need of any protection, but I humbly recommend my part of it, as much as it deferves, to your patronage and acceptance, and all the reft to your forgivenefs. I am, My Lord, Your Lordship's moft Obedient Servant, JOHN DRYDEN. THE FIRST BOOK. OF OVID'S METAMORPHOSES. OF bodies chang'd to various forms I fing: 'Till I my long laborious work compleat; 5 10 15 Nor feas about the fhores their arms had thrown; But earth, and air, and water, were in one. Thus air was void of light, and earth unstable, And water's dark abyfs unnavigable. No certain form on any was imprest ; 20 All were confus'd, and each disturb'd the reft, tend, To these inteftine difcords put an end. 25 Then earth from air, and feas from earth were driven, And groffer air funk from ætherial heaven. Thus difembroil'd, they take their proper place; The next of kin contiguoufly embrace; 30 35 Earth finks beneath, and draws a numerous throng Of ponderous, thick, unwieldy feeds along, And, rifing on a ridge, infult the fhore. Thus when the God, whatever God washe, 40 Had form'd the whole, and made the parts agree, That no unequal portions might be found, And bad the congregated waters flow. 45 He adds the running fprings, and standing lakes; And bounding banks for winding rivers makes. Some part in earth are swallow'd up, the most In ample oceans, difembogu'd, are lost. He fhades the woods, the vallies he reftrains 50 With rocky mountains, and extends the plains. And as five zones the ætherial regions bind, Five, correfpondent, are to earth affign'd: The fun, with rays directly darting down, Fires all beneath, and fries the middle zone: 55 The two beneath the diftant poles complain Of endless winter, and perpetual rain. Betwixt the extremes, two happier climates hold The temper that partakes of hot and cold. 60 |