P. Ovidius Naso, Metamorphoses
Arthur Golding, Ed.

The people present woorshipped his Godhead there in syght,
Repeating dowble that the preest did say. The Romaynes eeke
Devoutly did with Godly voyce and hart his favour seeke.
The God by nodding did consent, and gave assured signe
By shaking of his golden crest that on his head did shyne,
And hissed twyce with spirting toong. Then trayld he downe the fyne
And glistring greeces of his church. And turning backe his eyen,
He looked to his altarward and to his former shryne
And temple, as to take his leave and bid them all fare well.
From thence ryght huge uppon the ground (which sweete of flowres did smell
That people strewed in his way), he passed stately downe,
And bending into bowghts went through the hart of all the towne,
Untill that hee the bowwing wharf besyde the haven tooke.
Where staying, when he had (as seemd) dismist with gentle looke
His trayne of Chapleynes and the folke that wayted on him thither,
Hee layd him in the Romane shippe to sayle away toogither.
The shippe did feele the burthen of his Godhed to the full,
And for the heavye weyght of him did after passe more dull.
The Romanes being glad of him, and having killd a steere
Uppon the shore, untyde theyr ropes and cables from the peere.
The lyghtsum wynd did dryve the shippe. The God avauncing hye,
And leaning with his necke uppon the Gallyes syde, did lye
And looke uppon the greenish waves, and cutting easly through
Th'Ionian sea with little gales of westerne wynd not rough,
The sixt day morning came uppon the coast of Italy.
And passing foorth by Junos Church that mustreth to the eye
Uppon the head of Lacine he was caryed also by
The rocke of Scylley. Then he left the land of Calabrye
And rowing softly by the rocke Zephyrion, he did draw
To Celen cliffs the which uppon the ryght syde have a flawe.
By Romeche and by Cawlon, and by Narice thence he past,
And from the streyghtes of Sicily gate quyght and cleere at last.
Then ran he by th'Aeolian Iles and by the metall myne
Of Tempsa, and by Lewcosye, and temprate Pest where fyne
And pleasant Roses florish ay. From thence by Capreas
And Atheney the headlond of Minerva he did passe
To Surrent, where with gentle vynes the hilles bee overclad,
And by the towne of Hercules and Stabye ill bestad
And Naples borne to Idlenesse, and Cumes where Sybell had
Hir temples, and the scalding bathes, and Linterne where growes store
Of masticke trees, and Vulturne which beares sand apace from shore,
And Sinuesse where as Adders are as whyght as any snowe,
And Minturne of infected ayre bycause it stands so lowe,
And Caiete where Aeneas did his nurce in tumbe bestowe,
And Formy where Antiphates the Lestrigon did keepe,
And Trache envyrond with a fen, and Circes mountayne steepe:
To Ancon with the boystous shore. Assoone as that the shippe
Arryved heere, (for now the sea was rough,) the God let slippe
His circles, and in bending bowghts and wallowing waves did glyde
Into his fathers temple which was buylded there besyde
Uppon the shore, and when the sea was calme and pacifyde,
The foresayd God of Epidawre, his fathers Church forsooke,
(The lodging of his neerest freend which for a tyme hee tooke,)
And with his crackling scales did in the sand a furrowe cut,
And taking hold uppon the sterne did in the Galy put
His head, and rested till he came past Camp and Lavine sands,
And entred Tybers mouth at which the Citie Ostia stands.
The folke of Rome came hither all by heapes bothe men and wyves
And eeke the Nunnes that keepe the fyre of Vesta as theyr lyves,
To meete the God, and welcomd him with joyfull noyse. And as
The Gally rowed up the streame, greate store of incence was
On altars burnt on bothe the banks, so that on eyther syde
The fuming of the frankincence the very aire did hyde,
And also slaine in sacrifyse full many cattell dyde.
Anon he came to Rome, the head of all the world: and there
The serpent lifting up himself, began his head to beare
Ryght up along the maast, uppon the toppe whereof on hye
He looked round about, a meete abyding place to spye.
The Tyber dooth devyde itself in twaine, and dooth embrace
A little pretye Iland (so the people terme the place)
From eyther syde whereof the bankes are distant equall space.
Apollos Snake descending from the maast conveyd him thither,
And taking eft his heavenly shape, as one repayring hither
To bring our Citie healthfulnesse, did end our sorrowes quyght.