P. Ovidius Naso, Metamorphoses
Arthur Golding, Ed.

Thus farre (I well remember mee) did Helens woordes extend
To good Aenaeas. And it is a pleasure unto mee
The Citie of my countrymen increasing thus to see:
And that the Grecians victorie becommes the Trojans weale.
But lest forgetting quyght themselves our horses happe to steale
Beyond the mark: the heaven and all that under heaven is found,
Dooth alter shape. So dooth the ground and all that is in ground.
And wee that of the world are part (considring how wee bee
Not only flesh, but also sowles, which may with passage free
Remove them into every kynd of beast both tame and wyld)
Let live in saufty honestly with slaughter undefyld,
The bodyes which perchaunce may have the spirits of our brothers,
Our sisters, or our parents, or the spirits of sum others
Alyed to us eyther by sum freendshippe or sum kin,
Or at the least the soules of men abyding them within.
And let us not Thyesteslyke thus furnish up our boordes
With bloodye bowells. Oh how leawd example he afoordes.
How wickedly prepareth he himself to murther man
That with a cruell knyfe dooth cut the throte of Calf, and can
Unmovably give heering to the lowing of the dam
Or sticke the kid that wayleth lyke the little babe, or eate
The fowle that he himself before had often fed with meate.
What wants of utter wickednesse in woorking such a feate?
What may he after passe to doo? well eyther let your steeres
Weare out themselves with woork, or else impute theyr death to yeeres.
Ageinst the wynd and weather cold let Wethers yeeld yee cotes,
And udders full of batling milk receyve yee of the Goates.
Away with sprindges, snares, and grinnes, away with Risp and net.
Away with guylefull feates: for fowles no lymetwiggs see yee set.
No feared fethers pitche yee up to keepe the Red deere in,
Ne with deceytfull bayted hooke seeke fishes for to win.
If awght doo harme, destroy it, but destroy't and doo no more.
Forbeare the flesh: and feede your mouthes with fitter foode therfore.