This is the beginning of a transcription from Ovid’s Epistles, translated by various authors in the 1795 edition. This book is difficult to find, and so as I do my own analysis of it, I will also transcribe the epistles on the net for others to use as well. I have attempted to stay as close as possible to the spellings produced in the book. It is an excellent depiction of how translations can vary so immensely and in important ways. Not to mention they are fantastic love letters, full of ethos and pathos, although not much logos. I will continue to add letters as I have the time.

 NOTE: If there are two translations of the same poem, as is the case with several of them, I will place them both on the same page, one below the other, for easy reference.

Ovid’s Epistles:

Translated by

Eminent Persons.

Published by

Sir Samuel Garth.

In two volumes.

They live, they speak, they breathe, what love inspires,

Warm from the soul, and faithful too its fires.

Pope

Vol. 1

London:

Printed for Martin and Bain, Fleet-Street.

Anno 1795.

Vol. 1

Containing

Sappho to Phaon

Canace to Macareus

Leander to Hero

Helen to Paris

Etc.

Dedication

To the Lady

Louisa Lenos 

Madam,

In moving lines these few epistles tell

What fate attends the nymph that likes too well;

How faintly the successful lovers burn;

And their neglected charms how ladies mourn.

The fair you’ll find, when soft entreaties fail,

Assert their uncontested right, and rail.

Too soon they listen, and resent too late;

Too sure they love when e’er they strive to hate.

Their sex or proudly shuns, or poorly craves;

Commencing tyrants, and concluding slaves.

In diff’ring breasts what diff’rng passions glow!

Ours kindle quick, but yours extinguish slow.

The fire we boast, with force uncertain burns,

And breaks but out, as appetite returns;

But yours, like incense, mounts by soft degrees,

And in a fragrant flame consumes to please.

Your sex, in all that can engage, excel;

And ours, in patience, and persuading well.

Impartial nature equally decrees;

You have your pride, and we our perjuries.

Tho’ form’d to conquer, yet too oft you fall,

By giving Nothing, or by granting All.

But, madam, long will your unpractic’d years

Smile at the tale of lovers’ hopes and fears.

Tho’ infant graces sooth your gentle hours,

More soft than sighs, more sweet than breathing

Flow’rs

Let rash admirers your keen lightning fear;

‘tis bright at distance, but destroys if near.

The time ere long, if verse presage, will come,

Your charms shall open in full Brudenal bloom,

All eyes shall gaze, all hearts shall homage vow,

And not a lover languish, but for you.

The muse shall string her lyre with garlands crow’nd,

And each bright nymph shall sicken at the sound.

So when Aurora first salutes the sight,

Pleas’d we behold the tender dawn of light.

But when with riper red she warms the skies,

In circling throngs the wing’d musicians rise;

And the gay groves rejoice in symphonies;

Each pearly flow’r with painted beauty shines;

And ev’ry star its fading fire resigns.

S. Garth

ADVERTISEMENT.

The public having encouraged so many editions of Ovid’s Epistles, I began to think if any thing might yet be added to the perfection of the work. And the greater part of Sapho to Phaon being omitted in the Sir Car Scrope’s translation, I solicited an entire new version of that epistle, to render the whole book complete. The author of it will have me acquaint the reader, that is was undertaken on that account only, and not out of any supposed defect in what that gentleman had done.

It was proposed in this edition to change the method of the epistles according to the chronological order, and the connexion the subjects often have with each other; which might have contributed to the ease of the English reader, by clearing some historical passages referred to in several of them; but custom having obtained to the contrary we have only subjoined the following account:

The chief of those who undertook the expedition of the Golden Fleece, were Hercules and Jason; some writers add Theseus, who was contemporary with them, and famous for his victory over the Minotaur, which he atchieved by the assistance of Ariadne, whom afterwards forsaking, he married Phaedra, who fell in love with his son Hippolytus. Jason as he went on the formentioned expedition was entertained by Hypsipile at Lemnos, but deserted her for Medea, and afterwards Medea for Creusa. Hercules after his return was poisoned with a shirt sent by Dejanira. This hero had twice taken Troy in the time of king Laomedon, to whom Priam succeeded, the father of Paris, at whose birth it was prophesied that he should occasion it to be destroyed a third time. Being therefore educated among shepherds he contracted a love to Cenone; ‘till hearing of Helena, he sailed to Sparta, and carried her from thence to Troy; this caused the war of the Grecian Princes against Troy; among whom Protesilaus (the husband of Laodamia) was the first that set foot on the enemies ground, and was killed on the spot. After the war had been continued nine years, a quarrel arising betwixt Agamemnon and Achilles, the latter absented himself from the army, and the former in revenge forced his mistress Briscis from him. When Troy was taken, the Greeks returning homeward met with many disasters. Ulysses was ten years detained from Ithaca, while his queen Penelope was afflicted by the suitors in his absence. Demophoon was hospitably received by Phillis, whom, after he had married, he left, and pursued his voyage home to Athens. Agamemnon himself at his return to Argos was murdered by his wife, whom his son Orestes killed, who was betrothed to Hermione, the daughter of Helena. About the same time Aeneas going in search of Italy was detained by Dido, who stabbed herself upon his departure from Carthage.

The rest of the subjects of Ovid have no connexion with each other, neither can their time be certainly fixed; only Hypermnestra is supposed to have lived some time before, and Sapho long after all the rest.

Sappho to Phaeon

Canace to Macareaus

Phillis to Demophoon

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