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 III.2
De amica quæ perjuraverat.

• What, are there gods? herself she hath forswore,
• And yet remains the face she had before.
• How long her locks were ere her oath she took.
• So long they be since she her faith forsook.
• Fair white with rose-red was before commixt;
• Now shine her looks pure white and red betwixt.
• Her foot was small: her foot's form is most fit:
• Comely tall was she, comely tall she's yet.
• Sharp eyes she had: radiant like stars they be,
• By which she, perjured oft, hath lied to1 me.

  10

• In sooth, th' eternal powers grant maids society
• Falsely to swear; their beauty hath some deity.
• By her eyes, I remember, late she swore,
• And by mine eyes, and mine were painèd sore.
• Say gods: if she unpunished you deceive,
• For other's faults why do I loss receive.
• But did you not so envy2 Cepheus' daughter,
• For her ill-beauteous mother judged to slaughter.
• 'Tis not enough, she shakes your record off,
• And, unrevenged, mocked gods with me doth scoff.

  20

• But by my pain to purge her perjuries,
• Cozened, I am the cozener's sacrifice.
• God is a name, no substance, feared in vain,
• And doth the world in fond belief detain.
• Or if there be a God, he loves fine wenches,
• And all things too much in their sole power drenches.
• Mars girts his deadly sword on for my harm;
• Pallas' lance strikes me with unconquered arm;
• At me Apollo bends his pliant bow;
• At me Jove's right hand lightning hath to throw.

  30

• The wrongèd gods dread fair ones to offend,
• And fear those, that to fear them least intend.
• Who now will care the altars to perfume?
• Tut, men should not their courage so consume.
• Jove throws down woods and castles with his fire,
• But bids his darts from perjured girls retire.
• Poor Semele among so many burned,
• Her own request to her own torment turned.
• But when her lover came, had she drawn back,
• The father's thigh should unborn Bacchus lack.

  40

• Why grieve I? and of heaven reproaches pen?
• The gods have eyes, and breasts as well as men.
• Were I a god, I should give women leave,
• With lying lips my godhead to deceive.
• Myself would swear the wenches true did swear,
• And I would be none of the gods severe.
• But yet their gift more moderately use,
• Or in mine eyes, good wench, no pain transfuse.

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

[1]Old eds. “by.”

[2]“At non invidiæ vobis Cephéia virgo est, Pro male formosa jussa parente mori!”

• (“Invidiæ” here means “discredit, odium.”)