships r Stood long viz. whilest the trees growed there * Leaped vp and downe or daunced r With or amongst the vnknown waues * Floods And then the Mariner for greedinesse of gain durst venture himselfe to the raging seas thogh he neither knew winds nor seas * Measurer of grounds * Marked out * Bound frontier or ditch Then men began to measure and bound out their grounds * Lights Which before time had beene as common as the sun or the ayre * Was required for viz. corn was sought for of the ground Then also men began to seeke for corne and all manner of nourishment of the earth by husbandry * Nourishments * But it is gone of men into the bowels of c. viz. men digged deepe for riches And then they digged into the depth of the earth for gold and siluer and all kinde of metall x Opes Riches are said to haue the name of Ops Saturnes daughter by which the earth is signified out of which all riches are gotten * The earth or God or nature had layed lowe in the earth r Layed almost as lowe as hell r Stirrers vp of many euils Whence riches the prouocations of all mischiefes were got out of the earth * Hurtfull iron had come forth c. r Weapons made of iron y Nocentius Gold is said to be more hurtfull then iron because most hainous and shamefull wickednesses are committed to get gold z Pugnat vtroque These are as it were the sinnowes of warre these chiefly gold carry away the victory r With weapons and with gold Then also was iron found out whereof swords and other weapons of war are made and then came golde abroad farre more hurtfull then iron And finally warre which is managed with them both * Smites together r Rustling viz ringing or making a noyse Which warre is described by the ratling of armour and sheading of bloud * It is liued of that which is snatched or which is gotten by rapine Al The host is not safe from his guest viz. from all danger by his guest Then men began to liue by rapine That the guest could not bee safe from his Host. Nor the father in law from the sonne in law * Fauour viz. loue or true affection r Seldome seene And that it was rare to see brethren to agree * The man * Hangeth or houereth ouer * Destruction The husband seeking the death of the wife the wife of her husbād * She houereth for the destruction r Cruell towards their step-children r Prepare a Aconitum is a very venemous hearbe first bred as Poets faine of the frothing of the dog of hell amongst the rockes or crags * Pale or wan r Poyson making blacke The step-mothers cruelly practising the death of their step-children by poyson and all other wicked deuices b Inquires of diuiners sorcerers mathematicians and the like * Inquires r Inquires how long his Father shall liue The sonne inquiring and seeking by magicall and wicked arts how long his Father should liue * Godlinesse lieth ouercome of vngodlinesse or trampled vnderfoot Then began all true goldlinesse to bee troden vnder foote c Astraea is said by some to haue beene the daughter of Astraeus a most iust Prince for whose equity shee was called Iustice and is said to haue been taken into heauen and is placed in the Zodiack called Virgo * Astraea r Vertues or heauen dwellers * Wet with slaughter Then Iustice which before had beene vntouched betooke her selfe into heauen leauing the earth imbrued in bloud * Of the fight of the Giants In this Fable the Poet sheweth that the earth thus defiled and iustice gone of it * Skie r Safe Least the heauen should bee more secure
then the earth * Men say d Gigantes Giants were properly men of huge bodies said to be the Sonnes of the the earth without father hauing serpents feet But these indeed were wicked men despâ—siâ—g the Lord and so said to goe about to driue God out of heauen * Giants to haue affected viz. vehemently desired or set vpon e Affectare Signifieth to desire something vehemently which a man cannot attaine vnto * The heauenly kingdome Men say that Giants began to affect the very kingdome of heauen it selfe to subdue it and rule in it hauing driuen out the Gods * To haue built vp * Carried together And to this end and purpose to haue heaped mountaines one vpon another whereby they might climbe vp into heauen r Iupiter * Brake in pieces Olympus with his thunderbolt sent downe f Olympus is a most high hill of Macedonia r Cast downe or dashed in pieces Pelion lying vnder Ossa g Pelion and Ossa are knowen mountains of Thessalie 2. How Iupiter the King of heauen with his thunderbolts brake downe and dasht those hils in peeces * Horrible or direfull or terrible r Greatnesse And with them ouerwhelmed the direfull bodies of those monsters Which bodies of theirs thus crushed with the weight of the hils and of their owne vastnesse * Men say the earth besprinkled or imbrued with much bloud of her sonnes to haue waxed wet and to haue animated or giuen life to the warme bloud Imbrued the earth with their bloud 3. How the earth thus soked with that warme bloud gaue life therevnto And thereupon least no monument of those Giants should remain h This bloud turned into the shapes of men and not of Apes as some thought for that they were such contemners of the Gods so violent and greedy of bloud which Apes are not * It to haue turned into the face or shape of men That the earth so steeped and animated with their bloud turned into the shapes of men * But also that * Stocke race or linage Propago is properly the flocke of an olde Vine out of which many young shutes come Which of-spring of theirs proued also contemners of the Gods and most cruell and bloudily minded That any might know them to haue beene bred of bloud r Any one might knowe This cruelty of theirs is shewed by the example of Lycaon whome Iupiter turned into a Wolfe for his bloudy tyranny in this manner * After that * Father Saturnius viz. Iupiter Saturnes sonne r From the top of heauen That when Iupiter from his high throane beheld this their cruelty hee gaue a deepe groane r Hee fetched a sigh or deepe grone * Relating or shewing or oft thinking of And pondering or reuoluing with himself the cruelty practised by Lycaon at his table in setting mens flesh before his guests the fact being lately committed and not yet divulged * Filthy r Shamefull fact at Lycaona table i Lycaon king of Arcadia and sonne to Pelasgus is reported not only to haue killed his guests but also to haue vsed to set them at his banquets before other strangers to bee eaten which when Iupiter had found by experience he both burnt his house and turned him into a Wolfe Some thinke that this was fained for that Lycaon did sacrifice a childe vpon the Altar of Iupiter Lycaon of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying a Wolf r Made knowne or spread abroad r Because the fact was not yet made knowen * Fresh viz. newly committed * Exceeding great angers * Worthy of Iupiter Hee first conceiued high indignation beseeming his Maiesty And forthwith called a councell of the Gods who came immediately to consult hereof r They came without delay r Did hold k The milky circle * A way aloft * Manifest viz. r Shining brightly Heere first the Poet takes occasion to set out the way to Iupiters Court. Al The heauen being cleare 1. That it is aloft apparant to all in a clear heauen * It hath the name Lactea viz. the milky way or Lactea hath the name l Of all other circles in heauen it alone may be seene with the eyes r Notoriously knowen or easie to bee noted and knowen 2. That it is called via lactea notable for shining whitenesse * This way is the iourney for the gods to the roofes of the great thunderer viz. Iupiter or the iourney for the Gods c. 3. That the Gods go that way to Iupiters house 4. That on both sides of this way are the houses of all the other greater Gods as Mars Mercury c. continually frequented their gates standing euer open * The Courts before the houses m Nobilium These were called the greater Gods of the heathen as Mars Apollo Neptune Mercurie c. r With open gates r The inferiour sort r Haue their dwelling * Diuers or separate in places 5. That the multitude of their lesser or inferiour Gods haue their houses further distant from it But the chiefe of the gods haue their houses in the front of that way * The mighty heauen dwellers * And the famous or noble * Haue set their houses from the front or rather towards the forepart of the via lactea n Hic locus The Poet seemeth to allude to the Palace of Rome wherein the Emperours and chiefe â—eeres had thâ—â— houses thus placed Palatium was one of the 〈◊〉 of Rome where were most stately buildings of the Emperours whence all such are called Palatia of mons palatâ—nus * If boldnesse may be giuen or graunted to my words 6. That such is the state of that way that the Poet protesteth that he would not be afraid to call it the very palace of heauen * I cannot viz. I would not bee afraid * To haue called * Therefore where * In their inner roome paued with marble stone After this description of the way wherby the Gods came to Iupiters house and that they were now set in an inner roome paued with Marble That Iupiter placed in his throane aboue them all and leaning vpon his Iuory Scepter shaked first the terrible locks of his head with which hee made both Earth Sea and Heauen to tremble o Sceptro The Scepter is a staffe which Kings vsed to leane vpon It is chiefly attributed to Iupiter the King of Gods and men Sceptrum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hoc est ab innitendo because Kings standing vsed to leane vpon their Scepters * Moued or shook both thrice foure times * Bush of haire or lockes viz. haire r Makes to quake * The stars or signs of heauen viz. the whole heauen * And then he loosed or opened his disdaining mouths in such manner And after that spake with great indignation p Iupiters Oration to the Gods wherein hee sheweth that all mankinde was worthy to be destroyed sith the very Gods themselues were not free from their trecheries and outrage When as Lycaon was not afraid to lay hands vpon
earth that both heauen and earth might bee seene to one another * To heauen and the skie to the lands viz the waters which had couered all being remooued * Anger viz. viclent ouerflowing Hee abateth also the rage of the seas * Remaine or abide * And also the triple poynted or three-forked dart being layed away or being put to it the sea asswageth or calmeth the waters His brother Neptune also who had so helped in increasing the flood hee layeth aside his triple-forked Mace Al Vsing his three-forked Mace d The three-forked Mace is ascribed to Neptune as is thought of some for the three parts of the world which the Ocean sea compasseth about and for that in places neere the sea are oft earthquakes and inundâ—â—ons with the eâ—â—thquake and thereupon is Neptune 〈◊〉 to smite the earth with his three-forked mace as before Asswageth the waters Calleth forth his Trumpetour Triton * Skie coloured or Sea coloured * The deepe Sea Who straight appears vpon the sea * Couered vpon his shoulders or in respect of his shoulders Synec Hauing vpon him a robe of a natiue purple colour r A purple robe e Murex is a shell-fish of the bloud whereof purple colour is made here put for the colour it selfe or a robe dyed with that colour f Triton is a sea-monster like vnto a man in the vpper part and in the nether part like vnto a fish he is of a skie color hath a shel like vnto the great Cockle He is fâ—ned to be Neptunes Trumpeter who by a sound can asswage the seas And the reason thereof is because he both soundeth loud in a shell and when hee is heard or appeareth he then foresheweth a calme to follow Him hee commands to sound a retreit to the flouds and streames therwith to recall them all * Waues and flouds * A signe being giuen that they may returne or a retreit being sounded g Tritons Trumpet described r Triton * A hollow Trumpet is taken to him or of him Hee forthwith takes his Trumpet * Into widenesse or a broad compasse * Which increaseth from the lowest top or mouth or poynt like the sharpe end of a top * His trumpet I say is taken Which so soone as hee had set vnto his bedeawed mouth that it felt his blast r So soone as it began to be blowen or to sound * Ayre or winde * Voyce It filled with the sound of it al the shores lying vnder the whole heauen * Both Phoebus viz. the sun rising and setting or both East and West or all betweene the East and West and so vnder the whole heauen * After that * Mouths of the God viz. of Triton r Triton had set the trumpet vnto his mouth distilling with his wet beard r Blowen in sang * To all viz. by and throughout all the waters So that it was heard of all the waters both in the land and sea * Waues And so soone as euer it was heard of them it forthwith repressed theÌ„ all * Shoare That immediately the Sea commeth within the shores againe * Taketh or receiueth or keepeth within the compasse of it r Streames The riuers returne runne within their chanels r Are diminished and not so deepe All the floudes doe settle downe and as it were little hils begin to appeare * Goe forth or they doe appeare The ground ariseth waxing broader r Waxe greater and broader as the waters diminish * Waues The waters fall waxing narrower * Also the woodes shew their naked tops after a long season So that after a long time the woods begin to shew their naked tops h 〈…〉 in foeminino vsi 〈…〉 pro tempore r Vncouered and without leaues * Hold. Hauing still the mud hanging in their boughes * Bough branch or leafe * The globe or compasse of the earth or vpper face And finally the world is restored againe that the face of the earth doth all appeare r is to be seene againe * Open viz. empty of man and beast Which when Deucalion sawe how it was emptie and desolate and silent r Left alone or desolate of man and beast * Earths * To doe or keepe deepe silences He speakes thus vnto Pyrrha with the teares arising in his eyes * Risen or arising i A patheticall speech and full of affection whereby Deucalion indeauoureth to binde Pyrrha mere firmely vnto him and to moue her to consult for the repaire of mankinde k Deucalion and Pyrrha were brethrens children for Iatheth as they say had two sons Prometheus of whome came Deucalion and Epimetheus of whome was Pyrrha And so he calleth her sister in most kinde sort for that neer bond and after the ancient manner Oh my sister my dearest wife oh woman onely left aliue r Suruiuour of all womankinde * Originall of cosingermans descended from two brethren viz. Prometheus and Epimetheus Whome so neere a descent euen from the same Grandfather and afterwards the mariage bed and now also these very present dangers haue thus ioyned together r Mariage * Now the very dangers do ioyne Thou seest that wee two are all the company that are left aliue in all the world * The setting and rising of the Sun doe see * Hath possessed the rest The sea hauing vtterly swept away all other liuing creatures l Caetera animantâ—â—a And moreouer that this stay of our life is very vncertaine r Trust or stay r Certaine And how euery little cloude doth now terrifie our hearts * Euen the clouds * Oh woman to be pittied what minde coulde bee to thee now if thou hadst beene Oh poore soule what a heart wouldest thou now haue had if thou hadst escaped alone without me * Deliuered from the destinies without me * Snatched from the fates How shouldest thou haue been able to haue endured this feare * By what meanes * Beare the feare * By whome comforting couldst thou endure these griefes Whome shouldest thou haue had to haue comforted thee in thy griefes As for my selfe my dearest wife if the sea had taken thee away I would certainely haue followed thee and it should haue had mee too * Also viz. in like manner as the rest of the creatures m Prometheus â—s is said before formed the earth vnto the image of man and put into it a heauenly soule And for mankinde that is thus destroyed oh would to God I were able to repaire it by my ancient Father Prometheus skill and to infuâ—e soules as hee did into the formed earth r Renew or restore againe * Arts. * To powre in * The earth being formed or framed viz. into the shapes of men * The mortall kinde For now all mankind remaineth in vs two * Seemed good to So it hath beene the good pleasure of the Gods r Onely patternes And we remaine the onely patternes of the same * He had spoken And thus Deucalion ended his speech The Poet hauing thus liuely set out the
see the groues Citties and houses vnder the water * Hold or possesse the woods The great Dolphines and other huge fishes of the sea dwell as birds in the woods * Doe oft runne in to the high branches Swim vp and downe amongst the boughes of the trees r The Oakes tossed with the waters And beate in their swimming against the Oakes tossed in the waters The Wolues and Lyons swim amongst the sheepe * Browne or weefill coloured * Carrieth Neither doth their woonderfull swiftnesse helpe the Tigres r The force of the wilde Bore who is caried with so great violence against the hunter that he may seeme to haue the very power of the thunderbolt or lightning r The Tigre is a beâ—â—â— of woonderfull 〈◊〉 nesse Nor fiercenesse the Bore though his violent rage bee like the thunderbolt s This may bee vnderstood also of the 〈◊〉 of the Bore wherewith he smiteth and 〈◊〉 like a thunderbolt * Neither Nor yet the light legs ought auaile the Stagge * Profit r Hart. * Taken away r All sorts of birds or more specially the Swallow which in flight most wandâ—rs vp and downe The poore bird hauing long wandered vp and downe with weary wings yet at length falleth into the sea finding no place at all for rest or succour * The earths being sought long where she may stand or stay * The vnmeasurable liberty The outragious waters couered all the lesser hills * Ouerwhelmed the lesser hils t Tumâ—lus à tumorâ— r The great and vnusuall waters And new surges still arising beat vpon the tops of the highest mountaines * Beat against * Snatched away Finally for mankinde the greatest part thereof is violently whirled carried quite away by the waters r They who escaped drowning perished with hunger * Long fastings doe tame or subdue them with a helpelesse or succourlesse liuing And if any bechance scape the violence of the waters yet they languish away with long fasting and vtterly perish for want of foode r Sustenance Here the Poet hauing thus shewed the generall destruction of all things by this deluge proceedeth now to shew how onely Deucalion and Pyrrha were preserued by whome mankind was repaired and first setteth downe the place where they were preserued viz. in the mountaine Parnassus in the countrey of Phocis which Phocis is described that it did lie betweene the Aonians and Acteans seuering them 2. That it was a fâ—uitfull land whil'st it remained a land u Here followeth a description of the mountaine Parnassus in the top whereof Deucalion and Pyrrha were preserued by whome after mankinde was repaired x Some make this an Hypallage That the Aonians separate Phocis from the Acteans or Athenians according to the tables of the Geographers * Phocis a fruitefull land whilest it was a land c. seuereth * Separateth or diuideth r Boetians r Athenean fields or fields of Acte where Athens stoode or the countrey of Attica r Which was r Countrey * Hath beene or was * But it was a part of the sea at that time and c. r Large or spacious But that at this time it was all ouerflowen and like vnto the maine sea Al Where the mouÌ„taine Parnassus being high with two tops 3. That in this countrey stoode the hill Parnassus which is also described r Named Parnassus * A high hill 1. By the height that it did seeme to reach almost to the starres * Seeketh or goeth vp vnto the starres or ascendeth 2. By the tops That it had two tops the height whereof went aboue the cloudes * Celestiall signes or skies * Goeth beyonde And only this mountaine remained vncouered of the waters by reason of the height y This seemeth to be a plaine alâ—usion to the resting of the Arke of Noah vpon the mountaine of Ararat * Top. * Where or heere where Deucalion How Deucalion and Pyrrha his wife carried in a little ship stayd here vpon this mountaine * Boate or Lighter * With the consort or companion of his bed or bed fellow Ratis is most properly a Lighter made of pieces of timber pioned together whereon hay or other like things are dragged or drawen with horses on Riuers * Sticked here Al They adore Nymphes of Coryceus And how first when they were comne to land in token of their thankfulnesse and to pacifie and obtaine the fauour and helpe of the Gods they adored the Nymphs and Gods of that mountaine to whome it was consecratâ—ed z Coryceus is a caue in the hill Parnassus dedicated to the Nymphes * Diuine powers of the mountaine viz. Apollo Bâ—cchus and the Muses to which Parnassus was consecrated a Themis Iupiters sister ' of whome hee begat Minerua Goddesse of Iustice commanding men to aske nothing of the Gods but that which was lawfull and meet whereof she had her name of 〈◊〉 sas or iustum r Themis the foretâ—ller of the secrets of the destinies And especially Themis the Goddess of Iustice who at that time was Lady and president of the Oracles and gaue answers vnto them who sought for helpe or to know secrets of the Gods as Apollo did after b Themis is 〈◊〉 to be the chiefe geuetr our of the Oracles viz of Religion 〈…〉 reason which is in 〈◊〉 doth teach all sons that there is a God and that this God is of due to be worshipped and doth maintaine this opinion being ingrauen in the minds of men by the generall consent of all Nations as Tully saith vid. Sabin * Held the Oracles or gaue answer concerning the destinies as Apollo did after * There was not any man better then he Here the Poet setteth out first that holinesse and integrity of these two parties who were thus preserued by whoÌ„ mankinde was so repaired to whome also the Gods had such respect * Nor more louing equity or iustice * More reuerencing the Gods or a more deuout worshipper of the Gods That there were not any better in the earth then they nor any more iust or more deuout and more true worshippers of God * The globe or compasse of the earth And secondly that hereupon Iupiter seeing the world thus ouerflowen as a pond r To stand all ouerflowen as a fen r Waters standing all abroad as in a fen Al Of so many thousands euen now And onely one man and one woman to bee left aliue of all the world and all alone r Thousand men r Innocent And these two both of them most harmelesse creatures most deuout worshippers of God * Worshippers of the diuine power or God * Cast asunder seuered or scattered Hee in compassion disperseth the clouds * Great showers or tempestuous weather being remooued with the North-winde And driues away the raine with the North-winde c The Northwinde scattereth the cloudes and bringeth faire weather r Lands And so beginnes to cleare both the heauen and the earth by remouing the cloudes from the skies and the waters from off the face of the