Arthur Golding

Arthur Golding (c. 1536 – May 1606) was an English translator of more than 30 works from Latin into English. While primarily remembered today for his translation of Ovid's Metamorphoses because of its influence on William Shakespeare's works, in his own time he was most famous for his translation of Caesar's Commentaries, and his translations of the sermons of John Calvin were important in spreading the doctrines of the Protestant Reformation.

Quotes

• Forasmuch as the Ceremonie of bringing of our Freewill offeringes to a place chosen for that purpose is done away, if wee intend to offer such sacrifices as may bee acceptable to God, every [one] of us must doe almesdeedes according to his abilitie, and thinke thus with himselfe: "Go too, my God hath given mee chaunge of meates, I eate one kinde of porredge to day and another kinde to morrowe, and yet might I content my selfe all my lyfe long with bread and water. But God of his bounteousnesse giueth mee moreover what meates soever I lyke of best, yea and chaunge of them also; so as if I bee weary of one meate, I may take another according to my abilitie. Seeing then that he dealeth so with me, what an unthankfulnesse is it for mee to despise him that sheweth himselfe so liberall towardes mee?" True it is that our so dooing is neither here nor there (as they say,) in respect of God: the service that wee doe him doth neither amend him nor appaire him: but he giveth us the poore among us, to bee succored at our handes, to the ende that none of us should so glutte himselfe by cramming his owne bellie, as to despise others that are in necessitie, but that wee shoulde bee well advised to make an offering unto God of the thinges that he hath put into our handes, and that the same might become holy by that meanes.
  • The Sermons of John Calvin upon Deuteronomie (London: Henry Middleton for George Bishop, 1583) ch. 14, sermon 7 (24 October 1555)

Metamorphosis (1567; rev. 1575)

• With skill, heede, and judgment, this worke must be read,
  For else to the Reader it standes in small stead.
  • Introductory verse, title page

• Of shapes transformde to bodies straunge, I purpose to entreate.
  • Book I (Invocation)

• Before the Sea and Lande were made, and Heaven that all doth hide,
  In all the worlde one onely face of nature did abide,
  Which Chaos hight, a huge rude heape, and nothing else but even
  A heavie lump and clottred clod of seedes togither driven,
  Of things at strife among themselves, for want of order due.
  • Book I (The Creation)

• The heavenly soyle, to Gods and Starres and Planets first he gave.
  The waters next both fresh and salt he let the fishes have.
  The suttle ayre to flickring fowles and birdes he hath assignde.
  The earth to beasts both wilde and tame of sundrie sort and kinde.
  Howbeit yet of all this while, the creature wanting was,
  Farre more devine, of nobler minde, which should the residue passe
  In depth of knowledge, reason, wit, and high capacitie,
  And which of all the residue should the Lord and ruler bee.
  Then eyther he that made the worlde, and things in order set,
  Of heavenly seede engendred Man: or else the earth as yet
  Yong, lustie, fresh, and in hir floures, and parted from the skie,
  But late before, the seede thereof as yet held inwardlie.
  The which Prometheus tempring straight with water of the spring,
  Did make in likenesse to the Gods that governe everie thing.
  • Book I (The Creation)

• Peneian Daphne was the first where Phebus set his love,
  Which not blind chaunce but Cupids fierce and cruel wrath did move.
  • Book I (Apollo and Daphne)

• The serpent Python so forswolne, whose filthie wombe did hide
  So many acres of the grounde in which he did abide.
  • Book I (Apollo and Daphne)

• There from hys quiver full of shafts two arrowes did he take
  Of sundrie workes: t'one causeth Love, the tother doth it slake.
  That causeth love, is all of golde with point full sharpe and bright,
  That chaseth love is blunt, whose stele with leaden head is dight.
  • Book I (Apollo and Daphne)

• In woods and forrests is hir joy, the savage beasts to chase,
  And as the price of all hir paine to take the skinne and case.
  Unwedded Phebe doth she haunt and follow as hir guide,
  Unordred doe hir tresses wave scarce in a fillet tide.
  Full many a wooer sought hir love, she lothing all the rout,
  Impacient and without a man walkes all the woods about.
  • Book I (Apollo and Daphne)

• "I pray thee Nymph Penaeis stay, I chase not as a fo:
  Stay Nymph: the Lambes so flee the Wolves, the Stags the Lions so.
  With flittring feathers sielie Doves so from the Gossehauke flie,
  And every creature from his foe. Love is the cause that I
  Do followe thee: alas alas how would it grieve my heart,
  To see thee fall among the briers, and that the bloud should start
  Out of thy tender legges, I, wretch, the causer of thy smart."
  • Book I (Apollo and Daphne)

• She hating as a haynous crime the bonde of bridely bed
  Demurely casting downe hir eyes, and blushing somwhat red,
  Did folde about hir fathers necke with fauning armes, and sed:
  "Deare father, graunt me while I live my maidenhead for to have,
  As to Diana heretofore hir father freely gave."
  Thy father (Daphne) could consent to that thou doest require,
  But that thy beautie and thy forme impugne thy chaste desire.
  • Book I (Apollo and Daphne)

• Hir haire unkembd about hir necke downe flaring did he see,
  "O Lord and were they trimd" (quoth he) "how seemely would she bee?"
  He sees hir eyes as bright as fire the starres to represent,
  He sees hir mouth which to have seene he holdes him not content.
  Hir lillie armes mid part and more above the elbow bare,
  Hir handes, hir fingers and hir wrystes, him thought of beautie rare.
  And sure he thought such other parts as garments then did hyde,
  Excelled greatly all the rest the which he had espyde.
  • Book I (Apollo and Daphne)

• "In shooting have I stedfast hand, but surer hand had hee
  That made this wound within my heart that heretofore was free.
  Of Phisicke and of surgerie I found the Artes for neede,
  The powre of everie herbe and plant doth of my gift proceede.
  Nowe wo is me that nere an herbe can heale the hurt of love
  And that the Artes that others helpe their Lord doth helpelesse prove."
  • Book I (Apollo and Daphne)

• As Phoebus would have spoken more, away Penaeis stale
  With fearefull steppes, and left him in the midst of all his tale.
  • Book I (Apollo and Daphne)

• Hir goodly yellowe golden haire that hanged loose and slacke,
  With every puffe of ayre did wave and tosse behinde hir backe.
  Hir running made hir seeme more fayre.
  • Book I (Apollo and Daphne)

• And even as when the greedie Grewnde doth course the sielie Hare,
  Amiddes the plaine and champion fielde without all covert bare,
  Both twaine of them doe straine themselves and lay on footemanship,
  Who may best runne with all his force the tother to outstrip,
  The t'one for safetie of his lyfe, the tother for his pray,
  The Grewnde aye prest with open mouth to beare the Hare away,
  Thrusts forth his snoute and gyrdeth out and at hir loynes doth snatch,
  As though he would at everie stride betweene his teeth hir latch.
  • Book I (Apollo and Daphne)

• Hope made Apollo swift,
  And feare did make the Mayden fleete devising how to shift.
  Howebeit he that did pursue of both the swifter went,
  As furthred by the feathred wings that Cupid had him lent.
  • Book I (Apollo and Daphne)

• "O let the earth devour me quicke, on which I seeme too fayre,
  Or else this shape which is my harme by chaunging straight appayre."
  This piteous prayer scarsly sed: hir sinewes waxed starke,
  And therewithall about hir breast did grow a tender barke.
  Hir haire was turned into leaves, hir armes in boughes did growe,
  Hir feete that were ere while so swift, now rooted were as slowe.
  Hir crowne became the toppe, and thus of that she earst had beene,
  Remayned nothing in the worlde, but beautie fresh and greene.
  Which when that Phoebus did beholde (affection did so move)
  The tree to which his love was turnde he coulde no lesse but love.
  • Book I (Apollo and Daphne)

• And in his armes embracing fast hir boughes and braunches lythe,
  He proferde kisses to the tree, the tree did from him writhe.
  • Book I (Apollo and Daphne)

• "Well" (quoth Apollo) "though my Feere and spouse thou can not bee,
  Assuredly from this tyme forth yet shalt thou be my tree."
  • Book I (Apollo and Daphne)

• The Lawrell to his just request did seeme to condescende,
  By bowing of hir newe made boughs and tender braunches downe,
  And wagging of hir seemely toppe, as if it were hir crowne.
  • Book I (Apollo and Daphne)

Quotes about Golding

• Though it is the most beautiful book in the language, I am not citing it for decorative purposes but for the narrative quality.
  • Ezra Pound, praising Golding's Ovid, in ABC of Reading (1951 [1934]) p. 127