Philomythie or Philomythologie wherein Outlandish Birds, Beasts, and Fishes, are taught to speake true English plainely. By Tho: Scot ... The second edition much inlarged |
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HIPPOPOTAMUS.
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 | Philomythie or Philomythologie |  |
HIPPOPOTAMUS.
Dedicated To the magnificent Knight Sr. Hvgh Smith, and his worthy Lady.
Your Auon's quiet, no such Monsters feede'Bout sandy Seuerne, as in Nilus breede:
Nilus-like your bountie ouerflowes,
Whence good report, and fame, and honour growes.
The
Sea-horse; and the famous Crocodile,
Both challeng'd to be Kings of fruitfull Nile;
And sundry fields they fought, where many dyed
Of either faction, still the cause vntried.
Yet often had they single, hand to hand,
Encountred in the flood, and on the land:
And parted still with equall harme away,
Nor both the blowes bore thence, but not the day;
Yet each inuincible himselfe did call,
And so they were, but to themselues, to all.
But when they cop'd, successe did thus conclude;
Courage remayn'd, strength only was subdu'd.
And so for want of strength they often sundred,
Though at their wondrous strength al other wondred
Thus oft they met, and oft assay'd in vaine,
Who should th'Emperiall crowne of Nilus gaine:
Till both grew weary of these warres at length,
And gan lay by the vse of armes and strength.
And truce proclaim'd a while on either part,
A fained truce, no friendship from the heart.
For vnder-hand by stratagems, and friends,
And secret plots, each sought their seuerall ends.
But much more noble was the Crocodile,
And wiser much, though not so full of guile
As Hippopotamus, so th'other hight,
Who car'd not what he did, or wrong or right,
By falshood, bribes, or treason; so he could,
The foulest fact, to his aduantage mould,
And thus he call'd Chameleon on a day,
With Polypus, and vnto them gan say:
You two my bosome-friends, my Minions are,
My priuie Counsellers in peace and warre.
And I haue found you plyant to my will,
Faithfull to me, but false to others still.
And now I craue, your vtmost Art and reason,
In conquering of the Crocodile by treason;
Which thus I purpose: Both of you are made,
By nature apt to colour and to shade,
With fit resemblance all the obiects nye,
On which you shall reflect a steady eye,
You can seeme otherwise, then what you be,
And couer hate with close hypocrisie,
You can take any shape, any disguise,
And soone beguile the most inquisitiue eyes;
Weare any Liuery, all companies fit,
And to each humour change your ready wit.
This you haue done before, and oft made plaine
Weightie intelligence, and can so againe.
But each his proper element retayning,
Chameleon in the ayre, and earth remaining,
You Polypus at sea. To sea then hye,
And with rich promises Torpedo buy
To our close seruice: he in Counsell is
To our great foe, a greater friend of his.
“But wealth is our best friend, and that corrupts
“The purest minde, and friendship interrupts.
With gifts and promises peruert him so,
That he may call vs friend, count him a foe:
Will him he would, when fitting time doth come,
With his slowe touch, secure, bewitch, benumme,
Our aduersary, and his sense astonish,
That it may seeme a crime him to admonish
Of our apparant practises preparing,
Whilst he attends his sports, no danger fearing.
Then to the Water-rat Ichneumon goe,
And you to Cuschillus and will them too,
When next they picke his teeth, and scratch his head,
For they are neere him still at euery stead,
And highly fauor'd, (chiefly Cuschillus),
Though both in fee and pension be withvs),
That they would ioyne their wits and force together
To murther him; and for reward come hither.
So when your plots he closely thus conuey'd,
And all your traines and tew in order laid,
Then mixe your selues in either element
With the profuse, the needy, discontent,
The desperate, the bloody, and the bold,
Whom nought but feare do from rebellion hold;
Of such you shall finde many in this State.
For hee's remisse, and doth all businesse hate,
Whereby he gets contempt, and opens wide
A ready way of entrance vnespide
To our high aimes. Full many you shall finde
Of our close faction, fitting to our minde.
Those that are such encourage, others frame,
And what you will speake largely in our name;
Promise, and sweare, and lye, to make things fit,
That our designes may prosper by our wit.
Away, and for the rest leaue that to me.
Both challeng'd to be Kings of fruitfull Nile;
And sundry fields they fought, where many dyed
Of either faction, still the cause vntried.
Yet often had they single, hand to hand,
Encountred in the flood, and on the land:
And parted still with equall harme away,
Nor both the blowes bore thence, but not the day;
And so they were, but to themselues, to all.
But when they cop'd, successe did thus conclude;
Courage remayn'd, strength only was subdu'd.
And so for want of strength they often sundred,
Though at their wondrous strength al other wondred
Thus oft they met, and oft assay'd in vaine,
Who should th'Emperiall crowne of Nilus gaine:
Till both grew weary of these warres at length,
And gan lay by the vse of armes and strength.
And truce proclaim'd a while on either part,
A fained truce, no friendship from the heart.
For vnder-hand by stratagems, and friends,
And secret plots, each sought their seuerall ends.
But much more noble was the Crocodile,
And wiser much, though not so full of guile
As Hippopotamus, so th'other hight,
Who car'd not what he did, or wrong or right,
By falshood, bribes, or treason; so he could,
The foulest fact, to his aduantage mould,
And thus he call'd Chameleon on a day,
With Polypus, and vnto them gan say:
You two my bosome-friends, my Minions are,
My priuie Counsellers in peace and warre.
And I haue found you plyant to my will,
Faithfull to me, but false to others still.
And now I craue, your vtmost Art and reason,
In conquering of the Crocodile by treason;
Which thus I purpose: Both of you are made,
By nature apt to colour and to shade,
With fit resemblance all the obiects nye,
On which you shall reflect a steady eye,
And couer hate with close hypocrisie,
You can take any shape, any disguise,
And soone beguile the most inquisitiue eyes;
Weare any Liuery, all companies fit,
And to each humour change your ready wit.
This you haue done before, and oft made plaine
Weightie intelligence, and can so againe.
But each his proper element retayning,
Chameleon in the ayre, and earth remaining,
You Polypus at sea. To sea then hye,
And with rich promises Torpedo buy
To our close seruice: he in Counsell is
To our great foe, a greater friend of his.
“But wealth is our best friend, and that corrupts
“The purest minde, and friendship interrupts.
With gifts and promises peruert him so,
That he may call vs friend, count him a foe:
Will him he would, when fitting time doth come,
With his slowe touch, secure, bewitch, benumme,
Our aduersary, and his sense astonish,
That it may seeme a crime him to admonish
Of our apparant practises preparing,
Whilst he attends his sports, no danger fearing.
Then to the Water-rat Ichneumon goe,
And you to Cuschillus and will them too,
When next they picke his teeth, and scratch his head,
For they are neere him still at euery stead,
And highly fauor'd, (chiefly Cuschillus),
Though both in fee and pension be withvs),
That they would ioyne their wits and force together
To murther him; and for reward come hither.
And all your traines and tew in order laid,
Then mixe your selues in either element
With the profuse, the needy, discontent,
The desperate, the bloody, and the bold,
Whom nought but feare do from rebellion hold;
Of such you shall finde many in this State.
For hee's remisse, and doth all businesse hate,
Whereby he gets contempt, and opens wide
A ready way of entrance vnespide
To our high aimes. Full many you shall finde
Of our close faction, fitting to our minde.
Those that are such encourage, others frame,
And what you will speake largely in our name;
Promise, and sweare, and lye, to make things fit,
That our designes may prosper by our wit.
Away, and for the rest leaue that to me.
The spies instructed thus fit agents be,
And post with speede, and with a speed too good
Dispatch all Scenes fit for the Act of blood.
And now the wise, learn'd, valiant Crocodile,
A hunting hies vnto the bankes of Nile:
Where hauing sported long, and fully fed,
The slow Torpedo strokes him on the head,
Whispers within his eare, and charmes him so
That in the Sun-shine he to rest must go.
But as he goes drowsie and reeling thus,
Meets him the Indian Rat, and Cuschillus,
And lowting low with musicke him presents,
And antique shewes, and masking meriments;
Striuing to hide their treason with such Art,
That their true care almost betraid their heart,
This wise Alcedo (one that many a dish
Had for his King prepar'd, of dantiest fish),
Did soone suspect, and with shrill voice gan crie,
Sir King beware, for enemies are nie;
Beware of him that's busie with your eare,
And tells you lies, that truth you may not heare:
Beware of him that's scratching of your head,
Beware of him that's making of your bed.
Beware of him that doth extoll you so,
And like a God adores you as you go:
Beware of him that doth so humbly fall
On his false knee; good King beware of all.
With that the Crocodile gan looke about,
Being halfe asleep, from a sweet dreame wak'd out,
And would haue heard more, but the charmers kept
The bird away by force; and so he slept.
He slept, and Cuschillus did sing the while,
And pickt his teeth, and vsed many a wile
To ope his ouer-chap (for onely he
Doth moue his ouer-chap, the nether we):
At last he tickled him, and forc't him so
To yawne and gape: then Cuschillus doth go
Into his belly, and the Indian Rat
Leapes quickly after; where they first search what
Close counsels, secret purposes did fill
His darker bosome, were they good or ill.
But were they good or ill, it matters not,
For they pursue and prosecute their plot:
They gin to gnaw his bowels, and to rake
His entrailes with their nailes; which paine doth wake
Him from his latest sleepe, and makes him crie
Aloud this counsell: Princes see ye trie.
Before ye trust, Those seruants that be ill
“At your commaund, for others money will
“Betray you too: he easly will dispense
“With greatest sinnes, who hath of small no sence.
“Beware of such as flatter by traduction,
“Theile first be others, then be your destruction.
“Beware of priuie whisperers and spies,
“The truth they tell is but a sauce for lies.
Beware of Ledgers, for legerdemaine
With others beside Iuglers doth remaine:
“And cheating and crosse-biting Great ones may
“In great things vse, as Little ones at play.
Beware of Clergie men their colour changing,
And in each place with lawlesse freedome ranging.
Take heede of Pensions, they haue often slept,
In priuy Chambers, and at Counsell kept.
And if it be a truth which some haue told,
Good men haue had large sleeues to put vp gold.
With that he dies, and those that were within,
Striuing who first should greatest credit win,
By carrying newes of this accursed deede,
Hinder each other in their hasty speede:
And issuing out iust as his chaps did close,
Did their reward, life, fame, together lose.
“Yet ill report findes wings in euery place;
And this vnto the Sea-horse flies apace;
Who (making too much hast) in top of pride,
Nothing before, behinde, nor bout him spide,
And so, for lacke of care, himselfe betraide
Into a pit-fall which th'Egyptians laid.
There he doth pine to death, and dying cries,
“Who liues by treason, thus by treason dies.
And post with speede, and with a speed too good
Dispatch all Scenes fit for the Act of blood.
And now the wise, learn'd, valiant Crocodile,
A hunting hies vnto the bankes of Nile:
Where hauing sported long, and fully fed,
The slow Torpedo strokes him on the head,
Whispers within his eare, and charmes him so
That in the Sun-shine he to rest must go.
But as he goes drowsie and reeling thus,
Meets him the Indian Rat, and Cuschillus,
And lowting low with musicke him presents,
And antique shewes, and masking meriments;
Striuing to hide their treason with such Art,
That their true care almost betraid their heart,
Had for his King prepar'd, of dantiest fish),
Did soone suspect, and with shrill voice gan crie,
Sir King beware, for enemies are nie;
Beware of him that's busie with your eare,
And tells you lies, that truth you may not heare:
Beware of him that's scratching of your head,
Beware of him that's making of your bed.
Beware of him that doth extoll you so,
And like a God adores you as you go:
Beware of him that doth so humbly fall
On his false knee; good King beware of all.
With that the Crocodile gan looke about,
Being halfe asleep, from a sweet dreame wak'd out,
And would haue heard more, but the charmers kept
The bird away by force; and so he slept.
He slept, and Cuschillus did sing the while,
And pickt his teeth, and vsed many a wile
To ope his ouer-chap (for onely he
Doth moue his ouer-chap, the nether we):
At last he tickled him, and forc't him so
To yawne and gape: then Cuschillus doth go
Into his belly, and the Indian Rat
Leapes quickly after; where they first search what
Close counsels, secret purposes did fill
His darker bosome, were they good or ill.
But were they good or ill, it matters not,
For they pursue and prosecute their plot:
They gin to gnaw his bowels, and to rake
His entrailes with their nailes; which paine doth wake
Him from his latest sleepe, and makes him crie
Aloud this counsell: Princes see ye trie.
“At your commaund, for others money will
“Betray you too: he easly will dispense
“With greatest sinnes, who hath of small no sence.
“Beware of such as flatter by traduction,
“Theile first be others, then be your destruction.
“Beware of priuie whisperers and spies,
“The truth they tell is but a sauce for lies.
Beware of Ledgers, for legerdemaine
With others beside Iuglers doth remaine:
“And cheating and crosse-biting Great ones may
“In great things vse, as Little ones at play.
Beware of Clergie men their colour changing,
And in each place with lawlesse freedome ranging.
Take heede of Pensions, they haue often slept,
In priuy Chambers, and at Counsell kept.
And if it be a truth which some haue told,
Good men haue had large sleeues to put vp gold.
With that he dies, and those that were within,
Striuing who first should greatest credit win,
By carrying newes of this accursed deede,
Hinder each other in their hasty speede:
And issuing out iust as his chaps did close,
Did their reward, life, fame, together lose.
“Yet ill report findes wings in euery place;
And this vnto the Sea-horse flies apace;
Who (making too much hast) in top of pride,
Nothing before, behinde, nor bout him spide,
And so, for lacke of care, himselfe betraide
Into a pit-fall which th'Egyptians laid.
There he doth pine to death, and dying cries,
“Who liues by treason, thus by treason dies.
| Philomythie or Philomythologie | |