The Ethics of Diet / A Catena of Authorities Deprecatory of the Practice of Flesh Eating

IV.
OVID.

THE original (the peculiar beauties of which cannot easily be represented in a modern idiom) of the English version already given in this work, with the concluding verses omitted in that translation, is here subjoined:—

Primusque animalia mensis

Arcuit imponi: primus quoque talibus ora

Docta quidem solvit, sed non et credita, verbis:—

“Parcite, mortales, dapibus temerare nefandis

Corpora. Sunt Fruges; sunt deducentia ramos

Pondere Poma suo, tumidæque in vitibus Uvæ.

Sunt Herbæ Dulces; sunt, quæ mitescere flammâ,

Mollirique queant. Nec vobis lacteus Humor

Eripitur, nec Mella thymi redolentia florem.

Prodiga divitias alimentaque mitia Tellus

Suggerit: atque epulas sine Cæde et Sanguine præbet.

Carne Feræ sedant jejunia; nec tamen Omnes.

Quippe Equus, et Pecudes, Armentaque gramine vivunt.

At quibus ingenium est immansuetumque ferumque—

Armeniæ Tigres, iracundique Leones,

Cumque Lupis Ursi—dapibus cum sanguine gaudent.

Heu quantum Scelus est—in viscera viscera condi,

Congestoque avidum pinguescere corpore corpus,

Alteriusque animantem animantis vivere leto!

Scilicet in tantis opibus, quas optima Matrum

Terra parit, nil to nisi tristia mandere sævo

Vulnera dente juvat, ritusque referre Cyclopum?

Nec, nisi perdideris alium, placare voracis

Et male morati poteris jejunia ventris?

At vetus illa Ætas, cui fecimus Aurea nomen,

Fœtibus arboreis et, quas humus educat, Herbis

Fortunata fuit: nee polluit ora Cruore.

Tunc et Aves tutas movere per aëra pennas,

Et Lepus impavidus mediis erravit in agris:

Nec sua credulitas piscem suspenderat hamo.

Cuncta sine insidiis, nullamque timentia Fraudem,

Plenaque Pacis erant. Postquam non utilis auctor

Victibus invidit (quisquis fuit ille virorum),

Corporeasque dapes avidam demersit in alvum.

Fecit iter sceleri; primâque e cæde Ferarum

Incaluisse putem maculatum sanguine ferrum.

Idque satis fuerat; nostrumque petentia letum

Corpora missa neci, salvâ pietate, fatemur:

Sed quàm danda neci, tàm non epulanda, fuerunt.

* * * * * * * *

Quid meruistis, Oves, placidum pecus, inque tuendos

Natum homines, pleno quæ fertis in ubere nectar?

Mollia quæ nobis vestras velamina Lanas

Præbetis, Vitâque magis quàm morte juvatis.

Quid meruêre Boves—animal sine fraude dolisque

Innocuum, simplex, natum tolerare labores?

Immemor est demùm, nee Frugum, munere dignus,

Qui potuit, curvi dempto modo pondere aratri,

Ruricolam mactare suum: qui trita labore

Illa, quibus toties durum renovaverat Arvum,

Tot dederat messes, percussit colla securi.”

“Nec satis est quòd tale nefas committitur: ipsos

Inscripsêre Deos sceleri, numenque Supernum

Cæde Laboriferi credunt gaudere Juvenci!

Victima labe carens, et præstantissima formâ,

(Nam placuisse nocet), vittis præsignis et auro,

Sistitur ante aras, auditque ignara precantem:

Imponique suæ videt, inter cornua, fronti

Quas coluit fruges, percussaque sanguine cultros

Inficit in liquidâ prævisos forsitan undâ.

Protinus ereptas viventi pectore fibras

Inspiciunt: mentesque Deûm scrutantur in illis![290]

“Unde fames Homini vetitorum tanta ciborum?

Audetis vesci, genus O Mortale! Quod, oro,

Ne facite: et monitis animos advertite nostris.

Cumque Boûm dabitis cæsorum membra palato

Mandere vos vestros scite et sentite Colonos.

* * * * * * * *

“Neve Thyestêis cumulemur viscera mensis.

Quàm male consuescit, quàm se parat ille cruori.

Impius humano, Vituli qui guttura cultro

Rumpit, et immotas præbet mugitibus aures!

Aut qui vagitus similes puerilibus Hœdum

Edentem jugulare potest; aut Alite vesci

Cui dedit ipse cibos—Quantum est, quod desit in istis

Ad plenum facinus! Quò transitus inde paratur!

“Bos aret, aut mortem senioribus imputet annis:

Horriferum contra Borean Ovis arma ministret;

Ubera dent saturæ manibus præstanda Capellæ.

Retia cum pedicis, laqueosque, artesque dolosas

Tollite: nec Volucrem viscatâ fallite virgâ,

Nec formidatis Cervos eludite pinnis,

Nec celate cibis uncos fallacibus hamos.

Perdite, si qua nocent: verùm hæc quòque perdite tantùm:

Ora vacent epulis, alimentaque congrua carpant.”

Metamorphoseon, Lib. xv. 72–142, 462–478.

Nor is this the only passage in his writings in which the Pagan poet proves himself to have been not without that humaneness and feeling so rare alike in non-Christian and in Christian poetry. In the charming story of the visit of the disguised and incarnate Celestials to the cottage of the pious peasants, Philemon and Baucis, Ovid takes the opportunity to present an alluring picture of the innocent fruits which were placed before the divine guests—a picture which, probably, was present to Milton in recording the similar hospitality of Eve.

Among the fragrant dishes—“savoury fruits, of taste to please true appetite”—appear Figs, Nuts, Dates, Plums, Grapes, Apples, Olives, Radishes, Onions, and Endive, with Honey, Eggs, and Milk:—

“Ponitur hìc bicolor sinceræ bacca Minervæ,

Conditaque in liquidâ Corna autumnalia fæce:

Intubaque et Radix, et Lactis massa Coacti:

Ovaque, non acri leviter versata Favillâ.

* * * * * * * *

Hìc Nux, hìc mista est rugosis Carica Palmis,

Prunaque, et in patulis redolentia Mala canistris,

Et de purpureis collectæ vitibus Uvæ.

Candidus in medio Favus est: super omnia vultus

Accessêre boni.” * * * *

We are not surprised, however, that, notwithstanding all this variety of sufficient foods, ignorant peasants, imitating the vicious examples of their rich neighbours, thought it due to “hospitality” to sacrifice life; and they were on the point of slaughtering the only non-human being belonging to them—a Goose, the “guardian of the cottage”—when the heavenly visitants intervene, and forbid the unnecessary barbarism:—

“Unicus anser erat, minimæ custodia villæ,

Quem Dîs hospitibus domini mactare parabant.

Ille celer pennâ tardos ætate fatigat,

Eluditque diu. Tandemque est visus ad ipsos

Confugisse Deos. Superi vetuêre necari:

‘Dîque sumus,’” &c.

When the rest of the inhabitants of Phrygia, were, for their wickedness, destroyed by indignant Heaven, the two old peasants, we may add, found safety from the general Deluge. (Metam. viii. 664–688).[291]

It may be noted in this place that the great “Epicurean” poet, Horace (Ovid’s contemporary), bon-vivant though he was, and apparently uninspired by humanitarian feeling, yet now and again expresses his conviction of the superiority of the Fruit to the Flesh banquet, and of the greater compatibility of the former with the poetic genius. E.g. Carmina I., 31. Ad Apollinem:—

Me pascunt Olivæ

Me Cichorea levesque Malvæ.

(“Olives, Endives, and easily-digested Mallows are my fare.”)

Satire II. 2. “Frugality.:”—

“Quæ virtus et quanta, boni, sit vivere Parvo,

* * * * * * *

Discite non inter lances mensasque nitentes,

Cum stupet insanis acies fulgoribus, et cum

Acclinis falsis animus meliora recusat,

Verum hic impransi mecum disquirite—

Male Vervum examinat omnis

Corruptus judex.

* * * * * * *

Cum labor extuderit fastidia, siccus, inanis

Sperne cibum vilem: nisi Hymettia mella Falerno

Ne biberis diluta. . . .

Cum sale Panis

Latrantem stomachum bene leniet. . . .

Non in caro nidore voluptas

Summa sed in te ipso. Tu pulmentaria qucere

Sudando: pinguem vitiis albumque neque ostrea,

Nec scarus aut poterit peregrina juvare lagois.

* * * * * * *

Num vesceris istâ

Quam laudas, plumâ? Cocto num adest honor idem?

* * * * * * *

At vos

Præsentes Austri, coquite horum obsonia.

* * * * * * *

Ergo

Si quis nunc mergos suaves edixerit assos,

Parebit pravi docilis Romana juventus.

* * * * * * *

Accipe nunc, victus tenuis quæ quantaque secum

Afferat. Imprimis valeas bene. . . . .”

His arraignment of the rich glutton, who obliges and allows the poor man to starve in the midst of plenty, is worthy of the morality of Seneca:—

“Ergo,

Quod superat, non est melius quo insumere possis?

Cur eget indignus quisquam te divite?”

The Ethics of Diet / A Catena of Authorities Deprecatory of the Practice of Flesh Eating

About This Book

IV. OVID.

IV.
OVID.