DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9261#0080
522 P.OVIDII METAMOR-
Res habuit: neque erat facti nifi confcia nu-
trix.
Vota pater fohit 3nomenque imponit auitum.
Iphis aruus fuerat. ga'vifa ejl nomine mater,
Quod commune foret , nec quemquam falle-
ret illo.
Impercepta pi a mendaciafraude latebant. JIO
Cultus erat pueri: fades 3 quam [we puellae,
Sive dares puero , fieret formofus uterque.
Tertius interea decimo fuccefferat annuss
Cum pater 3 Iphi 3 tibi flavam defpondet Ian-
then :
Inter Phaejiiadas quae laudatijfma for-
mae
Dote fuit virgo 3 DiBaeo nata Telefie.
Tar aetas 3 par forma fuit: primasque ma-
giftris
Accepere artes, element a aetatis 3 ab \sdem.
Hinc amor ambarum tetigit rude pectus: &
aequum
Vulnus utrique tulit. fed erat fducia dif-
par. JIO
Conjugii paffaeque exfpettat tempora taedae,
Quamque virum put at effe 3 fuum fore cre-
dit Idnthe.
Iphis amat 3 quapoffe frui defperat3&' auget
Hoc ipfum flammas : ardetque in virgin?
virgo.
Vixque tenens lacrimas, Quis me manet exi-
tus 3 inqmt 3 725
Cognita quam nulli, quam prodigiofa, novaeque
Cur a tenet Veneris ? fi Di mihi par cere njellent,
[Perdere debuerant: fi non &perdere vellent^j
JSfaturale malum fait em & de more dediffent.
JSfec vaccam <vaccae, nec equas amor urit
equarum. 73°
Urit oves aries ifequitur fua femina cervum.
Sic & aves co 'eunt ,* interque animalia cuncla
Femina femineo correpta cupidine nulla eft.
Vellem nulla forem. ne non tamen omnia Crete
JMonflra ferat3 taurum dilexitfiliaSolis, j^sj
Femina nempe mar em. meus eft furiofwr illo,
Si <verum prof temur 3 amor, tamen ilia fecuta
efi
Spem Veneris: tamen ilia dolis, & imagine
vaccae 3
Faff a bovem eft: & erat 3 qui deciperetur,
adulter.
Flue licet e toto follertia confluat orbe, J^O
Ipfe licet renjolet ceratis Daedalus alis ,*
Quid facie t,? mm mepuerum de virgine dottis
Artibus
P.OVID'S METAMOR-
The Nurfe was confeious of the Fad alone ;
The Father paid his Vows as for a Son 3
And call'd him Iphis3 by a common Name,
Which either Sex with equal Right may claim.
Iphis his Grandfire was; the Wife was pleas'd,
Of half the Fraud by Fortune's Favour eas'd:
The doubtful Name was us'd without Deceit,
And Truth was cover'd with a pious Cheat.
The Habit ftiew'd a Boy, the beauteous Face
With manly Fiercenefs mingled Female Grace.
Now thirteen Years of Age were fwiftly run,^
When the fond Father thought the Time drew on >
Of fettling in the World his only Son. ^
lanthe was his Choice-, fb wondrous fair,
Her Form alone with Iphis cou'd compare j
A Neighbour's Daughter of his own Degree,
And not moreblefs'd with Fortune's Goods than he.
They foon efpous'd; for they with eafe were
join'd,
Who were before contracted in the Mind.
Their Age the lame, their Inclinations too;
And bred together, in one School they grew.
Thus fatally difpos'd to mutual Fires,
They felt, before they knew, die fame Defircs.
Equal their Flame, unequal was their Care;
One lov'd with hope, one languifh'd in Defpair.
The Maid accus'd the ling'ring Day alone:
For whom (he thought a Man, Ihe thought her own.
But Iphis bends beneath a greater Grief;
As fiercely burns, but hopes for no Relief.
Ev'n her Deipair adds Fuel to her Fire;
A Maid with Madnefs does a Maiddefire.
And, fcarce refraining Tears, ,, Alas, faid flie,
What IlTue of my Love remains for me !
How wild a Paflion works within my Breaft,
With what prodigious Flames am I poileft !
Could I the Care of Providence deferve,
Heav'n muft deftroy me, if it would preferve.
And that's my Fate, or fure it would have fent
Some ufual Evil for my Puniftiment:
Not this unkindly Curie; to rage and burn,
Where Nature fliews no Profped of Return.
Nor Cows for Cows confume with fruitlefs Fire,
Nor Mares, when hot, their Fellow-Mares defire:
The Father of the Fold fupplies his Ewes; )
The Stag through fecretWoods his Hind purfues^
And Birds for Mates the Males of their ownf
Species chufe. )
Her Females Nature guards from Female Flame, ^
And joins two Sexes to preferve the Game: >
Wou'd I were nothing, or not what I am! 3
Crete, fam'd for Moniters, wanted of her Store,
'Till my new Love produe'd one Monfter more.
The Daughter of the Sun a Bull defir'd,
And yet ev'n then a Male a Female fir'd:
Her Paffion was extravagantly new ,
But mine is much the madder of the two.
To things impoflible fhe was not bent,
But found the Means to compafs her Intent.
To cheat his Eyes flie took a different Shape j
Yet ftill flie gain'd a Lover, and a Leap.
Shou'd all the Wit of all the World confpire^
Shou'd Dadalus aflift my wild Defire,
„ What
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Res habuit: neque erat facti nifi confcia nu-
trix.
Vota pater fohit 3nomenque imponit auitum.
Iphis aruus fuerat. ga'vifa ejl nomine mater,
Quod commune foret , nec quemquam falle-
ret illo.
Impercepta pi a mendaciafraude latebant. JIO
Cultus erat pueri: fades 3 quam [we puellae,
Sive dares puero , fieret formofus uterque.
Tertius interea decimo fuccefferat annuss
Cum pater 3 Iphi 3 tibi flavam defpondet Ian-
then :
Inter Phaejiiadas quae laudatijfma for-
mae
Dote fuit virgo 3 DiBaeo nata Telefie.
Tar aetas 3 par forma fuit: primasque ma-
giftris
Accepere artes, element a aetatis 3 ab \sdem.
Hinc amor ambarum tetigit rude pectus: &
aequum
Vulnus utrique tulit. fed erat fducia dif-
par. JIO
Conjugii paffaeque exfpettat tempora taedae,
Quamque virum put at effe 3 fuum fore cre-
dit Idnthe.
Iphis amat 3 quapoffe frui defperat3&' auget
Hoc ipfum flammas : ardetque in virgin?
virgo.
Vixque tenens lacrimas, Quis me manet exi-
tus 3 inqmt 3 725
Cognita quam nulli, quam prodigiofa, novaeque
Cur a tenet Veneris ? fi Di mihi par cere njellent,
[Perdere debuerant: fi non &perdere vellent^j
JSfaturale malum fait em & de more dediffent.
JSfec vaccam <vaccae, nec equas amor urit
equarum. 73°
Urit oves aries ifequitur fua femina cervum.
Sic & aves co 'eunt ,* interque animalia cuncla
Femina femineo correpta cupidine nulla eft.
Vellem nulla forem. ne non tamen omnia Crete
JMonflra ferat3 taurum dilexitfiliaSolis, j^sj
Femina nempe mar em. meus eft furiofwr illo,
Si <verum prof temur 3 amor, tamen ilia fecuta
efi
Spem Veneris: tamen ilia dolis, & imagine
vaccae 3
Faff a bovem eft: & erat 3 qui deciperetur,
adulter.
Flue licet e toto follertia confluat orbe, J^O
Ipfe licet renjolet ceratis Daedalus alis ,*
Quid facie t,? mm mepuerum de virgine dottis
Artibus
P.OVID'S METAMOR-
The Nurfe was confeious of the Fad alone ;
The Father paid his Vows as for a Son 3
And call'd him Iphis3 by a common Name,
Which either Sex with equal Right may claim.
Iphis his Grandfire was; the Wife was pleas'd,
Of half the Fraud by Fortune's Favour eas'd:
The doubtful Name was us'd without Deceit,
And Truth was cover'd with a pious Cheat.
The Habit ftiew'd a Boy, the beauteous Face
With manly Fiercenefs mingled Female Grace.
Now thirteen Years of Age were fwiftly run,^
When the fond Father thought the Time drew on >
Of fettling in the World his only Son. ^
lanthe was his Choice-, fb wondrous fair,
Her Form alone with Iphis cou'd compare j
A Neighbour's Daughter of his own Degree,
And not moreblefs'd with Fortune's Goods than he.
They foon efpous'd; for they with eafe were
join'd,
Who were before contracted in the Mind.
Their Age the lame, their Inclinations too;
And bred together, in one School they grew.
Thus fatally difpos'd to mutual Fires,
They felt, before they knew, die fame Defircs.
Equal their Flame, unequal was their Care;
One lov'd with hope, one languifh'd in Defpair.
The Maid accus'd the ling'ring Day alone:
For whom (he thought a Man, Ihe thought her own.
But Iphis bends beneath a greater Grief;
As fiercely burns, but hopes for no Relief.
Ev'n her Deipair adds Fuel to her Fire;
A Maid with Madnefs does a Maiddefire.
And, fcarce refraining Tears, ,, Alas, faid flie,
What IlTue of my Love remains for me !
How wild a Paflion works within my Breaft,
With what prodigious Flames am I poileft !
Could I the Care of Providence deferve,
Heav'n muft deftroy me, if it would preferve.
And that's my Fate, or fure it would have fent
Some ufual Evil for my Puniftiment:
Not this unkindly Curie; to rage and burn,
Where Nature fliews no Profped of Return.
Nor Cows for Cows confume with fruitlefs Fire,
Nor Mares, when hot, their Fellow-Mares defire:
The Father of the Fold fupplies his Ewes; )
The Stag through fecretWoods his Hind purfues^
And Birds for Mates the Males of their ownf
Species chufe. )
Her Females Nature guards from Female Flame, ^
And joins two Sexes to preferve the Game: >
Wou'd I were nothing, or not what I am! 3
Crete, fam'd for Moniters, wanted of her Store,
'Till my new Love produe'd one Monfter more.
The Daughter of the Sun a Bull defir'd,
And yet ev'n then a Male a Female fir'd:
Her Paffion was extravagantly new ,
But mine is much the madder of the two.
To things impoflible fhe was not bent,
But found the Means to compafs her Intent.
To cheat his Eyes flie took a different Shape j
Yet ftill flie gain'd a Lover, and a Leap.
Shou'd all the Wit of all the World confpire^
Shou'd Dadalus aflift my wild Defire,
„ What
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3)
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