Thesauros Literature Epic Metamorphoses

Metamorphoses

Metamorphoses Ovid 43 B.C.-17 or 18 A.D

Book 13

 
And suffreth not the Sonne to shyne within it. Blacke as cole 576
 
The cinder rose: and into one round lump assembling whole
 
Grew grosse, and tooke bothe shape and hew. The fyre did lyfe it send,
 
The lyghtnesse of the substance self did wings unto it lend.
 
And at the first it flittred like a bird: and by and by
 
It flew a fethered bird in deede. And with that one gan fly
 
Innumerable mo of selfsame brood: whoo once or twyce
 
Did sore about the fyre, and made a piteous shreeking thryce.
 
The fowrth tyme in theyr flying round, themselves they all withdrew
 
In battells twayne, and feercely foorth of eyther syde one flew
 
To fyght a combate. With theyr billes and hooked talants keene
 
And with theyr wings couragiously they wreakt theyr wrathfull teene.
 
And myndfull of the valeant man of whom they issued beene,
 
They never ceased jobbing eche uppon the others brest,
 
Untill they falling both downe dead with fyghting overprest,
 
Had offred up theyr bodyes as a woorthy sacrifyse
 
Unto theyr cousin Memnon who to Asshes burned lyes.
 
Theis soodeine birds were named of the founder of theyr stocke:
 
For men doo call them Memnons birds. And every yeere a flocke
 
Repayre to Memnons tumb, where twoo doo in the foresayd wyse
 
In manner of a yeeremynd slea themselves in sacrifyse.
 
Thus where as others did lament that Dymants daughter barkt,
 
Auroras owne greef busyed her, that smally shee it markt
 
Which thing shee to this present tyme with piteous teares dooth shewe:
 
For through the universall world shee sheadeth moysting deawe.
 
Yit suffred not the destinyes all hope to perrish quyght 623
 
Togither with the towne of Troy. That good and godly knyght
 
The sonne of Venus bare away by nyght uppon his backe
 
His aged father and his Goddes, an honorable packe.
 
Of all the riches of the towne that only pray he chose,
 
So godly was his mynd: and like a bannisht man he goes
 
By water with his owne yoong sonne Ascanius from the Ile
 
Antandros, and he shonnes the shore of Thracia which ere whyle
 
The wicked Tyrants treason did with Polydores blood defyle.
 
And having wynd and tyde at will, he saufly wyth his trayne
 
Arryved at Apollos towne where Anius then did reigne.
 
Whoo being both Apollos preest and of that place the king,
 
Did enterteyne him in his house and unto church him bring,
 
And shewd him bothe the Citie and the temples knowen of old,
 
And eeke the sacred trees by which Latona once tooke hold

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