Certaine of Ovids Elegies. By C. Marlow. At Midleborugh ; with a second title-page, Epigrammes and Elegies. By I.D. and C. M., n. d., 12mo.-Referred to in the notes as Ed.¡A.

All Ovids Elegies: 3. Bookes. By C. M. Epigrams by J. D. At Middlebourgh, n. d., 12mo. — Referred to in the notes as Ed. B.

All Ovids Elegies: 3. Bookes. By C. M. Epigrams by J. D. At Middlebovrgh, n. d., 12mo.—Referred to in the notes as Ed.

C.

P. OVIDII NASONIS AMORUM

LIBER PRIMUS.

ELEGIA I.

Quemadmodum a Cupidine pro bellis amores scribere
coactus sit.

WE which were Ovid's five books*, now are three ;
For these before the rest preferreth he.
If, reading five, thou plain'st of tediousness,
Two ta'en away, thy + labour will be less.

With Muse prepar'd, I meant to sing of arms,
Choosing a subject fit for fierce alarms:
Both verses were alike, till Love, men say,
Began to smile, and took § one foot away.
Rash boy, who gave thee power to change a line?
We are the Muses' prophets, none of thine.
What, if thy mother take Diana's bow,

* We which were Ovid's five books, &c.] When Mr. Collier (Bridgewater Cat., p. 189) quoted these four lines as a proof that Marlowe "took some liberties with his original," he was not aware that they are a literal translation of Ovid's Epigramma in Amores suos.

thy] So eds. B, C.-Ed. A "the."

‡ prepar'd, I meant] So eds. B, C.-Ed. A "vpreard, I meane." Stook] So eds. B, C.-Ed. A "take."

What] So eds. B, C.-Ed. A "That."- We read in the original,

'Quid? si præripiat flavæ Venus arma Minerva,
Ventilet accensas flava Minerva faces?"

But Marlowe must have read "Dianæ " and " Diana."

Shall Dian fan when love begins to glow?
In woody groves is't meet that Ceres reign,
And quiver-bearing Dian till the plain?
Who'll set the fair-tress'd Sun in battle-ray,
While Mars doth take the Aonian harp to play?
Great are thy kingdoms, over-strong, and large:
Ambitious imp, why seek'st thou further charge?
Are all things thine? the Muses' Tempe* thine?
Then scarce can Phoebus say, "This harp is mine."
When in this work's† first verse I trod aloft,
Love slack'd my Muse, and made my numbers § soft.
I have no mistress nor no favorite,

Being fittest matter for a wanton wit:

Thus I complain'd; but Love unlock'd his quiver,
Took out the shaft, ordain'd my heart to shiver,
And bent his sinewy bow upon his knee,
Saying, "Poet, here's a work beseeming thee."
Oh, woe is me! he never shoots but hits:
I burn; love in my idle bosom sits.
Let my first verse be six, my last five feet:
Farewell, stern war, for blunter poets meet!
Elegian Muse, that warblest amorous lays,
Girt my shine brow with sea-bank myrtle sprays ¶!

*Tempe] So ed. A.-Eds. B, C. "Temple."

t work's] So eds. B, C.-Ed. A "worke." Love] So eds. B, C.-Ed. A “ I.”

$numbers] So eds. B, C.-Ed. A "number." || shine] i. e. sheen, shining.

¶ sprays] Old eds. "praise."-At the end of this elegy, Ed. A has "C. Marlowe."

ELEGIA II.

Quod, primo amore correptus, in triumphum duci se a
Cupidine patiatur.

WHAT makes my bed seem hard, seeing it is soft* ?
Or why slips down the coverlet so oft?

Although the nights be long, I sleep not tho†;
My sides are sore with tumbling to and fro.
Were Love the cause, it's like I should descry him;
Or lies he close, and shoots where none can spy him?
'Twas so; he strook ‡ me with a slender§ dart;
'Tis cruel Love turmoils my captive heart.
Yielding, or struggling ||, do we give him might?
Let's yield a burden easily borne is light.
I saw a brandish'd fire increase in strength;
Which being not shak'd¶, I saw it die at length.
Young oxen newly-yok'd are beaten more
Than oxen which ** have drawn the plough before;
And rough jades' mouths with stubborn bits are torn,
But manag'd horses' heads are lightly borne.
Unwilling lovers Love doth more torment
Than such as in their bondage feel content.
Lo, I confess, I am thy captive, I !

And hold my conquer'd hands for thee to tie.
What need'st thou war? I sue to thee for grace:
With arms to conquer armless men is base.

* it is soft] So eds. B, C.-Ed. A “it is so soft.”

tho] i. e. then.

strook] So ed. B.-Ed. A "strok."-Ed. C "strucke."

§ slender] So eds. B, C.-Ed. A "tender."

struggling] So eds. B, C.-Ed. A "striuing." ¶shak'd] So ed. A.-Eds. B, C "slackt."

** which] So eds. A, B.-Ed. C "that."

Yoke Venus' doves, put myrtle on thy hair :
Vulcan will give thee chariots rich and fair.
The people thee applauding, thou shalt stand,
Guiding the harmless pigeons with thy* hand:
Young men and women shalt thou lead as thrall;
So will thy triumph+ seem magnifical:

I, lately caught, will have a new-made wound,
And captive-like be manacled and bound:

Good meaning, shamet, and such as seek love's wrack,
Shall follow thee, their hands tied at their back:
Thee all shall fear, and worship as a king;
Iö triumphing shall thy people sing:
Smooth speeches, fears, and rage shall by thee ride,
Which troops have always been on Cupid's side:
Thou with these soldiers conquer'st gods and men :
Take these away, where is thine || honour, then?
Thy mother shall from heaven applaud this show,
And on their faces heaps of roses strow:

With beauty of thy wings thy fair hair gilded¶,
Ride, golden Love, in chariots richly builded!
Unless I err, full many shalt thou burn,
And give wounds** infinite at every turn:
In spite of thee, forth will thine†† arrows fly;
*thy] So eds. B, C.-Not in ed. A.

+ triumph] So eds. B, C.-Ed. A " triumphes."

Good meaning, shame] "Mens Bona... Et Pudor."

§ fear] Our poet's copy of Ovid had " Terror." The right reading is "Error."

thine] So eds. B, C.-Ed. A "thy."

With beauty of thy wings thy fair hair gilded] Our poet's copy of Ovid had “Tu, penna pulchros gemina variante capillos." ** wounds] So eds. B, C.-Ed. A "wordes."

tt thine] So eds. B, C.-Ed. A "thy."