University of Virginia Library

500

In Anastasius his Dayes

While Anastasius held th'Imperiall Mace
Vesuvius a Vomit took and spewd
Out firy Embers in such store the face
Of all the Countrey neere, and fruits all ru'de.
An Earthquake ruins Liddicea, yes,
Agathius, Hierople, Tripolis.
A Blazing star lights the Bulgarian host
Illyricum to ransack and destroy

507

The Roman army and a fire did rost

Constantnople and an Earthquake high
Wasts Newcesaria, all save th'Habitation
Where Gregory Thaumaturgus had his station.
Clodove the King of France takes by the Crown
Alaricus the Arian King of Spain
Vicenna stream is made so deep t'will drown
His host to wade it by a mighty rain.
The night he spends in prayer, the morn doth show
Them passage waded by a mighty Doe.
Now on he goes, at Poicteirs doth encamp
And saw a fiery turret breaking out
And come from Hileries Church to him this lamp,
Him spirited to give the foes a rout
The Arians were Confounded and made blinde
And he a Conquerour with joyous minde.
Olympus now at Carthage, th'Arian Vile
The holy Trinity did open ly

179

Revile and belch against and rails a while
But heaven let three fiery darts out fly
Of frightfull Lightning and burn him in
The Elyannesian Bathe up for his sin.

512

About the fifteenth year of Anastase

A Thracian Rebell did make havock greate
An Earthquake greate did Rhodes brave ile deface
Huns and Bulgareans make the East to shake
With fire and sword. The Emperour is calld
From heaven to repent untill he's galld.
A Spectrum terrible to him in sleep
Appears a book holding within his hand,
And read it thus to him, Loe Sir, I sweep
Here fourteen years off from thy life all damnd
Thy Vile Beliefe and baseness of thy Faith
Thus shortend thy imperiall scepter hath.

520

At Alexandria the yeare before

His days were done, Men, Women, Children too
Possesst with Divells many were: did roare
And barkt like Dogs. Which things as certain shew
Fell out because he damn'd Chalcedo's Faith
Yet no regard at all to them he hath,
And kenning from Diviners that his fall
Should be by Lightning. He Tholotum built
And dwelt therein, but thunder through the Wall
Crackt horridly, much Lightning slides a tilt
He runs down stares amazd from room to room

521

And in his bed room's found under deaths doom.