The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Publisher's Notice
• Hero and Leander.
• To the Right-worshipful Sir Thomas Walsingham, Knight
• Hero and Leander.
• The First Sestiad.
• The Second Sestiad.
• The Epistle Dedicatory
• The Third Sestiad.
• The Fourth Sestiad.
• The Fifth Sestiad.
• The Sixth Sestiad.
• Ovid's Elegies.
• P. Ovidii Nasonis 'amorum Liber Primus
• Elegia I. Quemadmodum a Cupidine, Pro Bellis Amores Scribere Coactus Sit.
• Elegia II. Quod Primo Amore Correptus, In Triumphum Duci Se a Cupidine Patiatur.
• Elegia III. Ad Amicam.
• Elegia IV. Amicam, Qua Arte Quibusque Nutibus In Cæna, Presente Viro, Uti Debeat, Admonet.
• Elegia V. Corinnæ Concubitus.
• Elegia VI. Ad Janitorem, Ut Fores Sibi Aperiat.
• Elegia VII. Ad Pacandam Amicam, Quam Verberaverat.
• Elegia VIII. Execratur Lenam Quæ Puellam Suam Meretricis Arte Instituebat.
• Elegia Ix Ad Atticum, Amantem Non Oportere Desidiosum Esse, Sicuti Nec Militem.
• Elegia X Ad Puellam, Ne Pro Amore Præmia Poscat.
• Elegia XI. Napen Alloqutur, Ut Paratas Tabellas Ad Cornnam Perferat.
• Elegia XII. Tabellas Quas Miserat Execratur Quod Amica Noctem Negabat.
• Elegia XIII. Ad Auroram Ne Properet.
• Elegia XIV. Puellam Consolatur Cui Præ Nimia Cura Comæ Deciderant.
• Elegia XV. Ad Invidos, Quod Fama Poetarum Sit Perennis.
• P. Ovidii Nasonis Amorum. Liber Secundus .
• Elegia I. Quod Pro Gigantomachia Amores Scribere Sit Coactus.
• Elegia II. Ad Bagoum, Ut Custodiam Puellæ Sibi Commissæ Laxiorem Habeat
• Elegia III. Ad Eunuchum Servantem Dominam.
• Elegia IV. Quod Amet Mulieres, Cujuscunque Formæ Sint.
• Elegia V. Ad Amicam Corruptam.
• Elegia VI. In Mortem Psittaci.
• Elegia VII. Amicæ Se Purgat, Quod Ancillam Non Amet.
• Elegia VIII. Ad Cypassim Ancillam Corinnæ.
• Elegia IX. Ad Cupidinem.
• Elegia X. Ad Græcinum Quod Eodem Tempore Duas Amet.
• Elegia XI. Ad Amicam Navigantem.
• Elegia XII. Exultat, Quod Amica Potitus Sit.
• Elegia XIII. Ad Isidem, Ut Parientem Corinnam Servet
• Elegia XIV. In Amicam, Quod Abortivum Ipsa Fecerit.
• Elegia XV. Ad Annulum, Quem Dono Amicæ Dedit.
• Elegia XVI. Ad Amicam, Ut Ad Rura Sua Veniat.
• Elegia XVII. Quod Corinnæ Soli Sit Serviturus.
• Elegia XVIII. Ad Macrum, Quod De Amoribus Scribat,
• Elegia XIX. Ad Rivalem Cut Nxor Curæ Non Erat.
• P. Ovidii Masonis Amorum. Liber Tertius .
• Elegia I. Deliberatio Poetæ, Utrum Elegos Pergat Scribere an Potius Tragoedias.
• Elegia II. Ad Amicam Cursum Equorum Spectantem.
• Elegia III. De Amica Quæ Perjuraverat.
• Elegia IV. Ad Virum Servantem Conjugem.
• Elegia VI. Ad Amnem Dum Iter Faceret Ad Amicam.
• Elegia VII. Quod Ab Amica Receptus, Cum Ea Coire Non Potuit Conqueritur.
• Elegia VIII. Quod Ab Amica Non Recipiatur, Dolet.
• Elegia IX. Tibulli Mortem Deflet.
• Elegia X. Ad Cererem, Conquerens Quod Ejus Sacris Cum Amica Concumbere Non Permittatur.
• Elegia XI. Ad Amicam a Cujus Amore Discedere Non Potest.
• Elegia XII. Dolet Amicam Suam Ita Suis Carminibus Innotuisse Ut Rivales Multos Sibi Pararit.
• Elegia XIII. De Junonis Festo.
• Elegia XIV. Ad Amicam, Si Peccatura Est, Ut Occulte Peccet.
• Elegia XV. Ad Venerem, Quod Elegis Finem Imponat.
• Epigrams By J[ohn] D[avies].
• Ad Musam. I.
• Of a Gull. II.
• In Refum. III.
• In Quintum. IV.
• In Plurimos. V.
• In Titum. VI.
• In Faustum. VII.
• In Katam. VIII.
• In Librum. IX.
• In Medontem. X
• In Gellam. XI.
• In Quintum. XII.
• In Severum. XIII.
• In Leucam. XIV.
• In Macrum. XV.
• In Faustum. XVI.
• In Cosmum. XVII.
• In Flaccum. XVIII.
• In Cineam. XIX.
• In Gerontem. XX.
• In Marcum. XXI.
• In Cyprium. XXII.
• In Cineam. XXIII.
• In Gallum. XXIV.
• In Decium. XXV.
• In Gellam. XXVI.
• In Syllam. XXVII.
• In Syllam. XXVIII.
• In Heywodum. XXIX.
• In Dacum. XXX.
• In Priscum. XXXI.
• In Brunum. XXXII.
• In Francum. XXXIII.
• In Castorem. XXXIV.
• In Septimium. XXXV.
• Of Tobacco. XXXVI.
• In Crassum. Xxxvii
• In Philonem. XXXVIII.
• In Fuscum. XXXIX.
• In Afrum. Xl.
• In Paulum. Xli.
• In Lycum. Xlii.
• In Publium. Xliii.
• In Syllam. Xliv.
• In Dacum. Xlv.
• In Marcum. Xlvi.
• Meditations of a Gull. Xlvii.
• Ad Musam. Xlviii.
• Ignoto.
• The First Book of Lucan.
• To His Kind and True Friend, Edward Blunt.
• The First Book of Lucan.
• The Passionate Shepherd to His Love.
• Fragment.
• Dialogue In Verse.
• Appendices.
• No. 1. the Atheist’s Tragedie.
• No. II.
• No. III. a Note
• No. IV.: The Death of Marlowe.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.

Elegia X2
Ad puellam, ne pro amore præmia poscat.

• Such as the cause was of two husbands' war,
• Whom Trojan ships fetch'd from Europa far,
• Such as was Leda, whom the god deluded
• In snow-white plumes of a false swan included.
• Such as Amymone through the dry fields strayed,
• When on her head a water pitcher laid;
• Such wert thou, and I feared the bull and eagle,
• And whate'er Love made Jove, should thee inveigle.
• Now all fear with my mind's hot love abates:
• No more this beauty mine eyes captivates.

  10

• Ask'st why I change? because thou crav'st reward;
• This cause hath thee from pleasing me debarred.
• While thou wert plain1 I loved thy mind and face:
• Now inward faults thy outward form disgrace.
• Love is a naked boy, his years saunce2 stain,
• And hath no clothes, but open doth remain.
• Will you for gain have Cupid sell himself?
• He hath no bosom where to hide base pelf.
• Love3 and Love's son are with fierce arms at4 odds;
• To serve for pay beseems not wanton gods.

  20

• The whore stands to be bought for each man's money,
• And seeks vild wealth by selling of her coney.
• Yet greedy bawd's command she curseth still,
• And doth, constrained, what you do of goodwill.
• Take from irrational beasts a precedent;
• 'Tis shame their wits should be more excellent.
• The mare asks not the horse, the cow the bull,
• Nor the mild ewe gifts from the ram doth pull.
• Only a woman gets spoils from a man,
• Farms out herself on nights for what she can;

  30

• And lets1 what both delight, what both desire,
• Making her joy according to her hire.
• The sport being such, as both alike sweet try it,
• Why should one sell it and the other buy it?
• Why should I lose, and thou gain by the pleasure,
• Which man and woman reap in equal measure?
• Knights of the post2 of perjuries make sale,
• The unjust judge for bribes becomes a stale.
• 'Tis shame sold tongues the guilty should defend,
• Or great wealth from a judgment-seat ascend.

  40

• 'Tis shame to grow rich by bed-merchandise,3
• Or prostitute thy beauty for bad price.
• Thanks worthily are due for things unbought;
• For beds ill-hired we are indebted nought.
• The hirer payeth all; his rent discharged,
• From further duty he rests then enlarged.
• Fair dames, forbear rewards for nights to crave:
• Ill-gotten goods good end will never have.
• The Sabine gauntlets were too dearly won,
• That unto death did press the holy nun.

  50

• The sun slew her, that forth to meet him went,
• And a rich necklace caused that punishment.
• Yet think no scorn to ask a wealthy churl;
• He wants no gifts into thy lap to hurl.
• Take clustered grapes from an o'er-laden vine,
• May4 bounteous love5 Alcinous' fruit resign.
• Let poor men show their service, faith and care;
• All for their mistress, what they have, prepare.
• In verse to praise kind wenches 'tis my part,
• And whom I like eternise by mine art.

  60

• Garments do wear, Jewels and gold do waste,
• The fame that verse gives doth for ever last.
• To give I love, but to be asked disdain;
• Leave asking, and I'll give what I refrain.

[2]Not in Isham copy or ed. A.

[1]“Simplex”

[2]Sans.

[3]“Nec Venus apta,” &c.

[4]Old eds. “to.”

[1]“Vendit.”

[2]“Non bene conducti testes.”

[3]So ed. B.—ed. C “bad merchandise.”

[4]Old eds. “many.”

[5]The original has “ager.”