 | The Ant and the Nightingale |  |
The Nightingale.
Oh twas a prety quaint deceite,
(The Nightingale began to sing)
To slip from those that lie in waite,
Whose touch is like a Rauens wing,
Fatall and ominous, which being spred,
Ouer a mortall, aimes him dead.
(The Nightingale began to sing)
To slip from those that lie in waite,
Whose touch is like a Rauens wing,
Fatall and ominous, which being spred,
Ouer a mortall, aimes him dead.
Alas poore Emmet thou wa'st tost
In thousand miseries by this shape:
Thy colour wasted, thy bloud lost,
Thy limbes broke, with the violent Rape
Of hot impatient Cannons, which desire
To rauish lifes, spending their lust in fire,
In thousand miseries by this shape:
Thy colour wasted, thy bloud lost,
Thy limbes broke, with the violent Rape
Of hot impatient Cannons, which desire
To rauish lifes, spending their lust in fire,
Oh what a ruthfull Sight it is, to see
Though in a Souldier of the mean'st degree,
That right member perisht,
Which the body cherisht:
That Limbe disseased, burnt, and gon,
Which the best part was borne vpon;
And then the greatest truth of all,
Returning some more ofte:
Where be the old rise, there so oft to fall,
Trod downe with enve [illeg.] with [illeg.]
Yet wretch, for this day comfort be,
That greates wormes haue fame like thee.
Though in a Souldier of the mean'st degree,
That right member perisht,
Which the body cherisht:
That Limbe disseased, burnt, and gon,
Which the best part was borne vpon;
And then the greatest truth of all,
Returning some more ofte:
Where be the old rise, there so oft to fall,
Trod downe with enve [illeg.] with [illeg.]
Yet wretch, for this day comfort be,
That greates wormes haue fame like thee.
By this the Day began to spring,
And seaze vpon her watchful eies:
When more Tree-Queristers did sing,
And euery Bird did wake and rise:
Which was no sooner seene and heard,
But all their prety chat was mard:
And then she saide,
We are betraide,
The day is vp, and all the birds,
And they abroad will blab our words,
With that she bad the Ants farewell,
And all they likewise Philomel:
Away she flew,
Crying Tereu!
And all the Industrious Ants in throngs,
Fell to their worke, and held their toongs.
And seaze vpon her watchful eies:
And euery Bird did wake and rise:
Which was no sooner seene and heard,
But all their prety chat was mard:
And then she saide,
We are betraide,
The day is vp, and all the birds,
And they abroad will blab our words,
With that she bad the Ants farewell,
And all they likewise Philomel:
Away she flew,
Crying Tereu!
And all the Industrious Ants in throngs,
Fell to their worke, and held their toongs.
| The Ant and the Nightingale | |