Or he which 'twixt a lion and a pard,

Through all the world with nimble pinions far'd*, And to his greedy whelps his conquer'd kingdoms shar'd.

V.

Hardly the place of such antiquity,

Or note of these great monarchies we find Only a fading verbal memory,

And empty name in writ is left behind:

But when this second life and glory fades,

And sinks at length in time's obscurer shades, A second fall succeeds, and double death invades.

VI.

That monstrous beast, which nurs'd in Tiber's fen,

Did all the world with hideous shape affray;

That fill'd with costly spoil his gaping den,
And trode down all the rest to dust and clay:

His batt❜ring horns pull'd out by civil hands.
And iron teeth lie scatter'd on the sands;

Back'd, bridled by a monk, with sev'n heads yoked stands.“
VII.

And that black †vulture, which with deathful wing
O'ershadows half the Earth, whose dismal sight

Frighten'd the Muses from their native spring,
Already stoops, and flags with weary flight:

Who then shall look for happiness beneath?

Where each new day proclaims, chance,change,and death, And life itself's as flit as is the air we breathe.

VIII.

Nor might this prince escape, though he as far
All these excells in worth and heav'nly grace,
As brightest Phoebus does the dimmest star :
The deepest falls are from the highest place.

There lies he now, bruis'd with so sore a fall,

To his base bonds, and loathsome prison thrall, Whom thousand foes besiege, fenc'd with frail yielding wall IX.

Tell me, oh, tell me then, thou holy Muse!
Saered Thespio! what the cause may be
Of such despite; so many foremen use
To persecute unpitied misery!

Or if these canker'd foes, as most men say,

So mighty be, that gird this wall of clay;

What makes it hold so long, and threaten'd ruin stay?
X.

When that great Lord his standing court would build,
The outward walls with gems and glorious lights,
But inward rooms with nobler courtiers fill'd;

Pure, living flames, swift, mighty, blessed sprights :
But some his royal service (fools!) disdain;

So down were flung :-(oft bliss is double pain)

In Heav'n they scorn'd to serve, so now in Hell they reign.
XI.

There turn'd to serpents, swol❜n with pride and hate;
Their prince a dragon fell, who burst with spite,
To see this king's and queen's yet happy state,
Tempts them to lust, and pride; prevails by slight :
To make them wise, and gods, he undertakes.

Thus while the snake they hear, they turn to snakes ; To make them gods he boasts, but beasts, and devils makes. XII.

But that great *Lion, who in Judah's plains

The awful beasts holds down in due subjection; The dragon's craft, and base-got spoil disdains, And folds this captive prince in his protection;

THE PURPLE ISLAND.

Breaks ope the jail, and brings the pris'ners thence*: Yet plac'd them in this castle's weak defence, Where they might trust and seek a higher Providence. XIII.

So now spread round about this little hold,

With armies infinite, encamped lie

Th' enraged dragon and his serpents bold:

And knowing well his time grows short and nigh,

He swells with venom'd goret, and pois'nous heat;
His tail unfolded, Heav'n itself doth beat,

And sweeps the mighty stars from their transcendent seat,
XIV.

With him goest Caro, cursed dam of sin,

Foul, filthy dam of fouler progeny;

Yet seems (skin deep) most fair by witching gin
To weaker sight; but to a purged eye

Looks like (nay, worse than) Hell's infernal hags:
Her empty breasts hang like lank hollow bags :
And Iris' ulcer'd skin is patch'd with leprous rags.
XV.

Therefore her loathsome shape's in steel array'd;

All rust within, the outside polish'd bright;
And on her shield a Mermaid sung and play'd,
Whose human beauties lure the wand'ring sight;
But slimy scales hid in their waters lie:

97

She chants, she smiles, so draws the ear, the eye, And whom she wins, she kills :-the word, 'Hear, gaze, and

die.'

XVI.

And after march'd a fruitful serpent fry,

Whom she of divers lechers divers bore;

* Luke iv 18.

+ Revelations, xii. 12.
0

The flesh.

Marshall'd'in sev'ral ranks their colours fly :
Four* to Anagnus, four this painted whore
To loathsome Asebie brought forth to light;
Twice four got Adicus, a hateful wight :

But swol❜n Acrates two, born in one bed and night.
XVII.

Mæchus+ the first, of shameless bold aspect;

Yet with him Doubt and Fear still trembling go:
Oft look'd he back, as if he did suspect

Th' approach of some unwish'd, unwelcome foe:
Behind, fell Jealousy his steps observ'd,

And sure Revenge with dart that never swerv'd :
Ten thousand griefs and plagues he felt, but more deserv❜d,
XVIII.

His armour black as Hell, or starless night,

And in his shield he lively pourtray'd bare

Mars fast impound in arms of Venus' light,

And tied as fast in Vulcan's subtil snare :

She feign'd to blush for shame, now all too late;
But his red colour seem to sparkle hate :

Sweet are stol'n waters,' round about the marge he wrate.
XIX.

Porneius next him pac'd, a meagre wight;

Whose leaden eyes sunk deep in swimming head, And joyless look, like some pale ashy spright; Seem'd as he now where dying, or now dead :

And with him Wastefulness, that all expended, And Want, that still in theft and prison ended, A hundred foul diseases close at's back attended.

*The fruits of the flesh, see Gal. v. 19, 20, 21, and are here ranked into four companies: 1st, unchastity; 2nd, irreligion; 3rd, unrighteousness; 4th, intemperance.

Adultery, Gal. v, 19.

Fornication.

XX.

His shining helm might seem a sparkling flame,
Yet sooth, nought was it but a foolish fire :
And all his arms were of that burning frame,

That flesh and bones where gnaw'n with hot desire,
About his wrist his blazing shield did fry

With sweltring hearts in flames of luxury.
His word,' In fire I live, in fire I burn and die.'
XXI.

With him* Acatharus, in Tuscan dress;

A thing that neither man will own, nor beast:
Upon a boy he lean'd in wantonwise,

On whose fair limbs his eyes still greedy feast;
He sports, he toys, kisses his shining face :
Behind, reproach and thousand devils pace:
Before, bold impudence, that cannot change her grace.
XXII.

His armour seem'd to laugh with idle boys,

Which all about their wanton sportings play'd; Als would himself keep out their childish toys, And like a boy lend them unmanly aid:

In his broad targe the bird her wings dispread, Which trussing wafts the Trojan Ganymede : And round was writ Like with his like is coupled." XXIII.

Aselgest follow'd next the boldest boy
That ever play'd in Venus' wanton court:
He little cares who notes his lavish joy;
Broad were his jests, wild his uncivil sport;
His fashion too, too fond, and loosely light:
A long love-lock on his left shoulder's plight;
Like to a woman's hair, well shew'd a woman's spright.
+ Lasciviousness.

* Sodomy, Rom i. 26, 27.

Lev. xx. 13, 15, 16.